Welcome to Connext Studio (Experimental Release)

ℹ️ Connext Studio is available to existing evaluators and license holders at no additional charge as we gather customer feedback and refine the offering. Licensing and pricing may be adjusted in the future as the product evolves.

⚠️ Production systems must not be used with Connext Studio. Connext Studio is a development-time-only debugging tool. Your system data is under your control. For a complete explanation of when data is shared with RTI and how it is handled, see Data Privacy below.

Connext Studio brings Connext system insight directly into your IDE by helping you inspect, visualize, and debug Connext applications during development. You can interact with Connext Studio through the Studio UI or through chat interfaces, including Connext Chat and GitHub Copilot Chat in Ask mode or Agent mode.

The Studio UI is organized around two basic concepts: Data Sources and Views.

Data Sources provide information about your running DDS system, which Connext Studio uses to build an in-memory system model.

Views present that model in useful ways, from predefined topology view to custom visualizations of Topic data. With Connext AI features, you can also describe the View you want in natural language and let Connext Studio generate it for you.

Requirements

To use Connext Studio, you need the following:

An RTI Account account
RTI Chat Extension (a.k.a. Connext Chat), which is automatically installed as a dependency when you install this extension
A Connext Professional or Connext Drive installation. For the best experience, RTI recommends using the latest Connext version so you can take advantage of all Connext Studio capabilities. If you do not already have a Connext Professional or Connext Drive installation, Connext Studio will guide you through the process of getting a license-managed installation. This includes downloading and installing Connext and obtaining a 60-day evaluation license.

In addition, some chat commands may require additional third-party extensions. For example, the /createSystemDiagram command requires the Draw.io Integration.

[Optional] Connext AI-Powered Features

Connext AI features are optional. The core Connext Studio can be used without AI.

The optional Connext AI features included with Connext Studio are:

Create View with AI, described in the Views section below.
Connext Chat, described in the Chat Panel section below.
GitHub Copilot Chat integration, which allows you to interact with Connext Studio from GitHub Copilot Chat in Ask or Agent mode.

Using the Connext Studio UI

Studio Panel

To open the Studio panel, click the Studio icon on the left sidebar, as shown below:

Login with your RTI account is required to use Connext Studio. (See the Requirements section above to get an RTI account.) If you are not logged into Connext Studio, a Login Screen is shown.

Once logged in, Connext Studio presents an on-boarding Welcome Screen for you to select the installation of Connext you’d like Studio to use. The selected installation is the combination of the Connext version and RTI Architecture that Studio will use to run RTI DDS Spy and other Connext tools locally on your machine.

If you do not have Connext Professional or Connext Drive installed already, the Welcome Screen helps you download and install an evaluation version of Connext, and helps you install an evaluator license file.

The Connext Studio Settings pane described under the Account & Support section below allows you to restart the on-boarding Welcome Screen at any time.

Data Sources

Data Sources are inputs you connect, which Connext Studio uses to build a model (i.e., an in-memory representation) of your Connext system. You can connect more than one data source, which may help Connext Studio build a more complete model of your system than if it had access to only one source. The supported Data Sources include:

To connect a Data Source, click the + icon in the Data Sources pane:

After clicking the + button, select the desired data source from the list and follow the on-screen prompts:

Data Source Capabilities

Data Source	Capabilities
RTI DDS Spy	• System topology • [Connext 7.7 and later] QoS information used for matching associated with discovered entities • [Connext 7.7 and later] Type information, available with Connext 7.7.0 and later • Topic data subscription
Collector Service	• System topology • Full QoS information associated with discovered entities • Information available through the built-in Topic endpoints, including Publication, Subscription, and Domain Participant information
RTI Admin Console discovery export file	• System topology • Information available through the built-in Topic endpoints, including Publication, Subscription, and Domain Participant information

RTI DDS Spy

The RTI DDS Spy Data Source connects to a live Connext system using RTI DDS Spy. Connext Studio runs DDS Spy locally and uses the discovered information to build a model of your system.

Use this Data Source when you want Connext Studio to discover Hosts, Applications, Domain Participants, Topics, Publishers, Subscribers, DataWriters, DataReaders, and QoS information directly from a running development system.

RTI recommends using DDS Spy from Connext 7.7 or later with Connext Studio. This version provides more complete discovery information, including matching QoS information and type information for discovered endpoints.

This Data Source requires a local Connext installation because Connext Studio uses the DDS Spy executable from the selected Connext installation.

