cc-preview has been released — a specialized tool for macOS that allows developers to view images inserted directly into Claude Code sessions. The utility bridges the gap between the text-based terminal interface and the multimodal capabilities of modern LLMs, providing a native way to work with visual data.
What Happened
A developer introduced cc-preview, a utility based on Go and Hammerspoon, designed to work with Claude Code session transcripts in JSONL format. The tool automatically extracts base64-encoded images and provides users with a native interface for quick viewing and copying via hotkeys.
Context
When using Claude Code in a Command Line Interface (CLI), a "blindness" problem arises: the agent may mention inserted images (e.g., [Image #N]), but the terminal itself does not allow them to be visualized. This forces developers to constantly switch between the terminal and a browser to verify exactly what was sent to the model.
Why It Matters for the Industry
The emergence of such micro-tools highlights a critical user experience (UX) gap between text-based CLI interfaces and the multimodal capabilities of AI agents. This creates a new niche for "visual layer" tools that can act as wrappers over agentic terminals, improving the observability of multimodal sessions.
Why It Matters for Users
For macOS developers using Claude Code, the tool significantly accelerates the iteration cycle. It is now possible to quickly verify visual context without interrupting the workflow through context switching to other applications, making interaction with multimodal LLMs in the terminal feel more natural.
What Is Not Yet Known / Limitations
There are security risks associated with processing local session logs, which requires caution when using the tool in a corporate environment.
Sources
Author
Look at AI, Editorial Team