Mia: So, I've been hearing whispers about this Sim Studio thing… something about agent workflows? Honestly, it sounds like some next-level AI wizardry. I get that it's supposed to help you build and test these… agentic things, whatever *that* actually means. But here's the kicker - I hear there's a way to, like, host it yourself? What's the deal? Gimme the quick and dirty.
Mars: Right, right, Sim Studio. Okay, imagine it as a super-powered playground for building automated tasks. Think of it like… LEGOs, but for robots. You can totally use the cloud version they offer, but *if* you're super worried about privacy, or you just like tinkering, you can host the whole thing yourself.
Mia: Wait, so it's like… renting an apartment versus owning the whole building?
Mars: Bingo! You get the keys, ALL the keys! And they give you, get this, *three* different ways to do it. They call 'em doors: Docker, Dev Containers, or - hold onto your hat - a completely manual setup.
Mia: Whoa, three doors? sounds like a gameshow, which one is behind door number one!?
Mars: Haha, Door number one - *definitely* recommended, by the way - is Docker. It's slick. You basically download an image, run a couple of commands, *boom*, Sim Studio is up and running. Think of it like... microwaving a gourmet meal instead of actually cooking.
Mia: Okay, I'm tracking. What about this Dev Containers thing?
Mars: Ah, Dev Containers are Door number two. They're especially awesome if you're already using VS Code or GitHub Codespaces. Basically, it creates a whole coding environment that's *exactly* the same as what you'd use to launch the project. So you don’t need to deal with “it works on my machine” headaches.
Mia: Gotcha. And the *last* door? The manual one?
Mars: Alright, get ready for this: that last door, the manual path... You're installing Node, fiddling with Postgres, setting up Drizzle ORM because we need databases, wrangling Better Auth for login stuff, throwing in Tailwind CSS and Shadcn because the UI needs to look good, hooking up Zustand for managing the app state. And… you cap it off with ReactFlow for, like, *visualizing* all your robotic workflows.
Mia: Woah, that sounds like cooking a five-course meal. From scratch. In the dark.
Mars: Oh, it is. It absolutely is. But, hey, it gives you ultimate control over *everything*. Every little detail, every component... You're like the master chef, controlling every spice.
Mia: Talking about controlling spices, I also heard that you can connect local AI models somehow?
Mars: Definitely. They actually call out Ollama as an example. And you know there's other options, so you can run your own AI model right there, on your machine, and then tell Sim Studio to use *that*. Keeps all your private data outta the cloud. It’s like having your own coffee shop instead of going to Starbucks.
Mia: Awesome, That's great if you have sensitive data. So, what's the learning curve here?
Mars: Well, if you go with Docker or Dev Containers, it's pretty easy. I mean, you're just running a few commands, tweaking some settings… The manual setup? That takes a bit more elbow grease. Luckily, the instructions are well documented.
Mia: Makes sense. And the stack of tech, what is it?
Mars: Okay, under the hood you've got Next.js for the front-end, Postgres using Drizzle ORM for the data, Better Auth locked in for managing authentication, Shadcn components on Tailwind for all the styling and slick UI, Zustand because all that app data needs managing, and lastly, ReactFlow to draw workflows visually.
Mia: That really sounds new. It is open-source, right?
Mars: Yes, Apache 2.0 baby! They always say more hands make light work, anyone can take the code, tweak it, send back upgrades.
Mia: Alright, I got it. So, the cloud option is quick and easy. Docker or Dev Containers are relatively painless self-hosting. And the manual setup is for… hardcore customizers, or maybe just masochists! Ha! You can plug in any of your local models using Ollama.
Mars: That's the essence of it. Whether you are simply testing out a new workflow for agents or trying to make workflows that are production grade! This setup gives flexibility and full control to you.
Mia: Perfect! I think I'm sold. Time to fire up some Docker. Thanks for the rundown!
Mars: Pleasure! Hit me up and tell me more about working through a work-flow demo!