Collector Service

The Collector Service Data Source connects to remote debugging data made available by RTI Collector Service. Connext Studio connects to Collector Service through a WebSocket endpoint and uses the discovery-related telemetry data published by Collector Service to build a model of your Connext system.

Use this Data Source when your system is configured to forward remote debugging data through Collector Service. Connext Studio can use this source by itself or together with other Data Sources, such as RTI DDS Spy, to build a more complete model of your Connext system.

The Collector Service configuration required by Connext Studio is the same configuration used by RTI Admin Console remote debugging. The Collector Service instance must be configured with a WebSocket exporter endpoint. Depending on your security configuration, the connection uses either a non-secure WebSocket endpoint or a secure WebSocket endpoint.

For more information about configuring Collector Service for remote debugging, see the RTI Admin Console Remote Debugging documentation.

Note: The Collector Service Data Source only uses the remote debugging data exposed by Collector Service through its WebSocket endpoint. It does not currently provide access to telemetry stored in Prometheus, Loki, or other third-party observability backends.

RTI Admin Console Discovery Export File

The RTI Admin Console discovery export file Data Source imports a discovery snapshot previously exported from RTI Admin Console.

Use this Data Source when you want to analyze a system offline, share a captured discovery view, or inspect a system without connecting Connext Studio directly to the running DDS domain.

The Admin Console discovery export file provides system topology and information available through the built-in Topic endpoints, including Publication, Subscription, and Domain Participant information.

This Data Source is useful when the system is no longer running, when direct network access to the DDS domain is not available, or when you want to preserve a point-in-time view of the system for later analysis.

Note: You can continue to use RTI Admin Console to inspect discovery information directly. Loading an Admin Console discovery export file into Connext Studio is useful when you want to use Connext Studio capabilities on that captured system model, including AI-powered querying and analysis using Connext AI.

System Explorer, Object Property and Problems

The System Explorer, Object Property and Connext Problems panes work together to help you navigate and inspect the model of your Connext system.

The System Explorer shows the model built from the connected Data Sources. It provides a tree view that lets you browse discovered DDS entities and navigate their relationships.

The System Explorer organizes the model from different perspectives, including:

Domains, which groups information by DDS domain. Under each domain, you can browse discovered Topics and the Types associated with those Topics.
Hosts, which groups information by the host where it was observed. Under each host, you can browse Applications, Domain Participants, Domain Participants’ Topics, Domain Participants’ Types, Publishers, Subscribers, DataWriters, and DataReaders.

When you select an entity in the System Explorer, the Object Property pane shows the properties available for that entity. For example, selecting a DataWriter may show properties such as its name, DDS GUID, QoS policies, and other metadata discovered for that endpoint.

The information shown in the Object Property pane depends on the connected Data Sources.

Clicking an entity in the System Explorer also updates the Connext Problems pane to show the problems related to that object. For example, if the selected object has a QoS mismatch, the Connext Problems pane shows the relevant mismatch details so you can inspect and troubleshoot the issue in context.

An alternative way to explore the system is to use the System Visualization view, described in Predefined Views below. The System Visualization view provides a graphical representation of the same discovered system model and lets you inspect DDS objects visually.

Views

Views are configurable outputs to visualize and summarize the model of your DDS system. You must have at least one Data Source connected to use Views.

Predefined Views

Predefined Views are built-in views provided by Connext Studio. They help you inspect common aspects of your Connext system without having to create a custom view.

System Visualization

Shows a graphical representation of the discovered Connext system. It presents information similar to the System Explorer tree view, but as a visual diagram. This view helps you understand the system topology, including Domains, Domain Participants, Topics, Publishers, Subscribers, DataWriters, DataReaders, and their relationships.

Clicking a DDS object in the System Visualization has the same effect as selecting it in the System Explorer: the Object Property pane is populated with contextual information about that object, based on the current system model, and the Connext Problems pane shows any problems related to that object.

The System Visualization highlights DataWriter/DataReader match problems using colored Topic edges:

Red means the selected DataWriter or DataReader does not match any peer on the same Topic because of incompatible QoS settings.
Orange means the selected DataWriter or DataReader matches some peers on the same Topic, but not others.

Partition differences are not treated as QoS mismatches. They may still appear in the Connext Problems pane, but only as informational items.

