Content:
The Motivation
As developers, we use SVGs daily. But I realized that most "quick" online editors or optimizers follow a common pattern: they are either bloated SaaS platforms that require a login, or sketchy-looking sites that upload your assets to a remote server.
In a world where our browsers are powerful enough to run full IDEs, why are we still uploading private vector data to a third-party server just to tweak a path?
That’s why I started building Vector Gnome.
What is Vector Gnome?
It’s a local-first, minimalist SVG editor. The core philosophy is simple: Your data never leaves your machine.
Key Highlights:
- Local-First: All processing happens in the browser via the Canvas/SVG API.
- Privacy by Default: No tracking, no mandatory accounts, no "cloud" sync you didn't ask for.
- Zero-Burn: Built with a minimal footprint to be fast and solve one problem effectively.
The Technical Stack (The "Midas" Approach)
To keep this project sustainable as an indie developer, I used a stack that prioritizes performance and low overhead:
- Frontend: Next.js (Static Export) + Tailwind CSS.
- Deployment: Docker Native on a minimal Hetzner VPS (CX23).
- Proxy: Traefik with automated Let's Encrypt SSL.
- Telemetry: A custom-built, lightweight system to track basic usage without compromising user privacy (no cookies, no PII).
Why I’m Sharing This
I'm building a suite of "Hyper-Tools"—small, focused, and privacy-respecting utilities. Vector Gnome is the first experiment.
I’m currently in early beta and I’d love to get some feedback from this community:
- What is the biggest "pain point" in your current SVG workflow?
- Would you prefer a "code-first" editor (tweaking attributes) or a "visual-first" one (dragging paths)?
Check it out: vector.hyper-tools.online
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