You edit visually in Trace's desktop editors and can ask the assistant to work on the same design. Understanding the file and sharing boundaries helps you move projects, review edits and recover safely.
Native files are the design
A native desktop project includes:
.kicad_pro: project configuration..trace_sch: native schematic files, including child sheets where used..trace_pcb: the native board..trace_sch.xoand.trace_pcb.xo: paired drawing and placement data.- Required libraries, models and other project assets.
The desktop reads and writes native design files in-process. Native save/load does not require a Python conversion subprocess, and these files are not an intermediate copy to throw away.
Keep each native design with its paired .xo when moving or backing up a project. Use supported KiCad import/export for .kicad_sch and .kicad_pcb; do not rename native files to those extensions or assume every format preserves every feature. Projects describes the project structure.
What happens during a chat task
- You select Ask, Agent or Plan and a supported model, then send a request.
- Hosted assistance uses the request and supplied context to answer, research or propose supported actions.
- Where an action belongs to the desktop, the app performs it in the current project and returns its result.
- The chat shows progress and results. For edits, inspect the updated design and saved files rather than treating the final message as proof.
Ask remains read-only. Plan presents a plan for review before execution; Agent permits supported actions within the current editor's permissions. Tool availability depends on the product, document, build and service—not just the text of your request.
See Working with chat for controls and Intelligent tools for task examples.
Local files do not mean offline AI
The visual editors and native file handling run on your device. Hosted AI uses a network connection and receives messages, attachments and relevant design context or tool results. Those results can contain design information.
Other network workflows have their own scope:
- Attachments and reusable files transmit selected content when uploaded or indexed.
- Basic routing submits board data to Trace's routing service, even though the routing run is free.
- Trace's advanced placement and routing submits board data for cloud processing.
- Plugin AI library review sends the selected audit's part information and relevant drawings; the local audit and output-copy fixes are separate steps.
- Dictation, where supported, sends the recorded audio for transcription into a draft.
- Workspaces explicitly publishes selected saved project content to Personal Cloud or an authorized team.
Opening a local project does not itself publish it through Workspaces. Using hosted assistance is nevertheless not a guarantee that no design data leaves your machine. Confirm your organization's requirements before supplying confidential material.
Save, history and publication are different
Save updates editor files. Native local history, chat history and Workspaces branch history are different records, with different recovery controls.
For a managed project, a local Commit does not publish changes; Push publishes reviewed work and Pull updates the checked-out branch. A cloud save completing does not prove the project opened successfully on this device.
The revised Workspaces GUI workflows remain under validation, with unresolved Add/Open/Pull and stash-restoration outcomes. Keep recovery copies until the original result is known. See Workspaces and Version history.
Check the result, not only the progress
A finished chat task does not guarantee that every requested action succeeded. ERC and DRC evaluate configured rules, not every engineering requirement. Simulation needs suitable models, known conditions and evaluated results; a viewer or completed job is not certification.
After interruption, use the original task's recovery control. Do not overwrite newer disk edits with an older editor buffer or replay an uncertain write.
For build and host differences, see Feature availability, Models and Trace Plugin.