Security Events Viewer and Security Events Dashboard

Security Events Viewer: Shows DDS Security log events discovered by Connext Studio in a detailed, inspectable list. Use this view to review individual security events and investigate specific security-related behavior.
Security Events Dashboard: Shows a summarized dashboard of DDS Security log events discovered by Connext Studio. It displays event counts by severity, alerts and errors grouped by reporting Domain Participant and flagged Domain Participant, and security events over time.

Note: Security events are detected from an RTI DDS Spy Data Source configured to use security and subscribe to the DDS Security built-in secure logging Topics.

Create Data Visualization

Create Data Visualization allows you to visualize the samples published on a DDS Topic as a table or time chart. Click Create Data Visualization and follow the wizard to set up the visualization as desired.

Creating a Data Visualization automatically creates a subscription to the Topic of interest.

AI Views

You can also create Views with AI. Click Create View with AI in the Views pane, and then describe a view of your system in natural language. For example, "Create a list of all the reliable DataWriters with only best effort DataReaders" or "Create a dashboard for patient ab1234 that visualizes all signals from the Vital Topic". Connext AI will generate this view based on your system and visualization description.

AI Views are automatically saved under Your Views. After a View has been created, you can open and run it again at any time from Your Views.

Connext AI is only required to create the View. Once the View has been generated, Connext Studio runs the generated View code directly; Connext AI is not required to execute the View.

You can inspect the generated View code by clicking the code/document icon next to the View in Your Views.

As an alternative to using Create View with AI in the UI, you can create a View via Connext Chat using the /createView command. After an AI View has been created, you can update it using the /updateView chat command. See Chat Commands below.

Account & Support

The Account & Support section provides access to account, configuration, documentation, and feedback actions for Connext Studio. It also allows launching RTI Launcher from the default Connext installation.

Settings Pane

The Settings pane for Connext Studio can be opened by clicking “Settings” in the Account & Support pane. This pane allows you to choose the Connext installation and architecture that will be used to launch Connext tools, like Spy.

The Settings pane also allows you to restart the on-boarding Welcome Screen and access advanced extension settings.

Chat Panel

To open the Connext Chat, click the Connext AI avatar icon on the left sidebar, as shown below:

And then type your question:

You can enrich your question by adding relevant files or images via the Add Context button:

Chat Commands

This extension allows invoking pre-defined commands from the chat window by typing /<command> or clicking the / (Browse Commands) button in Connext Chat. Standalone Commands can be sent on their own, and Contextual Commands require an argument or further input.

The available Standalone Commands are:

/showConnextInstallations: Displays information about the Connext installations (Micro, Professional, or Drive) detected on your system. This command also allows you to set the default Connext installation and architecture used by the extension.
/setConnextInstallation: Sets a Connext installation. The user will be prompted to select the directory where Connext (Micro, Professional, or Drive) is installed. This command does not select the installation as the default. To do that, use the /showConnextInstallations command. By default, the extension will try to detect the installation(s) directories automatically based on standard locations. However, if an installation is not detected, you can use this command to manually set the installation.
/startAdminConsole: Opens RTI Admin Console using the default installation. If no default installation is found, it opens RTI Admin Console from the first non-Micro installation if available.
/startSystemDesigner: Opens RTI System Designer using the default installation. If no default installation is found, it opens RTI System Designer from the first non-Micro installation if available.
/startMonitorUI: Opens the RTI Monitor UI using the default installation. If no default installation is found, it opens RTI Monitor UI from the first non-Micro installation if available.
/startShapesDemo: Starts the RTI Shapes Demo using the default installation. If no default installation is found, it opens RTI Shapes Demo from the first non-Micro installation if available.
/createSystemDiagram: Open an existing .drawio diagram or create a new one. From this diagram, you can generate a Connext system XML model using the command /generateSystemXmlModel. You can find an example diagram here.

The Contextual Commands are:

