Toolcraft – open-source AI harness and starter for building design apps logo

Toolcraft – open-source AI harness and starter for building design apps

Show HN: Toolcraft – open-source AI harness and starter for building design apps

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Overview

Toolcraft is an open-source starter kit and UI library for building custom design apps with AI. It works with any AI agent, such as Codex, Claude, or Cursor. The starter app is built with TanStack Router, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Base UI, and includes a canvas with pan and zoom controls, a component library with buttons, dropdowns, sliders, font pickers, color palettes, curve editors, image uploaders, and more. It also provides built-in layers, animation timelines, and keyframes that an agent can enable as needed, along with image and video export workflows. An AI harness gives agents the skills, instructions, and checks to build on Toolcraft's design system, and the kit includes unit, browser, acceptance, and performance checks. All code behind the app is ready to customize with an AI agent. Toolcraft is not a cloud service; it is a batch of files copied into a folder of your choice when using the command-line tool or asking an agent to do it. The generated app can run independently and can be deployed to web hosts such as Cloudflare, Vercel, or Netlify.

Pricing

Detailed plans have not been confirmed in our catalog. Check the official website for current limits and billing terms.

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Prices and limits may change. Confirm the currency, billing period, seat minimum and usage caps on the official website.

Use Cases

  • Teams use Toolcraft to build procedural graphics and gradient generators.
  • Teams use Toolcraft to create image stylization tools, including ASCII, pixel, halftone, and glitch effects.
  • Teams use Toolcraft to run shader and Three.js experiments.
  • Teams use Toolcraft to build animation and video-effect tools.
  • Teams use Toolcraft to generate blog covers and branded assets.

Features

Customizable design app starter

Pan and zoom canvas

Ready-made design controls

Layer management components

Animation timelines and keyframes

Image and video export workflows

Agent instructions and checks

Reviews

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FAQ

Why would I use Toolcraft instead of Figma?

Use Toolcraft only when a custom app would solve your task faster or better than Figma or another design tool. First consider what your existing software can do, including its AI features, and account for the time needed to build the app. For example, managing hundreds of small layers and repeatedly applying effects or adjustments can become cumbersome in Figma. With a custom app, you decide which controls and parameters to include, how the design responds to them, and which export options you need, including video. You can build a repeatable workflow for producing consistent brand assets in batches, then keep expanding it as your ideas evolve. You can also share the app with your client so they can create new assets on their own.

How long does it take to generate an app?

It depends on what you want to build. You can usually expect a first working result 30–60 minutes after your initial prompt. More complex tasks, such as reverse engineering a reference, combining multiple WebGL effects, or building 3D tools, can take longer. Toolcraft isn’t a magic tool that lets you create anything instantly. It gives you the workspace, AI guardrails, and skills to make the process smoother and improve your chances of getting the result you want. At Pixel Point, we often spend 1–3 days on a single app and go through 30–50 iterations with AI, sometimes more, before reaching a version that matches what we envisioned.

Where can I find my generated app?

Toolcraft uses port 3002 for the local development environment by default. If it’s busy on the first launch, it picks the next available port and remembers it for your project. After creating the app, your AI agent will usually give you a URL like http://localhost:3002 that you can open in your browser. If it doesn’t, simply ask your agent to start the dev server or give you the local URL.

Is a $20/month Codex, Cursor, or Claude plan enough to build an app?

No. In general, $20/month plans aren’t suitable for meaningful work. Use a plan that costs at least $100/month.

Is Toolcraft an application or a cloud service?

No. It’s a batch of files copied into a folder of your choice when you use the command-line tool or ask an agent to do it for you. Those files contain the starter, component library, and AI harness that help you build your own design apps faster and better.

Is Toolcraft free?

Yes. Toolcraft is completely free, open-source software licensed under MIT. You’re free to use it in commercial projects, modify it, and distribute it to your clients.

Can I use apps built with Toolcraft for commercial projects and client work?

Yes. The starter in this repository uses the MIT license, which allows commercial use, modification, and distribution. You can build tools for paid client work and use them in your business.

Which AI agents can I use with Toolcraft?

You can use Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or another coding agent that can read and edit project files, run commands, and follow the project's instructions. Open the project in your agent and describe what you want to build. Toolcraft includes instructions and skills to guide the work.

Can I start from an existing example instead of building from scratch?

Yes. Browse the example apps, open the one you want to start from, and click Clone with CLI on its page to copy the setup command. Ask your agent to run it, or paste it into your terminal. For example: npx @pixel-point/toolcraft@latest create --template prism-flow. Your new project starts with that example's design and features, which you can then change with your agent.

Can I publish my app and share it with teammates or clients?

Yes. Your agent can prepare the app for publishing and help you deploy it to a web host of your choice. It can run pretty much anywhere and can be easily deployed to Cloudflare, Vercel, or Netlify.

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