Common Questions & Answers (FAQ)
A quick FAQ to help you get started with CielChan and resolve common issues.
Model Controls
Q: How do I make Ciel face me again? A: Double-click the model to instantly re-face and recenter her.
Q: Is there another way to reset the model or chat position? A: Use Recenter in Settings. The buttons at the top of the chat window can also resize the chat and reposition the model.
Basic Chat
Q: Why is chat slow with local models? A: Local models can be slower on CPU, especially when other features or apps are using memory. For faster text chat, disable Observations, Tools, Vision, Watch Together, or other unused features. GPU Mode may improve performance on compatible computers but must be enabled manually. If it causes crashes or compatibility issues, disable it and use CPU mode.
Q: How can I easily hide the chat box/make it reappear
A: When inside the CielChan chat box you can press ESC to hide the chatbox. You can make the chatbox reappear by pressing ALT 0 (This hotkey can be customized in the settings)
Q: How do I stop a response? A: During a manually requested response or tool task, Send changes to a square Stop button. Press it to cancel the current generation, speech, or tool continuation. Text and completed work already produced are preserved.
Loading Prior Assistants and First Chat Startup
Q: Why does the first AI chat take a moment after starting the app? A: CielChan may need to load assistant data, initialize the selected local model, prepare memory, and start optional features. This normally happens once per launch, so later responses start more quickly.
Q: Why do I see “Still loading, please wait”? A: The selected model or another required feature is still initializing. Let preparation finish and try again. If initialization repeatedly fails, close memory-heavy apps, disable optional startup features, or restart CielChan.
Settings and Features
Q: What does the Features tab do? A: It sets supported capabilities to Enabled at Startup, Available On Demand, or Disabled, and shows requirements, dependencies, current running state, and estimated resource use.
Q: What does Recommended Settings do? A: It considers your computer and selected app language to suggest a balance of compatibility, performance, voice options, and available features. You can still change individual settings afterward.
Q: What is the difference between On Demand and Enabled at Startup? A: Enabled at Startup features initialize when CielChan opens. On Demand features remain available but load only when required, reducing startup work and memory use.
Tools (BETA)
Q: What can CielChan’s Tools do? A: With Tools enabled, CielChan can search the web; create and organize files; create quick notes; write longer stories, reports, guides, scripts, and other documents; open supported apps, files, and folders; take and analyze screenshots; set reminders; check system information; and complete longer multi-step tasks. Naturally phrased requests are supported by the included local model. Larger local or cloud models may handle complicated instructions and planning more effectively.
Q: Where can Tools access files? A: File access is restricted to the Bridge folder by default. Extra folders can be explicitly authorized through the Features tab. Reset All and Restore App Defaults return access to Bridge-only.
Q: Why is CielChan asking for permission? A: Some actions require confirmation because they may access files, open apps, communicate externally, or make meaningful changes. Review the displayed action and target before approving it.
Goals (Experimental)
Q: What are Goals? A: Goals are for longer multi-step tasks. CielChan can plan the task, use available tools, verify results, recover from unsuccessful steps, and request clarification or permission when needed.
Q: How do I open Goals? A: Hold the Tools button for about 650 milliseconds. A normal click still toggles Tools.
Q: Do Goals persist after closing the app? A: Yes. Active and pending Goals are saved, but they do not automatically continue after reopening CielChan. Open the Goals panel and resume them manually.
Q: What does “Goal paused at safety budget” mean? A: The Goal reached its permitted action, retry, or continuation limit, preventing repeated actions and endless loops. Review its progress before allowing it to continue.
Observations
Q: What are Observations? A: Observations let CielChan occasionally make proactive comments using available conversation, time, active-application, System Audio, and visual context.
Q: What is the Observation Topic? A: It suggests what CielChan should focus on during Observations. Manually entered topics remain saved until changed.
Q: What is the Companion/Observation preset? A: Presets adjust the style and purpose of companion responses, such as general companionship, focus support, game coaching, creative assistance, or other activities. Manually selected topics and presets take precedence during normal use. Explicitly loading a saved Personality Card can intentionally apply the topic and preset stored in that card.
Q: Why does CielChan not comment every time? A: Observations are intentionally occasional. They may also wait while CielChan is busy, the model is initializing, memory is critically low, or no suitable current context is available.
Watch Together
Q: What does the Watch Together button do? A: It opens three modes: Watch Together for videos/shared media, Watch Together Game for gameplay reactions, and Watch Together Computer for general computer activity. These modes can automatically activate compatible Observations, Vision, and System Audio while in use.
Q: Does Watch Together remain enabled after restarting? A: No. It starts disabled each time CielChan opens. Vision or System Audio temporarily enabled by Watch Together should not become permanent Settings choices unless you enabled them directly in Settings.
