a327ex.com

Visual Experiments 6

Summary

Sixth visual-experiments session, all in snkrx-template (E:/a327ex/snkrx-template). Brought two systems over from ricochet-template: (1) replaced snkrx's old edition system with ricochet's four-axis effect system (pattern × color × dither × shape), wired to snkrx's named palette; (2) standardized + demonstrated the UI toolkit to ricochet's conventions. Also built a clickable F5 effect inspector and migrated the F3 sound tuner onto the toolkit. Task 1 (effects) is fully done; Task 2 (UI) has conventions + tuner done, with component-parity + showcase left for next time.

Task 1 — effect/dither system replacement (big-bang atomic):

F5 effect inspector (snkrx/effect_lab.lua):

Nomenclature fix: the UI's ui_breathe boolean was renamed to ui_color ('solid' | 'mix', defaulting to 'mix' — the green/blue breathe the user liked). The F4 gallery's O key now cycles the color recipe; status line reads color: solid/mix. The breathe-partner table ui_breathe_partner was promoted from paint.lua to palette.lua as palette_breathe_partner (shared by the UI + the inspector).

Task 2A — UI conventions alignment (3 stages):

Task 2D — F3 sound tuner migration (snkrx/sound_tuner.lua):

Bugs found + fixed (during user testing):

Docs: synced .claude/CLAUDE.md thoroughly for Task 1 (rewrote every edition-system section → effect system, added a "## Effect system" section, file map, gotchas, keybindings) and lightly for Task 2A/2D (calling convention with uniform returns + opts.spec, the ui_begin/ui_render contract, ui/core.lua in the files list + file map). main.lua's test scaffold (seekers + wall + carriers on mouse 1/2/3 + F/R + F4 gallery + F5 lab + F3 tuner) is documented as intentional, not the clean template.

Workflow notes: big-bang atomic was the user's choice for the Task-1 effect swap (one landing, test the whole thing). Design briefs preceded each major piece. The user steered every architecture decision via AskUserQuestion. Verified all Lua with lua54.exe -e "assert(loadfile(...))" after each change; never ran the executable (user tests).

Left for next session (Task 2): 2B component parity (audit snkrx's widget set vs ricochet's toggle/stepper/dropdown/badge/tag/keyhint/sparkline/stat/hud_bar/segbar/ability_slot/menu_item/upgrade_chip/counter/status_tag — produce the gap list + recommendation first, then ask before building) and 2C showcase (fold ui_field/ui_swatch_row + any 2B widgets into the F4 gallery to components.lua parity). A detailed hand-off prompt was provided to the user.


This session is for snkrx-template (E:/a327ex/snkrx-template). I want to bring two systems over from ricochet-template (E:/a327ex/ricochet-template), which we just finished generalizing and publishing. Read these to get aligned BEFORE proposing anything: - snkrx-template/.claude/CLAUDE.md — the TARGET's conventions. Note its design-brief-before-code rule and the SNKRX visual style (named palette, juice, drop shadows). - ricochet-template/.claude/CLAUDE.md + ricochet-template/components.lua + the ricochet-template/ricochet/ package — the SOURCE systems. - E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/logs/visual-experiments-5.md — last session's log; full detail of the effect system + the UI toolkit + the API conventions we built. Then give me a plan of attack. Go one increment at a time with design briefs, like we've been doing. Don't run the executable — I'll test.

Task 1 — Replace the effect/dither system with ricochet's

snkrx-template's current effects are edition-based (edition.lua + an older dither stack) — lots of editions, poorly organized. Completely overwrite it with ricochet-template's four-axis effect system (pattern × color × dither × shape), using the ROUGH/low-res effects + dither directly, since SNKRX is a low-res pixel-art style. - Source: ricochet-template/ricochet/effect.lua + assets/draw_shader.frag + the single-call API (effect_rectangle / effect_circle / effect_image). Its 34-mode dither catalog was originally ported FROM snkrx, so the dither math is familiar — the win is the organization (four orthogonal axes, no editions). - Port effect.lua + draw_shader.frag into snkrx-template, wire them to snkrx's existing palette, and rip out edition.lua + the old dither stack entirely. Migrate every caller of the old system (UI edition-paint, any attack/entity visuals drawn via editions) to the new effect_* API. - Port the SYSTEM, not Ricochet's monochrome "blueprint" look — keep SNKRX's named palette / juice / shadows. The effect color recipes should use snkrx's own palette tokens. Use ricochet's rough-profile baked scales as the reference for good low-res defaults. - Engine: the effect system's sprite-shape masks need the PATCHED anchor.exe (aux-sampler binding on the draw path; it's in the shared Anchor2 anchor.c). Confirm snkrx-template's anchor.exe is the patched build — recopy from Anchor2/engine if not. - Everything else — enemies, sounds, player, attacks (behavior/logic) — stays the same. Only the rendering/effect substrate changes; where attacks rendered through editions, keep their behavior and route their visuals through the new system.

Task 2 — Standardize the UI

snkrx-template already ships a UI toolkit (panel/button/slot/bar/tabs/form controls/list_row/card/text_input/modal/etc.), but I want it standardized and demonstrated, like we did in ricochet. - Bring it up to a comparable component set + conventions to ricochet's (opts-table widgets, uniform table returns, the per-frame contract + layout helpers) — adapted to SNKRX's visual style, NOT the blueprint look. Build a catalog/showcase of the components as examples, mirroring ricochet's components.lua but in SNKRX style. - Migrate existing ad-hoc in-game UI onto the standardized toolkit — especially the F3 sound-tuning panel (grep for it) and any similar one-off UI. Start by reading the above and giving me the plan.

I'll start by reading the alignment materials. Let me explore the structure of both templates and read the key files in parallel.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

1    # snkrx-template — orientation for new instances
2   
3   ## ⛔ WORKFLOW RULE — DESIGN BRIEF BEFORE CODE ⛔
4   
5   **This rule has no exceptions and is valid for every single
6   non-trivial change, every session, every file in this project.**
7   
8   Before calling `Write` or `Edit` on project code, post a **design
9   brief** in chat — a conceptual explanation of the approach, NOT the
10  code itself. Then wait. The user will usually reply with questions
11  and improvements; iterate the brief with them until you reach a
12  conclusion. Only then write the code.
13  
14  ### What a design brief contains
15  
16  1. **Approach.** A high-level explanation of how each feature works —
17     what it does, the strategy, the key data it holds, its lifecycle.
18  2. **Interfaces.** How the feature connects to existing features:
19     which existing functions / files / globals it touches or reuses,
20     and how. Include this whenever the feature is not self-contained.
21  3. **Functions.** For each new or changed function:
22     - its name,
23     - what it does,
24     - which other functions it calls — selective, not exhaustive:
25       pick the calls that build a conceptual map of how the code fits
26       together, skip the incidental ones,
27     - its general structure, when that isn't already obvious.
28  
29  The brief is a conceptual map, not a spec and not pseudocode. Aim for
30  "a reader could predict the shape of the code from this" — not "every
... [891 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\ricochet-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

1    # ricochet-template — orientation for new instances
2   
3   ## ⛔ WORKFLOW RULE — DESIGN BRIEF BEFORE CODE ⛔
4   
5   **This rule has no exceptions and is valid for every single
6   non-trivial change, every session, every file in this project.**
7   
8   Before calling `Write` or `Edit` on project code, post a **design
9   brief** in chat — a conceptual explanation of the approach, NOT the
10  code itself. Then wait. The user will usually reply with questions
11  and improvements; iterate the brief with them until you reach a
12  conclusion. Only then write the code.
13  
14  ### What a design brief contains
15  
16  1. **Approach.** A high-level explanation of how each feature works —
17     what it does, the strategy, the key data it holds, its lifecycle.
18  2. **Interfaces.** How the feature connects to existing features:
19     which existing functions / files / globals it touches or reuses,
20     and how. Include this whenever the feature is not self-contained.
21  3. **Functions.** For each new or changed function:
22     - its name,
23     - what it does,
24     - which other functions it calls — selective, not exhaustive,
25     - its general structure, when that isn't already obvious.
26  
27  The brief is a conceptual map, not a spec and not pseudocode. Aim for
28  "a reader could predict the shape of the code from this."
29  
30  ### After the brief is agreed
... [927 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\a327ex-site\logs\visual-experiments-5.md)

File content (1MB) exceeds maximum allowed size (256KB). Use offset and limit parameters to read specific portions of the file, or search for specific content instead of reading the whole file.

Glob (ricochet-template/*/.{lua,frag,vert})

ricochet-template\anchor\class.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\object.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\spring.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\timer.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\color.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\math.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\camera.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\shake.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\image.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\spritesheet.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\helpers.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\input.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\animation.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\layer.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\init.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\font.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\memory.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\array.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\collider.lua
ricochet-template\anchor\physics.lua
ricochet-template\ricochet\palette.lua
ricochet-template\ricochet\rectcut.lua
ricochet-template\ricochet\ui_state.lua
ricochet-template\lab\ui.lua
ricochet-template\lab\showcase.lua
ricochet-template\assets\draw_shader.frag
ricochet-template\lab\ui_controls.lua
ricochet-template\lab\editor.lua
ricochet-template\ricochet\effect.lua
ricochet-template\lab\rough_ui.lua
... [9 more lines]

Glob (snkrx-template/*/.lua)

snkrx-template\anchor\class.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\object.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\timer.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\math.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\spring.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\color.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\camera.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\shake.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\image.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\helpers.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\spritesheet.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\input.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\animation.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\init.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\layer.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\memory.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\array.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\font.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\symbols.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\collider.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\projectile.lua
snkrx-template\anchor\physics.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\seeker.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\fx.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\airborne.lua
... [19 more lines]

The two CLAUDE.md files give me strong orientation. The visual-experiments-5 log is 1MB (a session transcript) — I'll selectively pull from it later, but the CLAUDE.md files already capture the conclusions. Let me now read the actual source systems: the effect engine, both shaders, both palettes, and the old edition system I need to rip out.

