First run
After installation and sign-in, spend five minutes on the basics: project context, the Agent view, and one real prompt. If you have not finished Ollama or Simulink MCP setup yet, start with Getting started with the desktop app.
The Agent view
The Agent view is the main workspace. It is where you chat with the model, run tool loops against Simulink, and review replies with tool-call details.
- Sidebar — conversations, project folder, and MBD tools
- Composer — type prompts at the bottom; press Enter to send
- Model toolbar — active provider and model (top of the agent panel)
- Activity panel — toggle with
Ctrl+Jto see Ollama calls, MCP tools, and agent steps
On first launch you may see a short onboarding tour covering project, command palette (Ctrl+K), and tools.
Step 1 — Open your project folder
The agent uses your active project for context: .slx files, workspace rules, and folder paths.
- In the sidebar, click Open project… (or use File → Open project…,
Ctrl+Shift+O). - Choose the root folder where your Simulink models and scripts live.
- Confirm the project name appears in the sidebar project block.
Without a project, the agent can still chat but cannot reliably reference your models or repo layout.
Step 2 — Connect a model
Before your first prompt, pick an LLM:
- If you use Ollama, complete Ollama setup and confirm status in Settings → Connection.
- In the model toolbar, select your provider and model (e.g. Ollama + a pulled model).
- Optional: add a cloud provider in Cloud providers.
Step 3 — Send your first prompt
Start simple to verify the loop works:
What models are loaded in Simulink right now?
Or, with a project open:
Summarize the Simulink models in this project folder.
For Simulink edits you need MATLAB MCP configured — see Enabling MATLAB MCP.
Useful shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Command palette | Ctrl+K |
| New agent session | Ctrl+N |
| Toggle activity log | Ctrl+J |
| Slash commands in composer | Type / |
Slash commands (optional)
/plan— generate a text-only plan saved under.mbdmind/plans//build— start a new session from the latest plan
Verify everything works
- Settings → Connection — Ollama shows a healthy status; Simulink MCP shows OK if you use model tools.
- Send a second message in the same session — prior turns should be included as context.
- Open Usage from the sidebar to confirm token tracking after a reply.
Next steps
- Connecting a model — toolbar and provider switching
- MATLAB MCP overview — what live Simulink tools do