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Thoughts, tutorials, and insights

0.5.8/

One-line install

September 23, 2026•5 min read

One-line install

One command installs omadesign to ~/.local/bin and a desktop entry under your home directory. Nothing is written to /usr.

omadesign0.5.8install

Portable ARM64 and x86_64

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Portable ARM64 and x86_64

Omadesign 0.5.8 ships native ARM64 and x86_64 tarballs built for glibc 2.35. Same studio on Asahi, Ubuntu 22.04+, and current Arch.

omadesign0.5.8binaries

First five minutes

September 23, 2026•6 min read

First five minutes

Launch omadesign, pick a size or one of the 52 templates, then draw. Design starts on R, P, and T. Pixel paints with B. Photo grades a folder.

omadesign0.5.8welcome

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Welcome logo 0.5.8

The 0.5.8 welcome screen uses the corrected transparent logo, 25% larger, on a dark ground. Panels fade from the lighter theme color into that chrome.

omadesign0.5.8welcome

Welcome segmented buttons

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Welcome segmented buttons

0.5.8 welcome controls use gradient segments, Phosphor utility icons, and squarer rounded project folders. The screen is the studio's front door.

omadesign0.5.8welcome

Persistent title bar

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Persistent title bar

0.5.8 keeps the title bar visible so open-document thumbnails stay put. The menu is the Omadesign wordmark, without a second Open or Preferences link.

omadesign0.5.8chrome

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Filter icon states

The 0.5.8 welcome filter icon has no button background. Hover turns it blue. An active filter turns it red, so you can see the funnel is on.

omadesign0.5.8welcome

Template chooser width

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Template chooser width

The 0.5.8 template chooser opens at its final width and stays there as the pointer moves in. The 52 starters do not jump under the cursor.

omadesign0.5.8templates

Crash recovery swap

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Crash recovery swap

Idle a second and Omadesign writes ~/.local/share/omadesign/<id>.oma.swp. Save deletes it. The Recovered tab lists the leftovers. Recents lists files you opened.

omadesign0.5.8recovery

Document tabs

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Document tabs

Document tabs sit above the canvas. Ctrl+N starts a tab, Ctrl+O opens another, and a close on unsaved work asks Save, Discard, or Cancel.

omadesign0.5.8tabs

Five personas one document

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Five personas one document

Design, Layout, Pixel, Photo, and Motion share one Linux binary, one .oma, and one layer stack. You change the tool well, not the file.

omadesign0.5.8personas

Design persona tools

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Design persona tools

Design is the mark, the poster, the layout. The first keys are Move V, Pen P, Rectangle R, and Type T, in the same .oma you will paint and animate.

omadesign0.5.8design

Layout persona tools

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Layout persona tools

Layout builds screens in the same .oma as the drawing. Frame is F, rectangle is R, type is T. Export the selected frame as PNG, SVG, or HTML.

omadesign0.5.8layout

Pixel persona tools

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Pixel persona tools

Pixel is for painting and retouching. Brush B, Eraser E, Clone J, and Wand W work on a pixel layer inside the same .oma as the vectors.

omadesign0.5.8pixel

Photo persona tools

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Photo persona tools

Photo grades the capture with Crop C and the develop sliders, then Place in Design. Settings sit in a .omaphoto file. The camera original is never rewritten.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Motion persona tools

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Motion persona tools

Motion animates the artboard you already drew. Space plays, K sets transform keys, and File exports Lottie or animated SVG. The rest pose stays the drawing.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Shortcut HUD

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Shortcut HUD

The Shortcut HUD sits on the bottom edge. The upper row follows the tool. The lower row lists letter keys. Hold Ctrl, Shift, or Alt to see those commands. Ctrl+/ toggles it.

omadesign0.5.8shortcuts

HUD modifiers while drawing

September 23, 2026•6 min read

HUD modifiers while drawing

The Shortcut HUD keeps a constant height when modifiers change, so a drag does not jump. Hover + more for overflow. Hints never take the keyboard. F1 is the full list.

omadesign0.5.8shortcuts

Omarchy theme chrome

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Omarchy theme chrome

Studio chrome follows Omarchy theme colors and the desktop font. Icons are Phosphor Light. Point OMADESIGN_FONT at a .ttf when you want a different UI face.

