Using the AI Assistant

Ask the AI assistant about your model, or let it build and change the model for you — with control over what it applies and an easy undo.

The AI assistant (powered by Claude) answers questions about your model and, if you allow it, changes the model for you.

Open it

Click AI Assistant at the right end of the toolbar row above the canvas. The panel opens on the far right and stays open while you switch views.

Two modes

Research: the assistant only reads and answers. Use it to explore a model safely.
Editing: it can also change the model, if you have edit rights.

What it can do

Answer and analyse: search elements, follow relationships, count and compare, find duplicates, explain the metamodel, run a simulation with what-if values, and look things up in the Metapad help. It can save an analysis as a PDF report in the model.
Build and change: create, update, merge and delete elements and relationships; change an element's type; rewrite one paragraph of a long description without touching the rest.
Metamodel: add and change node types, relationship types and allowed connections.
Organise: folders, tags, diagrams, filters, navigation trees, renderings and publications. Publishing itself stays with you.
Simulation: twins, scenarios, parameter sets, agents, links, dashboards and their widgets, time-series values.
History and restore: tell you who changed or deleted an element and when, list what was deleted recently, and bring deleted elements back with their original IDs and relationships. It only restores when you ask, and a restore is shown and undone like any other change.
Languages: translate elements, enable a language, or edit the German (or any other) text of an element. Say which language you mean: "Fix the German description of …".

Applying changes

Auto-apply (the default): changes appear live as the assistant works, for everyone in the model.
Ask first: the assistant lists Proposed changes and waits for Apply Changes or Reject. Switch with the pill at the top of the panel.

Some changes always wait for your approval, even in Auto-apply: deleting or merging elements, removing types or allowed connections, removing widgets, changing an element's type, and overwriting an existing translation. Metapad saves a version before applying them.

Undo: ask "undo that". The assistant reverts everything it changed in its last request, one request at a time. ⌘/Ctrl+Z works too.

Limits

The model's owner can switch the assistant off for a model: Navigator → Settings → AI Assistant.
AI use draws on your team's monthly pool of AI calls, shared by all members. Each request counts once, however much it does. When the pool is used up, the assistant stops until the next month. See your usage under Profile Settings → Plan & Billing.

Tips

Be specific about types, names and properties.
Big jobs go better in steps: metamodel first, then instances.
The assistant respects your metamodel's allowed connections.