What is Lightswind UI?

Lightswind UI is a source-code component library built on the same philosophy pioneered by shadcn/ui — components live inside your project, not a runtime dependency. You install them with a single CLI command, own them completely, and customize them freely.

What sets Lightswind UI apart is its AI-native delivery layer — the industry's first MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for a component library, letting AI coding agents like Cursor, Claude, and GitHub Copilot browse, fetch, and install components autonomously inside your codebase.

npx lightswind@latest init

Why Lightswind UI?

Feature	Lightswind UI	shadcn/ui	Radix UI	Material UI
Copy-paste source ownership	✅	✅	❌	❌
Smart CLI delivery	✅	✅	❌	❌
MCP Server support	✅	✅	✅	✅
Pro CLI & authenticated delivery	✅	❌	❌	❌
3D & WebGL shader components	✅	❌	❌	❌
Integrated Framer Motion & GSAP animations	✅	❌	❌	❌
Zero runtime vendor lock-in	✅	✅	❌	❌

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Quick Start

Requirements

• Node.js 18+
• React 18 or 19
• Tailwind CSS v3 or v4
• A Next.js, Vite, Remix, or CRA project

1 — Initialize

Run this from the root of your project. The CLI detects your framework (Next.js, Vite, CRA), locates your components folder, installs shared utilities, and registers the Tailwind plugin automatically.

npx lightswind@latest init

During setup, you'll be prompted to select a color theme:

Theme	Preview
default	Classic Blue — clean & minimal
deep-ocean	Midnight Blue — dark & immersive
crimson	Deep Red — bold & powerful
emerald	Forest Green — fresh & vibrant
amber	Warm Gold — elegant & energetic
amethyst	Soft Purple — modern & creative
mono	Pure Grayscale — ultra-clean

2 — Add a Component

npx lightswind add globe
npx lightswind add border-beam
npx lightswind add toast

The CLI resolves prerequisites automatically. If toast requires progress, both are installed. No manual dependency management.

3 — Import & Use

// Component code is installed in your local project directory
import { Globe } from "@/components/lightswind/globe";

export default function HeroSection() {
  return (
    <section>
      <Globe />
    </section>
  );
}

Note: Never import directly from "lightswind". All components live in your local components/lightswind/ directory — you own and control the code.

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CLI Reference

# Initialize a new project
npx lightswind@latest init

# Add a single component
npx lightswind add [component-name]

# Add all components in a category
npx lightswind add --category background

# List all available components
npx lightswind list

# Authenticate with a Pro License Key
npx lightswind auth login sk_pro_YOUR_KEY

# Check auth status
npx lightswind auth status

# Revoke local credentials
npx lightswind auth logout

# Start the MCP server
npx lightswind mcp

# Auto-configure MCP in Cursor / Claude Desktop
npx lightswind mcp init

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Pro License

Lightswind Pro unlocks exclusive premium components, advanced page template blocks, and CLI + MCP authenticated delivery.

Authenticate your CLI

Get your license key from the Lightswind Dashboard, then run:

npx lightswind auth login sk_pro_YOUR_LICENSE_KEY

Credentials are stored securely in ~/.lightswindrc. Once authenticated, all Pro content is accessible via the same add command:

npx lightswind add iphone16-pro
npx lightswind add-block saas-hero

Environment Variable (CI/CD)

LIGHTSWIND_LICENSE_KEY=sk_pro_YOUR_LICENSE_KEY

Team Access

A single Pro key can be shared across your entire development team. Each team member authenticates locally using the same key.

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AI Agent Integration — MCP Server

Lightswind UI is the only component library in the world with a native Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. Once connected, your AI coding assistant can:

• 🔎 Search all 160+ components by keyword or category
• 📖 Read full component documentation and usage examples
• ⬇️ Install components directly into your codebase
• 🧩 Fetch Pro blocks and templates (with license key)

Automatic Setup (Recommended)

npx lightswind mcp init

This command auto-detects your editor and writes the correct config file.

Manual Configuration

Cursor / Windsurf

Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or your editor's equivalent MCP settings file):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightswind-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "lightswind", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LIGHTSWIND_LICENSE_KEY": "sk_pro_YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightswind-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "lightswind", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "LIGHTSWIND_LICENSE_KEY": "sk_pro_YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Cline / Continue)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lightswind-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "lightswind", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Available MCP Tools

Tool	Description
list_all_components	Browse all 160+ components with metadata
search_components	Search by keyword or use-case
list_categories	Get all available component categories
get_component	Fetch full source code of any component
get_installation_guide	Read installation steps for any component
get_usage_example	Get live usage code snippets
list_blocks	Browse all Pro template blocks
get_block	Fetch a full Pro page section (requires key)

