# Imagine Mode: rendered concepts before you commit > Imagine Mode proposes up to four rendered design concepts with key specs and a build strategy. Picking one hands it to Agent Mode to build. It changes nothing until you pick. URL: https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/imagine-mode/ Updated: 2026-08-28 --- - Getting started [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/getting-started/) - [Install](https://cadabrai.com/docs/getting-started/install/) - [Your First Prompt](https://cadabrai.com/docs/getting-started/first-prompt/) - [How It Works](https://cadabrai.com/docs/getting-started/how-it-works/) ### Modes - [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/) - [All Modes](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/all-modes/) - [Ask Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/ask-mode/) - [Plan Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/plan-mode/) - [Agent Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/agent-mode/) - [Drawings Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/drawings-mode/) - [Debug Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/debug-mode/) - [Imagine Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/imagine-mode/) ### Prompts - [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/prompts/) - [Writing Prompts](https://cadabrai.com/docs/prompts/writing-prompts/) - [Prompt Library](https://cadabrai.com/docs/prompts/prompt-library/) - [Attachments](https://cadabrai.com/docs/prompts/attachments/) - [Drawing to CAD](https://cadabrai.com/docs/prompts/drawing-to-cad/) ### Standards - [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/standards/) - [Drawing Standards](https://cadabrai.com/docs/standards/drawing-standards/) - [Modeling Rules](https://cadabrai.com/docs/standards/modeling-rules/) - [Components and Fasteners](https://cadabrai.com/docs/standards/libraries-and-plm/) ### Account and plans - [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/account/) - [Your Account](https://cadabrai.com/docs/account/your-account/) - [Workstations](https://cadabrai.com/docs/account/workstations/) - [Plans and Limits](https://cadabrai.com/docs/account/plans-and-limits/) - [Preferences](https://cadabrai.com/docs/account/preferences/) - [Billing](https://cadabrai.com/docs/account/billing/) ### Team - [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/team/) - [Seats and Members](https://cadabrai.com/docs/team/seats-and-members/) - [Single Sign-On](https://cadabrai.com/docs/team/sso/) - [Directory Sync](https://cadabrai.com/docs/team/directory-sync/) ### Security and data - [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/security/) - [Data Handling](https://cadabrai.com/docs/security/data-handling/) ### Troubleshooting - [Overview](https://cadabrai.com/docs/troubleshooting/) - [CADABRA Issues](https://cadabrai.com/docs/troubleshooting/cadabra-issues/) - [SOLIDWORKS Errors](https://cadabrai.com/docs/troubleshooting/solidworks-errors/) - [Error Messages](https://cadabrai.com/docs/troubleshooting/error-messages/) # Imagine Mode Up to four rendered concepts for an open-ended request. Nothing is modelled until you pick one. Imagine Mode runs on every plan, including Free. Building the concept you pick hands it to Agent Mode, which needs a paid plan. See [what unlocks each mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/all-modes/#entitlements). ## What it produces A set of up to **4 concept cards**, generated together. The panel shows the four cells while it works, under the progress line "Generating design concepts…". Each card carries a rendered image, a title, and four fields you can open under **Details**: **What it is**, **Key specs**, **Why it fits**, and **How it’s built**. Under the set are two actions: **Pick one to model it** and **Refine my request**. If a render fails to come back, that card still arrives, marked render unavailable. The concept itself is unaffected. ## When you get concepts and when you get an answer Imagine does not turn every message into concepts. The rule is fixed, and it decides what your next turn costs. - A message containing any of design, build, model, make, create, generate, concept, idea, option, variant, version, sketch, propose, brainstorm, show me, come up with, lay out or mock up **always** produces concepts. - Otherwise a message that ends in a question mark, or opens with what, who, why, when, where, which, how, is, are, was, were, do, does, did, should, would, explain, tell me or define, is answered as a question instead. So "design a bracket for this motor" gives you four concepts, and "what would you use for this bracket?" gives you an answer. ## Worked examples **Design a wall mount for this enclosure that survives a 4 g shock load.** Four concepts with different load paths, each with its key specs and a build strategy, each rendered. **Show me three options for the handle on this housing.** Concepts, because "show me" is one of the design words. A named count between 2 and 4 is honoured, so this returns three. Anything outside that range is clamped into it. **What are my options for fastening these two plates?** A written answer, not concepts. It ends in a question mark and carries no design word. **Come up with a lighter version of this bracket.** Concepts built against the open document, so the envelope and interfaces of the existing part are the brief. ## Picking a concept Picking one rewrites the turn to Agent Mode and builds it. What goes across is your original brief, the concept’s title, summary and key specs, and the render itself as an attached image. **That build starts without an approval prompt**, whatever your Approval preference says, because picking the concept was the approval. If you want the steps first, ask for the same thing in [Plan Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/plan-mode/) instead. **Refine my request** dismisses the set. The reply asks for what would sharpen it, loads, envelope, interfaces and materials, or offers to build a design you describe yourself. A set does not wait forever. After 30 minutes the pending selection is dropped, and clicking a card then answers "These concepts are no longer available" and asks you to send the brief again. ## What it cannot do - Change anything on its own. Imagine is read-only until you pick a card, and then it is Agent Mode that builds. - Propose concepts mid-build. Concepts are for the start of an open-ended request, not for a run already underway. - Propose again in the same request. Once a concept is picked, that turn builds it rather than offering a fresh set. - Run against a drawing. With a drawing as the active document the turn routes to [Drawings Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/drawings-mode/) instead. Concepts draw down credits like any other turn, and the quota is checked before the set is generated. ## Where to go next - You picked one and want to know what happens next: [Agent Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/agent-mode/). - You want the build steps before anything runs: [Plan Mode](https://cadabrai.com/docs/modes/plan-mode/). - You have a sketch or a photo of the idea instead: [attachments](https://cadabrai.com/docs/prompts/attachments/). On this page - [What it produces](#what-it-produces) - [When you get concepts and when you get an answer](#when-it-proposes) - [Worked examples](#examples) - [Picking a concept](#picking) - [What it cannot do](#cannot) - [Where to go next](#next)