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The AI copilot
Ask for model-aware help, review changes, connect an AI provider account or API key, and know when the copilot needs your judgment.
Describe the outcome
Write the way you would brief another engineer: name the part, critical dimensions, material or process constraints, and what must not change. “Add four M4 clearance holes on a 60 mm bolt circle, centered on the top face” is more useful than a list of button clicks.
You do not need to describe internal tool names or JSON. Chudware translates the request into normal sketches and features, works in the open document, and reports what changed.
Watch the work
The copilot can inspect geometry, create or edit features, render alternate views, and measure results. Its activity appears in the copilot feed and its geometry appears in the same feature tree you use manually.
After a change:
- Rotate the model and inspect the highlighted feature.
- Check critical dimensions with Evaluate.
- Open the edited feature and confirm its references.
- Save a revision only when the result matches your intent.
Ask for evidence
A useful follow-up is concrete: “Measure the minimum wall thickness,” “Show the right view,” or “Check interference with the housing.” Measurements and renders reduce ambiguity, but they do not certify a design. Safety, tolerance, material, and manufacturing decisions remain yours.
Connect an AI provider
Open Settings → Providers and either connect a supported provider account or add an API key issued by the provider. The provider you select receives the prompt plus the project context and tool results needed for that turn. Its subscription, API prices, usage limits, privacy terms, and retention policy apply.
Provider credentials are secrets. Enter them only in Provider settings—never in chat, a prompt, or a project note. Chudware does not currently sell AI token packs or managed model capacity.
Keep machine actions deliberate
The copilot may prepare CAM operations and output, but actions that affect a physical machine require explicit operator review and control. Inspect stock, tool, setup, simulation, and posted code before execution.
Recover from a wrong direction
Stop the run, explain the mismatch in plain language, and point to the last good feature or revision. Avoid stacking corrective edits on geometry you no longer trust. Project history is there to return to a known state and continue cleanly.