TUI Studio: Visual Terminal UI Design Tool in Alpha
TUI Studio is a visual design tool for creating terminal user interfaces (TUIs) through a Figma-like editor interface. It allows designers to build TUIs visually rather than hand-coding layouts.
Core Features
The tool provides a visual canvas where you can drag-and-drop components with real-time ANSI preview at configurable zoom levels. It includes over 20 built-in TUI components: Screen, Box, Button, TextInput, Table, List, Tree, Tabs, Modal, Spinner, ProgressBar, Checkbox, Radio, Select, Toggle, Text, Menu, Breadcrumb, Popover, Tooltip, and Spacer.
Layout options include Absolute, Flexbox, and Grid modes with full property control similar to CSS in browsers. Eight color themes are available: Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Monokai, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night, Nightfox, and Sonokai, with live canvas updates when switching themes.
Export Capabilities (Planned)
The tool plans to export production-ready code to six frameworks: Ink (TypeScript/React), BubbleTea (Go), Blessed (JavaScript/Node.js), Textual (Python), OpenTUI (TypeScript), and Tview (Go). However, the source explicitly states: "Code export is not functional yet. We're actively working on it — check back soon."
Project Management
Projects are saved as portable .tui JSON files that can be opened from anywhere, committed to git, or shared with teams. No account or cloud is required.
Platform Availability and Installation Notes
TUI Studio is available for macOS (Apple Silicon M1-M4), Windows, and Docker. The source provides specific installation guidance:
- macOS: Gatekeeper blocks the app with messages like "TUIStudio cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer" or "TUIStudio is damaged and can't be opened." To bypass: right-click the .app → Open → Open anyway, or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → "Open Anyway."
- Windows: SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC." Click More info → Run anyway.
- Linux: No such gate. Use
dpkg -i TUIStudio-amd64.debor double-click in a file manager.
Current Status and Pricing
TUI Studio is currently in alpha with early access. The core editor is free to download and use. A pro tier with team features, cloud sync, and priority support is planned for later.
📖 Read the full source: HN LLM Tools
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