Handbook

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…

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.

Companion tutorials on the handbook site: Lenses, Forge Studio, and the Blueprints Wizard.

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)

Forge Studio quickstart — clone forge-lenses, venv and dependencies, run server, open /studio/

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