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Inspect an image with a vision tool

ViewImage sends a local image to a vision model and returns an observation. Use it when a task needs something read from a screenshot, a diagram, or a photo.

Before you start

  • The image exists on the runtime host and the agent can read it. A path on your phone or laptop is not automatically available to a remote runtime.
  • The agent can use ViewImage.
  • A vision route is configured, or an authenticated image-capable model can be discovered. Follow Configure models.
  • You are authorized to send this image to the selected model provider. Check screenshots for credentials or private information first.

Steps

  1. Ask about a specific file, and say what to look for:

    Open docs/screenshots/error.png and tell me which field is highlighted.

  2. The agent calls ViewImage with the file path and a prompt. You get back a visual observation plus metadata such as media type, byte size, and dimensions.

  3. Read the observation against your question. The runtime can reuse a cached observation for the same image content and prompt; a repeated request does not necessarily make another provider call.

Confirm it worked

Check the returned file metadata against the image you intended to inspect. Confirm that a visual observation was returned: file metadata alone does not mean a model examined the image. Treat uncertain readings, especially small text, as observations to verify against the original.

Troubleshooting

  • File missing or unreadable: Check the path on the runtime host and the agent's active workspace. Use a confirmed absolute path if the relative path resolves to the wrong file.
  • vision_adapter_unavailable: Read the selection diagnostics. Check vision.default, credentials, image-input capability, and transport support through Configure models.
  • Provider error: Check the returned authentication, network, or format error before retrying.
  • Observation misses the detail: Ask a narrower question or supply a readable crop. Do not infer text that the image does not show clearly.

Limits

Supported formats, model selection, and the full response shape are in the Image observation reference.