Understand the project
Practical overview
When it fits
Use it when answers should draw on documents in a selected folder, or when you want to browse that folder and ask questions from the same desktop workspace.
Who it is for
- Writers who want to ask questions about novel drafts, character sheets or worldbuilding notes.
- People who need question-and-answer access to a local collection of text documents.
Documented uses
- Find relevant passages in a folder without manually opening each document.
- Ask questions about characters, chapters or setting details using the collection as context.
- Browse folder structure and preview document contents in the application.
Before you choose
Requirements & limits
- The root folder is selected during initial setup and its contents are analyzed for retrieval.
- Ollama processes data on the computer and can work offline after installation, but model capability depends on local hardware.
- OpenRouter requires internet access and sends conversation content, including folder-based requests, to an external server.
- Document-grounded answers are controlled by a checkbox; it can be turned off for general-knowledge questions.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Source-based practical guide
Set up a folder-grounded assistant
Choose a document collection and configure a model provider for document-based questions.
Before you start
- A local folder containing the documents to use as a knowledge base.
- Either Ollama with a model on the computer, or an internet connection and OpenRouter.
Steps
Choose the project’s root folder when Novel Assistant starts.
Select Ollama for local model use or OpenRouter for an external AI server.
In the home screen, enable “Answer based on documents” when asking about the selected folder.
Expected outcome
The assistant searches relevant folder documents and uses their content to generate an answer.
Guide limitations
- OpenRouter requires internet access and sends conversation content, including requests based on folder data, to an external server.
- With Ollama, model capability depends on the computer’s specifications.
Evidence and transparency
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 18 October 2026
- Original website title
- waterpare833/Novel-Assistant · Official homepage title · retained in its source language