Settings fields

JSON and command-line settings. For the desktop UI, see Settings.

AutoC stores configuration in JSON. In the interactive terminal, use /settings for common options, or edit JSON directly — both write the same fields; /settings saves automatically.

Scopes

Location	Scope
`~/.autoc/agent/settings.json`	Global (all projects)
`.autoc/settings.json`	Project (current working directory, overrides global)

Run /reload after changing paths or toolchain options. Setup steps live in each toolchain guide (e.g. EB tresos); this page is the field reference.

Models

AutoC currently supports WhyEngineer models only. Most users do not need to set defaultProvider / defaultModel manually; see Sign in and Interactive terminal.

All settings

Models and thinking

Key	Type	Default	Description
`defaultProvider`	string	-	Default provider
`defaultModel`	string	-	Default model ID
`defaultThinkingLevel`	string	-	`off`, `minimal`, `low`, `medium`, `high`, `xhigh`
`hideThinkingBlock`	boolean	`false`	Hide thinking blocks in output
`desktopNotifications`	boolean	`true`	Desktop: OS toast / taskbar flash when attention is needed in the background (`ask_user` today; reusable; global only)
`thinkingBudgets`	object	-	Custom token budgets per thinking level

thinkingBudgets

json

{
  "thinkingBudgets": {
    "minimal": 1024,
    "low": 4096,
    "medium": 10240,
    "high": 32768
  }
}

UI and display

Key	Type	Default	Description
`theme`	string	`"dark"`	Theme name (`dark`, `light`, or custom)
`quietStartup`	boolean	`false`	Hide startup area
`collapseChangelog`	boolean	`false`	Show compact changelog after updates
`enableInstallTelemetry`	boolean	`true`	Anonymous install/update telemetry (does not control update checks)
`doubleEscapeAction`	string	`"tree"`	Double Esc: `tree`, `fork`, or `none`
`treeFilterMode`	string	`"default"`	Default `/tree` filter: `default`, `no-tools`, `user-only`, `labeled-only`, `all`
`editorPaddingX`	number	`0`	Editor horizontal padding (0–3)
`autocompleteMaxVisible`	number	`5`	Autocomplete dropdown size (3–20)
`showHardwareCursor`	boolean	`false`	Show terminal hardware cursor

Telemetry and update checks

enableInstallTelemetry only controls anonymous install/update reports. Disabling it does not disable version update checks.

PI_SKIP_VERSION_CHECK=1 — skip version update check
--offline or PI_OFFLINE=1 — skip all startup network activity (updates, package checks, telemetry)

Warnings

Key	Type	Default	Description
`warnings.anthropicExtraUsage`	boolean	`true`	Warn when Anthropic subscription may use paid extra usage

Compaction

Key	Type	Default	Description
`compaction.enabled`	boolean	`true`	Enable automatic context compaction
`compaction.reserveTokens`	number	`16384`	Tokens reserved for model reply
`compaction.keepRecentTokens`	number	`20000`	Recent tokens kept out of summarization

Branch summary

Key	Type	Default	Description
`branchSummary.reserveTokens`	number	`16384`	Tokens reserved for branch summary
`branchSummary.skipPrompt`	boolean	`false`	Skip “summarize abandoned branch?” prompt in `/tree` (default: no summary)

Retry

Key	Type	Default	Description
`retry.enabled`	boolean	`true`	Auto-retry transient errors
`retry.maxRetries`	number	`3`	Max retries
`retry.baseDelayMs`	number	`2000`	Exponential backoff base (2s, 4s, 8s…)
`retry.provider.timeoutMs`	number	SDK default	Request timeout (ms)
`retry.provider.maxRetries`	number	SDK default	SDK-layer retries
`retry.provider.maxRetryDelayMs`	number	`60000`	Cap on server-requested wait (ms); `0` = no cap

Message delivery

Key	Type	Default	Description
`steeringMode`	string	`"one-at-a-time"`	Steering messages: `all` or `one-at-a-time`
`followUpMode`	string	`"one-at-a-time"`	Follow-up messages: `all` or `one-at-a-time`
`transport`	string	`"sse"`	Transport preference: `sse`, `websocket`, `auto`

