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The Chat Interface

When you log in to campusGenAI, the main view is the chat interface. It has three primary areas:

  • Model selector: At the top of the chat, lets you choose which AI model handles your conversation
  • Chat area: The main content area where your conversation appears
  • Input box: At the bottom, where you type messages and attach files
  • Sidebar: On the left, contains your conversation history, the Agents section, and settings access

Starting a conversation

Section titled “Starting a conversation”

Type your message in the input box at the bottom and press Enter (or click the send button). The model responds in real time, and you’ll see the response appear as it’s generated.

There’s no special format required. You can ask questions, paste in text to work with, give instructions, or start a back-and-forth discussion. The AI maintains context within a single conversation, so you can refer back to earlier messages and build on previous responses.

The model selector

Section titled “The model selector”

The model selector at the top of the chat controls which AI model processes your messages. Click it to see the models available in your deployment and select a different one.

Switching models takes effect on your next message. The new model maintains context from messages sent to the previous model as long as you are still in the same conversation.

See Model Comparison for guidance on choosing between models.

Managing conversations

Section titled “Managing conversations”

Starting fresh: Click New Chat in the sidebar to start a new conversation. Previous conversations are not affected.

Returning to a past conversation: Your conversation history appears in the sidebar. Click any past conversation to return to it. The full context is preserved, so you can continue where you left off.

Conversation context: Each conversation has its own context window. If a conversation becomes very long, older messages may fall outside the model’s context. For long-running projects, it’s often better to start a new conversation with a fresh summary of where you are.

Temporary chat

Section titled “Temporary chat”

Temporary chat mode lets you have a conversation that isn’t saved to your history. It won’t appear in the sidebar when the session ends and can’t be returned to later.

Use it when:

  • You’re working with content you’d rather not keep on record
  • You want a clean, one-off exchange without cluttering your conversation history
  • You’re exploring a topic and want the session to stay ephemeral

To start a temporary chat, look for the Temporary chat option in the new conversation menu or sidebar. The interface will indicate that the conversation is not being saved.

Attaching files

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Use the attachment button (paperclip icon) in the input area to upload documents. See Working with Files for supported formats and how to work with uploaded content.

Keyboard shortcuts

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  • Enter: Send message
  • Shift+Enter: Add a line break without sending

Need help?

Section titled “Need help?”

Your interface may look slightly different depending on your institution’s deployment.