Read (E:\a327ex\ricochet-template\ricochet\effect.lua)

1    --[[
2     effect.lua — four-axis visual effect system (pattern × color × dither × shape).
3   
4     THE 30-SECOND MENTAL MODEL
5       Every draw routes through assets/draw_shader.frag. The shader takes
6       four orthogonal selectors and composes them as:
7   
8           f = pattern(world_pos, time)          -- spatial structure + animation
9                                                 -- (or, for an image, its luminance)
10          f = shape(f, pixel_pos)               -- re-express as a grid of shapes
11          f = dither(f, pixel_pos)              -- quantize to discrete levels
12          rgb = color(base_rgb, f, palette)     -- map f → palette token(s)
13  
14      Pattern owns "what the field looks like" AND "whether it moves over time."
15      Shape optionally re-expresses the field as a grid of circles / geometric
16      shapes / tiled icons. Color is a pure recipe that picks (or mixes) palette
17      tokens by f. Dither inserts the pixel-art stipple. All four are independent.
18  
19    PUBLIC API
20      effect_setup(opts)                       install draw shader, cache its
21                                               GL program ID, push the palette
22      effect_set(layer, spec)                  write effect uniforms for this
23                                               layer's subsequent draws
24      effect_clear(layer)                      pattern/color/dither/shape → passthrough
25      effect_draw(layer, spec, fn, ...)        scoped form (set, run fn, clear)
26      -- SINGLE-CALL WRAPPERS (set + draw + clear in one; PREFER these):
27      effect_rectangle(layer, x, y, w, h, spec)
28      effect_circle(layer, x, y, r, spec)
29      effect_image(layer, img, x, y, w, h, spec)  -- fits img into the box; also the
30                                               -- image-as-content path (spec.image_field)
... [520 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\ricochet-template\ricochet\palette.lua)

1    --[[
2     palette.lua — Ricochet's locked color palette.
3   
4     Two parallel tables — palette_dark (default) and palette_light — both keyed
5     by the same 13 token names. palette_init('dark' | 'light') selects one as
6     the active `palette` global; if effect.lua's `effect_write_palette` exists,
7     the new colors are pushed to the shader's u_palette[] uniform array
8     immediately. Otherwise the next effect_setup() call picks them up.
9   
10    Token roles (mapped consistently across modes):
11      field      window/scene background
12      panel      lifted card surface (light: collapses to field; dark: distinct
13                 slight elevation per design.md)
14      recess     depressed region (light: light_grey; dark: distinct deeper)
15      ink        primary lines, text, walls. The "text/structure" color.
16      mid_light  secondary strokes, subdued text
17      mid_grey   inactive elements
18      deep_grey  panel fills, divider hairlines, ghosted states. The "soft
19                 negative" color.
20      blue       information, projectiles, default/selected
21      orange     warnings, timers near expiry
22      green      mana, positive, upgrades
23      pink       special, rare, focus
24      yellow     gold, pickups, currency
25      red        danger
26  
27    Hex values come from Ricochet/design.md § Visual design. Light-mode panel
28    and deep_grey collapse to existing tokens (paper and light_grey) — design.md
29    doesn't define separate panel/recess surfaces for light mode. Forked games
30    that need explicit elevation in light mode can override the table.
... [75 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\palette.lua)

1    --[[
2     palette.lua — locked color tokens for the project's visual identity.
3   
4     This file is the SINGLE source of truth for what colors the project uses.
5     Two sections:
6   
7       1. NAMED COLOR TOKENS (atoms). 18 canonical tokens that form the
8          project's locked palette (9 chrome / grayscale ladder + 9 accents
9          roughly by hue). Every drawn thing should pull from these tokens;
10         no inline RGB values anywhere in game code.
11  
12      2. LEGACY SNKRX TOKENS (atoms, secondary). 8 colors from the original
13         SNKRX palette, kept around so the legacy editions 15..22 in the
14         draw shader resolve to recognizable names from Lua. Use sparingly
15         in new code; prefer the canonical accent tokens above.
16  
17    Gradient palettes (named combinations of these tokens for use with
18    gradient.lua's bake API) will land in this file alongside gradient.lua.
19    Until then, this file is just color tokens.
20  
21    USAGE
22      Tokens are global functions. Call them with () to get a color value:
23          layer_rectangle(layer, 0, 0, 100, 100, red())
24          layer_text(layer, msg, font, x, y, text())
25  
26      Tokens compose: lighter / darker variants via color_darken / color_lighten
27      (see Anchor2 framework helpers), or color_from_hsl for procedural colors.
28  
29    ADDING NEW TOKENS
30      Just declare a new global at the bottom of the appropriate section.
... [169 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\edition.lua)

1    --[[
2     edition.lua — Lua side of the edition system.
3   
4     THE 30-SECOND MENTAL MODEL
5       An "edition" is a number that picks a color transform inside the draw
6       shader (assets/draw_shader.frag). When u_edition is non-zero, every
7       fragment passing through the shader gets re-colored — hue shimmer,
8       palette cycle, silver desaturation, etc. The base color of the draw is
9       unchanged; the edition is layered on top per fragment.
10  
11      Editions apply uniformly to anything the shader draws: SDF shapes,
12      outlines, sprites (including baked gradient textures from gradient.lua).
13      There is no special path for walls or for any particular entity — every
14      drawable shares the same edition pipeline.
15  
16    PUBLIC API
17      edition_setup(opts)                         install the draw shader, cache its handle
18      edition_set(layer, mode, field_scale?, dither_mode?)
19                                                  write u_edition + u_time
20                                                  (+ u_field_scale, + u_dither_mode)
21      edition_clear(layer)                        shortcut for edition_set(layer, 0)
22      edition_draw(layer, mode, fn, ...)          scoped form — sets, calls fn, then clears
23      next_edition(current) -> next_mode          step through edition_cycle (wraps to 0)
24      prev_edition(current) -> prev_mode          step backward through edition_cycle
25      next_dither(current) -> next_dither         step through dither_cycle (wraps to 0)
26      prev_dither(current) -> prev_dither         step backward through dither_cycle
27      edition_name(ed) -> string                  human-readable name for the mode number
28      dither_name(d) -> string                    human-readable name for a dither mode
29      edition_base_color(ed) -> color or nil      representative color for particles/leaks
30  
... [519 more lines]

Now I understand both systems deeply. Let me read the wiring points: snkrx's main.lua, its init.lua, both draw shaders, and map every caller of the old edition system so I know the full migration surface.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

1    --[[
2     snkrx-template / main.lua — clean reference scene.
3   
4     This is your file. It is a complete, minimal scene: a player you can
5     move (WASD / arrows), the five-layer render stack, a camera, physics,
6     the update / draw skeleton, AND the UI render pipeline — all wired
7     and ready, but firing no attacks and drawing no UI widgets. Read it
8     top to bottom; it is the contract you build on.
9   
10    TWO TOOLKITS, ONE REQUIRE.  `require('snkrx')` pulls in BOTH:
11  
12      snkrx/<carrier>.lua     attack toolkit — projectile / area / beam
13                              / flicker / prop, the edition draw-shader
14                              stack, fx, sounds, example entities.
15      snkrx/ui/<module>.lua   UI toolkit — panel / button / slot / bar /
16                              tabs / checkbox / radio / slider /
17                              list_row / card / text_input / modal /
18                              bracket_tag / stat_chip / pips / ...
19  
20    Both are plain, readable Lua, not opaque modules — open the files.
21  
22    ADDING AN ATTACK.  Every carrier already has its object list and its
23    update / draw loop wired below. To add an attack:
24      1. bind a key in the INPUT section,
25      2. call the carrier's spawn_* helper on that press inside update()
26         — see the ATTACKS comment block there.
27    Nothing else: no new list, no new loop.
28  
29    DRAWING UI.  The UI toolkit is immediate-mode: call widget functions
30    in update() and they queue draws onto `ui_layer`. The render pipeline
... [359 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\init.lua)

1    --[[
2     snkrx/init.lua — the SNKRX attack toolkit aggregator.
3   
4     `require('snkrx')`, from main.lua and AFTER `require('anchor')({...})`,
5     loads every toolkit module and performs all the cross-cutting setup a
6     new attack should never have to write itself:
7       • the edition draw-shader stack + the set_edition shim
8       • the sfx wrapper, the sounds / volumes tables, every carrier's
9         sound + spritesheet asset
10      • the hit-stop machinery
11  
12    Nothing here is hidden — it is all plain, readable Lua; the point is
13    only that main.lua need not repeat it. STRUCTURAL things (physics
14    setup, layers, camera, the carrier object lists and their update /
15    draw loops) stay explicit in main.lua, NOT here.
16  
17    The toolkit files live flat in snkrx/; this file requires them as
18    `snkrx.<name>`. Carrier object lists (projectiles / areas / beams /
19    flickers / props / debris_pieces) and entity lists (seekers / walls /
20    fxs) are globals defined by their own modules — main.lua iterates
21    them directly.
22  ]]
23  
24  -- Boot RNG (both Lua's and the engine's).
25  math.randomseed(os.time())
26  random_seed(os.time())
27  
28  -- ── Edition / draw-shader stack ───────────────────────────────────
29  require('snkrx.palette')
30  require('snkrx.edition')
... [148 more lines]

Grep (set_edition|edition_set|edition_base_color|edition_clear|edition_draw|.edition|edition_cycle|next_edition|prev_edition|edition_setup|set_dither|next_dither|field_scale)

Found 20 files
snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md
snkrx-template\main.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\init.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\wall.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\flicker.lua
snkrx-template\main_old.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua
snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\paint.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\edition.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\area.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\seeker.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\projectile.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua

This is a large migration surface — editions are used across nearly every entity, carrier, and the entire UI paint layer. Let me look at the exact usage patterns in the entity/carrier draws (what visual the new system must reproduce) and check both shaders' structure.

Bash (cd E:/a327ex && echo "=== snkrx shader lines ===" && wc -l snkrx-template/assets...)

=== snkrx shader lines ===
770 snkrx-template/assets/draw_shader.frag
=== ricochet shader lines ===
840 ricochet-template/assets/draw_shader.frag
=== edition usage counts (snkrx entity/carrier files) ===
player:      7
seeker:      6
wall:        5
projectile:  12
area:        7
beam:        9
flicker:     8
prop:        11
fx:          0
0

Grep (set_edition|edition_base_color|.edition)

9-  self.visual_r = 0
10-  self.sx, self.sy = 1, 1
11:  self.edition = 0
12-  self.moving = false
13-  self.previous_moving = false
--
128-
129-  `source` (optional) is the entity that dealt the damage. When
130:  passed, its `.edition` is mixed with the player's `.edition` to
131-  produce the particle target color — so a ruby player hit by an
132-  emerald seeker gets warm/cool blended hit particles instead of
--
152-    -- `text` (white) so the particles still have *some* color phase even
153-    -- if neither side carries an edition.
154:    local ca = edition_base_color(self.edition)
155:    local cb = source and edition_base_color(source.edition) or nil
156-    local hit_c
157-    if ca and cb then hit_c = color_mix(ca, cb, 0.5)
--
174-function player:draw(layer)
175-  local s = self.spring.hit.x*self.spring.shoot.x*self.spring.move.x
176:  local edition = self.flashing and 0 or self.edition
177-  -- Player rendered in legacy SNKRX teal (snkrx_blue). The new palette `blue`
178-  -- is a deeper navy that doesn't pop against the dark bg the same way.
179-  -- Revisit when player visual gets a proper pass.
180-  local c = self.flashing and fg_color() or snkrx_blue()
181:  set_edition(layer, edition)
182-  layer_push(layer, self.x, self.y, self.r + self.visual_r, self.sx*s, self.sy*s)
183-  layer_rounded_rectangle(layer, -self.w/2, -self.h/2, self.w, self.h, 2, c)
184-  layer_pop(layer)
... [3 more lines]

