TUIStudio: Visual Design Tool for Terminal User Interfaces

TUIStudio is a visual design tool that brings graphical interface design principles to terminal user interface (TUI) development. The application provides a Figma-like environment where developers can drag-and-drop components onto a live canvas, edit properties in real-time, and export to six different TUI frameworks with a single click.

The latest version (v0.3.6) introduces a significant change to menu styling, consolidating the visual style (plain, line, or filled) into a single global setting for the entire Menu component rather than allowing per-item customization. This simplification means all menu items now share the same visual appearance, streamlining the design process.

Core Features

The visual canvas forms the heart of TUIStudio, allowing users to drag-and-drop components onto a live preview area with configurable zoom levels. The canvas renders real-time ANSI output, giving designers immediate feedback on how their TUI will appear in actual terminal environments.

TUIStudio includes over 20 built-in components covering the essential building blocks for terminal applications: Screen, Box, Button, TextInput, Table, List, Tree, Tabs, Modal, Spinner, ProgressBar, and more. These components can be arranged using three layout modes—Absolute, Flexbox, and Grid—providing flexibility comparable to CSS-based web design.

The application supports eight color themes including popular options like Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Monokai, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night, Nightfox, and Sonokai. Theme changes update the canvas live, allowing designers to experiment with different visual styles instantly.

Multi-Framework Export

One of TUIStudio's standout features is its ability to generate production-ready code for six different TUI frameworks:

• Ink: TypeScript/React for terminal applications
• BubbleTea: Go framework using Elm architecture
• Blessed: JavaScript/Node.js library
• Textual: Python-based modern TUI framework
• OpenTUI: TypeScript framework
• Tview: Go widget-based framework

The export functionality allows designers to switch between target frameworks without modifying their design, though the project notes this feature is currently in alpha and not fully functional yet.

Project Management

Designs are saved as portable .tui JSON files, enabling users to open projects from anywhere, commit them to version control, or share with team members. The application includes a command palette, theme switcher, and component toolbar for efficient workflow management.

Platform Considerations

TUIStudio is available as a native Windows application with no installation required—simply download and start designing immediately. The project also provides Docker support and works on Windows 10/11 for both x64 and ARM64 architectures.

However, users should be aware of platform-specific security behaviors. On macOS, Gatekeeper blocks the application by default, displaying messages like "TUIStudio cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer" or "TUIStudio is damaged and can't be opened." Users must right-click the .app file and select "Open," then click "Open anyway," or use System Settings to override the block.

Windows SmartScreen shows a protective warning stating "Windows protected your PC," requiring users to click "More info" and then "Run anyway." Linux distributions handle the application more smoothly, with standard package installation methods working without additional security prompts.

Current Status and Future Plans

The project is currently in early access, with the core editor available for free download and use. A pro tier with team features, cloud synchronization, and priority support is planned for future release. The development team acknowledges that export functionality is not yet operational but is actively working on implementation.

TUIStudio addresses a significant gap in TUI development workflow by providing a visual design environment for what has traditionally been a code-centric process. By enabling designers to work visually and export to multiple frameworks, it could significantly accelerate TUI development and make terminal applications more accessible to designers who may not be comfortable with direct code manipulation.

For developers interested in trying TUIStudio, the application can be downloaded from the official website, with platform-specific versions available for Windows, macOS, and Linux via Docker.