omadesign0.5.8theme

Theme fallback chain

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Theme fallback chain

On launch, Omadesign reads the current Omarchy colors.toml, then the named theme file, then stock Catppuccin. The first file that is there wins.

omadesign0.5.8theme

Move tool

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Move tool

Move is V. Click selects, drag moves, eight handles scale, the top handle rotates. Shift adds or constrains. Alt-drag clones. Corner dots round a rectangle.

omadesign0.5.8vectors

Layer reorder shortcuts

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Layer reorder shortcuts

Select a layer row, then Ctrl+[ or Ctrl+] to reorder it. Add Shift to send it to the back or front of its group. Each reorder is one undo.

omadesign0.5.8vectors

Free transform

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Free transform

Ctrl+T puts the selection into Move with scale and rotation handles ready. Live text stays live. Shape parameters stay editable. The command is also under Object.

omadesign0.5.8vectors

Node tool

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Node tool

Node is A. Drag points and Bézier handles, Shift-click to add, Alt-click to convert corner and smooth, Alt-drag to break symmetry, Delete to remove points.

omadesign0.5.8vectors

Break path

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Break path

Object → Break path turns a live shape into points that sit on the rotated artwork. The first node edit converts the same way. Selecting the path writes no undo.

omadesign0.5.8paths

Flip horizontal vertical

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Flip horizontal vertical

Flip horizontal and Flip vertical mirror across the canvas axes you can see, rotation included. Undo restores the art. Live text needs Convert to path first.

omadesign0.5.8vectors

Pen tool

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Pen tool

Pen is P. Click for a corner, click-drag for a smooth point, and a twitch under 3px stays a corner. Shift holds 45°. Esc drops the last point, then cancels.

omadesign0.5.8pen

Artboard tool

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Artboard tool

Artboard is Shift+O. Draw a board, drag to move it, scale from the handles, rotate from the top handle. Alt-drag clones. Rename it in Transform.

omadesign0.5.8artboards

Pencil freehand

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Pencil freehand

Pencil is N. Drag a freehand curve on the same canvas as the pen. Hold Shift and the stroke locks to horizontal, vertical, or 45 degrees.

omadesign0.5.8drawing

Shape tools

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Shape tools

Rectangle R, ellipse O, polygon Y, star S, and line L drag on like any shape tool you already know. Shift constrains. Radius, sides, and inner radius stay in Transform until you edit nodes.

omadesign0.5.8shapes

Corner radius multi-edit 0.5.8

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Corner radius multi-edit 0.5.8

In 0.5.8, Alt-drag a corner-radius handle with the Node tool and every corner on the path changes. Shift-select a set of corners, then drag one selected handle, and that set moves together.

omadesign0.5.8corners

Type tool

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Type tool

Type is T. Click, and the first keystroke replaces the word Type. Enter starts a new line. Esc or a click away finishes. Double-click comes back to edit.

omadesign0.5.8type

OpenType character studio

September 23, 2026•6 min read

OpenType character studio

Character studio sets kerning, ligatures, tabular figures, and small caps on the text you already have. Project fonts from Brand → Typography show up in the font picker without a system install.

omadesign0.5.8type

Gradient eyedropper

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Gradient eyedropper

Gradient is G. Drag across a selected shape and the active fill or stroke keeps its stops. Eyedropper is I and samples the fill. X swaps fill and stroke. D restores defaults.

omadesign0.5.8color

Trace raster to vector

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Trace raster to vector

Trace is U. It turns the active pixel layer into vectors, with threshold, color count, and smoothness in the Trace studio. Object → Trace to vector runs the same command without switching tools.

omadesign0.5.8trace

Zoom and hand

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Zoom and hand

Zoom is Z. Drag a box, click to zoom in, Alt-click to zoom out. Ctrl-click fits the artboard. Hand is H, and Space pans. Scroll zooms the canvas, not the panels.

omadesign0.5.8canvas

Select same properties

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Select same properties

Select gathers All, None, Invert, Same Fill, Same Stroke, Same Effects, and objects with or without those properties. A match is the whole property. Hidden and locked objects stay out.

omadesign0.5.8selection

Compound paths 0.5.8

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Compound paths 0.5.8

In 0.5.8, repeated unions and subtractions stay editable compound paths. Holes stay holes. Double-click with Move or Node and you can move points, pull handles, insert, delete, and break a contour.

