Forge Studio quickstart

Forge Studio is the browser UI for forge-lenses at /studio/ on your local server: workspace visibility, Forge plan surfaces, and (when available) the Blueprints Wizard for guided sessions. The same Python process also…

Guide · Updated · Source

What it is

Forge Studio is the browser UI for forge-lenses at /studio/ on your local server: workspace visibility, Forge plan surfaces, and (when available) the Blueprints Wizard for guided sessions. The same Python process also serves the classic dashboard at /.

Terms (quick read)

Term Plain language
Forge Studio Local workspace UI for delivery visibility — multi-repo overview, plans, Studio flows.
Lenses The local server + Classic dashboard that hosts Studio and Wizard on your machine.
Wizard Guided project planning / assessment workflow inside Studio.

Product docs (install, Studio, Wizard, troubleshooting): lenses.forgesdlc.com.
Methodology companion hub (quickstarts from Blueprints): Lenses on the handbook.

Handbook-only reading vs running Forge Studio

Mode Best when You get
Handbook only Learning methodology text, onboarding, or quickstarts in the browser Published guides at blueprints.forgesdlc.com — no local server
Forge Studio (local) You want workspace visibility, Studio flows, and optional Wizard sessions on your machine forge-lenses server — /studio/ UI at http://127.0.0.1:8080/studio/

From clone to Studio (visual)

Clone to Forge Studio

How you move from handbook reading to a local forge-lenses server with Forge Studio at /studio/.

  1. StartYou begin when local workspace visibility matters more than handbook-only reading.
  2. Core steps (see walkthrough below)Clone forge-lenses, create a venv, install dependencies, and run the server.
  3. OutcomeForge Studio loads in your browser for governed workspace and plan surfaces.

When to use it

Use this quickstart after First hour in your repo (or equivalent) when you want the forge-lenses app with Forge Studio — not when you only need Blueprints Markdown in your product repo without running Lenses.

Prerequisites

  • Git
  • Python 3 and pip (use a venv for the steps below)

Steps

1. Get forge-lenses

Standalone clone (typical — sibling to your product repos):

git clone https://github.com/autowww/forge-lenses.git
cd forge-lenses

Git submodule (from a parent workspace that should contain the repo):

git submodule add https://github.com/autowww/forge-lenses.git forge-lenses
git submodule update --init --recursive
cd forge-lenses

Unusual clone layouts (extra submodules, custom scripts): use the handbook Troubleshooting first; only open the forge-lenses repository docs if whoever maintains your server tells you to.

2. Create a venv and install dependencies

python3 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the server

From the forge-lenses repo root:

./scripts/run-lenses.sh

Or activate the venv and run .venv/bin/python3 -m lenses (same as the script).

4. Open Forge Studio

In your browser, open http://127.0.0.1:8080/studio/ (default port 8080).

If the page does not load, use the handbook Troubleshooting end to end. Maintainer-only details stay in the forge-lenses project repository — not required for the default quickstart path.

5. Optional: open the Blueprints Wizard

The Blueprints Wizard is an optional guided flow inside Forge Studio. It helps you work through methodology-aligned sessions; it does not change your blueprints/ git submodule automatically.

  • Where to open it: start from /studio/, then use the Wizard entry points described in the handbook — the hub lives at /studio/blueprints/wizard (sessions use URLs under that path).
  • Public guides: Wizard overview · Wizard 101

Example first session (generic)
Starting situation Server shows the dashboard at /; you want to confirm Studio loads and see one workspace.
Action taken Open /studio/, pick the workspace root you configured, navigate to an overview or project card you expect.
Expected result Studio shell loads without console errors; project list matches folders under your workspace root (Workspace setup).
What to check If the list is empty, re-check root path and permissions in Workspace setup — scan and host.

Example recurring use (generic)
Starting situation Lenses already runs daily; you need a quick scan of plan or knowledge across repos.
Action taken Use Classic / for fast health and links; open Studio /studio/ when you need flows that only exist in the newer UI.
Expected result Same server — you choose Classic vs Studio by job, not by reinstalling.
What to check Port and host match Install and run; bookmark both / and /studio/.

How to verify success

Check Expect
Classic UI http://127.0.0.1:8080/ loads
Forge Studio http://127.0.0.1:8080/studio/ loads

Just Studio vs Studio + Wizard later: this quickstart covers the server and /studio/. Wizard URLs live under /studio/blueprints/wizard when you are ready — see the Lenses handbook Wizard guides.

What to do next