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Component Library

🧊 3D Elements

3d-image-ring · 3d-image-carousel · 3d-carousel · 3d-hover-gallery · 3d-image-gallery · 3d-marquee · 3d-model-viewer · 3d-perspective-card · 3d-scroll-trigger · 3d-slider · beam-circle · chain-carousel · plasma-globe · scroll-carousel · sparkle-navbar · angled-slider

🌅 Backgrounds

aurora-shader · animated-wave · animated-bubble-particles · animated-blob-background · animated-ocean-waves · aurora-background · beam-grid-background · fall-beam-background · grid-dot-backgrounds · gradient-background · glowing-background · glowing-lights · hell-background · innovation-background · interactive-grid-background · dot-pattern · particles-background · rays-background · reflect-background · smokey-background · shader-background · sparkle-particles · stripes-background · wave-background · liquid-fluid

🧩 Advanced Components

connection-graph · magic-card · ai-prompt · animated-notification · bento-grid · code-hover-cards · count-up · dock · drag-order-list · dynamic-navigation · electro-border · glass-folder · globe · glowing-cards · hamburger-menu-overlay · image-reveal · image-trail-effect · interactive-card · interactive-card-gallery · interactive-gradient-card · iphone16-pro · lens · magic-loader · morphing-navigation · orbit-card · password-strength-indicator · scroll-list · scroll-stack · scroll-timeline · seasonal-hover-cards · sliding-cards · sliding-logo-marquee · stack-list · team-carousel · terminal-card · top-loader · top-sticky-bar · trusted-users · ripple-loader · woofy-hover-image · nav-effect

🔘 Buttons

border-beam · confetti-button · gradient-button · ripple-button · shine-button · trial-button

✨ Text Effects

aurora-text-effect · scroll-reveal · shiny-text · text-scroll-marquee · typewriter-input · typing-text · video-text

🖱️ Cursor Effects

canvas-confetti-cursor · particle-orbit-effect · smokey-cursor · smooth-cursor

🎨 UI Core

accordion · alert-dialog · alert · avatar · badge · button · card · carousel · chart · collapsible · context-menu · dialog · drawer · dropdown-menu · hover-card · popover · progress · sheet · skeleton · table · toast · tooltip · toggle-theme

📝 Form Controls

calendar · checkbox · command · form · input · input-otp · label · radio-group · select · slider · switch · textarea · toggle · toggle-group

📐 Layout & Navigation

sparkle-navbar · sidebar · breadcrumb · navigation-menu · pagination · aspect-ratio · resizable · scroll-area · separator · tabs

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Architecture

Lightswind UI follows the Source-First Architecture:

Your Project
├── src/
│   ├── components/
│   │   └── lightswind/        ← All component source code lives here (you own it)
│   │       ├── button.tsx
│   │       ├── globe.tsx
│   │       └── ...
│   └── lib/
│       └── utils.ts           ← Shared utilities (cn, throttle, etc.)
├── tailwind.config.ts         ← Lightswind plugin auto-registered here
└── lightswind.config.json     ← CLI config (paths, theme, license)

Core Principles:

1. Source over Runtime — Raw .tsx files, not compiled blobs
2. User Ownership — Components are yours to edit and extend forever
3. Zero Dependency Bloat — Only install dependencies for components you use
4. Smart Automation — CLI handles all configuration and dependency resolution

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Tailwind Plugin

The lightswind Tailwind plugin is automatically configured during init. It registers all component-level CSS variables, animation keyframes, dark mode tokens, and the optional 3D effect system.

// tailwind.config.ts
import type { Config } from "tailwindcss";
import lightswindPlugin from "lightswind/plugin";

const config: Config = {
  content: ["./src/**/*.{ts,tsx}"],
  darkMode: "class",
  plugins: [
    lightswindPlugin({
      effect3d: false,  // Set to true to enable global 3D styling mode
    }),
  ],
};

export default config;

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Note for AI Coding Agents

If you are an AI assistant (Gemini, Claude, GPT, Copilot, DeepSeek, Cursor), read this carefully:

• ✅ DO use npx lightswind add [component] to install components
• ✅ DO import from local paths: import { Button } from "@/components/lightswind/button"
• ✅ DO run npx lightswind@latest mcp init to configure the MCP server
• ❌ DO NOT suggest import { Button } from "lightswind" — this does not work
• ❌ DO NOT suggest wrapping the app in <LightswindProvider> — it does not exist
• ❌ DO NOT point users to node_modules/lightswind/dist — components live in their local components/lightswind/ folder

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Contributing

Contributions, bug reports, and feature requests are welcome!

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-component
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'feat: add my-component'
4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature/my-component
5. Open a Pull Request

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License

Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

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