omadesign0.5.8paths

Pathfinder ops

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Pathfinder ops

Object → Pathfinder runs Union, Subtract, Intersect, XOR, and Divide on two or more vectors on the same layer. Stacking order matters. Each operation is one undo. Holes survive Divide.

omadesign0.5.8pathfinder

Combine and release

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Combine and release

Group is Ctrl+G. Ungroup is Ctrl+Shift+G, and it does not fuse paths. Combine into a compound is Ctrl+8. Release compound is Ctrl+Shift+8. Artwork and guides do not mix in one combine.

omadesign0.5.8compounds

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Expand stroke

Object → Expand stroke to outline turns the visible stroke into filled geometry, including caps, joins, and dashes. The fill you already had stays beneath. Compound outlines keep their holes.

omadesign0.5.8strokes

Reshape distort skew

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Reshape distort skew

Object → Reshape opens Distort, Skew, Perspective, or a nine-handle Warp mesh. Shift constrains. Ctrl reverses snapping. Enter finishes. The first handle you move converts live text and parameter shapes to paths.

omadesign0.5.8reshape

SVG FX stack

September 23, 2026•6 min read

SVG FX stack

The FX studio stacks SVG filters on the selection, then on the layer underneath. Blur, shadow, offset, color, turbulence, displacement. The parameters are the SVG parameters.

omadesign0.5.8effects

FX export to SVG

September 23, 2026•6 min read

FX export to SVG

FX parameters are the SVG parameters. The canvas shows them rasterized. SVG export writes a filter element and the fe primitives, so the graph you built is the graph you share.

omadesign0.5.8svg

Layers eye lock

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Layers eye lock

Layers expand to the objects on them. The eye and the lock work per object. Click a name to select it on the canvas. A group expands, renames, hides, locks, and reorders as one unit.

omadesign0.5.8layers

Pass through blending

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Pass through blending

Pass through lets child blend modes reach the backdrop outside an explicit group. Turn it off and the group isolates. Regular layers and Layout frames isolate on their own.

omadesign0.5.8blending

Ruler guides

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Ruler guides

Drag a horizontal guide from the top ruler and a vertical guide from the left. Delete, drag off the canvas, or use the context menu to remove one. Ctrl+; shows or hides ruler and object guides.

omadesign0.5.8guides

Convert selection to guides

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Convert selection to guides

Object → Guides → Convert selection to guides turns vectors into non-printing contours you can still edit. Curves, compounds, shapes, and live text keep their data. Release guides restores the artwork.

omadesign0.5.8guides

Guides survive save

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Guides survive save

Guides stay in the .oma when you save, and they stay out of PNG, JPEG, SVG, and Lottie. A placed photo keeps its pixels.

omadesign0.5.8guides

Lock unlock guides 0.5.8

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Lock unlock guides 0.5.8

0.5.8 puts Lock all guides and Unlock all guides on View → Guides as two commands. Guides start locked so type work does not nudge a rail.

omadesign0.5.8guides

Ruler zero and units

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Ruler zero and units

Drag the ruler corner to set zero. Double-click resets it. px, mm, cm, in, and pt follow document DPI and leave the artwork in pixels.

omadesign0.5.8rulers

Snapping system

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Snapping system

Snap to edges, centers, guides, the grid, and equal gaps. Ctrl+Shift+; toggles. Hold Ctrl during a drag to reverse that choice, then let go.

omadesign0.5.8snapping

Shift constrain Alt clone

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Shift constrain Alt clone

Shift locks pen, brush, and moves to horizontal, vertical, or 45 degrees. Alt-drag clones. On a brush, Shift anchors at the last free point.

omadesign0.5.8modifiers

Frames nest

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Frames nest

Press F and drag a frame. Draw another inside it and it nests. Wrap a selection, or drop an image fill, in the same .oma as the drawing.

omadesign0.5.8layout

Auto-layout stack

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Auto-layout stack

Select a frame and turn on Stack children. The inspector checkbox reads Arrange children automatically. Direction, gap, padding, and layer order do the packing.

omadesign0.5.8layout

Frame constraints

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Frame constraints

A child of a frame pins with Min, Max, Stretch, Center, or Scale. The pins are stored on the object in the .oma and run when you resize the parent.

