ArtCraft, BlueBubbles and REA: the complete open-source guide
Everything from the video: creative tools and Office alternatives from ArtCraft, BlueBubbles for iMessage on Android and desktop, and REA for investigating apps with your coding agent. Get the official downloads, setup steps and a printable guide below.
Expanded October 15, 2026 · ArtCraft, BlueBubbles and REA · Official project links
Everything from the video, in one place.
Start with PhotoCraft, FilmCraft and PdfCraft for creative work. Then try WordCraft, GridCraft and DeckCraft for documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Below the full ArtCraft directory, you’ll find BlueBubbles setup and a REA starter command and prompt.
The spreadsheet app is GridCraft—called “ExcelCraft” in the recording. The PDF preview in the video shows PrintCraft; the launcher directory below lists PdfCraft. Use each project’s own documentation and downloads.
Adobe Photoshop
PhotoCraft
Open sourceImage editing
Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Lightroom
LightCraft
Open sourcePhoto library and raw development
Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Illustrator
VectorCraft
Open sourceVector illustration
Alternative to Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Premiere Pro
FilmCraft
Open sourceVideo editing, color and sound
Alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe After Effects
EffectCraft
Open sourceMotion graphics and visual effects
Alternative to Adobe After Effects
Adobe Acrobat
PdfCraft
Open sourceReading, organizing and protecting PDFs
Alternative to Adobe Acrobat
Adobe InDesign
DesignCraft
Open sourcePage layout and publishing
Alternative to Adobe InDesign
Microsoft Word
WordCraft
Open sourceWriting and document design
Alternative to Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
GridCraft
Open sourceSpreadsheets and data
Alternative to Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
DeckCraft
Open sourcePresentations and slide shows
Alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint
Autodesk AutoCAD
CADCraft
Open sourceComputer-aided design and drafting
Alternative to Autodesk AutoCAD
Avid Pro Tools
SoundCraft
Open sourceRecording, editing and mixing audio
Alternative to Avid Pro Tools
These are independent rebuilds. “Alternative to” describes the intended counterpart, not complete feature parity. Try copies of your own files before switching.
Get set up.
Start with the launcher
Download ArtCraft Launcher from its official Releases page. It provides one place to install, open and update the 12 apps. The launcher is currently early alpha.
Choose your computer
Windows: choose the x64 MSI for most Intel/AMD PCs, or ARM64 for Windows on Arm. macOS: choose the universal DMG. Linux: choose AppImage, or the package matching your distribution and CPU.
Install your first app
Open the launcher and choose the app you want. It selects the matching release package. You can start with one app; you do not need to install the whole collection.
Prefer a standalone download?
Use the Download link beside any app in this guide. Open Assets on its GitHub release and choose your operating system. Source code ZIP and TAR.GZ downloads are for building the software, not desktop installers.
Try your real workflow
Work on copies of your files first. Check opening, editing and exporting before relying on an app for a deadline. These are independent rebuilds; compatibility and feature coverage vary.
File picker: .msi for Windows; .dmg for macOS; .AppImage, .deb or .rpm for Linux. Match the CPU architecture too.
Stay up to date.
Using the launcher
Open the launcher regularly and check for available updates. It checks GitHub releases, notifies you when versions are available and handles the update packages. Save your work and close the app before updating.
Already installed standalone?
The launcher documentation says it can discover apps installed manually in standard locations. Add the launcher later to manage them. Portable or custom-folder installations may need manual handling.
Updating manually
Visit the app's Releases page, compare the version with your installed copy, and read the release notes. Close the app and run the newer installer. On macOS, replace the app in Applications with the newer DMG copy.
Portable ZIP or AppImage
Download and extract the new portable ZIP into a separate folder, or download the newer AppImage. Preserve any settings kept beside the old app. Confirm the new copy works before retiring the old one.
Update the launcher itself
When offered, use the launcher's Update and restart action. If that fails, get a fresh installer from its Releases page. For individual standalone apps, do not assume a built-in updater unless their documentation confirms one.
