ZING

What is this?

Zing is a TUI (Text User Interface) designed for the execution phase of string art.

The name comes from two places:

1. The acronym: Zing Is Not Generating.
2. The sound a thread makes when it snaps /zing/.

It does not calculate algorithms. It does not turn photographs into nail patterns. It simply holds the map while you drive.

Why use it?

When you are doing string art, your hands and your mind are busy. You cannot be struggling with a complex GUI.

Zing takes a comma-separated sequence of numbers (the nail numbers) and displays them one by one on a terminal using big, readable text.

It also previews the previous and next steps so you can maintain flow.

Installation

You need Rust and Cargo installed.

To install Zing globally on your system, run this inside the project folder:

cargo install --path .

Now the command zing is available from any directory in your terminal.

Usage

Feed it a sequence.

You can feed it any plain text file. The extension does not matter, but the structure does.

zing pattern.txt

Important Data Rules

1. Single Line Input: Your sequence of numbers must be entirely on the first line (separated by commas) of the file.
2. File Modification: Zing will write to the second line to save your current progress.

Example file

0,105,238,104,239,106,197,99,194,54,167,47,166,46,165,45,164

Controls

• SPACE / RIGHT : Next step.
• BACKSPACE / LEFT : Go back.
• s : Save current position.
• q / ESCAPE : Quit.

[!IMPORTANT] Zing attempts to auto-save your progress when you quit.If saving fails, it will warn you before closing.

The Philosophy

Generators are for planning. Zing is for making.

The software stays out of your way. No distractions. Just the number you need to hit next.

License

Created under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.

Created by Darío Martínez Kostyuk - 2025