The NodeTool Workflow Editor is surrounded by four panels that host the workflow explorer, inspector, runtime diagnostics, and quick actions. This page covers each panel in depth.
Left Panel
Opens from the icons down the left edge. It’s a tabbed drawer — click an icon to expand, click the same icon to collapse. The top-level views are: Nodes, Workflows, Chats, Sketches, Timelines, Storyboards, Scripts, Apps, Settings, History, Favorites, Workspace, Assets, and Library.
Nodes Tab
The node browser. Search and browse all available nodes, organized into sub-tabs (All, I/O, Image, Image AI, Video, Video AI, Audio, Audio AI, 3D, Agents, Control). Drag a node onto the canvas to add it.
Workflows Tab
Your saved workflows. Search, filter, and double-click to open in a new tab.
Sketches Tab
Quick image sketches you can drop into the workflow, edited with the built-in layered sketch editor. See Sketch Editor.
Timelines Tab
Timeline-based media arrangements used by the workflow.
Settings Tab
Workflow-level settings.
History Tab
Recent edits and activity for the current workflow.
Favorites Tab
Your starred nodes for quick access.
Workspace Tab
File hierarchy of the backing workspace (on local installs) or the assigned workspace (on server installs). Pick the workspace from the dropdown; double-click a file to open it as a workspace tab.
Assets Tab
Folder tree plus file grid. Drag a file onto the canvas to instantly create the matching input node.
Apps Tab
Your Mini Apps. Click one to open it as a workspace tab; the two header icons create an app from a workflow or start an empty one. See Mini Apps.
Right Panel (Inspector)
Press i or click the icon in the top right to toggle. The right panel hosts only the Inspector — its contents switch based on what’s selected on the canvas. (Logs, Queue, Trace, and Version History are not here — they live in the Bottom Panel.)
Inspector — Node Properties
When a node is selected, the Inspector renders every property with the right input type (number, slider, model picker, asset selector, dropdown, color picker, and so on).
Inspector — Workflow Properties
When no node is selected, the Inspector shows workflow-level metadata: title, description, tags, thumbnail.
Bottom Panel
The bottom panel docks runtime diagnostics and secondary workflow tools. Drag its top edge to resize. Its views are grouped:
- Run — Logs, Queue, Sandboxes, Workers
- Workflow — Versions
- Debug — Trace
Its header also carries a live readout of the server’s CPU and memory use,
next to the node and edge counts. The figures come from the system_stats
frame the server pushes every 5s (see
WebSocket API); that is your own machine. A
hosted server (auth enforced) sends no such frame — the readout describes a
shared container nobody using it owns — so the header shows the counts alone.
Logs
Raw logs from the current run. Filter by level (debug, info, warn, error) and search.
Queue
Background jobs queued by your workflows — long-running fine-tunes, downloads, and batch runs.
Sandboxes & Workers
The code-runner sandboxes and worker processes backing the current run.
Versions
Every save is versioned. Review past versions and roll back.
Trace
The full execution trace of the most recent run — per-node timing and the call tree.
Floating Toolbar
An overlay on the canvas with the most-used runtime controls.
| Button | When shown | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ➕ Add node | Graph view | Open the node menu |
| 💬 Conversation | When a conversation exists | Toggle the in-canvas conversation overlay |
| ⏹ Stop | While the run state is running |
Cancel the run |
| ▶ Run | Always | Run the workflow (shows elapsed time while running) |
| ⇄ Auto Layout | Graph view | Auto-arrange the graph |
| 💾 Save | Always | Save the workflow |
| ⋮ More | Always | Overflow menu (see below) |
The ⋮ overflow menu contains: Chain View / Graph View (toggle), Instant Update (on/off), Stop (while running), Auto Layout and Save (on mobile), Mini Map (show/hide), Download JSON, and Panels… (on mobile).
There is no Pause, Resume, or Fit button in the toolbar — a run cannot be paused or resumed.
Right Side Buttons
A stack of toggles along the right canvas edge:
- Inspector — open / close the right panel.
- Run as App — jump to the Mini-App view for this workflow.
- Notifications — pending warnings and agent messages.
App Menu (logo dropdown)
The logo at the top of the left rail opens the app menu: Dashboard, Examples, Costs, Model Manager, Collections, Workspaces (when enabled), Settings, Help, and Downloads.
Customizing the Layout
Each panel stays on its own edge. Click a rail icon to open or collapse it, and drag its inner edge to resize. Open/collapsed state and size are remembered between sessions.
Three combinations you’ll land on most often:
Left panel only, canvas taking the rest:
Left panel plus the Inspector, for editing node properties while browsing:
Everything open, with the logs docked at the bottom for a run:
Next Steps
- Workflow Editor — building on the canvas
- Chat — how the in-editor chat works
- Configuration — settings that affect the editor