On-Device AI Assistant (Experimental)

3 min read

PinePaper’s AI / Code console has an Assistant that runs a language model entirely in your browser — no account, and nothing you type is sent to a server. Describe what you want, and it builds it on the canvas in one step.

Experimental. On-device models are small, so results vary. For higher-fidelity generation, use the Cloud tab (account) or an external agent via the MCP server.

Where to find it

  1. In the editor toolbar, click </> AI / Code.
  2. The console opens with three tabs: Code · Assistant · Cloud.
  3. Click Assistant (the no-account tab).

If the Assistant tab isn’t visible, your browser doesn’t have a supported on-device engine available — see Requirements.

Using it

  1. Type a prompt, e.g. “a pulsing red star on a dark background.”
  2. Click Generate (or press ⌘/Ctrl + Enter).
  3. The scene is built directly on the canvas — there’s no copy/paste or separate Run step. The panel shows a per-operation summary (e.g. ✓ create star, ✓ execute_generator drawSunburst).
  4. Not happy with it? Press Undo (⌘/Ctrl + Z) to revert and try a different prompt.

Because the model’s output is constrained to PinePaper’s real tools, it can’t produce invalid commands — at worst it makes an odd-but-valid choice (a circle where you wanted a star), never broken code.

Choosing an engine

Use the Engine toggle at the top of the Assistant panel:

Option What it uses Notes
Auto Best available Prefers Browser AI, falls back to PinePaper AI. Default.
Browser AI Chrome’s built-in Gemini Nano Zero download from us — the model ships with Chrome. Fastest to start.
PinePaper AI WebLLM (a small open model) Downloads a ~300 MB model on first use, then runs offline. Works in any WebGPU browser.

Switching engines re-prepares the model; the first time you pick PinePaper AI, watch the progress bar while the model downloads. After that it’s cached on your device.

Languages

If your editor language isn’t English, your prompt is translated to English on-device (via the browser’s built-in translator, when available) before the model runs — the small models understand English best. The generated scene is the same regardless of prompt language.

Privacy

Everything happens on your device:

  • Your prompt is not sent to any server.
  • The model runs locally (Chrome’s built-in model, or one cached in your browser).
  • No account is required.

Requirements

  • Browser AI (Gemini Nano): Chrome on desktop (Windows 10/11, macOS 13+, Linux) with built-in AI enabled. If the Assistant says no provider is available, enable “Prompt API for Gemini Nano” at chrome://flags, relaunch, and confirm the model is downloaded at chrome://on-device-internals.
  • PinePaper AI (WebLLM): any browser with WebGPU (Chrome/Edge 113+, Safari 18+) and enough free disk for the model cache.
  • Translation needs Chrome’s built-in Translator/Language Detector (desktop Chrome).