PRISM Simple User Manual

PRISM is a local research canvas. You ask a root question, receive an answer, highlight useful text, and branch that text into deeper research nodes.

Recommended Test Setup

For real model answers, use your own BYO API key. For first testing, choose GPT-4o Mini because it is practical, quick, and lower-cost than larger models.

If you do not add an API key, PRISM stays in local mode and generates deterministic placeholder research drafts in your browser.

Quick Start

1. Open index.html in your browser.
2. Enter a session name.
3. Add optional context that should shape every answer.
4. Enter a root question.
5. Choose a provider and model in Settings if you want live model answers.
6. Press Run.

Provider And Model

Use the Settings button to choose a provider and store your key.

• Bring your own API key for real answers.
• Use GPT-4o Mini for testing when using OpenRouter.
• Turn on Live web search in Settings when OpenRouter should retrieve current web information. It may use OpenRouter credits.
• Use the advanced web search fields only when you need a specific search engine, deeper results, trusted domains, or localised results.
• Leave the key blank to use local mode.

Branching Research

1. Select useful text inside a node.
2. Choose Highlight only to save the highlight without creating a node, or choose an intent such as Analyse, Explain, Define, or Critique.
3. If you choose an intent, PRISM creates a child node connected to the highlighted text.

The line should connect from the highlighted span to the child node. If a node is minimized, the line connects from the node edge instead.

Highlight-only captures appear in Insights. Use Convert or click the highlighted text later to turn the highlight into a research node.

Use Delete in Insights to remove only the highlight annotation. Use Delete text to remove the highlighted text from the node body and from matching session context/journal memory. Standalone highlights can also be deleted from the highlight action bubble.

Use Discuss on a node to open a small text box, type a follow-up question, and submit it. The response is appended into the node body, so you can highlight discussion text and convert it into child nodes too.

Leave Use as global session context checked when the discussion should become durable global context for later answers. Uncheck it for exploratory questions that should stay local to the node.

Each node footer shows its highlight count, branch count, and the model or local mode used for the latest node text.

Multi-Node Synthesis

Use the sigma button in node headers to select 2-4 nodes, then click Synthesise selected in the canvas toolbar. PRISM creates a synthesis node that integrates the selected nodes, looking for agreements, divergences, an emergent claim, and the next research move.

Arrange And Minimize

• Drag nodes by their header.
• Use - to minimize one node and + to reopen it.
• Use Arrange to minimize all nodes and lay out the tree cleanly.
• Use Center to bring the graph back into view.

Saving And Export

• Save stores the session in the browser Gallery.
• Portable autosave is on by default, but you must choose an autosave file once in Settings.
• Portable files end in .prism.json and include node positions, minimized state, active node, reading mode, and canvas scroll.
• Export lets you copy Markdown, create a printable PDF Report, download JSON, or import JSON.

API keys are stored only in the browser and are not written into portable .prism.json files.