# cuopt-routing-api-python

A skill that walks your agent through vehicle routing with the cuOpt Python API: TSP, VRP and pickup-delivery. Useful when the solver runs in Python.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2300 installs · ★ 3735
- Author: NVIDIA cuOpt Team
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/NVIDIA/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python

## What it does

The skill covers cuOpt routing through Python only. There is no C API for routing in cuOpt, so code in another language is out of scope. Inside you get a minimal VRP example built on `cudf` and `cuopt.routing`, plus sections on constraints and solution checking.

Before writing code, the agent asks for the problem type (TSP, VRP or PDP), the number of locations and depots, the cost or distance matrix, orders with their demand, the fleet with capacity and start/end points, and constraints such as time windows or precedence. Then it builds a `DataModel`, attaches matrices and calls `routing.Solve` with `SolverSettings`.

Matrices and series need explicit dtypes (`float32`, `int32`) because silent errors slip through otherwise. When the status is not 0, the skill points you at `get_error_message()` and the list of infeasible orders. One trap worth knowing: `compute_waypoint_sequence` rewrites the `location` column of `route_df` in place, so pass `route_df.copy()` if you still need cost-matrix indices while iterating per truck.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill cuopt-routing-api-python -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill cuopt-routing-api-python -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill cuopt-routing-api-python -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install NVIDIA/skills cuopt-routing-api-python
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill cuopt-routing-api-python -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/NVIDIA/skills --path skills/cuopt-routing-api-python
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill cuopt-routing-api-python -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/NVIDIA/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- build a VRP model from a cost matrix and a fleet
- attach time windows and service times to orders
- set capacity across several dimensions
- link pickup-delivery pairs and order precedence
- debug an empty solution or an infeasible order

## Example prompts
- Solve a VRP with 4 locations and 2 vehicles, cost matrix in cudf
- Add time windows and weight capacity to the cuOpt model
- Status is not 0 — print the infeasible orders and the error message

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: cf51ba1f3c586ea7.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE cf51ba1f3c586ea7
````text
---
name: cuopt-routing-api-python
version: "26.10.00"
description: Vehicle routing (VRP, TSP, PDP) with cuOpt — Python API only. Use when the user is building or solving routing in Python.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  author: NVIDIA cuOpt Team
  tags:
    - cuopt
    - routing
    - vrp
    - tsp
    - python
---




# cuOpt Routing — Python API

This skill is **Python only**. Routing has no C API in cuOpt.

## Required questions

Ask these if not already clear:

1. **Problem type** — TSP, VRP, or PDP?
2. **Locations** — How many? Depot(s)? Cost or distance between pairs (matrix or derived)?
3. **Orders / tasks** — Which locations must be visited? Demand or service per stop?
4. **Fleet** — Number of vehicles, capacity per vehicle (and per dimension if multiple), start/end locations?
5. **Constraints** — Time windows (earliest/latest arrival), service times, precedence (order A before B)?

## Minimal VRP Example

```python
import cudf
from cuopt import routing

cost_matrix = cudf.DataFrame([...], dtype="float32")
dm = routing.DataModel(n_locations=4, n_fleet=2, n_orders=3)
dm.add_cost_matrix(cost_matrix)
dm.set_order_locations(cudf.Series([1, 2, 3], dtype="int32"))
solution = routing.Solve(dm, routing.SolverSettings())

if solution.get_status() == 0:
    solution.display_routes()
```

## Adding Constraints

```python
# Time windows
dm.add_transit_time_matrix(transit_time_matrix)
dm.set_order_time_windows(earliest_series, latest_series)

# Capacities
dm.add_capacity_dimension("weight", demand_series, capacity_series)
dm.set_order_service_times(service_times)
dm.set_vehicle_locations(start_locations, end_locations)
dm.set_vehicle_time_windows(earliest_start, latest_return)

# Pickup-delivery pairs
dm.set_pickup_delivery_pairs(pickup_indices, delivery_indices)

# Precedence
dm.add_order_precedence(node_id=2, preceding_nodes=np.array([0, 1]))
```

## Solution Checking

```python
status = solution.get_status()  # 0=SUCCESS, 1=FAIL, 2=TIMEOUT, 3=EMPTY
if status == 0:
    route_df = solution.get_route()
    total_cost = solution.get_total_objective()
else:
    print(solution.get_error_message())
    print(solution.get_infeasible_orders().to_list())
```

## Data Types (use explicit dtypes)

```python
cost_matrix = cost_matrix.astype("float32")
order_locations = cudf.Series([...], dtype="int32")
demand = cudf.Series([...], dtype="int32")
```

## Solver Settings

```python
ss = routing.SolverSettings()
ss.set_time_limit(30)
ss.set_verbose_mode(True)
ss.set_error_logging_mode(True)
```

## Common Issues

| Problem | Fix |
|---------|-----|
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE cf51ba1f3c586ea7

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the cf51ba1f3c586ea7 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2591 of 3698 bytes. © NVIDIA cuOpt Team · Apache-2.0 · https://github.com/NVIDIA/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/cuopt-routing-api-python/SKILL.md

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