Terminal and images

Key	Type	Default	Description
`terminal.showImages`	boolean	`true`	Show images in terminal (if supported)
`terminal.imageWidthCells`	number	`60`	Inline image width (cells)
`terminal.clearOnShrink`	boolean	`false`	Clear blank lines when content shrinks (may flicker)
`images.autoResize`	boolean	`true`	Resize images to max 2000×2000 before send
`images.blockImages`	boolean	`false`	Block sending images to the model

Shell

Key	Type	Default	Description
`shellPath`	string	-	Custom shell path (e.g. Cygwin on Windows)
`shellCommandPrefix`	string	-	Prefix prepended to every bash command
`npmCommand`	string[]	-	argv for npm-related operations

Session directory

Key	Type	Default	Description
`sessionDir`	string	-	Session file directory; absolute, relative, or `~`

Priority (high to low): --session-dir → PI_CODING_AGENT_SESSION_DIR → sessionDir in settings.json.

Model cycling (Ctrl+P)

Key	Type	Default	Description
`enabledModels`	string[]	-	Model patterns for `Ctrl+P` (same as `--models`)

EB tresos

Quickstart: EB tresos. /settings covers Install path, Project path, Include modules, Exclude modules.

Key	Type	Default	Description
`eb.tresosPath`	string	-	EB tresos install root (`/settings` → Install path)
`eb.projectPath`	string	`.`	Project directory containing `.project` (`/settings` → Project path)
`eb.includeModules`	string[]	-	Load only listed modules (case-sensitive)
`eb.excludeModules`	string[]	-	Exclude after include filter (case-sensitive)
`eb.name` / `eb.target` / `eb.derivate` / `eb.pn`	string	-	Override display parsed from `.project`

Per-project module filter (.autoc/settings.json):

json

{
  "eb": {
    "includeModules": ["Mcu", "Port"]
  }
}

DaVinci Configurator

Quickstart: DaVinci Configurator. /settings covers paths and Include / Exclude modules.

Key	Type	Default	Description
`davinci.configuratorPath`	string	-	Install root, required (contains `Core/DVCfgCmd.exe`; `/settings` → Configurator path)
`davinci.projectPath`	string	`.`	Project directory (`/settings` → Project path)
`davinci.includeModules`	string[]	-	Load only listed ECUC modules (case-sensitive)
`davinci.excludeModules`	string[]	-	Exclude after include (case-sensitive)
`davinci.name` / `davinci.derivative`	string	-	Override display parsed from `.dpa`

ETAS ISOLAR

Quickstart: ETAS ISOLAR. /settings covers Install path, Project path, Data ARXML, Include / Exclude modules; autoAssignParams below.

Key	Type	Default	Description
`etas.installPath`	string	-	ISOLAR-AB install root; else `ISOLAR_HOME`
`etas.projectPath`	string	`.`	Project directory containing `.project`
`etas.rtaosPath`	string	-	Standalone OS (RTA-OS) `.rtaos` file (not a folder; may live outside the ETAS project)
`etas.dataArxmlExclude`	string[]	-	ECUC value ARXML exclude patterns (relative to ETAS project, gitignore syntax); always auto-scan then exclude
`etas.externalModules`	string[]	-	EB+ETAS mixed: ETAS-side module config names (case-sensitive)
`etas.autoAssignParams`	string[]	-	Param SHORT-NAMEs auto-assigned by ISOLAR at generate
`etas.includeModules`	string[]	-	Load only listed ECUC modules (case-sensitive)
`etas.excludeModules`	string[]	-	Exclude after include (case-sensitive)
`etas.name`	string	-	Override display from `.project`

VCOS Studio

Quickstart: VCOS Studio. Installs page covers the .venv path; /settings covers project path and Include / Exclude / External modules.

