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Installation

Make sure you have nodejs version 22 or above up and running on your computer.

npm config set @sterfive:registry=https://npm-registry.sterfive.fr

then you'll need to create a user account on the sterfive registry, and answer the questions

$ npm login --registry=https://npm-registry.sterfive.fr
Username: joe.doe
Password:
Email: (this IS public) joe.doe@acme.com

finally, you can install the opcua-tool

npm install -g @sterfive/opcua-modeler

and you should be able to run the opcua-modeler command

opcua-modeler version

To get diagnostics, completions and hover in VS Code, Cursor or VSCodium, install the extension (see VS Code extension):

opcua-modeler install-extension
npm warn install-scripts with versions up to 2.27.0

Recent npm versions skip install scripts that are not allowed by allowScripts and print a warning. Versions up to 2.27.0 had a postinstall script that only printed a welcome message, so you can ignore the warning: the installation is complete, and you do not need --allow-scripts.

Windows: install with Scoop​

On Windows, Scoop installs the CLI together with the Node.js 22 it needs, and does not require an account on the Sterfive registry:

scoop install https://deploy.sterfive.com/bucket/opcua-modeler.json

The manifest adds Scoop's versions bucket if it is missing and installs versions/nodejs22 alongside the CLI. Check the installation from a new terminal:

opcua-modeler version

Using a Scoop install from VS Code​

Leave opcuaModeler.serverPath at its default, opcua-modeler. Scoop puts opcua-modeler.cmd on your PATH, and the extension finds it there.

If you do set the path explicitly, use the .cmd shim:

C:\Users\<you>\scoop\shims\opcua-modeler.cmd
Find the right file with where, not which

In Git Bash, which opcua-modeler prints …\scoop\shims\opcua-modeler, a shell script for Bash that VS Code cannot run on its own. In cmd or PowerShell, where opcua-modeler lists the .cmd shim.

Faster start-up. The Scoop shim looks up Node.js 22 through Scoop before starting the CLI, which adds about two seconds every time VS Code launches the language server. To skip it, point opcuaModeler.serverPath straight at the CLI script. The current folder follows scoop update, so the path stays valid across upgrades:

C:\Users\<you>\scoop\apps\opcua-modeler\current\node_modules\@sterfive\opcua-modeler\opcua-modeler.js

The extension then runs it with the node found on your PATH, which must be version 22 or later.

"CLI was not found on PATH" although the CLI works in a terminal

Extension 1.1.0 waits only 5 seconds for opcua-modeler --version. A Scoop install can take longer than that, particularly the first time after a reboot while antivirus software scans the files, so the extension reports the CLI as missing. Run OPC UA Modeler: Restart Language Server from the Command Palette to try again, or use the direct script path above, which starts faster. Later extension versions wait up to 30 seconds.

Troubleshooting​

SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAIN behind a corporate firewall​

npm error code SELF_SIGNED_CERT_IN_CHAIN
npm error request to https://npm-registry.sterfive.fr/-/v1/login failed, reason: self-signed certificate in certificate chain

The Sterfive registry uses a standard Let's Encrypt certificate. This error means that your company's proxy inspects HTTPS traffic and re-signs it with its own root certificate, which Node.js does not trust. It happens often under WSL, which does not use the Windows certificate store.

  1. Get the corporate root certificate as a PEM file. Your IT department can provide it, or you can export it from Windows (certmgr.msc → Trusted Root Certification Authorities → the proxy's certificate → Export → Base-64 encoded X.509). You can also read it from the connection itself: the last certificate printed by this command is usually the corporate root, and its issuer names the proxy instead of Let's Encrypt.

    openssl s_client -showcerts -connect npm-registry.sterfive.fr:443 -servername npm-registry.sterfive.fr </dev/null

    Save the -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- … -----END CERTIFICATE----- block as ~/corp-root.pem.

  2. Tell Node.js to trust it, in addition to its built-in certificates:

    echo 'export NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS=$HOME/corp-root.pem' >> ~/.bashrc

    On Windows (PowerShell), set it once for your user account:

    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS", "$HOME\corp-root.pem", "User")

  3. Open a new terminal and run npm login again.

Prefer NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS to npm config set cafile: cafile replaces the default certificate list, so packages from the public npm registry can start failing, and it only applies to npm, while opcua-modeler makes its own HTTPS connections when it runs.

If your network requires an explicit proxy, also set it for npm:

npm config set https-proxy http://<proxy-host>:<port>

Your IT department can also exclude npm-registry.sterfive.fr from HTTPS inspection, which fixes the error without any change on your computer.

Do not disable certificate checks

npm config set strict-ssl false hides the error, but npm login then sends your registry credentials over a connection that npm no longer verifies.

Updating the opcua-modeler to the latest version​

simply run this command to upgrade the opcua-modeler command to the latest version

npm install -g @sterfive/opcua-modeler@latest

or, for a Scoop installation:

scoop update opcua-modeler

Trial version​

The opcua-modeler command can be used in trial mode for 30 days without any licence. It contains limitations on the number of nodes that can be generated but will allow you to test the functionalities of the tool on a small model.

acquiring the licence​

You can acquire a licence by buying it online on the Sterfive E-Shop at https://www.sterfive.com/shop/opcua-modeler/

There are several types of licences available:

  • a monthly subscription licence
  • a yearly subscription licence [most popular]

You can also contact Sterfive sales team to get a quote for volume licences or enterprise licences at https://www.sterfive.com/quote

Activating your licence​

Once you have purchased a licence, activate it with:

opcua-modeler licence activate

You will be prompted to enter your licence key. The tool contacts the Sterfive licence server to validate and register your activation. An internet connection is required.

To check your current activation status at any time:

opcua-modeler licence

See the Licence management page for full details including offline activation and deactivation.