Q: Why does CielChan ignore its own window during screen analysis? A: During ordinary Observations and “What’s on my screen?” requests, CielChan ignores its own chat, avatar, overlays, speech bubbles, and interface so it can focus on the app, media, game, document, or task underneath. You can still ask specifically about CielChan’s avatar or interface.
Activity Awareness
Q: What is the keyboard button beside Tools? A: It controls Activity Awareness. When enabled, CielChan can use small, temporary samples of non-sensitive typing activity to make eligible Observations and Watch Together comments feel more personally aware.
Q: Does Activity Awareness save my typing? A: It does not add sampled activity to long-term memory, chat history, files, or assistant data. Context expires quickly and is consumed by an eligible response. Sensitive fields and information are filtered where possible, but avoid entering personal, payment, authentication, or other private information while using it, especially with Cloud AI.
Q: Is Activity Awareness enabled automatically? A: No. It starts disabled whenever CielChan opens. Enabling Cloud AI also disables it, although you may manually reactivate it for that cloud session after reviewing the warning.
Focus Companion
Q: What does Focus Companion do? A: It provides timed work sessions, breaks, goals, quick notes, ambient sounds, encouragement, and progress summaries.
Q: Does Focus Companion use desktop Tools? A: No. Focus Companion responses bypass tool routing. Starting, pausing, resuming, ending, or receiving a Focus message does not automatically perform tool actions.
Companion Personality Cards
Q: What are Personality Cards? A: They can store CielChan’s personality style, companion preset, Observation Topic, nickname, rituals, memory preferences, greetings, inside jokes, and other companion details.
Q: Can CielChan generate a Personality Card? A: Yes. Enter a description of the companion you want and select Generate. Completed fields remain available for review and editing until you save them or explicitly load, select, delete, or reset a card.
Q: What happens when I load a Personality Card? A: Loading a card intentionally applies its saved personality, companion preset, Observation Topic, relationship details, greetings, and supported voice reference. A default internal card always exists, even if you never create a custom one.
High-Quality Voices
Q: How do I enable the high-quality voices from the trailers? A: Select your app language first, then open Settings → Chat & Voice and enable a compatible voice option. Configure your voice after onboarding finishes or, when reopening CielChan, after environment preparation is complete.
Local voice availability:
- All supported languages: Standard Voice (Overtone) and High Quality Voice — Low–Mid Specs (RVC).
- High Quality Voice — Best for Supported Languages (Kokoro HQ): English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi.
- High Quality Voice + Cloning (PocketTTS): English, French, German, Spanish, Italian.
- Expressive HQ Voice + Cloning — High Specs (Chatterbox): English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, German, Russian, Dutch, Turkish. English uses the faster Turbo route.
- Fast Russian Voice (Silero): Russian.
- Ukrainian Voice (Piper): Ukrainian.
Voice-option differences:
- Standard Voice (Overtone): built-in voice available in every supported app language with no extra setup.
- Kokoro HQ: high-quality preset voices with a Change Voice option.
- PocketTTS: CPU-friendly local speech with optional voice-reference support for English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian.
- Chatterbox: the most expressive voice and cloning option, intended for more powerful computers; English uses the faster Turbo route.
- RVC: converts compatible generated speech into the selected HQ voice and supports every app language.
- Silero: lightweight local Russian speech.
- Piper: lightweight local Ukrainian speech.
Q: Can I quickly turn speech on or off? A: Yes. Voice and TTS can be toggled at any time through Chat & Voice settings.
Q: Why does a voice take time the first time I enable it? A: Some providers must install, initialize, or warm their models before becoming ready. Expressive HQ Voice + Cloning and RVC conversion may take longer on lower-end computers.
Memory and Chats
Q: What is Retrieval (BETA) in Settings? A: Normal conversational memory works without Retrieval. Retrieval is optional and searches larger collections of saved memories, imported chats, and compatible files when relevant information may be difficult to fit directly into the current conversation.
Q: What does Auto Sync Chats do? A: It automatically synchronizes compatible chat history into the memory system while you use the app.
Q: What file format is used for chat imports? A: JSON files using role/content formatting. Auto Sync uses session-based JSON history.
Q: Replies feel repetitive after importing lots of chats. What should I do? A: Temporarily disable Auto Sync; remove or replace noisy/duplicated imported data; import cleaner chat history; then enable Auto Sync again.
Q: Can I switch languages while keeping the same memory? A: Yes. Memories remain stored in their original language and may influence the language or wording of later responses. For the cleanest experience after a major language change, consider starting a fresh assistant or using Reset All.
Q: Does CielChan know who said a saved memory? A: Yes. Memory records preserve conversational roles so user and assistant information can be distinguished.
