Quick Start for Vibe Coders

Let an AI coding assistant do the setup and write the script. You just describe what you want in plain language.

Step 1: Prerequisites

Editor	Assistant	OS
VS Code	Claude Code / Copilot	Windows only

A paid plan is strongly recommended. Turn on the most capable model (for example Claude Opus in Claude Code) so the assistant reasons through the API accurately.

Step 2: Open STAAD.Pro with a model

Open STAAD.Pro and load a model that already has a few nodes and beams. OpenStaad connects to this running session; it never opens STAAD.Pro for you.

Step 3: Create a project folder and open it in VS Code

Make a new, empty folder and open it in VS Code with File → Open Folder…. This is where your assistant will work.

Step 4: Add an instruction.md

Create a file named instruction.md in the folder and paste this in. Your assistant reads it as project context, so it knows how to use OpenStaad before writing a line of code:

# Using OpenStaad

OpenStaad is a Python library that automates STAAD.Pro. Follow these rules whenever you write code for me.

## Before writing code
- Read the documentation at https://openstaad.com/docs and use the exact function names it lists — do not guess them.
- STAAD.Pro must already be open with a model loaded. The library connects to that running session; it never launches STAAD.Pro itself.

## Setup
- Work inside a virtual environment: `python -m venv venv`, activate it (`venv\Scripts\activate` on Windows), then `pip install openstaad`.

## Usage
- The entry point is a single session: `from openstaad import ops` then `s = ops.connect()`, which attaches to the active STAAD.Pro model.
- If several models are open and you need a specific one, pass its file path: `s = ops.connect(r"C:\path\to\model.std")`.
- Call every function off that session, e.g. `s.GetNodeCount()` or `s.GetBeamList()`.
- Functions return native Python types (lists, ints, floats).
- To drive several open models at once, create one session per model.

## Style
- Keep scripts small and explain each step.
- Verify every function name and its arguments against the docs before using it.

Step 5: Describe what you want, then run it

Tell the assistant your goal in plain language (for example, "print how many nodes and beams my model has"). Following instruction.md, it sets up the virtual environment, installs OpenStaad, writes the script, and runs it.

⚠ Keep STAAD.Pro open with your model loaded while the script runs.

Prefer to write the code yourself? Follow the Quick Start for Programmers.