Changelog

This release marks a fundamental architectural shift. We've rebuilt Orbit from the ground up using Tauri and Rust, delivering native performance while maintaining the developer experience you expect. The result is a faster, more efficient UDE with deeper system integration.

Architecture Overhaul

Tauri + Rust Backend

We've moved away from Electron to Tauri with a complete Rust backend. This transition delivers:

• Significantly smaller binary size — Tauri apps are a fraction of Electron's footprint
• Native performance — Rust backend handles file operations, process management, and system calls
• Lower memory usage — No Chromium overhead for the shell
• Better security — Rust's memory safety guarantees throughout the backend

CodeMirror 6 Editor

Monaco has been replaced with CodeMirror 6 as our editor foundation:

• Lighter weight — Faster initial load and lower memory consumption
• Mobile-ready architecture — Built for modern web constraints
• Extensibility — Cleaner plugin system for custom functionality
• Familiar layout — VS Code-style interface so developers don't have to relearn anything

Workspace Tabs

Agent Tab

The AI assistant now features deep integration with the browser and full MCP tool support:

• MCP Tools — Full Model Context Protocol support for extensible tool use
• Browser Control — Agent can control the integrated browser for testing, debugging, and automation
• Console Access — Direct access to browser console logs and errors
• Context Sharing — Seamless communication between agent and browser via MCP

The agent runs on the Claude Agent SDK as a subprocess, ensuring isolated and reliable execution. Bring your own Claude subscription — authenticate with your auth token and use your existing plan.

Editor Tab

A complete code editor with VS Code-style layout:

• File explorer — Navigate your project structure
• Multi-tab editing — Work across multiple files simultaneously
• Syntax highlighting — Full language support via CodeMirror
• Integrated terminal — Run commands without leaving the editor

Canvas Tab

Visual editing has evolved into a functional design environment:

• ShadCN Component Preview — Browse and preview the entire shadcn/ui library
• Custom Component Import — Download components from anywhere, preview instantly
• Live Editing Sidebar — Modify component code and see changes in real-time
• Copy to Agent — Send components directly to the agent for integration
• Save for Later — Build a personal component library

This is Figma-style editing for real code — not wireframes, but functional React components you can ship.

Introducing Snowflake

We're open-sourcing the editor. Snowflake will be a standalone, open-source code editor built with:

• React for the UI
• Tauri for the native shell
• Rust for the backend
• CodeMirror 6 for editing

The Agent and Canvas tabs remain exclusive to Orbit, but the editor will be freely available for the community to use, extend, and contribute to.

Full Shortcut Support

Comprehensive keyboard shortcuts now work throughout the entire application:

• Agent tab shortcuts for quick commands
• Editor shortcuts matching VS Code conventions
• Canvas navigation and manipulation shortcuts

Coming Soon

Notes Vault

A dedicated space for project documentation:

• Create and organize Markdown files
• Mermaid diagram support for visual documentation
• Project-scoped notes that travel with your codebase
• Agent-indexed — The AI will automatically reference your notes when relevant

Multi-Agent Canvas

Run multiple agents simultaneously with visual coordination:

• Git worktree support — Each agent can work in isolated branches
• Live preview nodes — See all agent sessions as nodes on a canvas
• Double-click to expand — Focus on a specific agent for detailed interaction
• Parallel development — Watch multiple approaches evolve side by side

No more switching between chat windows to track different experiments.

Authentication

Use Orbit with your existing Claude subscription. Simply authenticate with your auth token — no separate Orbit subscription required for AI features.

This release establishes Orbit as a comprehensive Unified Development Environment — a single workspace designed to eliminate context switching entirely. Built on Electron for native performance, version 0.0.2 introduces four specialized workspace tabs and support for the latest frontier models.

Workspace Tabs

Ask Tab

A conversational interface optimized for ideation and exploration.

• Ideation workflows — explore concepts without modifying your codebase
• Read-only tooling — designed for research, documentation queries, and architectural discussions
• Isolated context — no side effects on your active project

Agent Tab

An autonomous coding assistant with three distinct operational modes:

• Plan Mode — The agent analyzes requirements and proposes an implementation strategy before generating code
• Accept Mode — Streamlined execution with approval checkpoints for rapid development
• Critique Mode — Multiple language models review code simultaneously, providing consensus-based feedback

Browser Tab

A fully integrated Chromium instance within the development environment.

• Local development — Test applications without switching windows
• DevTools integration — Full inspector access, visible to the AI agent
• Playwright support — Automated end-to-end testing directly from your workspace
• Web context — Research and reference documentation without interrupting your workflow

Canvas Tab

A visual interface for designing and orchestrating complex development workflows.

• Component library — Reusable UI elements with drag-and-drop composition
• Animation editor — Visual tools for designing micro-interactions
• Contextual notes — Capture and organize thoughts alongside your code
• Multi-agent coordination — Deploy multiple agents with distinct tasks and real-time oversight
• Live editing — Modify running workflows without restart

Model Support

Orbit provides unified access to frontier language models through a consistent interface.

OpenAI

• GPT-5 — Latest flagship model
• GPT-5.1 (mini / nano / full) — Optimized variants for different latency and capability requirements

Google DeepMind

• Gemini 3 — Multimodal capabilities with broad task coverage
• Gemini 3 Pro — Extended context and enhanced reasoning

Anthropic

• Claude 4.5 Haiku — Optimized for speed and efficiency
• Claude 4.5 Sonnet — Balanced performance across diverse tasks
• Claude 4.5 Opus — Maximum capability for complex reasoning

Additional model integrations are in active development.

Technical Foundation

• Electron runtime — Native performance with cross-platform compatibility
• Monaco editor — VS Code-class editing with full language server protocol support
• Unified state — Seamless context sharing across all workspace tabs

Roadmap

Upcoming releases will expand Canvas workflow capabilities, enhance browser automation, and introduce support for custom model configurations.

We're excited to announce the first beta release of Orbit - your AI-powered development workspace that combines intelligent assistance with professional development tools!

AI Integration

Orbit features deep integration with Claude SDK, bringing advanced AI capabilities directly into your workflow.

The platform supports:

• Multimodal interactions for text, code, and visual content
• Built-in tool calls for executing functions
• Multi-session SDK support for managing multiple conversations
• Seamless interaction with external tools and services

Development Environment

At the core of Orbit is the Monaco Editor, providing a professional VS Code-style editing experience. The environment includes:

• Syntax highlighting for multiple programming languages
• Fully functional terminal for command execution
• Complete file operations system
• Professional code editing features

Workspace Modes

Orbit offers three distinct operational modes to match your workflow:

• Plan Mode - AI helps you strategize your implementation approach
• Accept Mode - Review and approve AI-generated code suggestions
• Default Mode - Standard development workflow

All three modes are fully functional in this beta release.

Specialized Pages

Canvas Page (Beta)

A powerful visualization tool for designing and planning your projects:

• UI components and interfaces
• Frontend workflows and user journeys
• Backend architecture diagrams
• System design and infrastructure planning

Chat Page

A dedicated space for conversations and brainstorming with AI, separate from your coding workspace. This allows you to explore ideas and get assistance without cluttering your development environment.

Authentication & Security

Orbit implements secure OAuth integration with intelligent token management. The system reads credentials directly from system storage, eliminating unnecessary API calls while improving both security and performance.

What's Next

This is our first beta release, and we're actively developing new features and improvements based on user feedback. Join us in shaping the future of AI-powered development!