Q: Is there a full reset option? A: Yes. Reset All clears preferences, memory files, chat history, saved feature choices, Activity Awareness state, and other assistant configuration.
Vision and Images
Q: Vision is not responding. Why? A: Confirm Vision is enabled and the selected model supports image input. If using the lightweight packaged vision model, allow it time to initialize. Low available memory can delay optional vision prewarming.
Q: What is Use Small Vision Model? A: It enables the lighter packaged vision option for faster responses and lower memory use.
Q: Can I attach an image manually? A: Yes. Supported image files can be attached or dragged onto CielChan, then included with your next message.
Q: Can CielChan analyze my screen? A: Yes. Try: “What’s on my screen?”, “What does this error mean?”, “Can you explain this page?”, or “What is happening in this image?”
Steam Workshop and Customization
Q: Can I load custom VRM or Live2D models? A: Yes. Use Change Model in Settings. Steam users can also install supported models through Workshop.
Q: Are character models included?
A: Yes: Ciel (female VRM assistant), Serg (male VRM assistant), and Haru (female Live2D receptionist-style assistant). They are in the VRM Models and Live2D Models folders inside the Steam installation directory. Male and female voice options are also available. You can also create your own custom 3D characters within CielChan.
Q: Does Workshop support installation and publishing? A: Yes. Once Steam has initialized in the app, refresh the Workshop list and use the available Install, Apply, Import, or Publish controls.
Live Messaging and Bridges
Q: What are Bridges? A: Bridges connect CielChan with supported external platforms so she can receive events or messages and respond in context. Ordinary bridge conversations do not automatically invoke desktop Tools; explicit supported remote commands remain separate. Select the desired Bridge, enter required details such as a BotFather Token for Telegram chat, then press Live Messaging to enable it.
Q: How does Presence work? A: Presence can use webcam context as an optional signal to improve situational awareness and reactions.
Q: How does the Telegram bridge work? A: It lets you message Ciel remotely through Telegram and receive replies while away from the computer.
Q: How do Twitch and TikTok bridges work? A: They forward supported live-chat messages and events to CielChan for interactive responses.
Q: How does the Game Bridge (BETA) work? A: Compatible games can send supported gameplay signals and events directly to CielChan as extra context for reactions. For general gameplay commentary, Watch Together Game is the recommended default because it can respond to what is visible and audible without direct game integration.
Mini-Games and Multiplayer
Q: What mini-games are available? A: CielChan includes basic turn-based, tactical, conversational, puzzle, and Vision games: Tic-Tac-Toe, Rock Paper Scissors, Anime Poker, Deck Builder Duel, Blackspot, Territory Control, Fleet Duel, Turn-Based Fight, Lie Detector, Debate Battle, Guess the Intent, Interrogation Simulator, Riddle Race, Escape Room, 1v1, Trust or Betrayal, Dating Sim Battle, Drawing Guess, Reverse Drawing Guess, and World Simulation.
During each turn, CielChan evaluates the current game, attempts an appropriate action or response, and may add characterful commentary about what happened. Dialogue, difficulty, commentary, and presentation follow the selected app language. Some games require Vision. Mini-game speech is disabled by default but can be enabled with the TTS option at the top of the Mini-Games menu.
Book Reader
Q: Why can’t I chat while Book Reader is speaking? A: Book Reader playback takes priority. Pause or stop it before starting normal chat.
Q: Where are exported TTS files saved?
A: TTS Audio Export saves completed WAV files in timestamped folders under StreamingAssets/GeneratedTTS.
Performance and Storage
Q: How much memory is recommended? A: 8 GB RAM is a practical minimum for lighter configurations. 16 GB or more is recommended, especially with Vision, larger voices, multiple optional features, or other apps running simultaneously.
Q: What should I do on a lower-end computer? A: Close Unity, browsers, games, and other memory-heavy apps; use the included local model; use Standard Voice or High Quality Voice where supported; keep optional features On Demand or Disabled; leave GPU Mode off unless confirmed compatible; and consider a Compact Steam branch.
Q: What are the Compact Steam branches?
A: The optional compact and compact2 branches reduce CielChan’s download and installed size from about 28 GB to around 16 GB by removing selected local voice-cloning packages.
To switch: Steam Library → right-click CielChan → Properties → Betas → choose compact or compact2. Your existing assistant remains compatible when moving between branches.
Need Help?
If you encounter a problem, include:
- What happened
- Steps needed to reproduce it
- Selected app language
- Local or cloud model/provider used
- Enabled voice provider
- Whether Tools, Vision, Observations, Watch Together, Retrieval, or Auto Sync were enabled
- Your RAM, processor, and graphics card
- The relevant
Player.log
Do not post API keys, passwords, private messages, personal files, or other sensitive information.