Openpencil
The world's first open-source AI-native vector design tool and the first to feature concurrent Agent Teams. Design-as-Code. Turn prompts into UI directly on the live canvas. A modern alternative to Pencil.
Install / Use
/learn @ZSeven-W/OpenpencilQuality Score
Category
Development & EngineeringSupported Platforms
README
Why OpenPencil
<table> <tr> <td width="50%">🎨 Prompt → Canvas
Describe any UI in natural language. Watch it appear on the infinite canvas in real-time with streaming animation. Modify existing designs by selecting elements and chatting.
</td> <td width="50%">🤖 Concurrent Agent Teams
The orchestrator decomposes complex pages into spatial sub-tasks. Multiple AI agents work on different sections simultaneously — hero, features, footer — all streaming in parallel.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%">🧠 Multi-Model Intelligence
Automatically adapts to each model's capabilities. Claude gets full prompts with thinking; GPT-4o/Gemini disable thinking; smaller models (MiniMax, Qwen, Llama) get simplified prompts for reliable output.
</td> <td width="50%">🔌 MCP Server
One-click install into Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Kiro, or Copilot CLIs. Design from your terminal — read, create, and modify .op files through any MCP-compatible agent.
📦 Design-as-Code
.op files are JSON — human-readable, Git-friendly, diffable. Design variables generate CSS custom properties. Code export to React + Tailwind or HTML + CSS.
🖥️ Runs Everywhere
Web app + native desktop on macOS, Windows, and Linux via Electron. Auto-updates from GitHub Releases. .op file association — double-click to open.
Quick Start
# Install dependencies
bun install
# Start dev server at http://localhost:3000
bun --bun run dev
Or run as a desktop app:
bun run electron:dev
Docker
Multiple image variants are available — pick the one that fits your needs:
| Image | Size | Includes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| openpencil:latest | ~226 MB | Web app only |
| openpencil-claude:latest | — | + Claude Code CLI |
| openpencil-codex:latest | — | + Codex CLI |
| openpencil-opencode:latest | — | + OpenCode CLI |
| openpencil-copilot:latest | — | + GitHub Copilot CLI |
| openpencil-full:latest | ~1 GB | All CLI tools |
Run (web only):
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 ghcr.io/zseven-w/openpencil:latest
Run with AI CLI (e.g. Claude Code):
The AI chat relies on Claude CLI OAuth login. Use a Docker volume to persist the login session:
# Step 1 — Login (one-time)
docker volume create openpencil-claude-auth
docker run -it --rm \
-v openpencil-claude-auth:/root/.claude \
ghcr.io/zseven-w/openpencil-claude:latest claude login
# Step 2 — Start
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 \
-v openpencil-claude-auth:/root/.claude \
ghcr.io/zseven-w/openpencil-claude:latest
Build locally:
# Base (web only)
docker build --target base -t openpencil .
# With a specific CLI
docker build --target with-claude -t openpencil-claude .
# Full (all CLIs)
docker build --target full -t openpencil-full .
AI-Native Design
Prompt to UI
- Text-to-design — describe a page, get it generated on canvas in real-time with streaming animation
- Orchestrator — decomposes complex pages into spatial sub-tasks for parallel generation
- Design modification — select elements, then describe changes in natural language
- Vision input — attach screenshots or mockups for reference-based design
Multi-Agent Support
| Agent | Setup |
| --- | --- |
| Claude Code | No config — uses Claude Agent SDK with local OAuth |
| Codex CLI | Connect in Agent Settings (Cmd+,) |
| OpenCode | Connect in Agent Settings (Cmd+,) |
| GitHub Copilot | copilot login then connect in Agent Settings (Cmd+,) |
Model Capability Profiles — automatically adapts prompts, thinking mode, and timeouts per model tier. Full-tier models (Claude) get complete prompts; standard-tier (GPT-4o, Gemini, DeepSeek) disable thinking; basic-tier (MiniMax, Qwen, Llama, Mistral) get simplified nested-JSON prompts for maximum reliability.
