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Quickstart — desktop CLI

Five minutes to a generated NodeSet2.xml, running entirely on your machine.

You need a licence

The CLI is a commercial product on Sterfive's own registry, not public npm. A 30-day trial is available — sterfive.com/product/opcua-modeler ↗.

1. Install​

Node.js 22 or later. Point npm at the Sterfive registry, log in, and install:

npm config set @sterfive:registry=https://npm-registry.sterfive.fr
npm login --registry=https://npm-registry.sterfive.fr
npm install -g @sterfive/opcua-modeler

Check it:

opcua-modeler version

Full detail, including the Snap package, is in Installation.

2. Write a model​

Save this as sensor.model.yaml:

sensor.model.yaml
namespaceUri: http://example.com/UA/Quickstart/
version: 1.0.0
publicationDate: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"

namespaces:
  - di

followed by:

objectTypes:
  - browseName: TemperatureSensorType
    subtypeOf: di:ComponentType
    description: A temperature sensor, modelled as a DI component.
    components:
      # DI puts process values in the ParameterSet, which the base type declares
      # as optional — redeclaring it here makes it mandatory on every instance.
      - browseName: di:ParameterSet
        components:
          - browseName: Temperature
            typeDefinition: ua:AnalogUnitType
            dataType: ua:Double
            engineeringUnits: "°C"
            description: The measured temperature.

instances:
  - browseName: Sensor1
    typeDefinition: TemperatureSensorType
    organizedBy: /ua:Objects
    initializers:
      # di:ComponentType inherits these as mandatory from the DI nameplate
      # interface, so every instance carries them — give them real values.
      - variable: di:Manufacturer
        value: "Acme Instruments"
      - variable: di:Model
        value: "TS-100"

3. Generate​

opcua-modeler generate -i sensor.model.yaml --strict

Three files come out:

FileWhat it is
*.Nodeset2.xmlThe standard nodeset — load it into open62541, the .NET SDK, node-opcua, anything
*.mdGenerated documentation, with class diagrams
*.symbols.csvBrowseName → NodeId, fed back in on the next run to keep NodeIds stable

--strict promotes warnings to errors. Use it in CI so a sloppy model fails the build rather than shipping.

Keep the symbols file

*.symbols.csv is an input as well as an output. Commit it. Without it the generator is free to renumber NodeIds, and clients that cached them break.

4. See it run​

opcua-modeler generate -i sensor.model.yaml --server

starts a real OPC UA server exposing the model, so you can browse it with a client such as UaExpert before writing any server code.

Add --watch and it regenerates on every save.

5. Get it in your editor​

opcua-modeler install-extension

installs the VS Code extension (Cursor and VSCodium too), pulls in the RedHat YAML extension, and points both at the CLI you just installed. You get the same live diagnostics and completions as the browser editor, against the same engine.

See Editor and LSP.

Next​