AGPL-3.0-or-later · forever.
Nika / SPNDSDTCG ↗
FIG.01SPNDS flagship consumer · private source / public proof
Checked topology

The plan has shape.
Checked workflows for AI.

Write the intent. Inspect its boundaries. Keep the proof.

Enter the fieldRead the doctrine
FIG.01published run / source → proof
Source → constraint field → checked topology → executable
model-bench / recorded manifestengine 0.107.2
workflow: model-bench
permits:
  fs.write:
    - out/model-bench.md
  tools:
    - nika:jq
    - nika:write
budget: $0.50
Model-bench bounded execution fieldThe recorded manifest enters four declared boundaries. Explanatory invalid routes terminate at those boundaries; the permitted topology reaches the signed model-bench receipt.
  1. 01toolsnika:jq · nika:write
  2. 02writeout/model-bench.md
  3. 03cost≤ $0.50
  4. 04networknone
  1. 01Sourcemanifest recorded
  2. 02Constraint field4 declared boundaries
  3. 03Checked topology5 nodes · 4 edges
  4. 04Executable2/2 permits allowed
run
019fc7e2…afd1f437
status
success
duration
36.457s
steps
19 events
policy
default-deny
replay
journal available
digest
sha256:a73f…e8a2a
Published evidence · model-bench · 2026-08-03. The gray routes are labelled counterfactual exclusions; the blue path and orange digest resolve from the retained manifest, journal and evidence pack.
MeasuredScaffold · 5/7 asymmetric field · static semantic truth first.

02 / Geometry

System shape.
Not visual noise.

The field gives three product truths a stable form: what execution may do, where it travelled and what evidence remains. The geometry belongs to SPNDS; the interpretation belongs to Nika.

Nika geometric register
Intent enters a bounded universe.
A restrained particle grammar for constraints, causal paths and receipts. Deterministic, accessible and shared with every SPNDS consumer.
Constraint fieldThe declared surface of possible execution.
01 · permitsConstraint field

The declared surface of possible execution.

Causal pathOne inspectable route through the field.
02 · traceCausal path

One inspectable route through the field.

Proof shellDurable evidence surrounding the settled run.
03 · receiptProof shell

Durable evidence surrounding the settled run.

SPNDS GeometricField · Nika product semantics · no decorative randomness.

03 / Foundations

One lamp.
Two temperatures.

Near-black carries live operation. Cold paper carries authored evidence. Blue means authority or activation. Everything else is hierarchy, seam and restraint.

FIG.03color / SPNDS authority
Core register
fieldvar(--spnds-surface-canvas)
basevar(--color-background)
panelvar(--spnds-surface-subtle)
signalvar(--color-brand)
signal +var(--color-brand-link)
inkvar(--color-foreground)
FIG.04type / SPNDS roles
Editorial instrument
Intent
as Code.
Readable before runnable. Bounded before powerful. Accountable after it settles.
nika run workflow.nika.yaml
receipt 8f3a… verified
FIG.05marks / Nika source
One mark. Five contexts.
mark / ice
mark / glow
tile / application
lockup / dark
lockup / light

04 / Product semantics

Color follows meaning.

Four verbs are four execution models, not four decoration options. Their meaning comes from Nika; their plate, hierarchy and interactive states come from SPNDS.

FIG.06semantic register / generated authority
01◇

infer

Produce a typed answer from a model.

#5b8cff
02▷

exec

Run a bounded local command.

#ff7a3c
03◆

invoke

Call a declared tool contract.

#22d3ee
04✦

agent

Iterate inside an explicit turn limit.

#b07bff
FamilyTokensOwner
statusNika semantics
layerNika semantics
paperSPNDS material
kindNika semantics
clockratified · strokeshipped · filledboth · filled-ringNika state
Product meaning is generated from Nika. The paper material and measured figure are SPNDS.

05 / Components

The product proves the system.

Live production components, never visual replicas. They carry the same generated vocabulary used by the workflow canvas.

Recorded Nika runpr-risk-review.nika.yaml trace · completed
ollama/llama3.2:3bdefault-deny3 permit families
sourcechecked
nika: pr-risk-review
# local model · the diff never leaves
model: ollama/llama3.2:3b

# the file IS the blast radius
permits:
  exec: [ git ]
  fs: { write: [ ./review.md ] }
  tools: [ "nika:read", "nika:write" ]
execution3 / 4
01execdiff18ms
02inferrisk26.4s
03agentprobeskipped
04invokereport3ms
before · policy declaredduring · 3 tasks observedafter · trace recorded
4 tasks · 3 completed · 1 skipped26.4s observed
A recorded Nika fixture: byte-identical source, observed engine events and measured task durations.
FIG.07component / verb register
Four verbs. Four bounded jobs.
classifyinferollama/qwen3.5:4b✓ 29.2s
renderexecmagick brief.png✓ 412ms
persistinvokenika:write✓ 14ms
reviewagentlocal model · 3 turns maxwhen: tasks.classify.output != ""⊘ gate closed

Verbs

  • agent
  • exec
  • infer
  • invoke

28 builtins

  • assert
  • chart
  • compose
  • convert
  • date
  • decide
  • done
  • edit
  • emit
  • fetch
  • glob
  • grep

Features

  • check
  • cost
  • dag
  • diff-runs
  • doctor
  • dry-run
  • examples
  • explain

Run states

  • cancelled
  • failed
  • pending
  • recovered
  • running
  • skipped
  • success

06 / Motion

Motion explains state.

Sampling, scanning, round-tripping and bounded orbit each have a distinct grammar. Motion disappears when reduced motion is requested.

FIG.08motion / live states
  • Infer · samplinganim/infer
  • Exec · scanlineanim/exec
  • Invoke · roundtripanim/invoke
  • Agent · orbitanim/agent
  • The butterfly beatsanim/butterfly
  • Loading · waveanim/loading
quick · 120mssoft · 240msslow · 600msfilm · 900ms
No ambient decoration: every moving specimen names the state it explains.

07 / Resources

Declared once.
Derived everywhere.

Change shared design in SPNDS, product meaning in Nika, then regenerate and prove every consumer. A screenshot is evidence; it is never the source of truth.

DTCGDesign tokens/design-tokens.dtcg.json↗JSONIcon ontology/brand/icons.json↗RDFSemantic graph/brand/icons.ttl↗DOCSIntegrator referencedocs.nika.sh↗

Use the language.

Explore the four verbs →Open the playground →