User Settings

Open User settings from the menu in the top-left corner, press Cmd+, on macOS or Ctrl+, on Windows/Linux, or run Open user settings in the Command Palette.

Settings are available in Edit (Canvas or Definitions), Simulate, and Actual when that mode is available. The gear icon in the bottom-right viewport controls opens the Viewport section directly.

Use the vertical tabs to browse the sections. With a tab focused, use Up/Down to switch sections and Home/End to jump to the first or last section. Right moves into the section's settings, Up/Down moves between controls, and Left returns to the selected tab. Moving back into the same section restores the last focused control. Tab and Shift+Tab also reach every control. Use Space to toggle a switch and Enter to open a dropdown; an open dropdown uses its own arrow keys. Press Escape, click the close button, or click outside the dialog to close it.

Scroll within a section to reach its remaining settings. The heading, section tabs, and close button stay in place. A soft blur and gradient at the top or bottom indicate more settings in that direction. Experimental settings have an inline Experimental badge beside their name.

Drag the heading or empty space across the top of the settings window to move it, including while its content is scrolled. Drag any edge or corner to resize it. The opposite edge stays fixed, and the window remains inside the viewport. Switching sections preserves its size and position; reopening returns it to its initial size and position. The canvas keeps its normal brightness while the dialog is open. Text selection is disabled throughout the dialog.

Changes apply immediately and are saved as your preferences across nets. On hosts with app navigation enabled, opening or closing the dialog is part of Browser Back / Forward history. Switching settings sections updates the current history entry. Browser navigation leaves saved preferences in place.

Plugins can add their own settings to General, Viewport and Labs, in a group under the plugin's name after the built-in groups.

Copy link to this sectionGeneralCopy link to this section

Copy link to this sectionAnimationsCopy link to this section

Toggle panel transition and UI interaction animations. Disable for a snappier feel or if animations cause performance issues. The results drawers follow it too: the header's condensing, the cards' folds and bar fills, and the purple pulse of a sweep's Parameters card while the optimizer drives it all hold still when animations are off, or when your system asks for reduced motion.

Settings titles fade into focus with a small vertical movement as you change sections. Titles and the Experimental badge rise slightly from below while subtitles stay still. The animation is disabled when Animations is off or your system requests reduced motion.

Canvas hover rings and the fading of nodes, arcs, and minimap shapes also follow this setting and your system's reduced-motion preference.

Copy link to this sectionKeep panels mountedCopy link to this section

When enabled, hidden panels remain loaded in the background. Switching between panels is faster, but uses more memory. When disabled, panels are unmounted when hidden and re-created when opened.

Copy link to this sectionAI assistantCopy link to this section

Shown when several of the host's plugins provide an AI assistant. Assistant chooses which one answers in the assistant panel. Whether a switch keeps the other assistant's conversation depends on that assistant. The choice is saved. The arrow beside the assistant icon in the panel's title bar and Use … as the AI assistant in the Command Palette change it too. While the chosen assistant's plugin is switched off or stopped, the panel shows the first running assistant in the Plugins list.

Copy link to this sectionViewportCopy link to this section

Copy link to this sectionMinimapCopy link to this section

Show or hide the overview minimap in the top-right corner of the canvas. The minimap provides a zoomed-out view of the entire net for orientation in large models.

Copy link to this sectionPetriconCopy link to this section

In the Viewport section, Petricon is on by default and provides Petrinaut's custom icons for entities, playback, zoom, and navigation. Saved preferences are preserved. The pack includes the sidebar toggle, main menu, pan hand and compact selection arrow, add-place and add-transition buttons, settings gears, editing actions, diagnostics, simulation and data views, and assistant and voice controls, including icons inside shared menus and forms. Checkbox marks and loading indicators keep their default appearance. The change applies immediately, and turning it off restores the default icons.

Add Place and Add Transition show a plain circle and square. Hover over either button to reveal a plus at the bottom-right of its shape; the plus disappears when you move away. Selecting either tool fills its icon and plays a short bounce. Turning off Animations below keeps the selection feedback and removes the motion. Icons also respect your device's reduced-motion preference. The sidebar toggle keeps a thin line near the left edge of its frame when the sidebar is collapsed. Hovering makes it thicker and moves it slightly right. When open, the full-height divider sits left of center and nudges a little left on hover to suggest closing. The outer frame stays still. Settings gears have sharp teeth and turn slightly while their menu is open, returning to their resting angle when it closes. Turning off Animations changes the angle immediately.

Other interactive icons give small action hints on hover: the trash lid lifts, the copy sheets separate, and arrows move slightly in their direction. The main menu icon changes when its menu opens, the playback icon changes between play and pause, and the microphone draws a slash when muted. These transitions follow the control's state. Decorative icons stay still, and disabled controls do not animate. The Animations setting and your device's reduced-motion preference apply throughout the pack.

Clicking an action icon gives a brief response that follows its purpose: arrows move in their direction, sheets separate for copying, and parameter knobs scrub along their tracks. These movements settle back without changing the control's meaning. Controls with a persistent state keep their existing state animation.

Recent changes uses a clock with a return arrow. Hovering or opening its menu briefly rewinds the hands. The subnet cube turns in depth on hover and makes a quarter-turn when clicked. The click turn finishes even if you move the pointer or keyboard focus away; rear edges stay hidden throughout the turn.

