The "How would you like to chat?" screen

In NeuralVault 2.0 the app asks once per account on this machine how you want to chat: your NeuralVault balance, your own API key, or a model on this machine, and you can tick more than one.

Last checked against the app on · View as Markdown

Steps

  1. After you sign in, if chat setup has not been done for your account on this machine, the screen "How would you like to chat?" appears. NeuralVault needs a model to answer with.
  2. Tick one or more routes. "Use your NeuralVault balance" appears only where the plan includes routing. "Use your own API key" asks for a provider and a key. "Run models on this machine" needs Ollama running with a model. A "Recommended" badge marks the route the app suggests.
  3. For your own key, choose the Provider, paste the key into "API key" and continue. The key is stored on this machine and sent only to the provider you chose, and that provider bills you, not NeuralVault.
  4. Press "Continue". If you ticked more than one route, your first message goes to the route ticked last that is available, and the others are ready to switch to from the model picker.
  5. To see the screen again later, open Settings, then Workspace, then Appearance, and press "Run the chat setup again". Nothing you have configured is removed.

How to tell it worked

The chat opens, and your first message is answered by the route the figure on the right named. The model picker shows the provider and model.

If it does not work

Continue is greyed out.
Every ticked route must be usable. A blocked route shows its reason on its own card. Untick it, or fix the reason and it clears on its own. A ticked own-key route also needs a key typed in.
The local route says Ollama is not running, or has no model.
The card says which: Ollama is not running, nothing answered at the address, no model is chosen, or the chosen model is not there yet. See the guide on a model not answering.
You pressed "Skip for now" and Chat will not answer.
The screen warns that Chat cannot answer until you pick a route in Settings. Add a key in Settings, Intelligence, API keys, or run the chat setup again from Appearance.