BTW
A side conversation channel running a full Pi sub-session in a focused modal overlay.
What it does
Pi-btw opens a parallel Pi session in a modal overlay — completely separate from your main conversation, with full tool access, running independently even while the main agent is busy. It's for the tangent you need to chase without polluting your main context window.
The side thread can run on a different model or thinking level than the main session, useful when you want a quick answer without paying for a heavyweight model turn. You can save useful BTW exchanges and inject them back into the main agent when relevant, or summarize a long BTW thread and merge it in as a single structured message.
A contextless mode (/btw:tangent) starts a fresh sub-session with none of the main conversation's history — useful for completely isolated lookups or experiments.
Why it's included
Tangential questions are a constant part of coding. Asking them in the main session bloats the context with answers you may not need. BTW lets you pursue tangents freely and decide afterwards whether to bring the result back — or discard it cleanly.
Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/btw [--save] <question> |
Ask in the side thread (inherits main session context) |
/btw:new [question] |
Clear thread and start fresh with main session context |
/btw:tangent [--save] <question> |
Contextless side thread — no inherited conversation |
/btw:clear |
Dismiss the overlay and clear the thread |
/btw:inject [instructions] |
Send the full BTW thread back to the main agent |
/btw:summarize [instructions] |
Summarize the thread and inject into the main agent |
/btw:model [<provider> <model> <api> | clear] |
View or set a BTW-only model override |
/btw:thinking [<level> | clear] |
View or set a BTW-only thinking level override |