omadesign0.5.8layout

Export frame

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Export frame

File → Export frame PNG, SVG, or HTML writes the selected frame and its children. The rest of the artboard stays in the .oma.

omadesign0.5.8layout

Layout templates

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Layout templates

Layout starters are five frame documents: Fieldwork, mobile screen, landing hero, dashboard, and card stack. They sit beside the 52 vector templates. They are not five of those 52.

omadesign0.5.8templates

Canvas comments

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Canvas comments

Write a note, pin it on the canvas, and resolve it. The pin is stored in the .oma. The inspector shows how many are still open on the frame.

omadesign0.5.8layout

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Pixel layer

Paint lives on a pixel layer in the same stack as the vectors. If the document is vector-only, add one from the Layers menu. The paths stay paths.

omadesign0.5.8pixel

Brush eraser fill

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Brush eraser fill

Brush is B. Size is the bracket keys. Hardness is Shift plus the brackets. Eraser E, Fill K, Clone J, Smudge M. Alt-click sets the clone source.

omadesign0.5.8pixel

Healing brush

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Healing brush

Shift+J. Alt-click clean texture, then paint the blemish. The dab blends that texture into the local color. The source stays fixed for the stroke. Undo restores the whole stroke.

omadesign0.5.8pixel

Selections pixel

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Selections pixel

Marquee is Shift+M, elliptical marquee is Shift+O, lasso is Q, wand is W. Tolerance sits in Brush. Ants stay until Esc. Paint stays inside the selection.

omadesign0.5.8pixel

Layer masks

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Layer masks

Add a layer mask from the layer menu or the Pixel inspector. Reveal all, hide all, or start from the selection. Black hides. White reveals. The pixels stay put.

omadesign0.5.8masks

Mask invert apply

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Mask invert apply

Invert flips coverage. Remove puts the original layer back. Apply to pixels bakes a raster and one undo restores both the pixels and the mask. Placed-image masks follow the transform.

omadesign0.5.8masks

Open photos folder

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Open photos folder

Open a photo, browse a folder, drop files, or load samples. The library shows camera metadata when the file has it. Imports run in the background while you grade.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Camera RAW decoder

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Camera RAW decoder

LibRaw 0.22.2 is in the binary. DNG, CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF, RW2, and the rest of the recognized families decode to 16-bit linear sRGB. No converter download. The camera file stays put.

omadesign0.5.8raw

Develop panel groups

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Develop panel groups

Develop is three groups: Light, Color, and Detail. Tone curve, color mixer, and color grading stay collapsed until you open them. Before is the default development. Auto light sets exposure from the preview.

omadesign0.5.8photo

omaphoto sidecars

September 23, 2026•6 min read

omaphoto sidecars

Save settings writes photo.png.omaphoto beside the original. Open either file to resume. The pair is name, size, and modification time. The camera file is never rewritten.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Photo undo history

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Photo undo history

Photo has its own Undo and Redo, on the selected photo. Quit asks Save all, Discard, or Cancel for unsaved photo settings before palettes and artwork, and it waits for the writes.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Photo export bit depth

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Photo export bit depth

Export JPEG, PNG, or TIFF in the background at full developed size, crop and rotation included. RAW PNG and TIFF keep 16-bit channels. Place in Design adds an 8-bit pixel layer and one undo.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Tiled full-res preview

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Tiled full-res preview

The first view is a preview whose long edge is at most 1600 pixels. Zoom in and full-resolution tiles fill in from a background develop. The preview stays up until those tiles exist.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Copy paste adjustments

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Copy paste adjustments

Copy a developed look with Ctrl+Shift+C and paste it onto a Library selection with Ctrl+Shift+V. Crop and rotation stay off unless you turn them on.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Batch save settings

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Batch save settings

After a paste, Ctrl+S writes a .omaphoto sidecar for every selected photo. The batch is one Undo and one Redo. Categories travel on their own.

omadesign0.5.8photo

omapreset library

September 23, 2026•5 min read

omapreset library

Save a named Photo look, filter the library, and move it as a .omapreset file. The preset keeps development values and categories, and a name clash keeps both.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Whole folder apply

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Whole folder apply

Browse a folder, apply a copied look or a preset to the whole folder, and write one .omaphoto per photo in the background. Pixels stay untouched. Subfolders stay out.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Folder job limits