MCP Server
- Built-in MCP server — one-click install into Claude Code / Codex / Gemini / OpenCode / Kiro / Copilot CLIs
- Auto-detects Node.js — if not installed, falls back to HTTP transport and auto-starts the MCP HTTP server
- Design automation from terminal: read, create, and modify
.opfiles via any MCP-compatible agent - Layered design workflow —
design_skeleton→design_content→design_refinefor higher-fidelity multi-section designs - Segmented prompt retrieval — load only the design knowledge you need (schema, layout, roles, icons, planning, etc.)
- Multi-page support — create, rename, reorder, and duplicate pages via MCP tools
Code Generation
- React + Tailwind CSS, HTML + CSS, CSS Variables
- Vue, Svelte, Flutter, SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, React Native
Features
Canvas & Drawing
- Infinite canvas with pan, zoom, smart alignment guides, and snapping
- Rectangle, Ellipse, Line, Polygon, Pen (Bezier), Frame, Text
- Boolean operations — union, subtract, intersect with contextual toolbar
- Icon picker (Iconify) and image import (PNG/JPEG/SVG/WebP/GIF)
- Auto-layout — vertical/horizontal with gap, padding, justify, align
- Multi-page documents with tab navigation
Design System
- Design variables — color, number, string tokens with
$variablereferences - Multi-theme support — multiple axes, each with variants (Light/Dark, Compact/Comfortable)
- Component system — reusable components with instances and overrides
- CSS sync — auto-generated custom properties,
var(--name)in code output
Figma Import
- Import
.figfiles with layout, fills, strokes, effects, text, images, and vectors preserved
Desktop App
- Native macOS, Windows, and Linux via Electron
.opfile association — double-click to open, single-instance lock- Auto-update from GitHub Releases
- Native application menu and file dialogs
Tech Stack
| | |
| --- | --- |
| Frontend | React 19 · TanStack Start · Tailwind CSS v4 · shadcn/ui |
| Canvas | CanvasKit/Skia (WASM, GPU-accelerated) |
| State | Zustand v5 |
| Server | Nitro |
| Desktop | Electron 35 |
| AI | Anthropic SDK · Claude Agent SDK · OpenCode SDK · Copilot SDK |
| Runtime | Bun · Vite 7 |
| File format | .op — JSON-based, human-readable, Git-friendly |
Project Structure
src/
canvas/ CanvasKit/Skia engine — drawing, sync, layout, guides, pen tool
components/ React UI — editor, panels, shared dialogs, icons
services/ai/ AI chat, orchestrator, design generation, streaming
services/figma/ Figma .fig binary import pipeline
services/codegen Multi-platform code generators (React, HTML, Vue, Svelte, Flutter, SwiftUI, Compose, React Native)
stores/ Zustand — canvas, document, pages, history, AI, settings
variables/ Design token resolution and reference management
mcp/ MCP server tools for external CLI integration
uikit/ Reusable component kit system
server/
api/ai/ Nitro API — streaming chat, generation, validation
utils/ Claude CLI, OpenCode, Codex, Copilot client wrappers
electron/
main.ts Window, Nitro fork, native menu, auto-updater
preload.ts IPC bridge
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action | | Key | Action |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| V | Select | | Cmd+S | Save |
| R | Rectangle | | Cmd+Z | Undo |
| O | Ellipse | | Cmd+Shift+Z | Redo |
| L | Line | | Cmd+C/X/V/D | Copy/Cut/Paste/Duplicate |
| T | Text | | Cmd+G | Group |
| F | Frame | | Cmd+Shift+G | Ungroup |
| P | Pen tool | | Cmd+Shift+E | Export |
| H | Hand (pan) | | Cmd+Shift+C | Code panel |
| Del | Delete | | Cmd+Shift+V | Variables panel |
| [ / ] | Reorder | | Cmd+J | AI chat |
| Arrows | Nudge 1px | | Cmd+, | Agent settings |
| Cmd+Alt+U | Boolean union | | Cmd+Alt+S | Boolean subtract |
| Cmd+Alt+I | Boolean intersect
