VoLCA Documentation
Start from the surface you need
Section titled “Start from the surface you need”If you are building a decomposition, contribution, or substitution workflow, first read Core concepts, then Supply chain and inventory concepts. The same concepts apply whether you use the UI, HTTP API, Python client, CLI, or MCP.
Create an account and use a managed VoLCA instance from the browser. This is the easiest path if you just want to try VoLCA without installing anything.
Install a graphical app on your computer and work locally. Choose this if you prefer buttons, forms, and local files instead of command-line tools.
Download the standalone VoLCA engine and run it yourself on Linux, macOS, or Windows. Use this when you want to control where the server runs.
Script searches, inventories, impacts, database loading, methods, and exports. Start here if you like terminal commands or want repeatable automation.
Open an interactive terminal session and ask VoLCA one command at a time. This is useful for exploring before writing scripts.
Connect another application, dashboard, notebook, or service to VoLCA over HTTP. Choose this when you are building software around VoLCA.
Use pyvolca to call VoLCA from Python code. It can talk to an existing VoLCA server, and can also help launch a local engine when needed.
Connect Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, or another MCP-capable assistant to a VoLCA instance. Choose this when you want an AI tool to query VoLCA through a controlled interface.