/generateSystemXmlModel: Generates a Connext system XML model from a draw.io diagram or an image (PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP). Open the file in your IDE and enter /generateSystemXmlModel. Example image here. If there are multiple files open, the command will use the first one.
/includeOpenFiles <your prompt>: By adding this command alongside your question or prompt, the extension will consider supported open files in the editor as part of the question context. Some files are intentionally excluded, including certain auto-generated files produced by rtiddsgen; see /includeOpenFiles and /includeWorkspace commands. To not type the command every time, you can toggle this setting on and off in the extension settings.
/includeWorkspace <your prompt>: By adding this command alongside your question or prompt, the extension will consider supported files in the workspace as part of the question context. Some files are intentionally excluded, including certain auto-generated files produced by rtiddsgen; see /includeOpenFiles and /includeWorkspace commands. To not type the command every time, you can toggle this setting on and off in the extension settings.
/quickStartExample <example description>: Deprecated and scheduled for removal in a future release. This command generates a new example project using the default installation for an example of your description. It is recommended to describe the DDS type you want to use and programming language of your choice. See examples below in the New Example Command section. It also allows you to modify the publisher and subscriber code. This command uses the rtiddsgen tool to generate the example code. This command is designed to generate a simple, self-contained Hello-World type application — ideal for learning and experimentation, not for starting production projects.
/createView <view description>: Creates a custom Connext Studio View from a natural-language description. Use this command to describe the visualization or analysis view you want Connext AI to generate based on the current system model. The generated View can be saved under Your Views and be opened and run again later. Example: /createView Create a dashboard for patient ab1234 that visualizes all signals from the Vitals Topic.
/updateView <update instructions>: Updates an existing AI-generated View using natural-language instructions. Use this command when you want to modify a View that was previously created with Create View with AI or /createView. For example, you can ask Connext AI to add a chart, change a table, filter the displayed data, or adjust the layout. The updated View remains saved under Your Views. Example: /updateView Add a time chart for the heart rate field and keep the existing patient summary table.

The commands that start tools and generate new examples will fail if there is no default Connext installation configured (either by using the default installation directory or by setting the NDDSHOME environmental variable).

includeOpenFiles and includeWorkspace commands

The /includeOpenFiles and /includeWorkspace commands allow you to include open files and workspace files in the question context. Only files with the following extensions are considered: .xml, .drawio, .idl, .c, .h, .cxx, .cpp, .hpp, .py, .cs, .java, .txt, .md, .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .webp

These commands do not include every matching file. Some files are intentionally excluded even if they are open in the editor or present in the workspace. In particular, the following files automatically generated by rtiddsgen are not included because they can be very large and usually add little value to the AI response while quickly consuming the available context length:

For C: <IDL file name>Support.h, <IDL file name>Support.c, <IDL file name>Plugin.h, <IDL file name>Plugin.c, and <IDL file name>.c.
Traditional C++: <IDL file name>Support.h, <IDL file name>Support.cxx, <IDL file name>Plugin.h, <IDL file name>Plugin.cxx, and <IDL file name>.cxx.
Modern C++: <IDL file name>Plugin.hpp, <IDL file name>Plugin.cpp, and <IDL file name>.cpp.
C#: Plugin.cs.
Java: <type name>TypeCode.java, <type name>Support.java, <type name>DataReader.java, and <type name>DataWriter.java for each type in the IDL file.

The /includeWorkspace command also excludes the following directories: .git, .vscode, node_modules, CMakeFiles

Using Connext Studio with GitHub Copilot Chat

When GitHub Copilot Chat is installed, Connext Studio integrates with it by default. If needed, you can disable this integration under User Account & Support → Settings -> Advanced Settings -> Connext -> GitHub Copilot Compatibility.

To run Connext Studio with GitHub Copilot, you need:

A GitHub Copilot plan
GitHub Copilot Chat - A companion extension that provides conversational AI assistance.

Using @connext

In the GitHub Copilot Chat interface in Ask or Agent mode, simply type @connext followed by your question or command. This explicitly routes your message to the Connext Studio chat participant.

Use @connext when you want to interact directly with Connext Studio. For example, you can ask Connext-specific questions, request guidance about RTI Connext, or run Connext Studio chat commands.

Examples:

@connext How do I configure reliable communication?

@connext /createView Create a dashboard for the Vitals Topic.

Once you type @connext, the Connext expert remains active, allowing you to ask follow-up questions without typing @connext again.

In GitHub Copilot Chat, Connext Studio chat commands are available using the same / command notation used in Connext Chat. For example, you can type /createView or /updateView after @connext to create or update Studio Views from the GitHub Copilot Chat interface.

When GitHub Copilot Compatibility is enabled, Connext Studio also exposes additional VS Code integration points, including the Connext right-click context menu with actions such as Explain this, and support for VS Code Quick Chat.

Using @connext is only necessary when you are interacting with Connext Studio from the GitHub Copilot Chat interface.

Language Model Tools

When GitHub Copilot Compatibility is enabled, Connext Studio also exposes Language Model Tools that GitHub Copilot can use in agent mode.