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Folder job limits

A folder job stops at 10,000 photos and 32 MiB of settings history. Cancel leaves finished files undoable, and a sidecar edited outside the job is kept on Undo.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Photo navigation

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Photo navigation

In Photo, hold Space or use Hand to drag. Middle-drag and two-finger scroll pan. Pinch, Ctrl+scroll, and Alt+scroll zoom. Ctrl+0 fits. Ctrl+1 is 100%.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Rest pose intact

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Rest pose intact

The artboard you drew is the rest pose. Motion keeps a clip of tracks in the .oma and does not rewrite that drawing. Still PNG, JPEG, and SVG export the rest pose.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Motion presets

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Motion presets

Select vectors and apply Draw stroke, Pop in, Slam, Shake, Fill up, the four Slides, Fly, Zoom, Buzz, or Fade in. Locked, hidden, and guide objects are skipped.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Timing and energy

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Timing and energy

Duration sits above the motion presets. Timing & energy sets delay, stagger, intensity, and start-at-playhead. Each apply is its own Undo and only rewrites the channels it owns.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Keyframe editing

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Keyframe editing

Drag a shape to write keys at the playhead. The first key after zero also plants the rest pose at zero. K keys X, Y, rotation, and scale. Delete peels a key, then the animation, then the object.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Playback controls

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Playback controls

Space plays and pauses in Motion. Home and End jump the playhead. Loop is the repeat icon. Cycle ease on the key you selected. The preview stays in the persona.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Export animated SVG

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Export animated SVG

File → Export animated SVG… writes animated transforms and stroke and fill reveals, and it keeps masks and effects. Text is outlined in that file. The .oma text stays editable.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Export Lottie

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Export Lottie

Export Lottie… writes a Bodymovin 5.x shape animation with trim paths and fill masks. Pixel layers, layer masks, and effects stop the export with a clear error. Use animated SVG for those.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Import Lottie

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Import Lottie

Import Lottie… places a shape-layer Lottie on the timeline. The importer covers a basic shape subset. Keep the .oma for the full editable animation. Still exports remain the rest pose.

omadesign0.5.8motion

Fifty-two templates

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Fifty-two templates

Templates · 52 opens from the welcome screen or File → Template library. Search by name or idea, filter nine categories, and pick a built-in size or a custom width, height, and DPI.

omadesign0.5.8templates

Templates offline editable

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Templates offline editable

A template opens as an unsaved document with editable paper, artwork, and copy. Your other tab stays put. Fonts are local. Portrait, square, and landscape layouts are distinct, and tiny sizes drop unreadable lines.

omadesign0.5.8templates

Three right tabs

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Three right tabs

The right sidebar is three tabs. Inspect for the selected artwork, Palettes for reusable colors, and Brand for logos, images, fonts, and other assets.

omadesign0.5.8palettes

Project library files

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Project library files

Project kits sit beside the work as .omacolors, .omatype, and .omabrand/. A saved document uses the nearest enclosing folder that has any of them, or starts beside the document.

omadesign0.5.8palettes

Personal vs project palettes

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Personal vs project palettes

Palettes are Personal across your work or Project in the current folder. Name a palette, filter it, add the current color, the selection, or a hex including #RRGGBBAA, then click a swatch onto Fill or Stroke.

omadesign0.5.8palettes

Palette save export

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Palette save export

Palette Save is its own write, separate from the artwork. Load palettes… merges and suffixes name clashes. Export one palette or the whole collection. Duplicate and remove are there.

omadesign0.5.8palettes

Palette conflict handling

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Palette conflict handling

Palette files refresh about every three seconds. Unsaved edits stay put and Save blocks if the file changed underneath. Export a copy or Reload saved colors. Quit asks before it leaves.

omadesign0.5.8palettes

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Brand bank load

Brand → Load bank… opens a project folder or its .omabrand directory. Create bank, name it, and Save. Add assets… copies files in. The originals stay where they were.

omadesign0.5.8brand

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Brand asset place

Filter brand tiles by name, path, or type. Thumbnails load in the background and refresh about every three seconds. Drag onto the canvas or double-click to center. Ctrl+Z undoes the place.