The entity model is now clear: each entity draws its silhouette in a base color (e.g. snkrx_blue()), bracketed by set_edition — the edition is a per-fragment shimmer over that base color. That's the core tension with ricochet's model (where the color recipe picks palette tokens by field, not shimmer an arbitrary base). Let me read the ricochet shader (the port source) and the UI paint layer to fully scope this.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\paint.lua)

1    --[[
2     ui/paint.lua — edition-backed UI coloring.
3   
4     Every UI color is drawn through the edition pipeline. Each of the 18
5     locked palette tokens has a "mimic edition" (50..67) that reproduces
6     its exact color plus a subtle lightness shimmer (see ui_palette_color
7     in assets/draw_shader.frag). So UI elements still read as the locked
8     palette, but they breathe like SNKRX entities.
9   
10    How a colored draw works: instead of `layer_rounded_rectangle(ui_layer,
11    ..., c())`, widgets call ui_rrect / ui_rect / ui_text, which bracket
12    the draw with edition_set(ui_layer, edition_for(c), field_scale,
13    dither) / edition_clear. The base color passed is still the token —
14    so at edition 0 the UI renders as the flat locked palette.
15  
16    Resolution order for an element's edition (ui_edition_for):
17      1. ui_global_edition, if non-zero — forces the WHOLE UI to one
18         edition (the gallery's preview override).
19      2. an explicit per-element override (opts.edition on a widget).
20      3. the token's mimic edition from ui_color_edition.
21  ]]
22  
23  -- Tuning globals — the gallery exposes keys for these.
24  ui_field_scale    = 0.4   -- shimmer noise density (UI elements are small)
25  ui_dither         = 0     -- dither mode (0 = smooth)
26  ui_global_edition = 0     -- 0 = per-color table; non-zero = force all UI
27  
28  -- Locked palette token -> its mimic edition (50..67). Keyed by the
29  -- token's color object identity.
30  ui_color_edition = {
... [67 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\ricochet-template\assets\draw_shader.frag)

1    // =============================================================================
2   // ricochet-template — unified draw shader (single fragment shader for the
3   // whole project, installed via set_draw_shader as the engine's default).
4   //
5   // THREE-AXIS MODEL
6   //   Every fragment is processed as:
7   //
8   //       f   = pattern(world_pos, time, scale, param)   // [0, 1]
9   //       f   = dither(f, pixel_pos)                     // {0, 1/n, …, 1}
10  //       rgb = color(base_rgb, f, palette[color_a], palette[color_b])
11  //
12  //   Pattern owns spatial structure AND animation. Color is a pure recipe
13  //   that picks/mixes palette tokens by f. Dither inserts the pixel-art
14  //   stipple between them. The three are independent — any combination is
15  //   valid. See effect.lua for the registered names per axis.
16  //
17  // VARYING INPUTS (from engine vertex shader; do not rename)
18  //   vPos       World-space fragment position. For camera-attached layers
19  //              this is camera-transformed world space.
20  //   vUV        0..1 UV inside the draw's quad (or sprite UV for sprites).
21  //   vColor     Per-vertex RGBA color (the `color` arg passed to layer_*).
22  //   vType      Shape dispatch: 0=rect, 1=circle, 2=sprite, 3=line/capsule,
23  //              4=triangle, 5=polygon, 6=rounded rect.
24  //   vShape0..4 Per-shape parameter bundle.
25  //   vAddColor  Per-vertex additive RGB offset (engine 'flash' channel).
26  //
27  // UNIFORMS YOU SET FROM LUA (via effect.lua's effect_set)
28  //   u_pattern_kind   int   1=organic 2=solid 3=plasma 4=waves 5=marble
29  //                          6=sine_grid 7=wood 8=truchet 9=contours
30  //                          10=linear_gradient 11=radial_gradient (LOCAL)
... [811 more lines]

I now have the complete picture of both systems and the core tension. Let me verify the engine patch status (the user explicitly asked) and check ricochet's rough effect defaults before writing the plan.

Bash (cd E:/a327ex && echo "=== anchor.exe timestamps & sizes ===" && ls -la --time-st...)

Exit code 2
=== anchor.exe timestamps & sizes ===
-rwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121 4185088 2026-05-30 14:04 ricochet-template/anchor.exe*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121 4185088 2026-05-24 11:46 snkrx-template/anchor.exe*

Bash (cd E:/a327ex && echo "=== ricochet main.lua: rough boot + effect defaults ===" &...)

=== ricochet main.lua: rough boot + effect defaults ===
--[[
  ricochet-template — main.lua : the clean reference scene a forked game edits.

  Fork the folder (run.bat resolves the new name automatically), then build your
  game in this file. It ships almost nothing — a full-screen effect and one small
  control panel — but it shows the whole skeleton: the MODE flag, the boot order,
  the layers, the four-axis effect call, and the per-frame UI interaction
  contract. The reusable theme lives in `ricochet/` (one `require`).

  MODE picks the resolution profile. A Ricochet game is high-res-SMOOTH or
  low-res-ROUGH (never both); flip the flag and the matching engine config +
  theme (fonts / icons / metrics / UI skin) are selected. The effect engine and
  the widget API are identical at both; only the look + sizing differ.

  LAB = true runs the example galleries (lab.lua) instead of this scene — the
  full tour of every pattern / shape / dither / icon / font + the UI in context
  (the frozen v1 dev tools, kept as usage reference). Composite example screens
  built on the NEW toolkit will live in their own gallery (next session).

  How to use the UI toolkit (see ricochet/ for the full widget set):
    update(): ui_capture_input()                  -- capture mouse edges (update-only)
    draw():   ui_begin(); <widgets...>; <world>; layer_render/draw(...); ui_end()
    Widgets take one opts table; pass `id` for interactive, omit for static.
    Every widget returns a TABLE: .clicked / .value / .content_y / .next_x / ...
    State is caller-owned (you pass value/checked, the widget reports the change).
]]

local MODE = 'rough'   -- 'rough' (480x270 pixel-art) | 'smooth' (1920x1080)
local LAB  = false     -- true -> run the example galleries (lab.lua) instead
... [52 more lines]

The engine check is informative: snkrx's anchor.exe is dated 2026-05-24, while ricochet's patched build is 2026-05-30 (same shared engine, same byte size). Per my memory, the aux-sampler draw-path patch landed 2026-05-30 — so snkrx's binary predates the patch and needs recopying. Let me confirm a couple of snkrx-shader specifics (the HP-bar editions and whether any widget depends on them) before I finalize the plan.

Grep (hp_fill|hp_back|edition.30|edition.31|u_hp|set_edition(.*3[01])|hp_)

snkrx-template\snkrx\edition.lua:250:  hp_fill          = 30,
snkrx-template\snkrx\edition.lua:251:  hp_back          = 31,
snkrx-template\snkrx\edition.lua:305:  [30] = 'hp_fill',
snkrx-template\snkrx\edition.lua:306:  [31] = 'hp_back',
snkrx-template\snkrx\seeker.lua:351:  local hp_w  = math.max(0, entity.hp)/entity.max_hp*bar_w
snkrx-template\snkrx\seeker.lua:356:  if hp_w > 0 then
snkrx-template\snkrx\seeker.lua:357:    layer_rounded_rectangle(layer, bar_x, bar_y, hp_w, bar_h, 1, red())
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:16:  -- Resource stats. Register modifier stats (hp_max, mp_max, regens)
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:18:  -- pool maxes are then re-synced from p.hp_max / p.mp_max in
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:21:  stats_set(self, 'hp_max',   100, 0, math.huge)
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:23:  stats_set(self, 'hp_regen', 2,   0, math.huge)
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:25:  stats_set(self, 'hp',       100, 0, self.hp_max)
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:53:  -- applied AFTER stats_update so hp_regen / mp_regen are read at
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:58:  stats_set_min_max(self, 'hp', nil, self.hp_max)
snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua:60:  stats_add(self, 'hp', self.hp_regen*dt)
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:32:      (e.g. hp's max tracks p.hp_max each frame).
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:107:  speed, hp_max, mana_cost_mult).
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:112:  Example: hp_max as a modifier stat, hp as a pool stat tracking it.
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:114:    stats_set(p, 'hp_max', 100, 0, math.huge)   -- modifier
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:115:    stats_set(p, 'hp',     100, 0, p.hp_max)     -- pool
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:118:    stats_set_add(p, 'hp_max', 'item_amulet', 20)  -- +20 max hp
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:120:    stats_set_min_max(p, 'hp', nil, p.hp_max)       -- hp's cap tracks hp_max
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:135:     each frame, clamped to [0, hp_max]. As long as the buff is on,
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:138:     fine. Usually it isn't — you want to buff `hp_max`, then have
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:139:     hp's cap track the new hp_max via stats_set_min_max.
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:152:     should track hp_max each frame, register hp_max FIRST so it
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:206:  tracks the buffable hp_max each frame).
snkrx-template\snkrx\stats.lua:324:  (register hp_max before hp so the cap is fresh when hp clamps).
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:369:  if ui_button({ rect = rect_new(8, 166, 66, 22), id = 'hp_dmg',
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:373:  if ui_button({ rect = rect_new(82, 166, 52, 22), id = 'hp_heal',
... [2 more lines]

Grep (u_edition|u_field_scale|u_dither_mode|ui_palette_color|hp_fill|hp_back|palette_color|palette_cycle)

39://   u_edition   Edition mode (integer-as-float). 0 = no transform.
86://   the palette_color() table here too. Keep them in lockstep.
106:uniform float u_edition;
116:uniform float u_field_scale;
123:uniform float u_dither_mode;
125:// Optional HP-bar uniforms (only read when u_edition is 30 or 31).
440:vec3 palette_color(int i) {
459:vec3 ui_palette_color(int i) {
510:    float fscale = u_field_scale > 0.0001 ? u_field_scale : 0.15;
514:    // read field directly (mode 24 / palette_cycle) or via res (the
519:    field = apply_dither(field, int(u_dither_mode + 0.5), gl_FragCoord.xy);
554:        vec3 a = palette_color(i_a);
555:        vec3 b = palette_color(i_b);
581:        vec3 uc = ui_palette_color(edition - 50);
684:        int edition = int(u_edition + 0.5);
754:    int edition = int(u_edition + 0.5);

I've now read both systems end-to-end and mapped the full migration surface. Before I write any code, here's the plan of attack and the design tension that shapes it. (HP-bar editions 30/31 turned out to be dead — nothing draws through them, so they're not a migration concern.)


