What is Ropeman

Ropeman is a browser-based code visualization tool that turns any codebase into an AI-powered semantic architecture diagram. Instead of showing a raw file tree, it surfaces the roles and relationships that actually define your project’s architecture.

Drop a folder, get a diagram. Click any region to drill down — the AI recursively analyzes sub-structures on demand. Your source code never leaves the browser: WASM parses the AST locally, and only a compact code structure summary (skeleton) is sent to the selected AI track.

Try it now at ropeman.dev — no signup required.

30-Second Quickstart

The fastest path to your first diagram is Demo mode. No API key, no installation.

1. Open ropeman.dev in a Chromium-based browser (Chrome or Edge recommended).
2. Click Open Folder (or drag-and-drop a project directory onto the landing area).
3. Pick any small project — a personal repo, an open-source library, anything with up to 2,000 files.
4. Ropeman parses each file in your browser. You’ll see files light up in the sidebar as they’re indexed.
5. Click Analyze with AI, choose Demo in the modal, and let the AI generate your first semantic diagram.
6. Double-click any node to drill down into its sub-structure. The AI re-analyzes that region on demand.

That’s it. The resulting diagram is cached in your browser, so reopening the same folder is instant.

Analyze a GitHub Repository

Don’t have a local project handy? You can analyze any public GitHub repository directly from the landing page.

1. Paste a GitHub repository URL into the URL input field (e.g., https://github.com/owner/repo).
2. Click Load — Ropeman fetches the repository’s file structure and parses it automatically.
3. From here, everything works the same as a local folder: AI analysis, drill-down, and code viewer are all available.

Only public repositories are supported. Private repositories cannot be analyzed.

Tips for Large Projects

To exclude extra directories from analysis (e.g., monorepo build outputs), go to Settings → Additional Excluded Directories and enter one directory name per line (such as target, third_party, or generated). Your custom patterns are merged with the built-in skip list (node_modules, .git, etc.). Changes save automatically on blur and apply to the next project load.

Need more room in the file explorer? Drag the right edge of the sidebar to resize. The width is persisted per browser.

Analysis Progress and Cancellation

Analysis continues across in-app route navigation. The progress pill at the bottom-right is shown on every route; click the red Cancel button to stop. A confirmation dialog appears once (with a “Don’t ask again” option) to prevent accidental cancels.

If you trigger drill-downs on multiple regions in parallel, each request gets its own pill. Beyond three concurrent analyses, pills collapse into a single “N analyses running” group badge — use the chevron to expand the list and cancel individual requests. When the tab is inactive, a Browser Notification fires on completion (if permission was granted).

Supported Languages

Ropeman parses 14 languages out of the box, all entirely in your browser: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java, C, C++, Ruby, PHP, Swift, Kotlin, C#, and Scala.

Mixed-language projects are fully supported — the AI reasons across language boundaries when inferring architecture.

Browser Requirements

• Chrome / Edge (recommended) — full File System Access API support for folder picking and live file reads.
• Firefox / Safari — drag-and-drop folder upload works, but the picker dialog is unavailable.
• WebGPU mode additionally requires a WebGPU-capable browser and GPU.

Project Limits

To keep everything snappy in the browser, Ropeman enforces two soft limits:

• MAX_FILES — 2,000 files per project
• MAX_FILE_SIZE — 500 KB per individual file

Large monorepos should be opened one package at a time. You can also tune the code structure summary size in Settings (default 250 KB).

Next Steps

• AI Modes — pick the right track for your workflow (Demo, BYOK, Bridge, WebGPU).
• Security — exactly what leaves your machine and what doesn’t.
• Keyboard Shortcuts — navigate the canvas like a pro.
• FAQ — answers to the questions most new users ask.