SciClaw
04

Library & Foundry

This section covers two closely related parts of SciClaw: the project Library, which collects all reusable materials inside a project, and Foundry, the document generation workspace that turns those materials into polished deliverables.

1. Project Library

Every project has its own Library, which is used to centrally store project-related files, task conclusions, and supporting background materials. It forms the foundation for both material management and retrieval augmentation inside the project.

The Library mainly gets content from two sources:

  • Task result accumulation: after a task completes, SciClaw condenses the result into conclusion.md and adds it to the current project Library automatically.
  • Files uploaded in conversation: files uploaded during chat in the current project are also added directly to the project Library.

This keeps important materials from being scattered across separate conversations and makes them easier to review, manage, and reuse later.

1.1 Library and Retrieval

Files in the Library do not participate in retrieval reliably by default.

Only after you turn on the Library button in the chat input toolbar (it prefixes your message with /ask-library) will SciClaw consistently use retrieval augmentation based on the current project Library.

This means:

  • With the Library enabled, SciClaw reliably retrieves from the project Library
  • Without it enabled, files may still be stored there, but retrieval is not triggered consistently

This design gives you explicit control over when project materials should actively participate in later work as retrieval context.

1.2 Library Management

Open the Library tab in the left sidebar to manage everything that belongs to the current project's knowledge base.
Library tab: source switcher, file filters, the Wiki row, and files grouped by category

Library tab: source switcher, file filters, the Wiki row, and files grouped by category.

This project vs. referenced projects

A source switcher at the top of the tab lets you flip between two views:

  • Files in this project — material that belongs to the current project, with the full set of management actions.
  • From referenced projects — read-only files pulled in from other projects you reference (more on this below).

You can switch to either view at any time — even before you've added any references, where the referenced view simply shows an empty state with a shortcut to set them up.

Browsing and managing files
Click the search icon to reveal the search box together with a filter for narrowing by type — All, Reports (all, uploaded, or task-produced), Scripts & Data, Visuals, and Structures — and the list itself is grouped by those categories. For each file in this project you can:
  • Click a file to preview it in the right panel
  • Reference it in chat with the @ icon, or by dragging it onto the message box
  • Download or delete it from the file's ⋯ menu
Files also carry a retrieval status dot so you can see how the knowledge base sees them: Searchable (green), Indexing… (amber), or Indexing failed (red).
Adding files

There are two ways to add material to the Library:

  • Add Document — upload one or more files. Drag-and-drop is supported, with per-file progress, an upload history, and a confirmation if you try to close mid-upload.
  • Add to knowledge base — promote a task output or an uploaded file so it can be retrieved by semantic search in your conversations.

1.3 Project Wiki

The Library can also host a project Wiki — an auto-generated overview built from the project's indexed material. When the Wiki entry is available on your account, you'll see a Wiki row at the top of the list; if your plan allows it, you can build the Wiki with Generate Wiki. The row shows its status — Not generated yet, Generating…, or, once built, the latest version and time (e.g. v3 · 2026/06/10 14:24). After it exists you can open it, or download and clear it from its menu.
The project Wiki interface

The project Wiki interface.

1.4 Referencing other projects

A project can reuse the knowledge base of other projects. Use Manage referenced projects to choose which projects to reference (you can also set this when creating or editing a project). Their files and Wiki then appear under the From referenced projects view as read-only material — you can preview and reference them in chat, but not edit or delete them.
Manage referenced projects dialog and the read-only referenced library list

Manage referenced projects dialog and the read-only referenced library list.

1.5 Usage Tips

If you want SciClaw to reliably reference accumulated project materials, organize the relevant files first and then manually enable the Library toggle in chat.

If you are only uploading files for archiving, cleanup, or later use, you can leave retrieval off and simply keep the files in the project Library.

This lets the Library serve both as a project material archive and, when needed, as a controlled source for retrieval-augmented work.

2. Opening Foundry

Foundry is SciClaw's document generation workspace. It is designed to quickly turn research materials into polished deliverables that are ready to share.

With a short prompt, SciClaw can use the content in your current project Library to generate outputs suitable for presentations, reporting, archiving, or downstream analysis. Foundry is especially useful for turning scattered project materials into more complete, structured deliverables such as slide decks, reports, academic posters, or structured datasets.

Click the Foundry button above the chat input box. The button is marked with a 🔨 hammer icon. Once inside, you can quickly configure a generation job around the current project by setting the topic, choosing an output type, selecting data sources, and editing the generation prompt.

3. Output Types

In Foundry, the first step is to choose an output type.

After you select one, SciClaw automatically loads a generation prompt template tailored to that format. The template helps guide the structure, organization, and presentation style of the final output.

It is important to note that the output type is not a fixed layout preset. It is really a packaged default prompt. The final file format, content structure, and presentation style are still shaped by the prompt itself. You can continue editing the template to fit your specific needs.

File TypeDescription
Presentation (PPTX)
  • The default template usually guides SciClaw to produce a 10-slide consulting-style deck, suitable for project updates, research presentations, or internal communication.
  • This is only the system's default prompt example. It does not mean a presentation is limited to that slide count or style. You can adjust the number of slides, structure, tone, and visual emphasis by editing the prompt.
Academic Poster (PNG)
  • The default template usually guides SciClaw to produce a landscape academic research poster, suitable for conference presentation and poster sessions.
  • You can further refine the prompt to request a more abstract-driven layout, a chart-first design, a methods-first structure, or any other emphasis you need.
Web Report (HTML)
  • The default template usually guides SciClaw to produce a single-page web report with interactive charts, suitable for sharing results online.
  • If needed, you can adjust the prompt to change the section structure, chart density, and information hierarchy.
Structured Dataset (CSV)
  • The default template usually guides SciClaw to produce a structured data table with labeled columns, suitable for information extraction, result organization, and downstream analysis.
  • You can further specify field design, column naming, and data organization rules in the prompt.
Professional Document (Markdown)
  • The default template usually guides SciClaw to produce a professionally structured document with sections and references, suitable for research summaries, technical writeups, or proposal-style documents.
  • You can also use the prompt to specify writing style, section arrangement, level of detail, or how references should be presented.

4. Workflow

Using Foundry usually involves three steps.

4.1 Set Topic and Format

Start by entering the research topic you want the output to focus on, for example “Mechanisms of NSCLC Drug Resistance,” and then choose the target output format.

The topic tells SciClaw the core scope of this generation job, while the output format shapes how the final result should be organized and presented.

4.2 Choose Data Sources

By default, Foundry uses all indexed content in the current project Library as source material.

If you need information beyond the current project, you can enable Public Materials. When enabled, SciClaw can search broader public literature and related resources to supplement what is already stored in the project Library.

In general:

  • Use the project Library directly when the project already contains enough context
  • Enable Public Materials when the topic needs broader background, literature review, or external references

4.3 Set Generation Prompt

After selecting an output type, SciClaw automatically loads a matching prompt template.

You can continue editing the prompt to specify requirements such as:

  • Which research points should be emphasized
  • What structure the output should follow
  • Whether the content should be concise or detailed
  • What writing style or presentation style should be used

These additions help the generated result fit your actual use case instead of staying at a generic template level.

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