Deep Work Mode
Expand the chat to a full sidebar for focused analysis sessions.
Deep Work Mode expands the chat from a floating overlay into a full resizable sidebar, giving you a persistent split view between the canvas and the conversation. It is designed for sessions where you need to go back and forth between results and discussion without constantly opening and closing the chat.
How to Enter
Open the chat
Click the chat bubble or press the shortcut to open the floating chat modal.
Expand to sidebar
Click the expand icon in the chat header (top-right). The chat expands into a docked sidebar panel alongside the canvas.
Resize the split
Drag the handle between the canvas and the chat sidebar to adjust the proportions. The canvas defaults to roughly two-thirds of the screen, with the chat taking the remaining third. You can drag the divider anywhere between 30% and 80%.
Three Chat States
The chat interface has three states you can switch between at any time:
| State | Layout | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Collapsed | Chat hidden, canvas full-screen | Reviewing results, arranging nodes |
| Open | Floating modal over canvas | Quick questions, short interactions |
| Expanded | Docked sidebar with resizable split | Multi-turn analysis, report writing, deep work |
Switch between them using the icons in the chat header: expand (open to expanded), collapse (expanded to open), and close (any state to collapsed). Your chosen state persists across page reloads.
When to Use
- Multi-turn analysis. When you are iterating on results -- adjusting parameters, re-running plots, and discussing findings -- the persistent sidebar keeps the conversation visible.
- Report writing. Ask Lobster to draft summaries or interpret results while viewing the plots side-by-side.
- Long sessions. For sessions lasting more than a few minutes, the sidebar avoids the fatigue of repeatedly opening and closing a floating modal.
- Canvas selection workflows. Select data points on a plot, see the selection prompt in the sidebar, and ask follow-up questions without losing visual context.
Tips
- Drag to rebalance. If you need more canvas space for a complex layout, drag the divider to shrink the sidebar. For text-heavy conversations, do the opposite.
- Collapse when arranging. Switch to collapsed mode when you need full canvas space to rearrange nodes, then expand back when ready to continue the conversation.
- State persists. Your chat state (collapsed, open, or expanded) is saved and restored when you reload the page or return to the session.