Key	Type	Default	Description
`vcos.venvPath`	string	-	Studio `.venv` created by `init_env` (must sit beside the Studio install); Installs page
`vcos.projectPath`	string	`.`	Project directory containing `*.vcosproject`
`vcos.externalModules`	string[]	-	EB+VCOS mixed: VCOS-side ECUC config names (`Can`, `Mcu`; case-sensitive)
`vcos.includeModules`	string[]	-	Load only listed ECUC modules (case-sensitive)
`vcos.excludeModules`	string[]	-	Exclude after include (case-sensitive)
`vcos.name`	string	-	Override display from `.vcosproject`

ASW

Key	Type	Default	Description
`autosar.systemTemplateExclude`	string[]	-	System-level ARXML exclude patterns (relative to open project, gitignore syntax); always auto-scan then exclude; ECUC is not merged
`autosar.runnableFramework.outDir`	string	`Appl/Source`	Application source-skeleton output folder (relative to the open project); no reload needed
`autosar.runnableFramework.overwriteUnprotected`	boolean	`false`	When true, overwrite existing files that have no `USER CODE` regions

See ASW.

License server

Key	Type	Default	Description
`license.serverAddr`	string	-	License server address (`host:port`, e.g. `192.168.1.10:9847`)

Change in TUI via /settings → License server. Enterprise: Enterprise licensing.

Markdown

Key	Type	Default	Description
`markdown.codeBlockIndent`	string	`" "`	Code block indent

Extension resource paths

Where to load extensions, skills, prompt templates, and themes.

Relative paths in ~/.autoc/agent/settings.json resolve from ~/.autoc/agent
Relative paths in .autoc/settings.json resolve from .autoc
Absolute paths and ~ supported

Key	Type	Default	Description
`packages`	array	`[]`	Load resources from npm/git packages
`extensions`	string[]	`[]`	Local extension paths or directories
`skills`	string[]	`[]`	Local skill paths or directories
`prompts`	string[]	`[]`	Local prompt template paths or directories
`themes`	string[]	`[]`	Local theme paths or directories
`enableSkillCommands`	boolean	`true`	Register skills as `/skill:name` commands

Arrays support globs and exclusions: !pattern to exclude, +path / -path to force include/exclude exact paths.

Example

json

{
  "theme": "dark",
  "defaultThinkingLevel": "medium",
  "compaction": {
    "enabled": true,
    "reserveTokens": 16384,
    "keepRecentTokens": 20000
  },
  "retry": {
    "enabled": true,
    "maxRetries": 3
  },
  "eb": {
    "tresosPath": "C:/EB/tresos",
    "projectPath": "."
  },
  "davinci": {
    "configuratorPath": "D:/Vector/DaVinciConfigurator",
    "projectPath": "."
  },
  "etas": {
    "installPath": "D:/ETAS/ISOLAR-AB",
    "projectPath": "."
  },
  "enabledModels": ["deepseek-*"]
}

Project override example

json

// ~/.autoc/agent/settings.json (global)
{
  "theme": "dark",
  "compaction": { "enabled": true, "reserveTokens": 16384 }
}

// .autoc/settings.json (project)
{
  "compaction": { "reserveTokens": 8192 }
}

// merged result
{
  "theme": "dark",
  "compaction": { "enabled": true, "reserveTokens": 8192 }
}

Settings fields ​

Scopes ​

All settings ​

Models and thinking ​

thinkingBudgets ​

UI and display ​

Telemetry and update checks ​

Warnings ​

Compaction ​

Branch summary ​

Retry ​

Message delivery ​

Terminal and images ​

Shell ​

Session directory ​

Model cycling (Ctrl+P) ​

EB tresos ​

DaVinci Configurator ​

ETAS ISOLAR ​

VCOS Studio ​

ASW ​

License server ​

Markdown ​

Extension resource paths ​

Example ​

Project override example ​

Settings fields

Scopes

All settings

Models and thinking

thinkingBudgets

UI and display

Telemetry and update checks

Warnings

Compaction

Branch summary

Retry

Message delivery

Terminal and images

Shell

Session directory

Model cycling (Ctrl+P)

EB tresos

DaVinci Configurator

ETAS ISOLAR

VCOS Studio

ASW

License server

Markdown

Extension resource paths

Example

Project override example