What I found — the conceptual gap

The two systems resolve color in fundamentally different ways:

snkrx editions — an entity draws its silhouette in an arbitrary RGB base color (snkrx_blue() for the player, red() for a ruby seeker), and set_edition(layer, mode) brackets the draw to layer a per-fragment shimmer transform on top (hue/lightness breathing, palette cycle, silver, flat override). Mode 0 = flat base color. Particles pull a representative color via edition_base_color(mode). The UI breathes the same way via "mimic editions" 50–67 (each = one palette token + a subtle lightness shimmer).

ricochet effects — the COLOR axis is a recipe over palette tokens by name: none (passthrough), solid (palette[a]), mix (mix(a, b, f)), ramp (f across N tokens). The field f comes from the PATTERN axis. There is no "shimmer an arbitrary base color" recipe — color always resolves to named tokens.

So the snkrx "base color + breathing shimmer" has no 1:1 in ricochet's vocabulary. How we bridge that gap is the central design decision of Task 1 — it determines the shape of every entity migration and whether the ported shader needs one extra color recipe. The good news: the mapping is actually clean once the breathe model is chosen (hue-locked editions collapse into "just pass the token"; polychrome → ramp; flat overrides → solid).

Migration surface (every caller of the old system): 9 entity/carrier files (player, seeker, wall, projectile, area, beam, flicker, prop) + fx tinting; the 4 UI files (paint/primitives/widgets/gallery); snkrx/init.lua (the shim); main.lua (the boot line); plus the shader + palette wiring. geometry.lua (triangulate) stays — only edition.lua + gradient.lua/symbols.lua (the dormant gradient stack) + the old dither code get deleted.

Engine: snkrx's anchor.exe is dated 2026-05-24 — it predates the aux-sampler draw-path patch (2026-05-30) that sprite-shape masks require. First step is recopying the patched build (ricochet's is the same shared engine, known-patched). Mechanical, no brief.


Plan of attack

Task 1 — effect/dither system

Task 2 — UI standardization

Each numbered step gets its own design brief before code, and you test between each.

Defaults I'll take unless you object: u_palette[] carries snkrx's 18 canonical tokens (legacy snkrx_* appendable if a spec needs them); low-res effect scales use ricochet's rough-profile defaults (~2.5× the smooth ones) as the reference.


Three decisions fork the implementation enough that I want your call before drafting the increment-1 brief:

AskUserQuestion

Your questions have been answered: "How should the SNKRX breathing shimmer be represented in the token-based color system? (The old editions modulated an arbitrary base color's lightness/hue by the organic noise field; ricochet's recipes only pick/mix named tokens.)"="There's no need to represent it, the ricochet system already covers it with different patterns and colors.", "How should each entity carry its effect after migration?"="Everything should be drawable in the same way a rectangle is drawable. Entities are just rounded rectangles, right? So they should just be drawn using the same effect_rectangle calls that the ricochet template uses, or whatever equivalent.", "How should the migration be sequenced so you can test between increments?"="Big-bang atomic". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

The user's answers reframe this cleanly — and simpler than I'd scoped it:

Let me do the mechanical anchor.exe recopy now (prerequisite, no brief), and read the actual draw methods + color usage across all carriers so my design brief's per-entity spec mappings are concrete and correct.

Bash (cd E:/a327ex && cp ricochet-template/anchor.exe snkrx-template/anchor.exe && ech...)

recopied patched anchor.exe:
-rwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121 4185088 2026-05-31 12:02 snkrx-template/anchor.exe*

Grep (set_edition|edition_base_color|self.edition|.edition\b|_color()|color_mix)

E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-36-      color,             -- default red
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:37:      edition,           -- default caster.edition
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-38-      fire_sounds,       -- {{sound, vol}, ...}; default silent
--
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-214-  self.color      = args.color and color_clone(args.color) or color_clone(red)
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:215:  self.edition    = args.edition or 0
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-216-  self.persistent = args.persistent or false
--
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-244-    local tip = self.path[#self.path]
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:245:    local pc = edition_base_color(self.edition) or self.color
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-246-    spawn_hit_circle(tip.x, tip.y, {radius = 7, duration = 0.2}):change_color(0.3, pc)
--
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-341-  local enemies = query_entities_box(cx, cy, w, h, 0, {'enemy'})
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:342:  local pc = edition_base_color(self.edition) or self.color
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-343-  for _, e in ipairs(enemies or {}) do
--
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-403-  local enemies = query_entities_box(cx, cy, w, h, 0, {'enemy'})
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:404:  local pc = edition_base_color(self.edition) or self.color
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-405-  local hit_any = false
--
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-494-function beam:draw(layer)
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:495:  set_edition(layer, self.edition)
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-496-  local c = self.color()
--
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-507-      local tip_r = (self.width + 1.5)*self.tip_spring.main.x
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:508:      local tip_c = self.tip_flashing and fg_color() or self.color()
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-509-      layer_circle(layer, tip.x, tip.y, tip_r, tip_c)
--
E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua-526-  end
snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua:527:  set_edition(layer, 0)
... [172 more lines]

I now have the complete migration surface mapped. Every entity/carrier follows the identical pattern: a self.color (base) + self.edition (number), a set_edition-bracketed draw, and FX tints via edition_base_color(self.edition) or self.color. That makes the swap highly regular. Here's the design brief for the Task-1 big-bang.

mcpccd_sessionmark_chapter

[
  {
    "type": "text",
    "text": "Chapter marked: \"Effect-system port design brief\". Continue your current work."
  }
]

Design brief — Task 1: replace editions with the four-axis effect system

Approach

The whole edition vocabulary disappears. Every drawable stops carrying an .edition number + .color base and instead carries a .spec — a four-axis effect table (pattern × color × dither × shape) exactly like ricochet's. The draw stops bracketing with set_edition/set_edition(0) and brackets with effect_set(layer, self.spec) / effect_clear(layer) instead — a near-mechanical swap. The SNKRX "breathe" is reproduced not by a special recipe but the way ricochet does it: pattern='organic' (the same Balatro noise the editions used) sweeping a mix/ramp/solid color recipe over named tokens, with a dither for the pixel stipple. Editions, the field-scale/dither shim, gradient.lua, symbols.lua, and the old shader are deleted.

This lands atomically (big-bang): shader + effect.lua + palette wiring + all 9 entity/carrier files + the UI paint layer + init.lua + main.lua, then you test the whole scene.

The pieces

1. Shader + effect.lua port. Copy ricochet's assets/draw_shader.frag and ricochet/effect.lua into snkrx-template (assets/ + snkrx/effect.lua), replacing the old draw_shader.frag wholesale. One shader edit: bump u_palette[13]u_palette[18] and rewrite the token-index comment block for snkrx's tokens. effect.lua is otherwise verbatim (it already carries the full 34-mode dither catalog, all patterns, all shapes).

2. Palette wiring (snkrx/palette.lua). Add the adapter effect.lua expects, built from the existing 18 canonical token globals:

3. effect.lua additions. Entities are transformed rounded-rects (rotation + scale springs), so their draw uses the bracket formeffect_set(layer, self.spec) around the existing layer_push/layer_rounded_rectangle/layer_pop — which is the honest "draw any shape through the pipeline" idiom and the minimal swap from the set_edition brackets. I'll also add a single-call effect_rounded_rectangle for parity with effect_rectangle/circle/image (untransformed convenience). Plus a small helper spec_color(spec) → the color object for the spec's primary token (palette[spec.color_a], or ramp stop 1, or a fallback) — this replaces edition_base_color(...) at every FX/particle tint site.

4. init.lua. Swap the edition stack for the effect stack: require('snkrx.palette') + require('snkrx.effect'), palette_init(), effect_setup({draw_shader='assets/draw_shader.frag'}). Delete the set_edition shim, default_field_scale, default_dither. (geometry.lua's triangulate stays — walls/areas/props need it.)

5. Entity / carrier migration (player, seeker, wall, projectile, area, beam, flicker, prop). Each one, mechanically:

6. The per-entity spec convention (the aesthetic — I want your input here). I'll define a scene-wide default breathe and give each entity a starting spec, for you to tune. My proposed default recipe: {pattern='organic', pattern_scale≈0.5, color='mix', color_a=<accent>, color_b=<neighbor or lighter token>, dither='bayer4_2'} — organic noise sweeping a 2-token mix is the closest match to the edition breathe. Starting mappings: player → blue/light_blue family, seeker → red/orange, projectile/area/beam inherit caster, prop → yellow. The open question is color_b: snkrx's palette has no "light_red" tokens, so a lightness-breathe means mixing an accent with a chrome token (e.g. red↔white) or with a hue-neighbor (red↔orange, the polychrome warmth). I'll propose specific pairs in-line and we iterate — this is exactly the "different patterns and colors" tuning you flagged.

7. UI paint migration (ui/paint.lua + the gallery's preview cycling). ui_rrect/ui_rect/ui_glyph_text swap edition_seteffect_set. The mimic-edition "token + lightness shimmer" (50–67) becomes a per-token spec. Decision for you: the UI currently breathes (mimic editions); ricochet's UI is deliberately flat (bypasses the pipeline). I propose the UI goes flatcolor='solid', color_a=token (or raw layer_* with the token, fastest) — because the breathe on chrome was subtle and flat reads calmer against breathing entities; but if you want the UI to keep breathing I'll give it the same organic+mix spec. The gallery's ui_global_edition/ui_field_scale/ui_dither preview cyclers get repointed to effect-axis cycling (or dropped).

8. Deletions + docs. Remove edition.lua, gradient.lua, symbols.lua; the old shader is overwritten. Update main.lua's boot line (p.edition = …p.spec = …) and its gallery keybind comments, plus the CLAUDE.md edition sections + per-file docblocks.

What I need from you before coding

  1. Player teal — append snkrx_blue as token 18, or use light_blue? (lean: append)
  2. UI breathe vs flat — flat solid/raw (lean) or keep it breathing?
  3. The breathe color_b — happy to start with my proposed accent↔neighbor pairs and tune in-thread, or do you have a direction (lightness-toward-white vs hue-neighbor warmth)?

Everything else (the mechanical swaps, deletions, shader/effect port) is determined. Once you answer these three I'll write the whole landing.

  1. Is snkrx_blue different from blue? If it is then you might as well add all snkrx_ original colors too.
  2. Give me both options if it won't make too much of a mess of things, so I can see the difference.
  3. Pick whatever you think is best, generally close colors or opposite (complementary ones) will work best.

Good — answers locked. Quick confirmation before I build:

  1. snkrx_blue ≠ blueblue is navy (39,88,180), snkrx_blue is teal (82,179,203). Very different. So per your call I'll append all 8 legacy snkrx_* tokens → a 26-token u_palette.
  2. UI: both, toggleable. One ui_breathe flag switches paint.lua between flat solid and organic mix; I'll bind a gallery key so you can A/B it live.
  3. Breathe pairs: close hue-neighbors (cohesive "one color rippling" rather than two-tone) — player snkrx_blue↔light_blue, seeker red↔orange, prop yellow↔orange, carriers inherit caster. Easy to retune in-thread.

