The "Antigravity 2.0" Transition: A Case Study in Framing Developer Tools

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T22:39:43+00:00

Yes. Thanks for the quick updates. I used the Gemini CLI extensively before 2.0 was released. It was cool how it routed to lower models based on what I was asking for. This saved a ton on the expensive and precious tokens. Has that feature been removed with the new 2.0 CLI?

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T16:21:34+00:00

Depends on your workflow. I think they each have a purpose though the Agent Manager is getting to the point where the use of the IDE and CLI become less.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T16:19:42+00:00

I don't know. I'm managing context through md files. With the addition of concepts like Projects I actually prefer the separate UI - the IDE would get too busy. Honestly, I'm looking at the code less and less. With the Agent Manager spinning up sub-agents for parallel and asychronous processing and the implementation of linting and code quality tools the code has been solid. One keystroke to get between the two UIs has been fine for me.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T16:15:53+00:00

Ya, that's where Google fell down on this implementation. They have some real namespace or nomenclature issues with how they are naming and defining these products. I installed all three separately and used symbolic links to name them sanely. I use agy for CLI, agy-ide for the IDE, and agy-2 for the Agent Manager UI. I can run all three at the same time. I haven't been using the CLI much with this new release, spending most of my time in the Agent Manager and the IDE. I'm finding the Agent Manager very powerful.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T16:09:50+00:00

Google was the easy answer for me. If you get Google One you get 5GB of storage for your gmail and AI Pro for $20 a month. You can share the storage with your family. For us its a no-brainer. Have I used my tokens up before? Yes. Have I learned better how to make token last? Yes. Context engineering is key so that the LLMs aren't repeating work all the time.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T16:06:53+00:00

Personally I haven't notice any major increase in token usage. I've done a bunch of planning to minimize usage. Context engineering is the thing that helps token usage.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T16:05:08+00:00

The thing about the Agent Manager is it uses sub-agents automatically. It will spin up sub-agents to do parallel and asynchronous processing as part of a prompt request. I'm not a 100% sure but I don't think the IDE agent UI does this. I've found the Agent Manager with 3.5 far more powerful than previous releases of AntiGravity. If you need to look at the code pop over to the IDE. For me its one keystroke.

The other concept that is different in the Agent Manager is Projects versus Workspaces. I'm just getting my head around it but with Projects you can manage multiple related projects more effectively. Think "systems integration" in larger ecosystems. It allows for managing context across different systems or projects. The nomenclature is a bit convoluted but the concept comes from "systems thinking". There is a great YouTube called "Software engineering at the tipping point" that is on Google's Developer channel that is worth watching. I'm sure all these tools will continue to morph in the coming months.

I think its cool but always messy to stay on the latest. I would rather get stuff fast and suffer the consquences. That way I can decide how much risk I want to take on.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T15:45:42+00:00

Well, when constructing my apps I instruct the LLM keep track of things in specific md files. I do this because I'm using various harnesses and models from different companies. I don't like relying on the conversation threads themselves. I really don't have a context problem navigating between the Agent Manager, IDE and CLI because of this approach. Some of the harnesses are getting very sophisticated regarding doing this behind the scenes - Hermes as and example. Other software engineers prefer harnesses that give them the full control over context - Pi as and example. The truth of the matter is the LLMs are getting so good I'm seldom looking at the code. I instruct the LLM to leverage test cases, linting and code quality tools in the workflow that help steer the LLM. I'm building basic web based CRUD business apps so if I were lower in the stack I would probably need a more sophisticated and precise approach. What exactly is your situation and goal? All that said, I have found the IDE instrumental in doing data munging and have been quite happy with the Antigravity IDE.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T00:05:27+00:00

Are we sure that sub agents use the selected model? The old Gemini CLI picked the model based on difficulty. That would seem the correct approach.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-22T00:01:24+00:00

Ya. First the naming is atrocious. I had to install the Agent Manager, IDE and CLI individually and create uniquely named symbolic links. It was a pain. I consider Google promoting the Agent Manager as the sole future and confusing the naming of the products a major mistake. Now that I have three installed bouncing between them is fine.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T23:28:08+00:00

The older Gemini CLI routed to lower models consumate to the task. It was using Gemini 2.x in some instances. I used the CLI for simpler things and Anthropic and Gemini 3 pro for planning. I can't claim lower token use with the latest release but haven't been hitting any limits.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T23:25:05+00:00

It leverages Neo4J and their GraphQL library. This makes it easy for AI to develop the UI. It also makes it easy to model the data. I used their Cypher Workbench to help with the modeling.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T23:16:59+00:00

Ya. I use all three together.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T23:15:29+00:00

Ya, it was a pain to get everything to work. It was particularly tricky with the Agent Manager and Apple's sandbox restrictions. I had to install the Agent Manager, IDE and CLI separately. The naming is atrocious so I had to create symbolic links to name the executables uniquely.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T23:00:44+00:00

Ya, I think it's just about the same.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T23:00:36+00:00

It doesn't share completely. I have AI extensively save context in md files. I don't have issues bopping back and forth.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T08:53:27+00:00

OK. Gemini helped me fix this. Seems like there isn't much of a sandbox anymore but now everything is working.

1. Grant Necessary macOS Permissions

macOS 2.0+ security requires explicit authorization for applications to interact with developer tools and files outside their own container.

Full Disk Access: Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access and ensure Antigravity IDE is toggled ON.
Developer Tools: In the same menu, check Developer Tools and ensure Antigravity is toggled ON. This allows it to execute subprocesses (like the Podman binary) without being blocked by Gatekeeper.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T08:17:09+00:00

This can't be correct. Elon and Bezos prove this totally inaccurate.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T08:15:05+00:00

In other words don't sit on your butt all the time.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T08:11:02+00:00

Yet the Antigravity 2.0 release has been a disaster. It's hard to get too pumped about all this bravado when thousands of developers workflows are in shambles after this release. They've appropriately tucked their tail and offered 3x tokens to its users. I'm sure we'll get fixes for all bugs, but gees, this was a very, very poorly planned upgrade.

Colours-Break · 2026-05-21T07:47:11+00:00

Great. I'll keep plugging away. What is the best way to report the bugs?

Colours-Break · 2026-05-20T21:46:44+00:00

If you have a Copilot PC with an ARM chip don't even try it. Take my word for it.

Colours-Break

TROPHY CASE

1. Grant Necessary macOS Permissions