A complete guide to the system. Understanding develops like a photograph — from abstract impression to full clarity. Here's every piece of that process.
Section 1
Every narrative is processed through five layers, each capturing a different mode of understanding. Click any layer to explore.
Gut-level. Pre-intellectual.
What does this narrative feel like before you think about it? Emotional temperature, sensory associations, archetypal resonance. The ghost image first appearing in developer fluid.
Example
Reading Kafka's "The Trial" → suffocation, bureaucratic maze, guilt without crime, cold fluorescent light
Extract
suffocation∞guilt.without.source
L1 feeling → L2 ideas → L3 connections → L4 synthesis → L5 everythingLike a photograph developing — from blur to clarity
Section 2
The text stream carries ideas, evidence, arguments, and narratives. It's sequential — one thought builds on the previous. This is where tension pairs live, where quotes anchor ideas, where the logical structure of understanding is assembled.
Each layer's text chunk is self-contained and independently valuable. An AI can grab Layer 2 text without needing Layer 1. But together, they compound.
Together = integrated understanding. Text provides the logic. Images provide the pattern recognition. Neither alone captures what both together can.
Section 3
Every chunk produces an extract — a compressed semantic formula, 2-8 words, using symbolic operators. AI-to-AI shorthand. Meaning hashes that pack maximum understanding into minimum tokens.
Operators
Example: Kafka's “The Trial” — watch the extract deepen
Read just the extracts top-to-bottom: you see understanding crystallizing — like watching a photograph develop. L1 is raw gut feeling. L5 contains the complete arc. That's the spine.
Section 4
Artist tier and above. Four dimensions of meaning that go beyond text and image.
The advanced panel captures what no other system does: the subjective, embodied, culturally-situated dimensions of meaning. This is where context creation becomes genuine art.
Section 5
Every piece of a ContextTube assembly is designed for machine consumption. Here's how AIs use this:
Need a quick vibe check? Layer 1 (~50 tokens). Need evidence? Layer 2 (~200 tokens). Need cross-references? Layer 3. Each layer is self-contained and independently valuable.
Layers 1-5 together provide unprecedented understanding depth. No other system offers pre-structured meaning at this granularity.
Every chunk is a self-contained unit with its own extract. Mix and match across assemblies. Build custom understanding from atomic parts.
Scan extracts first (~10 tokens each) to decide which chunks to load. Like reading chapter titles before committing to the full book.
Without ContextTube
Ingest 50,000 tokens of raw text → process from scratch → hope to find what's relevant → ~60,000 tokens consumed
With ContextTube
Request index (~200 tokens) → identify relevant chunks → pull exactly what you need (~500 tokens) → ~700 tokens consumed
Section 6
Five steps from source material to published context.
Create or import your source text. The narrative begins here.
Select or generate visual anchors — not decoration, but thinking scaffolding.
Map cross-references to other works and contexts on the platform.
See all 5 layers rendered. Check extracts. Verify the spine reads coherently.
Your context goes live — discoverable by humans and AI alike.
The Studio is your canvas, not your factory. Advanced creators build their own workflows externally and publish via API. The Studio is how you learn the craft.
Section 7
Creators use their own API keys for AI generation. Claude, GPT, local LLMs — your choice.
Keys are encrypted at rest and in transit. Never logged, never stored in plaintext.
You pay your AI provider directly. ContextTube charges nothing for generation. Your tokens, your spend, your control.
Mix models. Use Claude for analysis, GPT for generation, local LLMs for privacy-sensitive content. Your recipe is your edge.
Section 8
Context creation is a skill with a learning curve. Like any creative discipline, there are levels, and each level unlocks new capabilities.
Distinctive style. Advanced panels unlocked. Your audience recognizes your signature.
Understanding how the system works is Layer 2. Creating your first context is Layer 4. The only way to get there is to start.