Now reading the full carrier/entity files so the edits are exact.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua)

1    player = class()
2   
3   function player:new(x, y)
4     self.x, self.y = x, y
5     self.w, self.h = 10, 10
6     self.base_speed = 100
7     self.speed = self.base_speed
8     self.r = 0
9     self.visual_r = 0
10    self.sx, self.sy = 1, 1
11    self.edition = 0
12    self.moving = false
13    self.previous_moving = false
14    self.flashing = false
15  
16    -- Resource stats. Register modifier stats (hp_max, mp_max, regens)
17    -- before the pool stats so stats_update walks the caps first;
18    -- pool maxes are then re-synced from p.hp_max / p.mp_max in
19    -- player:update via stats_set_min_max. See stats.lua docs for the
20    -- pool-vs-modifier convention.
21    stats_set(self, 'hp_max',   100, 0, math.huge)
22    stats_set(self, 'mp_max',   100, 0, math.huge)
23    stats_set(self, 'hp_regen', 2,   0, math.huge)
24    stats_set(self, 'mp_regen', 10,  0, math.huge)
25    stats_set(self, 'hp',       100, 0, self.hp_max)
26    stats_set(self, 'mp',       100, 0, self.mp_max)
27  
28    make_entity(self)
29  
30    self.collider = collider(self, 'player', 'dynamic', 'box', self.w, self.h)
... [161 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\seeker.lua)

1    --[[
2     seeker.lua — basic chase-the-player enemy.
3   
4     Faithful port of v1's seeker (~main.lua 9203-9514). Same silhouette
5     (14×6 rounded rect), same hp pool, same speed range, same steering
6     recipe (seek + wander + separate combined inside max_force=200),
7     same spawn/hit/death FX, same sounds. The bytepath-era pack /
8     rarity / modifiers system (yellow/blue specials, slow_aura,
9     explode_on_death) is intentionally NOT ported here — Invoker's
10    loot/modifier layer is going to live higher up the stack; the
11    seeker itself stays mechanical.
12  
13    Differences from v1 that aren't cosmetic:
14      • Procedural Anchor 2 patterns: plain field timer/spring/collider,
15        explicit update of each sub-module, `cached_enemies` is replaced
16        by iterating the seekers[] array for steering_separate.
17      • `cyclone_spin` death-spin parameter dropped (no cyclone ability
18        yet — spin defaults to 0, which matches v1's effective behavior
19        when nothing has tagged the seeker with cyclone). Re-add when
20        Cyclone lands.
21      • `damaged_by_area` tick-rate guard dropped — fireball is the only
22        area right now and it's instant, so re-hits per cast can't happen.
23        Bring back the guard when duration zones land.
24      • Push knockback timer-name bug fixed. v1 reuses the name 'push'
25        for both the 0.15s flash-off and the 0.5s pushed-state-off
26        timers, so the second registration cancels the first and the
27        seeker stays white-flashed forever after a push. We use
28        distinct names ('push_flash' / 'push_end') so both fire.
29  ]]
30  
... [349 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\wall.lua)

1    --[[
2     wall.lua — interior-obstacle wall.
3   
4     Port of v1's wall_object (Invoker/v1/main.lua lines 5144-5186) to Anchor 2
5     procedural style. Same shape, same draw: take a closed polygon, build a
6     static chain collider so projectiles bounce off it, render the interior
7     as filled triangles in `wall_color` on whatever layer the caller passes.
8   
9     Differences from v1 that are framework-forced (not behavioral):
10      • object:extend() / object.new / self:tag / self:add / self:action →
11        class() + make_entity + plain fields + an explicit :update/:draw/
12        :destroy contract. Anchor 2 has no object tree and no action queue;
13        the caller iterates walls and calls :draw(layer) inside its draw().
14      • triangulate() in snkrx-template's geometry.lua returns 6-number
15        triangles you can pass straight to layer_triangle. v1's returned
16        {i, j, k} index triples that required dereferencing the verts array
17        at draw time. Same triangulation, less arithmetic at the draw site.
18      • The collider's chain shape signature is `(owner, tag, 'static',
19        'chain', local_verts, closed?)` in Anchor 2 vs v1's
20        `self:add(collider('wall', 'static', 'chain', local_verts, true))`.
21  
22    Used by main.lua to drop a single interior wall into the scene so we can
23    see how attacks land on it once we start porting carriers. The wall's
24    default color is muted slate — distinct from the bg fill and the player
25    silhouette, dim enough that bright attack visuals read cleanly over it.
26  ]]
27  
28  
29  -- v1 line 5146. Slate-grey, deliberately dim so attack effects pop on top.
30  wall_color = color(60, 60, 70)
... [76 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\projectile.lua)

1    --[[
2     projectile.lua — straight-line attack carrier (minimal v1 port).
3   
4     Scope of this first pass (per session 2 decisions):
5       • Default rounded-rect shape (w=10, h=4). No shape variants yet
6         (ball_lightning circle, wind_slash blades, arc crescent come later).
7       • Straight-line travel only. No homing / linear-return / arc-return.
8       • Sensor box collider — projectiles pass through enemies/walls
9         visually. Enemy hits are surfaced via sensor_entities_begin in
10        main.lua. Walls are caught by a per-frame forward raycast (sensors
11        don't physically collide).
12      • Spawn juice: spring pull on 'main' + 0.2s white flash.
13      • Wall hit:  6r/0.15s hit_circle + 2 particles, then die.
14      • Enemy hit: full damage + hit_effect sprite burst, then die. No
15        pierce/chain in this first pass — that's gameplay-side anyway.
16      • Death:     8r/0.2s hit_circle + 2 particles, particle color =
17                   edition_base_color(self.edition) or self.color.
18  
19    Caller API (per session 2 decision — "everything in spawn_projectile,
20    caster passed in, everything else derived"):
21      spawn_projectile(caster, {
22        aim_r,             -- optional, default: caster -> main_camera.mouse
23        spawn_offset,      -- default 8 (v1's hardcoded muzzle offset)
24        color,             -- default red
25        edition,           -- default caster.edition
26        max_range,         -- default nil = unlimited
27        damage,            -- default 1
28        speed,             -- default 190
29        w, h,              -- default 10, 4
30      })
... [255 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\fx.lua)

1    --[[
2     fx.lua — one-shot visual effects.
3   
4     Two entity types ported from v1's hit_circle / hit_particle. They
5     exist for a brief duration, draw something, and auto-kill. Spawned
6     by gameplay code (projectile spawn, wall hit, area damage in the
7     future) via spawn_hit_circle / spawn_particle. Both live in the
8     global fxs[] array, updated and drawn from main.lua.
9   
10    fx_hit_circle — filled circle that SHRINKS from initial radius to
11      0 over `duration` (cubic_in_out). Starts white (the `text`
12      palette token); the optional :change_color(fraction, target)
13      chainable swaps it to the spell color at the given fraction of
14      duration, giving the v1 "flash white, then bleed into element
15      color" feel.
16  
17    fx_particle — rotated rounded rectangle that flies outward at
18      self.angle, with w/h/velocity tweening down to {2, 2, 0} over
19      `duration` (sine_in_out). Same white-then-color flash via
20      :change_color. Used for cast bursts, wall impact debris, and
21      (future) on-hit particles.
22  
23    Both kinds match v1 visuals byte-for-byte where possible —
24    ability_layer is replaced with the game_layer caller, the object
25    tree is replaced with explicit fxs[] iteration, an.random calls
26    become random_float / random_choice. Otherwise the math, easings,
27    defaults, and feel are unchanged.
28  ]]
29  
30  
... [262 more lines]

fx.lua is edition-free (only the callers compute tint colors via edition_base_color). Now the remaining four carriers.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\area.lua)

1    --[[
2     area.lua — area-of-effect attack carrier.
3   
4     Three base shapes with an orthogonal `jagged` flag:
5       'circle'  + jagged=false:  filled disc + orbiting arc segments
6       'circle'  + jagged=true:   filled disc + jittered perimeter polygon outline
7       'rect'    + jagged=false:  filled rect + bracket corners
8       'rect'    + jagged=true:   filled triangle fan + jittered perimeter polygon outline
9       'polygon' + jagged=false:  filled disc + clean polygon outline
10      'polygon' + jagged=true:   filled disc + jittered polygon outline (jitter mutates hit area)
11  
12    Damage queries match base shape (not jagged):
13      circle  → query_entities_circle   (jagged is visual-only)
14      rect    → query_entities_box      (jagged is visual-only)
15      polygon → query_entities_polygon  (jagged actually changes hit area, since verts are the shape)
16  
17    Two lifecycle modes selected by `duration`:
18  
19      Instant (default, duration = nil): tween radius 0 → target over 0.05s
20        → single damage pass + spring pop + 0.15s flash → 0.2s hold → blink × 7 → kill.
21  
22      Persistent (duration set): tween radius 0 → target over 0.25s. Damage
23        ticks every `tick_rate` seconds (default 0.5s); each tick that lands
24        on anyone plays `dot_tick`, pulls the spring 0.1, flashes 0.1s, and
25        spikes the arc speed by 1.25π (capped at 3π). After `duration`
26        seconds, blink × 7 → kill. Per-enemy cooldown prevents the same
27        enemy from being hit more than once per tick_rate window.
28  
29    Caller API:
30      spawn_area(x, y, {
... [464 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua)

1    --[[
2     beam.lua — line / beam attack carrier (instant + persistent).
3   
4     Internally the beam is a POLYLINE — list of {x,y} points walked left-
5     to-right. For a non-homing beam this is just 2 points (muzzle and
6     endpoint). For a homing beam, build_homing_path walks forward
7     `step_size` units at a time, bending the heading toward the nearest
8     enemy within `homing_proximity`. The same downstream pipeline (wall
9     clip, damage, dash draw) handles both cases.
10  
11    Two lifecycle modes selected by `persistent`:
12  
13      Instant (default, persistent = false): single damage pass at fire
14        time. v1 railgun_flash visual — dashed line built once, segments
15        grouped into clumps of 2-4 whose ends tween toward each clump's
16        midpoint with staggered delays over `duration`. Auto-kills after
17        `duration + 0.05`. Tip impact FX at the end of the path.
18  
19      Persistent (persistent = true): held-while-button-down channeled
20        beam. Every `tick_rate` the path is rebuilt from the caster's
21        current position + aim, damage is applied, and a fresh "flash"
22        line is spawned. Each flash fades out via the clump-retract over
23        one tick interval — so the previous tick's line retracts exactly
24        as the new tick's line appears, giving a pulsing beam. A spring-
25        scaled tip circle at the path end flashes white on each tick.
26        Lives until beam:release() or the caster dies.
27  
28    Caller API (mirrors spawn_projectile):
29      spawn_beam(caster, {
30        aim_r,             -- optional, default: caster → main_camera.mouse
... [554 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\flicker.lua)

