# Alternative: guided offline demo

Choose **Explore the demo** on the welcome page or in the connection dialog. The visible **DEMO WORKSPACE** banner distinguishes invented content from a connected server. The built-in library contains **13 authored demonstration conversations**: three conversational guides, two rich-rendering showcases and eight further sample threads.

## Follow the three guides

The guide conversations explain the workspace, reading controls, search, server connection and upstream project. Their local links can open settings, switch views, start a demonstration search or navigate to another sample conversation. These are deliberate guide actions inside the bundled demo, not a general ability for arbitrary server messages to operate the application.

Use the ThreadShelf logo to return to the start guide while in demo mode. Ordinary external repository links open only when selected.

## Explore the visual notebooks

**The paper observatory** demonstrates rich cards, charts, citations and image placeholders. **The diagram workshop** demonstrates code highlighting, equations, tables and Mermaid repair. Open the prompt outline, use Find within a thread, copy a code block and inspect a repaired diagram’s source.

The demo uses the same reading interface. It is useful for learning where controls are and how retained rich content appears, but it does not validate the contents or search configuration of a real server.

## Demo search and state

Text search operates on the invented examples. Semantic mode uses an explicitly labelled small keyword approximation; it does not download or execute a real embedding model. The sample matches and timing should not be treated as a benchmark of server semantic search.

Pins, recent entries and saved searches are isolated to the demo scope. Changing a preference such as text size can still be useful while learning the application, but it does not modify a Reader or Analytics profile.

## Speech in demos

In the native desktop app, the built-in demonstration messages can use the configured speech provider just like other readable messages. A remote provider can still receive that selected synthetic text and charge for generation.

The standalone HTML preview instead uses a clearly labelled synthetic test tone for TTS layout and playback inspection. It does not synthesize spoken text, contact a provider or preserve API keys. Test-tone playback is not evidence of model quality or provider connectivity.

## Leave the demo

Choose **Connect a server** in the banner, enter your server address and connect. The desktop application then reads that server’s collection list. A standalone HTML demo cannot establish a real server connection; use the native desktop build for that workflow.

The [screenshot gallery](../Screenshots/alternative-gallery.md) uses this invented dataset so the manual can show actual controls without including personal conversations.