Language Model Tools are different from @connext in how the interaction is initiated.

With @connext, you explicitly send your message to Connext Studio, and Connext Studio responds as the active chat participant.

With Language Model Tools, GitHub Copilot remains the active chat participant. Copilot may invoke a Connext Studio tool when it is useful for the task. That tool invocation sends a request to Connext Studio, Connext Studio returns the result, and Copilot uses that result to continue the Agent mode workflow.

In short, @connext is for direct interaction with Connext Studio. Language Model Tools allow Copilot to use Connext Studio capabilities while Copilot remains in control of the broader task.

Use Agent mode with Language Model Tools when you want GitHub Copilot to work on a broader coding or configuration task and use Connext Studio capabilities as needed. For example, Copilot may call Connext Studio tools to get Connext-specific guidance, inspect local Connext installations, or validate generated Connext code.

The language model tools offered by Connext Studio are a superset of the tools offered by Connext MCP, therefore GitHub Copilot Agent mode in VS Code with Connext Studio installed does not need Connext MCP configured. Users outside of the GitHub Copilot + Connext Studio ecosystem can access a subset of the Connext AI language model tools through Connext MCP.

Connext Studio - Available Tools

Tool	Reference Name	Description
Ask Connext	#askConnext	Sends a question to Connext AI and returns expert guidance on RTI Connext Topics including architecture, API usage, configuration, data modeling, best practices, troubleshooting, and more.
Get Connext Installations	#getConnextInstallations	Returns information about RTI Connext DDS installations on your system, including installation paths, versions, and available architectures.
Validate Python Code	#validatePythonCode	This tool uses mypy to perform static type checking on Connext Python API code and attempts to fix any discovered problems.
Validate XML Code	#validateXMLCode	This tool runs schema validation on the Connext XML and attempts to fix any schema related issues.
Validate Modern C++ Code	#validateModernCppCode	This tool reports issues based on the specified Connext API version and attempts to fix incorrect symbols or missing headers.

Using Tools in GitHub Copilot Chat

You can reference these tools directly in the GitHub Copilot Chat by using the # prefix followed by the tool reference name. For example:

#askConnext How do I configure QoS for reliable communication?
#getConnextInstallations (no additional input required)

Alternatively, GitHub Copilot will automatically invoke these tools when it determines they are relevant to your question. For instance, if you ask about Connext DDS in Agent mode, Copilot may automatically use the Ask Connext tool to provide expert-level answers.

Example Usage

#askConnext What is the best way to set up a DataWriter with reliable QoS?

#getConnextInstallations

Feedback

You can provide feedback from Connext Studio by opening Account & Support and selecting Feedback.

For additional feedback, questions, or issues related to Connext AI features, you can contact the Connext AI team at connext-ai-feedback@rti.com.

For product support or other assistance, contact RTI Support at support@rti.com.

Data Privacy

When you use Connext Studio, you must be logged into your RTI account. When an internet connection is present, the information listed below is shared with RTI, subject to RTI's Privacy Policy and Connext AI Terms of Use:

Feature-usage telemetry, such as button clicks and timestamps.
Create View with AI visualization prompts and data model (type) information for the Topic relevant to your prompt
Chat conversations, chat commands, and 'smiley face' feedback in the Connext Chat panel
[Optional] Contextual files from your workspace may be sent alongside questions asked in the Connext Chat panel, depending on the Context Files setting described below.

Connext Studio uses the active (currently open) file in the IDE as part of its context for answering questions in the Chat panel. To disable this feature, select None from the dropdown menu under Account & Support → Settings -> Advanced Settings → Connext -> Context Files.

RTI does not train any AI models on any data shared through Connext Studio or any other means. All data is stored encrypted, with strict role-based access controls, and is accessible only by key RTI personnel. Your data may be reviewed to help improve RTI products.

To request data deletion or get more information about RTI's privacy policy, email privacy@rti.com.

Visit our Privacy information page for more information about data privacy when AI features are used.

License

RTI grants you the right to compile and use this software. You may not modify, create derivative works of, or distribute the software.

This software is an experimental (i.e., pre-production or beta) product. It is provided “as is”, with no warranty of any type, including any warranty for fitness for any purpose. RTI is under no obligation to maintain or support the Software. RTI shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the software.

This software integrates with AI services provided by RTI, and your use of those services is subject to RTI's Privacy Policy and these Terms of Use.

Connext Studio

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