How do I create a new colorscheme with Lush from scratch?

Use the interactive tutorial by running :LushRunTutorial in Neovim, or follow the CREATE.md guide to set up a template and start editing with live feedback.

Can I export a Lush colorscheme for use in regular Vim?

Yes, Lush can export to vimscript commands via the BUILD guide, allowing compatibility with Vim, though it requires Neovim for development and export.

Is Lush still actively maintained given Neovim's improvements?

The README states Lush will be maintained, but its value proposition has changed since Neovim's native Lua support improved, so updates may focus on stability over new features.

Lush vs writing colorschemes in pure Lua: which should I choose?

Choose Lush for real-time feedback and structured tools during development, but pure Lua is sufficient for basic themes due to Neovim's built-in support, avoiding extra dependencies.

How do I customize an existing Lush-based colorscheme?

Refer to the EXTEND.md guide to modify colorschemes, which includes examples for user configuration and extending themes without altering the original source.

What are the system requirements to run Lush properly?

You need Neovim 0.7 or greater with termguicolors enabled for true color support, as specified in the Requirements section, to ensure accurate color rendering.

Open-Awesome

lush.nvim

MITLua

A colorscheme creation aid for Neovim with real-time feedback and export capabilities.

GitHub

1.8k stars48 forks0 contributors

What is lush.nvim?

Lush is a Neovim plugin that assists developers in creating custom colorschemes with real-time visual feedback and export capabilities. It provides color manipulation tools and structured building aids to simplify theme development. The tool allows exporting themes for use without Lush, making color data portable across different systems.

Target Audience

Neovim users and developers who want to create, customize, or maintain colorschemes with a streamlined workflow and real-time editing.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Lush for its immediate feedback loop during colorscheme design, built-in color manipulation utilities, and flexible export options that support integration beyond Neovim.

Overview

Create Neovim themes with real-time feedback, export anywhere.

Use Cases

Best For

Creating custom Neovim colorschemes with live preview
Exporting colorschemes to other formats like Lua tables or vimscript
Integrating Neovim color data into external Lua systems
Learning colorscheme development through interactive tutorials
Extending or modifying existing Lush-based colorschemes
Building structured, maintainable color definitions for themes

Not Ideal For

Users stuck on Neovim versions below 0.7 who cannot upgrade
Developers preferring to write colorschemes in pure Lua without additional DSLs or tooling
Projects needing a stable, long-term API without experimental or deprecated features
Teams looking for a large ecosystem of pre-built, plug-and-play colorschemes

Pros & Cons

Pros

Live Editing Preview

Provides real-time feedback as you edit colorschemes, allowing immediate visual changes and speeding up the design process, as demonstrated in the demo GIF and interactive tutorial.

Built-in Color Utilities

Includes color manipulation tools for adjusting and transforming colors directly within Neovim, reducing reliance on external applications during development.

Multi-Format Export

Exports colorschemes as Lua tables, vimscript commands, or custom formats via Shipwright, making themes portable and integrable into other systems like AwesomeWM.

Structured Development Aids

Offers guides and tools for building organized, maintainable color definitions, helping creators manage complex themes with ease.

Cons

Evolving API Instability

Features like the experimental Treesitter interface have syntax subject to change, and deprecation warnings (e.g., compiler options) indicate potential breaking updates.

Reduced Modern Necessity

With Neovim's matured native Lua support for colorschemes, as acknowledged in the README, Lush's core value is less critical for simple or standard implementations.

Limited Compatibility

Requires Neovim 0.7 or higher and termguicolors, excluding users on older versions or systems without true color support.

Frequently Asked Questions

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