1    --[[
2     flicker.lua — flicker-strike line/trail carrier (v1 flicker_strike).
3   
4     A self-contained moving entity. NOT the player — the caster only
5     supplies a spawn position, an aim direction, and an edition tint;
6     after that the flicker is autonomous. It hops between enemies along
7     cubic-bezier curves, leaving a fading dashed trail and spawning the
8     full v1 flicker-strike hit FX at each enemy it reaches. Port of v1's
9     flicker_strike (line 4450) — visuals + sounds, no player movement,
10    no modifiers (multistrike / melee_splash / echo are gameplay-side).
11  
12    Lifecycle:
13      1. Find an initial target: closest enemy to the click position
14         (target_x/target_y) within `range` of it — v1 flicker_strike's
15         first jump (closest enemy to the cursor). No target → fizzle.
16      2. Hop to it via a cubic bezier (control points 80% along the
17         entry/exit angles; exit angle pre-bends toward the next target),
18         lerped over `hop_delay`. Departure puff + 2 particles + shake.
19      3. On arrival: per-enemy hit FX (fx_energy_122 burst, hit_circle,
20         4 zag particles) + arrival juice (slash sounds, shake, body
21         flash + spring pulse).
22      4. After `hits` enemies are struck (or targets run out), stop with
23         the final burst (hit_stop, slash_final, AoE knockback, big FX).
24         The trail fades; the entity self-destructs once it's empty.
25  
26    Caller API:
27      spawn_flicker(caster, {
28        target_x,        -- click position; first hop targets the enemy
29        target_y,        --   closest to it. default: main_camera.mouse
30        aim_r,           -- optional, default: caster → click position
... [364 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

1    --[[
2     prop.lua — breakable polygon prop + the big-rock attack carrier.
3   
4     `prop` is a generic breakable: a jagged polygon entity that shatters
5     into `debris`. It is the general form — think breakable vases / boxes
6     in an ARPG. The Orblike v1 big_rock attack is one configured instance
7     of it: a prop that is thrown in an arc and deals damage where it
8     lands.
9   
10    Two layers live in this file:
11  
12      GENERIC (prop + debris)
13        • prop  — a polygon outline that can be static (sits until
14                  shattered) or thrown (lerps its own x/y to a target
15                  while an `airborne` arc drives height + draw scale;
16                  on landing it shatters and fires an on_land hook).
17        • debris — one polygon shard with a physics collider, the output
18                   of prop:shatter. Rock-styled visuals for now.
19        Neither knows anything about damage.
20  
21      ATTACK (the polygonal_* carrier functions)
22        • spawn_polygonal      — fires the big-rock attack: a thrown prop
23                                 with the rock's on_land payload.
24        • polygonal_on_land    — the rock's landing payload: damage +
25                                 rocky particles + shake + landing sound.
26        • polygonal_land_damage — the separated damage portion. The ONLY
27                                 place the rock attack hurts anything.
28  
29    Port of v1 big_rock_effect (line 11390) + rock_fragment (11696).
30    Behaviour and visuals of the thrown-rock path are an exact port; the
... [501 more lines]

I now have every carrier in full. The pattern is uniform across all 8 files. Before editing, let me pin down the UI edition references and confirm what's safe to delete (gradient_palettes, gradient.lua, symbols.lua).

Grep (edition|field_scale|ui_dither|gradient_palette|gradient_|symbols|ui_override|ui_global)

snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:13:    O / P      preview the whole UI under prev / next edition
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:15:    K / L      field_scale down / up (UI shimmer density)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1003:    if is_pressed('ui_edition_prev') then ui_override_step(-1) end
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1004:    if is_pressed('ui_edition_next') then ui_override_step(1)  end
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1005:    if is_pressed('ui_dither_cycle') then ui_dither = next_dither(ui_dither) end
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1007:      ui_field_scale = math.max(0.05, ui_field_scale - 0.05)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1010:      ui_field_scale = ui_field_scale + 0.05
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1027:  local edname = (ui_global_edition == 0) and 'per-color'
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1028:    or edition_name(ui_global_edition)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1030:    'body: ' .. ui_font_body_name() .. '   edition: ' .. edname
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1031:      .. string.format('   fs: %.2f', ui_field_scale)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1032:      .. '   dither: ' .. dither_name(ui_dither),
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\init.lua:11:    • ui_layer — the screen-space UI layer (no camera, no edition shader)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\init.lua:100:require('snkrx.ui.paint')       -- edition-backed coloring (draw wrappers)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:10:  Coloring goes through the edition pipeline (ui/paint.lua): draws use
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:11:  the ui_rrect / ui_text wrappers, or bracket edition_set manually for
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:12:  loops (draw_drag_target). Every widget accepts opts.edition to force
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:13:  a specific edition for all its draws — the per-element override.
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:46:  edition_set(ui_layer, ui_edition_for(col, override),
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:47:              ui_field_scale, ui_dither)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:50:  edition_clear(ui_layer)
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:63:    edition    forces an edition for all the slot's draws
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:81:  local ed  = opts.edition
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:107:  ui_panel({ rect = lr, bg = slot_fill, radius = rad, edition = ed })
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:118:                   radius = math.max(0, rad - pad), edition = ed })
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:125:              align_h = 'center', align_v = 'center', edition = ed })
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:190:    edition     forces an edition for all the button's draws.
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:201:  local ed      = opts.edition
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:248:              color = text_muted, align_h = 'center', edition = ed })
snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:256:              color = label_c, align_h = 'center', edition = ed })
... [52 more lines]

Grep (gradient_palette|require.gradient|require.symbols|gradient_rect|gradient_circle|gradient_polygon|symbols.|gradient.)

snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md:102:   / gradient_polygon / palette tokens applies here verbatim.
snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md:111:   `gradient.lua`, `geometry.lua`, `symbols.lua`) plus the root
snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md:156:- `edition.lua`, `palette.lua`, `gradient.lua`, `geometry.lua`,
snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md:157:  `symbols.lua` — same shape as edition-template.
snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md:885:    ├── gradient.lua            # from edition-template (present, currently unrequired)
snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md:887:    ├── symbols.lua             # from edition-template (present, currently unrequired)
snkrx-template\snkrx\edition.lua:12:    outlines, sprites (including baked gradient textures from gradient.lua).
snkrx-template\snkrx\findings.md:442:| `slightly_jagged_line` | 12012 | Activation, orb-to-player line for every hold ability | Straight dashed line src→dst, progressive draw, src_color→dst_color gradient. Holds after anim, then blinks 3x. Dst-edge-point clipping. |
snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua:10:    its gradient has been baked by gradient.lua.
snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua:51:       local grad = gradient_polygon(verts, {                 -- the band
snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua:94:      the edges (see gradient_polygon's internal build_edge_buckets for the
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:2:  gradient.lua — bake a 2D color gradient into an RGBA texture you draw as
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:23:    gradient_rect(w, h, opts)                     bake a rect-bounded gradient
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:24:    gradient_circle(radius, opts)                 bake a circle-bounded gradient
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:25:    gradient_polygon(verts, opts)                 bake a polygon-bounded gradient
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:114:  REGION-AWARE BAKES (gradient_polygon only)
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:128:       player_grad = gradient_rect(10, 10, {
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:143:       wall_grad = gradient_polygon(boundary_verts, {
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:157:       glow = gradient_circle(8, {
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:430:-- PUBLIC: gradient_rect
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:434:  gradient_rect(w, h, opts) -> grad
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:447:    body = gradient_rect(50, 30, {
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:455:function gradient_rect(w, h, opts)
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:474:-- PUBLIC: gradient_circle
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:478:  gradient_circle(radius, opts) -> grad
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:483:  Returns the same grad table shape as gradient_rect. Draw via
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:487:    halo = gradient_circle(12, {
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:497:function gradient_circle(radius, opts)
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:515:-- PUBLIC: gradient_polygon
snkrx-template\snkrx\gradient.lua:519:  gradient_polygon(verts, opts) -> grad
... [12 more lines]

Two things to verify before I start editing: whether geometry.lua's triangulate (used by walls/areas/props) is independent of gradient_polygon (so I can safely delete gradient.lua), and the exact gallery edition-key block.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua)

1    --[[
2     geometry.lua — polygon utilities. Triangulation, edge extraction, scatter.
3   
4     THE 30-SECOND MENTAL MODEL
5       Polygons in this codebase are flat {x1, y1, x2, y2, ...} arrays of world-
6       space vertices (always a closed loop — the last vertex connects back to
7       the first; you do NOT repeat the first vertex at the end). This file
8       contains the geometric operations you need to render a polygon as a
9       fully-decorated wall (floor + edge stroke + scattered decorations) once
10      its gradient has been baked by gradient.lua.
11  
12      None of this is wall-specific. The same triangulate / edge / scatter
13      helpers work on any closed polygon — a wall boundary, an attack hitbox,
14      a region map, etc.
15  
16    PUBLIC API
17      triangulate(verts) -> [tri]                     ear-clip a simple polygon
18      polygon_edge_segments(verts) -> [seg]           segment list for stroking
19      polygon_bbox(verts) -> x0, y0, x1, y1           min/max bounding box
20      point_in_polygon(px, py, verts) -> bool         ray-cast test
21      closest_point_on_polygon(px,py,verts) -> qx,qy,d  closest edge point + dist
22      scatter_around_polygon(verts, opts) -> [pt]     point scatter with rotation
23  
24      Each scatter pattern is also exposed individually for direct use if you
25      want to scatter without polygon filtering:
26          scatter_poisson(x0, y0, x1, y1, spacing, k?)
27          scatter_grid(x0, y0, x1, y1, spacing)
28          scatter_hex(x0, y0, x1, y1, spacing)
29          scatter_brick(x0, y0, x1, y1, spacing)
30  
... [491 more lines]

triangulate is fully standalone (the only gradient_polygon mention is in a docstring example), so geometry.lua stays and gradient.lua/symbols.lua are safe to delete. I have everything I need.

Starting the landing. First the infrastructure: copy ricochet's shader + effect.lua into snkrx-template, then make the targeted edits.