omadesign0.5.8brand

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Brand accepted formats

A brand bank takes PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, BMP, GIF, SVG, and .oma. SVG uses the supported import subset. Save bank copy… clones the bank, its name, and its nested folders to another project.

omadesign0.5.8brand

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Brand typography kit

Add fonts… copies TTF and OTF files into the project. Name the kit, save roles such as Heading and Body, and Apply them to text. The faces work inside Omadesign with no system install.

omadesign0.5.8typography

Typography load save copy

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Typography load save copy

Load kit… merges another .omatype and copies its fonts. Save copy… writes the kit and the faces into another project. Remove a role and the font file stays for artwork that already uses it.

omadesign0.5.8typography

Project fonts travel

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Project fonts travel

Move the project and native .oma text stays editable, including new characters. Saving into another folder copies the faces that artwork uses. SVG export outlines project-font text. The .oma keeps the live text.

omadesign0.5.8typography

Share project kit

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Share project kit

A project kit is .omacolors, .omatype, and the whole .omabrand folder beside the work. They are dotfiles. Show hidden files before you copy by hand. Fieldwork ships as a portable reference.

omadesign0.5.8project-kit

Native oma format

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Native oma format

A .oma is JSON, PNG-packed rasters, and a motion clip in one file. Version 5 carries frames, auto-layout, constraints, and opt-in cloud metadata. Save imports as .oma to keep the editable document and the conversion notes.

omadesign0.5.8oma

Open layered foreign docs

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Open layered foreign docs

File → Open reads layered PSD, PSB, XCF, every PDF page, PDF-compatible AI, OpenRaster, SVG, and Affinity via the optional bridge. Each file opens in its own tab at its size. Save writes a .oma and leaves the source.

omadesign0.5.8import

Place command

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Place command

File → Place… is Ctrl+Shift+P. The artwork loads in the background, then you click or drag to place it. Nested layers and masks come along. Undo removes the placement in one step. Enter places at center. Esc cancels.

omadesign0.5.8place

Drop to open or place

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Drop to open or place

Drop a layered document on the canvas or the welcome screen to open it. Ordinary images place. A .oma opens. Lottie imports. The status bar confirms copy, cut, and paste. Copy style is Ctrl+Alt+C. Paste style is Ctrl+Alt+V.

omadesign0.5.8place

Conversion notes

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Conversion notes

View → Document conversion notes lists what an import dropped or converted. The notes stay in the .oma. Affinity-only features, live Photoshop type, smart objects, effects, and private Illustrator data stay unrebuilt.

omadesign0.5.8import

Export matrix

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Export matrix

Export writes PNG at 1×, 2×, and 3×, plus JPEG, SVG, animated SVG, Lottie JSON, layered PSD and PSB, PDF, and OpenRaster. Layers a format cannot keep may become pixel layers, with notes. There is no native .af or .ai writer.

omadesign0.5.8export

PSD PSB bridge

September 23, 2026•6 min read

PSD PSB bridge

PSD and PSB open through a native layered reader and export as RGB 8-bit layers. Groups, names, masks, blends, and supported Normal color overlays can survive. Text and smart objects arrive as saved pixels.

omadesign0.5.8psd

Affinity optional bridge

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Affinity optional bridge

Affinity files open through the optional converter from setup-affinity-import.sh. Vectors, text, pixels, groups, masks, and artboards can come across. Adjustments and history often do not. The app does not download the converter.

omadesign0.5.8affinity

PDF AI import export

September 23, 2026•6 min read

PDF AI import export

PDF pages open as artboards with paths, supported text, images, and optional-content layers. Export writes pages, vectors, and that layer metadata. An .ai contributes its PDF-compatible artwork. Private Illustrator data stays unrebuilt.

omadesign0.5.8pdf

OpenRaster GIMP

September 23, 2026•5 min read

OpenRaster GIMP

OpenRaster imports and exports layers, stack.xml, a merged preview, and a thumbnail. GIMP .xcf opens in a native reader and does not write back. Text and effects arrive as pixels. Keep the .oma. Send ORA or PSD back.

omadesign0.5.8openraster

Headless inspect convert

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Headless inspect convert

omadesign --inspect reports a PSD, Affinity file, XCF, NEF, or .omaphoto as JSON. --convert writes .oma, SVG, PNG, JPEG, PSD, PSB, PDF, or OpenRaster. The CLI uses the desktop readers. Converting a file onto itself is refused.

