Read a paper, select an equation, figure, or passage, and get a step-by-step walkthrough —
term-by-term math, process and architecture flows, and worked examples — grounded in the paper itself.
Forma is a local-first workspace for reading technical and scientific papers the way you actually study them: not by skimming top to bottom, but by stopping on the hard parts and asking "what is this step doing, and why?"
It works for math, CS, machine learning, robotics, physics, and beyond — anywhere a paper leans on equations, diagrams, and dense derivations.
Load a PDF and Forma reads the whole thing to build a semantic paper map. Click any paragraph, equation, or figure to attach it as context, ask a question, and get an answer that adapts to what you selected. Click the same selected paragraph again to clear it when you are done:
- Equation → the whole expression first, then each term, then a worked numeric example.
- Process / architecture → a numbered, in-order trace of a method, algorithm, or pipeline: what enters each step, what it does, and what comes out.
- Passage → a plain, conversational explanation, with an example only when it helps.
For machine-learning papers it goes a step further, tracing real tensor shapes from input to output with per-axis meaning and clean ASCII sketches. Everything stays grounded in the loaded paper, and answers keep paper-grounded claims separate from outside background knowledge.
- 📄 Full-document PDF rendering with one-click paragraph selection and exact figure cropping
- 🔍 Reader zoom controls — pinch or ctrl/⌘-scroll on a trackpad, or use the in-reader − / + controls
- 🗺️ Semantic paper map — sections, key equations, methods, and figures, each linked to its page
- 🧩 Adaptive explanations — equation walkthroughs, process/architecture flows, and plain answers, chosen from what you select
- 💬 Side questions — open a compact scratchpad for quick clarifications without interrupting the main conversation; it carries the paper, recent answers, and a lightweight model choice
- ↟ Prompt recall — press ↑ in the main composer to revisit sent questions, with ↓ to move forward and restore your draft
- 🔢 Tensor-shape tracing for ML papers — dimensions from input to output, with per-axis meaning and ASCII sketches
- ✍️ Math rendering — inline and display LaTeX via KaTeX
- 📚 Local paper library — every PDF reopens with its own conversation, map, notes, and reading position
- 📓 Editable notebook for saving explanations and your own thoughts
- 🔐 Local-first & private — the PDF never leaves your browser; extracted text goes only to your locally signed-in agent
The PDF is parsed and rendered entirely in the browser. When you ask a question, the extracted paper text and your current selection are sent to a locally signed-in agent CLI — no API keys, no cloud storage. Answers come back as structured, mode-aware explanations rendered in the side panel. The compact side-question scratchpad uses a fresh ephemeral branch and receives the full paper plus the relevant main-thread answer, so a quick follow-up stays grounded without becoming another long conversation.
PDF (in browser) ──► paper map + selection ──► local agent CLI ──► adaptive walkthrough
Forma talks to whichever assistant you already have signed in locally:
| Provider | Auth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Codex / ChatGPT | codex app-server (ChatGPT sign-in) |
Uses your ChatGPT plan; ephemeral threads |
| Claude Code | claude CLI (claude auth login) |
Uses your Claude Code subscription |
| Gemini | gemini CLI (Google OAuth or GEMINI_API_KEY) |
Detected automatically when installed |
Conversations are not persisted to your ChatGPT or Claude history — they run in ephemeral / non-persistent mode and are stored only locally inside Forma.
npm install
npm run devThen open http://localhost:3000, sign in to a provider, and open a PDF.
Sign in to at least one agent first, for example:
codex login # Codex / ChatGPT
claude auth login # Claude CodeDouble-click Launch Forma.command in the project folder — it loads Node, installs
dependencies on first run, starts the server, and opens your browser automatically. Leave the
window open while you use it; press Ctrl-C to stop.
- Next.js 16 (App Router) + React 19 + TypeScript
- pdf.js / react-pdf for in-browser PDF rendering and text extraction
- react-markdown + remark-math + rehype-katex for prose and math
- Local agent CLIs (Codex app-server, Claude Code, Gemini) for grounded answers
Your PDF stays in the browser. Only extracted paper text and the current selection are sent to your locally signed-in agent when you ask a question. Forma stores no provider secrets and creates no cloud copies of your papers.