Docs: Add a Contributor's Guide

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 (changelog)=
-# ORBIT Changelog
+# Changelog
 
 ## Unreleased
 
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
   for direct saving without user modification.
 - Fixes a bug in `CustomArraySystemDesign.create_project_csv()` where the output file location does
   not adjust to the user's `folder` input.
+- Adds a contributor's guide to clearly delineate how to install and use the various developer's
+  tools.
+- Modernize and streamline the installation instructions.
 
 ## 1.2.6
 

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+# ORBIT
+
+Offshore Renewables Balance of system and Installation Tool
+
+[![PyPI version](https://badge.fury.io/py/orbit-nrel.svg)](https://badge.fury.io/py/orbit-nrel)
+[![PyPI downloads](https://img.shields.io/pypi/dm/orbit-nrel?link=https%3A%2F%2Fpypi.org%2Fproject%2Forbit-nrel%2F)](https://pypi.org/project/orbit-nrel/)
+[![Apache 2.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Apache%202.0-blue.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/Apache-2.0)
+[![image](https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/orbit-nrel.svg)](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/orbit-nrel)
+
+[![Binder](https://mybinder.org/badge_logo.svg)](https://mybinder.org/v2/gh/NLRWindSystems/ORBIT/dev?filepath=examples)
+[![Pre-commit](https://img.shields.io/badge/pre--commit-enabled-brightgreen?logo=pre-commit&logoColor=white)](https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit)
+[![Black](https://img.shields.io/badge/code%20style-black-000000.svg)](https://github.com/psf/black)
+[![isort](https://img.shields.io/badge/%20imports-isort-%231674b1?style=flat&labelColor=ef8336)](https://pycqa.github.io/isort/)
+[![Ruff](https://img.shields.io/endpoint?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/astral-sh/ruff/main/assets/badge/v2.json)](https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff)
+
+## Authors
+
+- [Jake Nunemaker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-nunemaker/)
+- [Matt Shields](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-shields-834a6b66/)
+- [Rob Hammond](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-hammond-33583756/)
+- [Nick Riccobono](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-riccobono-674a3b43/)
+
+### Curent Maintainers
+
+- Rob Hammond
+
+## Documentation
+
+Please visit the documentation site at https://nlrwindsystems.github.io/ORBIT/
+
+## Installation
+
+`pip install orbit-nrel`
+
+### Environment Setup
+
+It is highly recommended to use separate Python environments for all projects, as such we recommend
+using Anaconda or Miniconda for a lightweight version of Anaconda. Please visit their
+documentation for installation details. This guide will assume the use of Miniconda throughout.
+
+1. Download the latest version of [Miniconda](https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html).
+2. Create a new environment. Below, we're using the name `orbit` for the environment, but
+   any name is allowed, just replace "orbit" with whichever name was used throughout the
+   installation instructions. Similarly, any compatible Python version is allowed even though we
+   specify 3.13 below.
+
+   ```bash
+   conda create -n orbit python=3.13
+   ```
+
+3. Activate the environment.
+
+   ```bash
+   conda activate orbit
+   ```
+
+   To deactivate an environment, simply use `conda deactivate`.
+
+4. Install ORBIT. See the pip installation directions above, or either of the source
+   or development sections below for further details.
+
+### Running Examples
+
+For users wishing to run the examples provided as Jupyter Notebooks, please either install
+the Jupyter Lab (preferred) or Jupyter Notebook library.
+
+```bash
+pip install jupyterlab
+```
+
+### Source Installation
+
+For users looking to modify ORBIT or build their own models to incorporte, installing
+from the source code is required.
+
+1. Open a terminal/Anaconda Prompt session and navigate to your desired folder location
+
+   ```bash
+   cd /path/to/desired/folder
+   ```
+
+2. Clone the repository (or your fork). If cloning your own fork, replace "NLRWindSystems"
+   with your GitHub username.
+
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/NLRWindSystems/ORBIT.git
+   ```
+
+3. Enter the repository.
+
+   ```bash
+   cd ORBIT
+   ```
+
+4. Install ORBIT.
+
+   ```bash
+   pip install .
+   ```
+
+   For an editable installation that updates the installed version of ORBIT with any local changes,
+   use the `-e` flag.
+
+   ```bash
+   pip install -e .
+   ```
+
+### Development Setup
+
+For more advanced users, such as those interested in building the documentation localling, running
+tests, or even contributing code back to the library, please use the following instructions.
+
+1. Open a terminal/Anaconda Prompt session and navigate to your desired folder location
+
+   ```bash
+   cd /path/to/desired/folder
+   ```
+
+2. If you are going to contribute code back to the library, fork the repository as you will not
+   be able to push your code changes to the library otherwise.
+
+3. Clone the repository (or your fork). If cloning your own fork, replace "NLRWindSystems"
+   with your GitHub username.
+
+   ```bash
+   git clone https://github.com/NLRWindSystems/ORBIT.git
+   ```
+
+4. Enter the repository.
+
+   ```bash
+   cd ORBIT
+   ```
+
+5. Install an editable version of ORBIT.
+
+   ```bash
+   pip install -3 .
+   ```
+
+   For developers install the developer dependences in addition:
+
+   ```bash
+   pip install -e .[dev,docs]
+   ```
+
+   - `dev`: automated code linting and formatting tools, plus the testing suite.
+   - `docs`: documentation building tools
+
+6. If contributing code back to the library, install the pre-commit hook to enable automated
+   formatting and linting. If this step is skipped, your PR will fail in the CI pipeline, and code
+   will not be reviewed until at least this step passes.
+
+   ```bash
+   pre-commit install
+   ```