Open-source architecture studio: C4 models, ADRs, fitness functions and requirements in one living model, with an AI co-architect.
Try it in the browser · Architecture Hub · Manual
Architecture diagrams go stale because they are pictures. In radical.tools they are views of one model. Every element lives once, and the canvas, dependency matrix, sequence diagram, table and wiki all read from it. The decisions, requirements and fitness functions that explain the architecture live in the same model, linked to the elements they govern.
- No account, nothing to install. Open it in the browser and start modelling. Your model stays in local storage or plain files you can commit.
- C4 without the busywork. Smart Layout places nodes, minimises crossings and fits groups for you.
- From a paragraph to a model. Radical Forge turns a system description into requirements, fitness functions, Gherkin scenarios, UI mockups and a C4 model, one reviewable stage at a time.
- Bring your own AI. OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or a local model through Ollama.
- Don't start from zero. Import from 120+ curated patterns, ADRs, fitness functions and blueprints in the Architecture Hub.
 UI mockups & screen flows, AI-generated wireframes linked to requirements |
 Architecture Hub, curated concepts you can import in one click |
 Dependency matrix, one of six views over the same model |
 Architecture wiki, documentation generated from the model |
Open studio.radical.tools. No sign-up, nothing to install.
Desktop app: there are no prebuilt installers yet. To run it as an Electron app, build it from source (see Getting started): npm install && npm run dist produces an installer for your OS in dist/.
VS Code: an extension that opens .radical files right in the editor lives in apps/vscode.
- C4 model: Person, Software System, Container, Component, Database, Web App, Queue, Relation
- Domain & Governance elements: Domain, ADR, Fitness Function, Requirement, Blueprint
- UI mockups: Mockup element with a design link or an AI-generated low-fi wireframe, linked to requirements and scenarios (illustrates), to the container that renders it (presented by) and to other screens (navigates to) to model screen flows
- Smart Layout: SA-based auto-layout with crossing minimisation, edge-length optimisation, aspect-ratio penalty, and compound parent fitting
- Multiple layout engines: ELK (hierarchical/layered/force), webcola (live physics), custom Smart Layout pipeline
- AI assistant: chat with OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini / Ollama to generate and modify diagrams
- Radical Forge: turn a system description into requirements, fitness functions, Gherkin scenarios, UI mockups and a C4 model, one reviewable stage at a time
- Architecture Hub: browse and import 120+ curated architecture concepts (patterns, fitness functions, ADRs, requirements, blueprints) from hub.radical.tools; blueprints include per-actor screen flows and named views
- Multiple views: Canvas, Matrix, Sequence, Treemap, Table, Wiki per diagram
- Presentation mode: fullscreen slides with navigation bar
- Metamodel editor: customise node types, relation types, and constraints
- Time travel: milestone-based snapshots with named undo/redo
- Document manager: multiple diagrams, localStorage + file-system backed
- Export: PNG/SVG export, JSON save/load, Electron file dialogs
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Shell | Electron 29 |
| Bundler | electron-vite + Vite 5 |
| UI | React 18 + ReactFlow 11 |
| State | Zustand + Immer |
| Layout | ELK.js, webcola, custom SA pipeline |
| Language | TypeScript 5 |
Prerequisites: Node.js ≥ 20, npm ≥ 9
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Start in development mode (Electron, hot-reload)
npm run dev
# Type-check
npm run typecheck
# Run tests
npm test
# Production build (outputs to apps/studio/out/)
npm run build
# Run built Electron app
npm start
# Desktop installers for the current OS (outputs to apps/studio/dist/)
npm run dist
# Build web-only renderer (for deployment to studio.radical.tools)
npm run build:web
# Architecture Hub (hub.radical.tools): dev server / production build
npm run dev:hub
npm run build:hubBump the version and push the tag:
npm version 1.1.0 -w radical-model # bumps apps/studio/package.json
git commit -am "release: v1.1.0" && git tag v1.1.0
git push --follow-tagsThe Release Desktop App workflow builds the macOS, Windows and Linux installers and drafts a GitHub Release with them. Review the notes, then publish.
The repo is an npm workspaces monorepo. Run every command from the root; it forwards to the right workspace.
apps/
studio/ Radical Studio: Electron app + web SPA (studio.radical.tools)
src/main/ Electron main process (IPC handlers, file dialogs)
src/preload/ contextBridge API surface exposed to renderer
src/renderer/src/
components/ Studio's own UI (Toolbar, Matrix / Sequence / Treemap views,
Forge, document manager, modals, …)
store/ documentStore (localStorage, files, markdown folders)
persistence/ Autosave: keeps the diagram store and the active document in sync
ai/ AI chat, providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama), Forge
platform/ host(): which host Studio runs in (see @radical/host-bridge)
hub/ Importing Hub concepts into a model
tests/ Vitest unit/integration tests
tools/ Sample model generator
build/ Desktop app icon used by electron-builder
hub/ Architecture Hub (hub.radical.tools): read-only viewer,
built on @radical/ui
vscode/ VS Code extension; bundles the Studio web build as its webview
e2e/ End-to-end regression suite (Playwright) for the web builds
of Studio and Hub, with screenshot baselines
mcp/ MCP server for radical models (empty for now)
web/ Marketing site and manual (radical.tools)
packages/
common/ @radical/common: C4 + metamodel types, file formats, query
language, AI tool catalogue. No UI dependencies
layout/ @radical/layout: Smart Layout and the headless layout engines,
with their tests, benchmark and visual harness
ui/ @radical/ui: the canvas, panels, Wiki / Table views and the
diagram store, shared by Studio and the Hub. Documents and AI
plug in from the app (store/documentBackend,
components/wireframeGeneration)
host-bridge/ @radical/host-bridge: typed contract between Studio and its
host (Electron, VS Code webview, browser)
hub-catalogue/ @radical/hub-catalogue: the Hub's concept catalogue (one
.radical document per concept), its validation and the Vite
plugin that serves and bundles it for the Hub and Studio
infra/ Terraform: AWS S3 + CloudFront + Route53 + IAM (OIDC)
tools/ Repo-wide scripts (generate-icon.js)
docs/ Architecture notes and improvement log
# All tests (vitest)
npm test
# Watch mode
npm run test:watch
# End-to-end regression suite (Playwright) against the web builds
npm run e2eSee apps/e2e/README.md for the e2e suite and its screenshot baselines.
Contributions are welcome: code, docs, bug reports, and new patterns for the Architecture Hub. Start with CONTRIBUTING.md and look for issues labelled good first issue.
If radical.tools is useful to you, a ⭐ on GitHub helps others find it.