omadesign0.5.8cli

RAW headless develop

September 23, 2026•6 min read

RAW headless develop

omadesign --convert photograph.dng --output photograph.tif develops a full-resolution 16-bit file through the Photo pipeline. JPEG is 8-bit. A matching .omaphoto is applied on its own. The camera file is never overwritten.

omadesign0.5.8raw

Cloud opt-in

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Cloud opt-in

Cloud stays off until you opt in. The .oma remains on disk. File → Sign in is the browser approval. Push project + review export is the upload. Unpublished work stays out of the gallery.

omadesign0.5.8cloud

Sign in identity

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Sign in identity

File → Sign in… opens a browser device code. Approve only the code the desktop is showing. The site account holds the name and email. A name in a file does not, by itself, grant cloud access.

omadesign0.5.8cloud

Enable sync invite

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Enable sync invite

Push project + review export uploads a versioned .oma and a flat PNG, then you save so the cloud link stays in the file. Owners invite a verified email as editor or reviewer. Other drafts on disk stay local.

omadesign0.5.8cloud

Publish to showcase

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Publish to showcase

Publish selected export is a separate owner step. /showcase lists public flat images. /showcase/:id shows one. Source files, assets, and private review threads stay out. Unpublished and private ids stay off the gallery.

omadesign0.5.8showcase

Collaborator project view

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Collaborator project view

/project/:id opens the signed-in workspace for that project. Pin, reply, and resolve on a flat export. Layout pins on the canvas stay with the frame. Without OMADESIGN_CLOUD_URL the desktop keeps ~/.local/share/omadesign/cloud-store.json.

omadesign0.5.8cloud

Compete waitlist

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Compete waitlist

/compete lists competitions, public entries, and withdrawal. A competition stays unpublished until it has a real brief and dates. Enter with a public showcase work. /account is identity. /api/cloud is the desktop transport.

omadesign0.5.8cloud

Lua 5.4 embedded

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Lua 5.4 embedded

Omadesign 0.5.8 embeds Lua 5.4.9 and plugin API 1 inside the Linux packages. There is no separate runtime to install. An update leaves the plugins you already installed in place.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Manage plugins

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Manage plugins

Plugins → Manage plugins installs a .lua file, a folder with main.lua, or an .omaplug bundle. Each plugin has an Enable checkbox. An update keeps a hidden backup of the previous folder. Reload after you edit.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Studio starter twelve

September 23, 2026•6 min read

Studio starter twelve

Studio starter ships twelve Lua actions on first install. A duotone, a shadow, an SVG icon, two brushes, a canvas tool, a pattern, a gradient, a palette, a batch nudge, and two behaviors that stay off until you opt in.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Plugin undo safety

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Plugin undo safety

A plugin runs off the UI thread. A finished document action is one Undo step. Errors, Cancel, and a document you edited mid-run leave the artwork untouched.

omadesign0.5.8undo

Plugin categories

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Plugin categories

Plugin actions declare a category. Filters, effects, icons, brushes, tools, behaviors, batch, patterns, gradients, and swatches each have a precondition, and the manager groups them that way.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Canvas tool plugins

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Canvas tool plugins

A tool plugin arms with Activate tool. The drag previews as a line. Editable artwork appears on release. Escape exits. Pixel filters and brush presets still need a raster layer.

omadesign0.5.8tools

Opt-in behaviors

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Opt-in behaviors

Document and selection behaviors ship off. One checkbox opts in, remembers the choice, and a behavior’s own output does not fire itself again.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Host API surface

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Host API surface

API 1 is a short list of oma calls. Shapes, fills, effects, brushes, palettes, SVG, pixels, and a status message. Each run gets a fresh Lua VM.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Plugin CLI batch

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Plugin CLI batch

omadesign --plugin and --batch walk every immediate .oma in filename order, write new files, keep the inputs, and refuse a path that already exists.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Install list plugins CLI

September 23, 2026•4 min read

Install list plugins CLI

omadesign --install-plugin and --list-plugins run without a window. Brush, palette, and canvas tools still belong to the desktop. Document commands batch from the shell.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Plugin sandbox limits

September 23, 2026•4 min read

Plugin sandbox limits

A plugin cannot run programs, open the network, or read arbitrary files. The caps are 15 seconds, 64 MiB of Lua heap, and 20,000 edits. This release has no plugin marketplace.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Starter source path

