AI Provider Configuration

Configure OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, or OpenRouter for VISTA’s AI capabilities.

Table of contents

1. Supported Providers
2. OpenAI Configuration
   1. Getting an API Key
   2. Settings
   3. Recommended Models
3. Azure OpenAI Configuration
   1. Prerequisites
   2. Settings
   3. Finding Your Credentials
4. OpenRouter Configuration
   1. Getting an API Key
   2. Settings
   3. Free Models
5. Advanced Settings
   1. Temperature
   2. Max Tokens
   3. Connection Testing
6. Configuration Storage
7. Switching Providers

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Supported Providers

Provider	Models	Cost	Best For
OpenAI	GPT-4, GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini	Pay-per-use	Direct API access, production use
Azure OpenAI	GPT-4, GPT-4o (via deployment)	Pay-per-use	Enterprise, compliance, SLA
OpenRouter	500+ models, 2 free	Free + paid tiers	Everyone, free option

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OpenAI Configuration

Getting an API Key

1. Go to platform.openai.com
2. Sign up or log in
3. Navigate to API Keys
4. Click “Create new secret key”
5. Copy the key (starts with sk-...)

Settings

Setting	Value
Provider	OpenAI
API Key	sk-...
Model	gpt-4o-mini (recommended)

Recommended Models

Model	Context	Cost	Best For
gpt-4o-mini	128K	~$0.001/req	Cost-effective, fast
gpt-4o	128K	~$0.01/req	Highest quality
gpt-4	8K	~$0.03/req	Legacy, proven

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Azure OpenAI Configuration

Prerequisites

1. Azure subscription with OpenAI access approved
2. Azure OpenAI resource created
3. Model deployed in Azure OpenAI Studio

Settings

Setting	Value
Provider	Azure AI
API Key	Your Azure key
Endpoint	https://your-resource.openai.azure.com
Deployment	Your deployment name

Finding Your Credentials

• API Key: Azure Portal → Your OpenAI Resource → Keys and Endpoint
• Endpoint: Same location, copy the endpoint URL
• Deployment: Azure OpenAI Studio → Deployments → Your deployment name

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OpenRouter Configuration

Getting an API Key

1. Go to openrouter.ai
2. Sign up (no credit card required for free models)
3. Visit openrouter.ai/keys
4. Click “Create Key”
5. Copy the key (starts with sk-or-v1-...)

Settings

Setting	Value
Provider	OpenRouter
API Key	sk-or-v1-...
Model	meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free

Free Models

Model	Quality	Speed
meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Fast
tngtech/deepseek-r1t2-chimera:free	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Medium (reasoning)

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Advanced Settings

Temperature

Controls response randomness:

Value	Behavior	Use Case
0.0	Deterministic, focused	Consistent analysis
0.3	Slightly creative (default)	Balanced testing guidance
0.7	Creative	Exploring unusual bypass vectors
1.0	Maximum creativity	Brainstorming only

The default temperature of 0.3 is optimal for security testing. Lower values give more consistent results.

Max Tokens

Controls maximum response length:

Value	Approximate Length
1000	Short, focused response
2000	Standard analysis (default)
4000	Detailed methodology
8000	Comprehensive deep dive

Connection Testing

After configuring any provider:

1. Click “Test Connection” in Settings
2. VISTA sends a test request to verify credentials
3. Success: Status bar shows 🟢 with provider/model info
4. Failure: Error message displayed with troubleshooting hints

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Configuration Storage

AI configuration is stored at ~/.vista-ai-config.json:

{
  "provider": "openrouter",
  "apiKey": "sk-or-v1-...",
  "model": "meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free",
  "endpoint": "",
  "deployment": "",
  "temperature": 0.3,
  "maxTokens": 2000
}

The API key is stored in plaintext in this file. Ensure appropriate file permissions on shared systems.

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Switching Providers

Switching between providers is instant:

1. Go to Settings tab
2. Change the Provider dropdown
3. Enter the new provider’s credentials
4. Click “Test Connection”
5. All VISTA features immediately use the new provider

No restart required. Active conversations continue with the new provider.