Tigma

A terminal-based design tool for creating ASCII diagrams and designs.

Running

bunx tigma

Currently this requires bun.

Usage

# Start with a blank canvas
bun run index.ts

# Open an existing file
bun run index.ts mydesign.tigma

Tools

Switch between tools using keyboard shortcuts:

Key	Tool	Description
M	Move	Select, move, and resize objects
T	Text	Create and edit text boxes
R	Rectangle	Draw rectangular shapes with box-drawing characters
L	Line	Draw lines (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal)

Controls

General

Key	Action
Ctrl+S	Save file (prompts for filename if new)
Ctrl+Z	Undo
Ctrl+U	Redo
Delete / Backspace	Delete selected or hovered object(s)
Escape	Cancel current drawing / exit text editing

Move Tool

• Click on an object to select it
• Shift+Click to add/remove objects from selection (multi-select)
• Click+Drag to move selected objects
• Click on empty space to deselect all
• Click+Drag on empty space to box-select multiple items (hold Shift to add)

Rectangle Resizing

When a single rectangle is selected and hovered, resize handles appear at:

• Corners (NW, NE, SW, SE)
• Edge midpoints (N, S, E, W)

Drag the handles to resize the rectangle.

Layer Ordering

Key	Action
Ctrl+[	Move selected object down one layer
Ctrl+]	Move selected object up one layer

Text Tool

• Click on empty space to create a new text box
• Click on existing text to edit it
• Type to insert characters at cursor
• Arrow keys to move cursor
• Home / End to jump to start/end
• Backspace / Delete to remove characters
• Ctrl+B to toggle bold mode for new characters
• Escape to finish editing

Rectangle Tool

• Click+Drag to draw a rectangle
• Release to commit the shape
• Rectangle uses current stroke and fill colors
• Bold mode affects border thickness

Line Tool

• Click+Drag to draw a line
• Supports horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines
• Uses Bresenham's algorithm for diagonal rendering
• Line uses current stroke color

Colors

A color picker is displayed at the bottom-right of the canvas.

Stroke Colors

Controls the color of:

• Text characters
• Rectangle borders
• Lines

Available stroke colors: Transparent, Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow

Fill Colors

Controls the background fill of:

• Rectangles (interior area)
• Text boxes (background)

Available fill colors: Transparent, Black, Gray, Muted Red, Muted Green, Muted Blue, Muted Yellow

Transparent (shown as null) means no color is applied, allowing content beneath to show through.

Click on a color swatch to select it. The selected color applies to:

1. New objects you create
2. Currently selected objects (immediately updates them)

File Format

Designs are saved as .tigma files in JSON format. The file stores:

• Text boxes with per-character styling (bold, color)
• Rectangles with position, stroke color, fill color, and bold state
• Lines with position, stroke color, and bold state
• Z-index ordering for proper layering

Features

• Layered rendering: Objects stack based on z-index; newer objects appear on top by default
• Multi-selection: Select multiple objects with Shift+Click or box-select
• Undo/Redo: Up to 100 history snapshots
• Terminal responsive: Adapts to terminal resize events
• Mouse support: Full mouse interaction including hover highlighting
• Live preview: See rectangles and lines as you draw them

Example Workflow

1. Press R to select the Rectangle tool
2. Click and drag to draw a box
3. Press T to select the Text tool
4. Click inside the box and type a label
5. Press Escape to finish editing
6. Press M to switch to Move tool
7. Select objects and adjust positions
8. Use the color picker to change colors
9. Press Ctrl+S to save your work