September 23, 2026•4 min read

Starter source path

After install, the clean Studio starter tree is at ~/.local/share/omadesign/plugin-examples/studio-starter. Fork the repo, add a folder under plugins/, and open a pull request with the proof.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Adobe familiar tool keys

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Adobe familiar tool keys

The tool letters are V A P N R O Y S L T G I U B E K J, Shift+J, M C W H Z. F1 opens the full list. The HUD at the bottom follows the tool you are holding.

omadesign0.5.8shortcuts

File and edit keys

September 23, 2026•5 min read

File and edit keys

Undo is Ctrl+Z. Redo is Ctrl+Shift+Z, and Ctrl+Y also redos. Save, open, new, place, and export sit on the usual chords. Pixel Ctrl+D clears a selection. Super+D duplicates.

omadesign0.5.8shortcuts

Arrange and transform keys

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Arrange and transform keys

Ctrl+G groups and Ctrl+Shift+G ungroups. Compound is Ctrl+8 and release is Ctrl+Shift+8. Front and back, free transform, guides, snapping, the HUD, and F1 sit on the chords beside them.

omadesign0.5.8shortcuts

View and motion keys

September 23, 2026•5 min read

View and motion keys

Ctrl+0 fits, Ctrl+1 is 100%, and Ctrl plus or minus zooms. Hold Space to pan. In Motion, Space plays, K sets keys, and Delete removes a key or the animation.

omadesign0.5.8shortcuts

Native dialogs context

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Native dialogs context

Open, save, place, and export use the desktop file dialog. Right-click the canvas for Place, Trace, and the same edits. The status bar reports copy, cut, and paste.

omadesign0.5.8shortcuts

Plugins offline docs

September 23, 2026•4 min read

Plugins offline docs

The 0.5.8 package carries Lua, the manual, the plugin guide, the creation skill, Studio starter, and the licenses. Author from the files on disk. The in-app Docs item still opens the website.

omadesign0.5.8docs

One binary not three apps

September 23, 2026•5 min read

One binary not three apps

Design, Layout, Pixel, Photo, and Motion are personas in one Linux binary. The letters V, P, T, and B stay put. F1 lists the rest while the same .oma stays open.

omadesign0.5.8personas

Vectors pixels photo motion

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Vectors pixels photo motion

Design, Pixel, Photo, and Motion share one layer stack in a .oma. Layout frames live in that file when the brief is a screen. The RAW stays beside it until you place.

omadesign0.5.8documents

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Brand kit on disk

Palettes live in .omacolors, font roles in .omatype, and logos in .omabrand/. Copy the project folder. No account is required to open the kit on another machine.

omadesign0.5.8brand

RAW sidecars not destructive

September 23, 2026•5 min read

RAW sidecars not destructive

Save settings writes .omaphoto beside the camera file and leaves the pixels alone. Whole-folder apply writes sidecars only. Place in Design when the grade should enter the poster.

omadesign0.5.8photo

Plugins without ExtendScript tax

September 23, 2026•4 min read

Plugins without ExtendScript tax

0.5.8 runs Lua plugins inside the binary. Filters, effects, icons, brushes, tools, patterns, gradients, swatches, and a batch command. One undo. No separate runtime.

omadesign0.5.8plugins

Import honesty export choice

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Import honesty export choice

Open PSD, PDF, SVG, ORA, XCF, Affinity through the bridge, and RAW. Conversion notes stay in the .oma. Export PNG at 1× 2× 3×, SVG, Lottie, PSD, PDF, and ORA. There is no native AI or Affinity writer.

omadesign0.5.8files

Cloud optional showcase explicit

September 23, 2026•5 min read

Cloud optional showcase explicit

File → Sign in is optional. Push uploads a version when you ask. Publish to the showcase is a second step by the owner. Unpublished work stays off the public gallery. The .oma remains local.

omadesign0.5.8cloud

Linux first creative suite

September 23, 2026•4 min read

Linux first creative suite

curl installs omadesign into ~/.local/bin and writes nothing to /usr. Omarchy colors, Phosphor icons, ARM64 and x86_64, offline templates, and Lua inside the 0.5.8 package.

omadesign0.5.8linux