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The Activity Bar
Last updated June 4, 2026 · 4 min read
The narrow vertical strip on the editor's far left is the Activity Bar — a vertical list of feature icons, from the Slima logo at the top down to the dark-mode toggle at the bottom.
What's in the strip (top to bottom)
Exact icons and labels may shift slightly between Slima versions. Hover any icon for its tooltip (function name + shortcut) — the most reliable way to confirm.
Top: Slima logo
Click the star-shaped Slima logo → opens the Studio Switcher (Writing Studio / Script Studio / AI Beta Reader).
See: Studio Switcher
Upper: back to the shelf
- 💧 Back to works list — returns to the "My Works" shelf
Middle: panel toggles
Icons here open the matching panel — File explorer opens on the editor's left, the rest open on the right (the right panel shows one at a time; click another icon to switch):
| Icon | Function | Side | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📁 | File explorer — the current book's chapter / note file tree | Left | Cmd/Ctrl ⇧ E |
| 💬 | AI chat — the AI Coach chat panel | Right | Cmd/Ctrl ⇧ A |
| ☰ | Outline — navigation built from your Markdown headings | Right | Cmd/Ctrl ⇧ O |
| 💬 | Comments — in-book comment threads | Right | — |
| 📄 | Notes — character notes, worldbuilding, to-dos | Right | — |
| 🔗 | Related entities — links between characters / locations / etc. | Right | — |
| 📖 | Beta Reader — entry to AI Beta Readers | Right | — |
Only File explorer, AI chat and Outline have a working keyboard shortcut; the other panels open by clicking their icon. Click the same icon again → collapse that panel. The left and right panels are independent and can be open at the same time.
Lower: mode & account
- ⊡ Focus mode — hide surrounding UI for distraction-free writing
- 👑 Upgrade — shows your current plan (e.g. Pro); opens Subscription
- ❓ Help Center — links to the docs
- ☀ Dark mode — dark / light theme toggle
Activity bar, left panel, right panel — three things
Easy to confuse:
- Activity bar: the narrow strip itself — always on the far left, never disappears
- Left panel: where File explorer opens
- Right panel: where AI chat / Outline / Comments / Notes / Related entities / Beta Reader open (one at a time)
Collapsing either side panel does not remove the activity bar — it's always there.
Hover for labels
Hover any icon for a tooltip (function name + shortcut). When you're not sure what an icon does, that's the fastest way to tell.