The running-person icon runs in place while you hover over its control or focus it with the keyboard. Clicking makes it jump, then land and continue running until you move away or move keyboard focus elsewhere.

The AI assistant button uses a robot head. Hovering makes its eyes blink and its antenna move briefly before settling.

Hovering over Edit turns the triangle toward the right, tilts the square and diamond separately, and nudges the circle. Selecting Edit moves the shapes into a different resting arrangement, which stays until you leave Edit mode. Both resting states keep the shapes aligned and the square upright. Hovering while Edit is selected adds smaller movements to that arrangement.

Hovering over a parameter icon briefly scrubs its slider knobs along their tracks, then returns them to their starting positions. The tracks stay horizontal. This is a visual preview; your parameter values stay the same.

In Simulate, the Experiments flask has a flat liquid surface at rest. Hovering sends a wave across the liquid, which then settles back to flat even if you move away. The glass stays still, and the shaded fill makes the fluid visible at small sizes. Selecting it raises the liquid slightly. The Scenarios icon gently separates its layers on hover and selection. Both respond quickly to pressing and settle when released; moving away returns them to the selected or unselected appearance.

The diagnostics indicator transitions between a green check when valid, an amber exclamation mark for warnings, and a red cross for errors. The same two strokes move and change length between these shapes. The issue count slides out from behind the icon with a soft fade, and the badge smoothly resizes around it. Resolving every issue slides the count back away. These animations follow validation results; clicking the indicator opens Diagnostics.

The pack is off by default. Your choice is saved in this browser and restored when you reopen Petrinaut.

Copy link to this sectionCompact nodesCopy link to this section

Switch between two node rendering styles:

• Classic (disabled, the default) -- circular places show their names and token counts. Rectangular transitions show an icon on the left, a name wrapping over up to two lines, and the transition type below it. Easier to read at a glance for small models or when teaching / demoing.
• Compact (enabled) -- shorter card-style nodes show an icon, a single-line name, and the place or transition type. Fits more of the net on screen at once; best for large or dense models where you mostly select-and-inspect via the Properties panel.

Both styles use thin outlines and soft shadows. Places follow their token type's colour; classic nodes use softer, more muted outlines. Transitions have a white surface.

Classic places and transitions use the same text size and weight for their names.

Toggle freely -- this setting only affects rendering, not the underlying net.

Copy link to this sectionHighlight on hoverCopy link to this section

When enabled (the default), resting the pointer on a node highlights its neighbourhood: what feeds it, what it feeds, and the arcs between.

Dragging a node starts the highlight immediately, without waiting for the pointer to stop, and keeps it active until you drop the node.

Disable it and the pointer changes nothing. Selecting a node still highlights its neighbourhood, so the colours remain available on demand.

Copy link to this sectionAutomatic arc connectionsCopy link to this section

Off by default. Hides the fixed handles on places and transitions. Hover over a node to reveal one outgoing handle, then drag it onto a place or transition to create an arc. Arcs attach to the node outlines and adjust their direction as you move nodes. Opposite directions use separate curves.

This setting uses automatic curves and temporarily hides the Arc rendering selector. Turning it off restores your previous style. Existing subnet connections stay visible; turn the setting off to create connections through subnet ports. See Connecting with arcs.

Copy link to this sectionArcs renderingCopy link to this section

Choose how arcs are drawn between nodes:

Copy link to this sectionSnap to gridCopy link to this section

When enabled, node positions snap to a grid when placing new nodes or dragging existing ones. Helps keep nets tidy and aligned.

Copy link to this sectionPartial selectionCopy link to this section

Controls selection box behavior in Select mode:

• Enabled -- nodes that are only partially inside the selection box are selected.
• Disabled -- nodes must be fully enclosed to be selected.

Copy link to this sectionPluginsCopy link to this section

Hosts extend Petrinaut with plugins: extra buttons, top-bar items, settings and panels. The Plugins section lists every plugin the host gave this editor, one line each with its name, its author and a switch. Click a line to read the plugin's description and what it adds. The header counts the plugins and how many of them run.

• The switch runs the plugin, or not. Off, it adds nothing: its buttons, items and settings disappear until you switch it back on. Your selection, panels and open dialogs stay as they are. A plugin the host needs, such as its Save button, has no switch.
• Not running marks a plugin that stopped on an error. Reload the page to start it again.
• The tags under the description list what the plugin declares: the parts of the net it can read or change, its buttons and where they sit, its top-bar items and settings, a service it offers other plugins, and whether it shows something inside the editor.
• Assistant marks a plugin that provides the AI assistant. The assistant panel shows that plugin's content, such as its chat. When several plugins carry the tag, General › AI assistant chooses one, and the first running one in this list fills the panel until you do.

Without plugins the section says so.

Copy link to this sectionLabsCopy link to this section

Hosts can place application-specific controls after Petrinaut's built-in Labs groups. For example, a host may put assistant provider and Voice availability choices there. The host owns those controls, their availability, and how their preferences are saved.

Copy link to this sectionNet Components (experimental)Copy link to this section

Enable subnet definitions and component instances for hierarchical nets. This option appears when the net supports subnets. Off by default.

Copy link to this sectionCompilation output (experimental)Copy link to this section

Off by default. Adds a Compilation tab to the bottom panel.