Install LSD

There are two pieces, and you can use either on its own: the lsdtools SDK (author + run pipelines in Python) and the desktop app (build them visually).

The SDK#

Install the authoring library with pip — this is all you need to write and run a pipeline:

pip install lsdtools

from lsdtools import Tool, Engine
# ... define a tool, wire steps, Engine().run(...)

lsdtools is the small, stable public API. The rule is import only lsdtools — everything under lsd.* is private engine internals.

The desktop app#

The desktop app gives you the node-graph canvas, parameter forms, the 3D viewer, and the Package Manager. Download it from lsd.tools/register (free). Creating an account keeps your projects and purchases in sync and unlocks the Tool Store — but you can run pipelines without one.

The CLI#

Installing lsdtools also gives you the lsd command for headless runs, packaging, and introspection:

lsd package new my-pkg # scaffold a package
lsd api describe # print the current API surface

Pointing at a backend (profiles)#

Which server LSD talks to — the store, accounts, hosted models — is chosen by a profile. The default is production (lsd.tools). For local development you switch to a local profile:

LSD_PROFILE=local lsd ...

Profiles live in ~/.lsd/profiles.json; a profile can also carry a default package set.

Next#

• Run your first pipeline on the canvas — no code.
• Write your first tool in ten lines of Python.

Related#

Learn — Develop a package

API — CLI commands · lsdtools reference