For release notifications, use GitHub’s Watch menu, choose Custom and select Releases while signed in.
Next in the video · iMessage
BlueBubbles: take your messages with you.
BlueBubbles brings iMessage to Android, Windows and Linux, with a web client too. It is a free, open-source bridge to your existing iMessage account.
You still need a macOS server. Your Mac runs BlueBubbles and relays messages to your other devices. Keep it awake and connected. BlueBubbles does not replace Apple’s iMessage network.
Start on your Mac
Confirm that Messages can send and receive iMessages. Install the BlueBubbles server from the official downloads page.
Connect the server
Follow the setup wizard for Full Disk Access, notifications and connection settings. Set a strong server password. Keep your pairing QR code private.
Add your other devices
Install the matching Android, Windows or Linux client, or use the web app. Follow its setup flow to connect to your server and sync messages.
Test before relying on it
Send a message and attachment, then check notifications away from home Wi-Fi. Feature support depends on macOS and configuration; check the FAQ before enabling optional Private API features.
Last in the video · build your own
REA: Reverse Engineer Anything.
REA connects coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex to tools that investigate applications. Start with one feature, understand how it works, then ask your agent to build and test an implementation for your own project.
Check the requirements
Install Node.js and npm. REA currently supports Node 22.19+, 24.11+ or 26+. Native binary analysis needs an analysis engine such as Hopper, Ghidra or IDA; requirements vary by target. See the installation guide.
Connect your agent
Run the command below, select Claude Code or Codex, review the configuration changes and approve the setup. Restart your agent afterward.
npx rea-agents@latest setupStart with a focused task.
Use REA to investigate how [one feature] works in [app or local path]. Show the evidence and unknowns first. Then propose an implementation for my project at [project path], build it, and test it against the behavior we observed. Ask before installing extra tools or changing system settings.REA is an investigation toolkit, not a promise of an instant, complete clone. Work with software you are allowed to inspect. Your agent, model usage and some analysis tools may have their own costs. ArtCraft and BlueBubbles are separate projects; this guide does not claim they were built with REA.
Keep REA current: rerun npx rea-agents@latest setup to refresh agent setup, review changes and restart the agent. For a globally installed CLI, follow the project’s update instructions.
Keep the complete guide.
All 12 ArtCraft apps, setup and updates, BlueBubbles and the REA quick start—with clickable official links.
Sources & scope
Every app links to its official repository and releases. The launcher catalog lists all 12 apps; the website still lists the original seven. Installation and update guidance comes from the launcher documentation.
ArtCraft icons come from the official repository. Original product logos come from Microsoft’s CDN and Wikimedia; view asset sources. Red crosses are editorial overlays. The ArtCraft directory covers its 12-app launcher suite. The BlueBubbles and REA sections link to those separate projects and their official setup documentation. Documentation was reviewed; the apps were not hands-on tested. Product names and icons belong to their respective owners. This independent guide is not endorsed by those companies.
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Frequently asked questions
No. These are independent open-source projects inspired by those products. The product names describe the intended alternative, not guaranteed feature parity or endorsement.
Not when a matching desktop installer is available. Use release assets or the launcher. Building from source is a separate developer workflow.
The website lists the original seven. The launcher catalog includes those plus WordCraft, GridCraft, DeckCraft, CADCraft and SoundCraft.
The ArtCraft directory covers its 12-app launcher suite. This expanded guide also includes the separate BlueBubbles and REA projects from the video. ArtCraft’s AI studio and shared infrastructure repositories are not extra one-to-one app replacements.
The app is GridCraft. ExcelCraft was a spoken slip in the video. GridCraft is the ArtCraft spreadsheet app paired with Microsoft Excel in this guide.
No. The client connects to a BlueBubbles server running macOS. Keep it awake and connected; iMessage still runs through Apple’s service.
REA helps a coding agent inspect software and understand features. Implementation, testing and compatibility checks still take work. Agent/model usage and some analysis engines can have separate costs.