Bash (cd E:/a327ex && cp ricochet-template/assets/draw_shader.frag snkrx-template/asse...)

copied shader + effect.lua into snkrx-template
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121 41461 May 31 12:18 snkrx-template/assets/draw_shader.frag
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121 24775 May 31 12:18 snkrx-template/snkrx/effect.lua

Now the shader edits — expand u_palette to 26 tokens and update the index documentation.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag)

<tool_use_error>File has not been read yet. Read it first before writing to it.</tool_use_error>

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag)

<tool_use_error>File has not been read yet. Read it first before writing to it.</tool_use_error>

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag)

36   //   u_shape_kind     int   0=none, 1=circle(size), 2=circle(hard)
37  //   u_shape_size     float shape grid cell size in pixels
38  //   u_shape_backing  int   shape gaps: 0=transparent, 1=palette[color_a]
39  //   u_color_kind     int   0=none (passthrough), 1=solid, 2=mix, 3=ramp
40  //   u_ramp_tokens[8] int   ordered palette token indices for color='ramp'
41  //   u_ramp_count     int   number of active ramp stops (2..8)
42  //   u_color_a        int   palette token index (0..12)
43  //   u_color_b        int   palette token index (0..12)
44  //   u_time           float elapsed seconds (for time-varying patterns)
45  //   u_palette[13]    vec4  active palette; .rgb per token (alpha unused)
46  //
47  // PALETTE TOKEN INDICES (mirrors palette.lua's palette_token_names)
48  //   0 field    1 panel     2 recess    3 ink       4 mid_light
49  //   5 mid_grey 6 deep_grey 7 blue      8 orange    9 green
50  //  10 pink    11 yellow   12 red
51  //
52  // HOW TO ADD A NEW PATTERN
53  //   1. Add a function below the "PATTERNS" header that takes
54  //      (vec2 world_pos, float scale, float param, float t) and returns a
55  //      float in [0, 1].
56  //   2. Add a branch in pattern_field() for a new kind id.
57  //   3. In effect.lua: add to pattern_kinds + pattern_cycle_names.
58  //
59  // HOW TO ADD A NEW COLOR RECIPE
60  //   1. Add a branch in apply_color() for a new kind id. The recipe receives
61  //      (base, f, palette[color_a], palette[color_b]) — use what you need.
62  //   2. In effect.lua: add to color_kinds + color_cycle_names.
63  //
64  // HOW TO ADD A NEW DITHER
65  //   1. Add a branch in apply_dither() with the quantization math.
... [55 more lines]

Now the two shader edits:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\assets\draw_shader.frag has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Shader done. Now rewrite palette.lua — keep all 26 token definitions, add the effect-system adapter (palette table, token names/index, palette_init), and drop the gradient/edition machinery.

Write (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\palette.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\palette.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now add spec_color and effect_rounded_rectangle to the copied effect.lua. Let me read the target sections first.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\effect.lua)

453  --[[
454   effect_clear(layer)
455   Reset pattern/color/dither on this layer to passthrough. The other
456   uniforms (color_a/b, scale, param) are left as-is — they only have an
457   effect when a non-zero kind reads them.
458 ]]
459 function effect_clear(layer)
460   layer_shader_set_int(layer, effect_draw_shader, 'u_pattern_kind', 2)  -- solid
461   layer_shader_set_int(layer, effect_draw_shader, 'u_color_kind',   0)  -- none (passthrough)
462   layer_shader_set_int(layer, effect_draw_shader, 'u_dither_kind',  0)  -- off
463   layer_shader_set_int(layer, effect_draw_shader, 'u_shape_kind',   0)  -- none
464 end
465 
466 --[[
467   effect_draw(layer, spec, fn, ...)
468   Scoped form: set the effect, run fn(...), then reset to passthrough.
469   Forwards extra arguments to fn so closures can stay light.
470 ]]
471 function effect_draw(layer, spec, fn, ...)
472   effect_set(layer, spec)
473   fn(...)
474   effect_clear(layer)
475 end
476 
477 -- =============================================================================
478 -- SINGLE-CALL DRAW WRAPPERS
479 -- Draw one primitive through the full effect pipeline in ONE call: set + draw +
480 -- clear. `spec` is the same table effect_set takes (every field optional, see the
481 -- SPEC TABLE docblock). The base draw color is white — irrelevant for color≠none
482 -- (the whole point of these); use a plain layer_* call if you want color='none'.
... [32 more lines]

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\effect.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\effect.lua)

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Now init.lua — swap the edition stack for the effect stack and define the default specs.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\init.lua)

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Now the entity/carrier swaps. player.lua first:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\player.lua)

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seeker.lua:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\seeker.lua)

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wall.lua (keeps its slate base color; default wall_spec is flat passthrough):

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\wall.lua)

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projectile.lua — constructor, the three identical FX-tint lines, draw, the spawn helper, and docs:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\projectile.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\projectile.lua)

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area.lua — constructor, fill color, FX tints, draw bracket, and docs:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\area.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\area.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\area.lua)

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beam.lua — constructor, FX tints, the draw (restructured so the tip white-flash survives the recipe), spawn helper, docs:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\beam.lua)

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flicker.lua — constructor, FX tints, draw (per-section brackets), spawn helper, docs:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\flicker.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\flicker.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\flicker.lua)

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prop.lua (debris + prop + the polygonal carrier) — last of the carriers:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\prop.lua)

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All 8 carriers done. Let me verify no stray edition references remain in the entity/carrier files before moving to the UI.

Grep (set_edition|edition_base_color|edition_set|edition_clear|.edition\b|self.color\b)

snkrx-template\snkrx\wall.lua:41:  self.color    = (opts and opts.color) or color_clone(wall_color)
snkrx-template\snkrx\wall.lua:43:  -- so the wall body draws in self.color (slate) with no breathe — large dim
snkrx-template\snkrx\wall.lua:46:  -- owns the color and self.color is ignored.
snkrx-template\snkrx\wall.lua:82:  local c = self.color()

Only wall.lua's intentional slate base remains. Now the UI. Rewriting paint.lua to route through effect_set with the ui_breathe flat/breathe toggle:

Write (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\paint.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\paint.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the one manual edition bracket in widgets.lua (draw_drag_target). Let me read it:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

28     c.a = a
29    return c
30  end
31  
32  --[[
33    draw_drag_target(r, kind, override)
34  
35    The drag-target overlay: a semi-transparent colored wash drawn ON
36    TOP of the slot chrome (and any icon / lock glyph). The slot still
37    reads as itself, but it's clearly tinted green / orange / red to
38    indicate valid / partial / invalid. Replaces the old dashed-ring
39    border, which violated the "no thin borders" rule.
40  ]]
41  local function draw_drag_target(r, kind, override)
42    local col = green
43    if     kind == 'invalid' then col = red
44    elseif kind == 'partial' then col = orange
45    end
46    edition_set(ui_layer, ui_edition_for(col, override),
47                ui_field_scale, ui_dither)
48    layer_rounded_rectangle(ui_layer, r.x, r.y, r.w, r.h, 3,
49                            with_alpha(col, 130)())
50    edition_clear(ui_layer)
51  end
52  
53  --[[
54    ui_slot(opts) -> { hovered, clicked }
55  
56    The square slot — inventory cells, equipment slots, orb sockets.
57  

draw_drag_target draws a translucent wash, so it needs the spec but a custom draw color. I'll expose ui_spec_for as a global and use it here.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\paint.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

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Now the gallery's edition-key handling and status line. Let me read those blocks:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

995    -- typing — suppress them while a ui_text_input is focused. The
996   -- snapshot (ui_capturing_text_was) carries last frame's value
997   -- across this frame's begin_frame reset, so the suppression lags
998   -- one frame in the safe direction.
999   if not ui_capturing_text_was then
1000        if is_pressed('ui_gallery_prev') then ui_gallery_cycle_page(-1) end
1001        if is_pressed('ui_gallery_next') then ui_gallery_cycle_page(1)  end
1002        if is_pressed('ui_gallery_font') then ui_font_body_toggle()     end
1003        if is_pressed('ui_edition_prev') then ui_override_step(-1) end
1004        if is_pressed('ui_edition_next') then ui_override_step(1)  end
1005        if is_pressed('ui_dither_cycle') then ui_dither = next_dither(ui_dither) end
1006        if is_pressed('ui_fs_down') then
1007          ui_field_scale = math.max(0.05, ui_field_scale - 0.05)
1008        end
1009        if is_pressed('ui_fs_up') then
1010          ui_field_scale = ui_field_scale + 0.05
1011        end
1012      end
1013    
1014      -- (ui_state_begin_frame and ui_juice_update are caller-owned —
1015      -- main.lua runs them once per frame BEFORE this, regardless of
1016      -- whether the gallery is active. Don't call them here.)
1017    
1018      -- The full-screen bg fill goes to gallery_bg_layer (kept off
1019      -- ui_layer so the shadow shader sees discrete chrome alphas, not a
1020      -- screen-wide opaque mask).
1021      local pg = ui_gallery_pages[ui_gallery_page]
1022      layer_rectangle(gallery_bg_layer, 0, 0, width, height, bg())
1023    
1024      -- Header chrome + text — these DO live on ui_layer (so they cast
... [15 more lines]

Let me read the gallery's header doc and the main.lua gallery-bind section to update them consistently.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

1    --[[
2     ui/gallery.lua — the UI kit gallery / test scene.
3   
4     A paged, full-screen overlay that renders every UI element the toolkit
5     ships — the in-engine equivalent of reference/mockup_ui_kit_*.html.
6     Optional dev tool; the caller (main.lua) wires it in by binding the
7     hotkeys + calling ui_gallery_update / ui_gallery_bg_draw alongside
8     the regular UI plumbing. See main.lua's UI GALLERY section.
9   
10      F4         toggle the gallery
11      [ / ]      previous / next page
12      B          toggle the body font (LanaPixel <-> Ark Pixel)
13      O / P      preview the whole UI under prev / next edition
14                 (per-color / dynamic / palette-cycle / polychrome)
15      K / L      field_scale down / up (UI shimmer density)
16      U          cycle the dither mode (32 modes)
17    Each element chunk appends its showcase to a gallery page.
18  
19    PER-FRAME CONTRACT (caller-owned, NOT done here):
20      ui_state_begin_frame()   — reset hot_id / capturing / locked
21      ui_juice_update(dt)      — tick spring + HP-bar tweens
22      [render pipeline]        — layer_render(ui_layer) + shadow + composite
23    The gallery only queues widget commands onto ui_layer and (when
24    active) fills its own full-screen bg into gallery_bg_layer. The
25    caller's draw() runs ui_gallery_bg_draw() to composite that bg,

Now update the gallery header doc, the key-handling block, and the status line:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now main.lua — drop the p.edition boot line and update the (commented) gallery binds to the new names:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now delete the dead edition stack and scan for any remaining references to removed symbols:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && rm -f snkrx/edition.lua snkrx/gradient.lua snkrx/...)

deleted edition.lua, gradient.lua, symbols.lua
--- remaining live files in snkrx/ ---
snkrx/airborne.lua
snkrx/area.lua
snkrx/beam.lua
snkrx/effect.lua
snkrx/flicker.lua
snkrx/fx.lua
snkrx/geometry.lua
snkrx/init.lua
snkrx/palette.lua
snkrx/player.lua
snkrx/projectile.lua
snkrx/prop.lua
snkrx/seeker.lua
snkrx/sound_tuner.lua
snkrx/sound_tuning.lua
snkrx/stats.lua
snkrx/wall.lua

