# Settings and your project

Design settings for light or dark, the model and Auto new chats start with, your project's connected apps, and connecting Claude Code or Cursor. Plus switching the Machine project Design runs in.

Canonical page: https://themachine.myapps.ai/docs/desktop/design/settings

Click the sliders in the top bar (**Design settings**). Design settings has
four sections. Click outside the window or press **Esc** to close it.

## Appearance

![Design settings, Appearance: Match Machine, Match Code, Light and Dark](/images/docs/desktop/design-settings-appearance.webp)

| Choice | Design looks |
|---|---|
| **Match Machine** (the default) | Light or dark, as the rest of the app (Settings › Appearance). |
| **Match Code** | Light or dark, as Machine Code's theme. |
| **Light** / **Dark** | Light or dark in Design only. The rest of the app stays as it is. |

The sun or moon in the top bar switches between **Light** and **Dark**
quickly.

The colour behind the artboards is set per page: with nothing selected, use
**Canvas** at the top of the right panel. **Default** follows light or dark.

## Chats

![Design settings, Chats: the model and thinking level new chats start with, and Auto on for new chats](/images/docs/desktop/design-settings-chats.webp)

- **New chats start with**: the model and thinking level every new chat
  uses. The prompt box can still change one chat without changing these.
- **Auto on for new chats**: new chats work without asking first. Questions
  and plans still come to you. See [Auto](/docs/desktop/design/design-with-an-agent#auto-let-it-work-without-asking).

## Connections

Design's agents make pictures with [Pixio](/docs/desktop/pixio), on your
own Pixio account. Connections shows Pixio for the Machine project Design
runs in:

- **Not connected:** click **Connect**, paste your Pixio API key, and save.
  Machine checks the key with Pixio and keeps it on the server; agents never
  see it. The card links to Pixio's page where you make a key.
- **Connected:** the card shows your Pixio account, plan and credits. Open it
  to replace the key or disconnect.

Other apps connected to the project in Machine still work for Design's
agents. See [Connected apps](/docs/desktop/integrations/connected-apps).

## Connect another agent

Claude Code, Cursor or another agent on this computer can look at your
artboards the way Design's own agents do, with the same **canvas_list** and
**canvas_view** tools. This section shows what to paste for the design
that's open, each with a **Copy** button:

- **Claude Code**: a `claude mcp add` command. Run it in a terminal in the
  design's folder.
- **Cursor**: a few lines for `mcp.json`. Add them to `.cursor/mcp.json` in
  the design's folder, or to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` for every project.

Machine Desktop needs to be open while they use it. The address and key stay
the same when Machine restarts, so you set this up once. The key is hidden
on screen; **Copy** copies the real one. Keep it to yourself.

**Reset key** makes a new key. Every agent you set up before, and every
Design chat started before, loses the canvas tools: copy the new setup into
your agents, and start a **New chat** in Design. See
[How agents see the canvas](/docs/desktop/design/machine-code#how-agents-see-the-canvas).

## Switch the Machine project

At the bottom of the left panel, under the design, is the Machine project
Design's agents run in: its connections and its credits. Click it to pick
another project. Machine Code switches to it too, since the two share it.