Grep (edition_set|edition_clear|edition_setup|edition_base_color|edition_draw\b|next_edition|prev_edition|edition_cycle|edition_name|edition_modes|edition_mode_names|next_dither|prev_dither|dither_name|dither_modes|ui_edition_for|ui_global_edition|ui_color_edition|ui_override|enemy_edition_override|set_edition|require(.snkrx.edition|require(.snkrx.gradient|require(.snkrx.symbols|gradient_palette|gradient_rect|gradient_circle|gradient_polygon)

snkrx\geometry.lua:51:       local grad = gradient_polygon(verts, {                 -- the band
snkrx\geometry.lua:57:         edition_set(game_layer, wall_edition, 0.15)
snkrx\geometry.lua:70:         edition_clear(game_layer)
snkrx\geometry.lua:94:      the edges (see gradient_polygon's internal build_edge_buckets for the
snkrx\effect.lua:38:      effect_next_dither(cur),  effect_prev_dither(cur)
snkrx\effect.lua:481:  drawable's effect, the way the old edition system used edition_base_color).
snkrx\effect.lua:566:function effect_next_dither(cur)  return cycle_next(dither_cycle_names, cur) end
snkrx\effect.lua:567:function effect_prev_dither(cur)  return cycle_prev(dither_cycle_names, cur) end
snkrx\init.lua:7:    • the edition draw-shader stack + the set_edition shim
.claude\CLAUDE.md:101:   primer. Everything it says about edition_set / field_scale / dither
.claude\CLAUDE.md:102:   / gradient_polygon / palette tokens applies here verbatim.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:124:draw-shader stack, the `set_edition` shim, `sfx` + `sounds` + `volumes`
.claude\CLAUDE.md:158:- A **`set_edition(layer, mode)` shim** in `snkrx/init.lua` adapts the
.claude\CLAUDE.md:160:  written against) to edition-template's 4-arg `edition_set(layer,
.claude\CLAUDE.md:163:  `set_edition(layer, mode)`, it just works** — no further wiring.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:346:  value picked at random from `edition_cycle` at boot.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:351:  `set_edition` for its own silhouette; particle bursts use
.claude\CLAUDE.md:352:  `edition_base_color(edition) or fallback_color` for tinting.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:354:  - **Seeker spawn / die particles** target `edition_base_color(self.edition) or red` — a ruby seeker spawns + dies in red-ish particles, an emerald one in green-ish.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:355:  - **Player-hit particles** (`player:hit` with a `source` argument) target `color_mix(edition_base_color(player.edition), edition_base_color(source.edition), 0.5)` — a warm/cool mix. Edition `nil`/`0`/`23`/`24` fall back gracefully via `or text` chain.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:436:with `set_edition(layer, self.edition)` / `set_edition(layer, 0)`. The
.claude\CLAUDE.md:437:shim in `snkrx/init.lua` forwards to `edition_set(layer, mode, default_field_scale, default_dither)`.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:439:**Particles / FX get edition through their BASE COLOR, not through the shader bracket** — they're drawn as part of the `fxs` loop without per-entity edition state. To make a particle reflect an entity's edition, use `edition_base_color(ed) or fallback_color` as the late-stage color in `:change_color`.
.claude\CLAUDE.md:777:- `paint.lua` holds `ui_color_edition` (token → edition) and the
.claude\CLAUDE.md:779:  each draw with `edition_set`. Widgets go through these, never raw
.claude\CLAUDE.md:781:- Edition resolution (`ui_edition_for`): global override → per-element
.claude\CLAUDE.md:783:- `ui_global_edition` is the gallery's preview override — it cycles
.claude\CLAUDE.md:828:- **`set_edition(layer, 0)` after every bracketed draw** — the shader uniform persists across subsequent draws on the same layer if you don't reset it.
snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1003:    if is_pressed('ui_dither_next')    then ui_dither = effect_next_dither(ui_dither) end
snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1004:    if is_pressed('ui_dither_prev')    then ui_dither = effect_prev_dither(ui_dither) end
... [1 more lines]

All remaining references are in comments/docs (no live code calls a deleted symbol). The new effect_next_dither/effect_prev_dither in gallery.lua are correct. Let me fix the one stale comment in init.lua's header, then run a syntax check across every changed file.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\init.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\init.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok    main.lua
ok    snkrx/palette.lua
ok    snkrx/effect.lua
ok    snkrx/init.lua
ok    snkrx/player.lua
ok    snkrx/seeker.lua
ok    snkrx/wall.lua
ok    snkrx/projectile.lua
ok    snkrx/area.lua
ok    snkrx/beam.lua
ok    snkrx/flicker.lua
ok    snkrx/prop.lua
ok    snkrx/fx.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/paint.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/widgets.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/gallery.lua
=== ALL FILES PARSE CLEAN ===

All 16 files parse clean. Let me do a final sweep for any missed color/edition field plumbing in the carriers (FX color opts are legitimate and should stay; caster .edition/.color reads should be gone):

Grep (opts.edition|args.edition|caster.edition|caster.color|pr.edition|pr.color|opts.color or red|opts.color or yellow|self.edition)

snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:12:  loops (draw_drag_target). Every widget accepts opts.edition to force
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:80:  local ed  = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:200:  local ed      = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:321:  local ed    = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:394:  local ed      = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:542:  local ed   = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:598:  local ed   = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:654:  local ed      = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:731:  local ed     = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:822:  local ed  = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:931:  local ed   = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:1022:  local ed  = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:1112:    surface = opts.surface, edition = opts.edition })
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:31:  optional `opts.edition` to force a specific edition for its draws.
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:59:  local ed   = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:101:    color, opts.edition)
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:119:  local ed     = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:156:  ui_rrect(r.x, r.y, r.w, r.h, rad, fill, opts.edition)
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:161:              edition = opts.edition,
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:200:      run.color or text, opts.edition)
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:243:  ui_rrect(r.x, r.y, r.w, r.h, rad, opts.bg or charcoal, opts.edition)
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:246:                   runs = opts.runs, font = font, edition = opts.edition })
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:250:              edition = opts.edition })
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:295:  local ed = opts.edition
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:394:                    edition = opts.edition })
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:419:    x = opts.x, y = opts.y, font = font, edition = opts.edition,
snkrx\ui\primitives.lua:450:      (i <= fill) and (opts.color or green) or panel_border, opts.edition)

Every file parses clean, and the only remaining edition references are the UI's dead opts.edition plumbing (harmless no-op now — paint.lua ignores it; Task 2 renames it to spec). One in-code docblock references deleted files (geometry.lua's example uses gradient_polygon/edition_set), so let me fix that before reporting.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\geometry.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

The big-bang landing is complete and every file parses clean. Here's the summary.

Task 1 landed — editions → four-axis effect system

Infrastructure

Every drawable now carries a .spec (no .edition/.color). The draw swaps set_edition(layer, mode)effect_set(layer, spec); flashing swaps the spec to flat-white flash_spec; FX tints use spec_color. Migrated: player, seeker, wall, projectile, area, beam, flicker, prop+debris+polygonal. Carriers inherit caster.spec. (beam tip-flash and flicker body-flash got their own brackets so the white flash survives the recipe.)

UI (ui/paint.lua): the 3 draw wrappers route through effect_set with a ui_breathe toggle — flat solid (default) vs organic mix breathe (chrome breathes up the gray ladder, accents to the next hue). Gallery key O toggles it live; U/P cycle the breathe dither.

How to test (you run)

  1. ./run.bat — the clean scene is just the player: it should render as a small teal square that subtly breathes + dithers (snkrx_blue↔light_blue, bayer4_2 stipple), moving with WASD. No crash = shader compiled + palette wired.
  2. To exercise carriers/enemies, uncomment the seeker/wall spawn block (~main.lua:138) and bind an attack (e.g. bind('fire','mouse:1') + spawn_projectile(p, {}) in the ATTACKS block) — projectiles/areas/etc. should breathe in their caster's color; FX particles tint to match.
  3. UI: enable the F4 gallery (the commented block at the bottom of main.lua), press O to A/B flat vs breathing UI.

Tuning knobs are all in snkrx/init.lua — the per-entity color_a/color_b pairs, pattern_scale (0.5), and dither (bayer4_2; set 'off' for a smooth breathe). Easy to retune once you see it.

Still open

Want me to sync CLAUDE.md now, or wait until you've run it and we've tuned the spec colors (so the docs capture the final recipes)? I'd lean wait — no point documenting bayer4_2/snkrx_blue↔light_blue if you end up wanting something different once you see it move.

Do steps 2 and 3 for me so I can test.

On it. Let me check the gallery's enable/toggle mechanism so I wire step 3 correctly.

Grep (function ui_gallery_update|function ui_gallery_bg_draw|ui_gallery_visible|toggle_ui_gallery|ui_gallery_enabled|gallery_visible)

987:function ui_gallery_update(dt)
988:  if is_pressed('toggle_ui_gallery') then
1051:function ui_gallery_bg_draw()

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

985    once per frame from main.lua's update().
986 ]]
987 function ui_gallery_update(dt)
988   if is_pressed('toggle_ui_gallery') then
989     ui_gallery_active = not ui_gallery_active
990   end
991   if not ui_gallery_active then return end
992 
993   -- Secondary hotkeys are letter/bracket keys, so they collide with
994   -- typing — suppress them while a ui_text_input is focused. The
995   -- snapshot (ui_capturing_text_was) carries last frame's value
996   -- across this frame's begin_frame reset, so the suppression lags

The gallery has a clean ui_gallery_active toggle (F4), starting off. Now let me re-read the current main.lua to wire steps 2 & 3 with exact strings.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

104  -- ============================================================
105 -- INPUT
106 -- ============================================================
107 bind('left',  'key:a'); bind('left',  'key:left')
108 bind('right', 'key:d'); bind('right', 'key:right')
109 bind('up',    'key:w'); bind('up',    'key:up')
110 bind('down',  'key:s'); bind('down',  'key:down')
111 bind('toggle_debug_draw', 'key:f2')
112 -- Bind your attack keys here, e.g.:  bind('fire', 'mouse:1')
113 -- Optional UI gallery binds: see the UI GALLERY section at the bottom.
114 
115 -- ============================================================
116 -- LAYERS  (structural — drawn bottom-to-top)
117 -- ============================================================
118 floor_layer   = layer_new('floor')    -- bg fill (no camera, no edition)
119 wall_layer    = layer_new('wall')     -- wall bodies
120 game_layer    = layer_new('game')     -- player + seekers + every carrier
121 effects_layer = layer_new('effects')  -- fxs (hit circles, particles, ...)
122 debug_layer   = layer_new('debug')    -- F2 collider overlay
123 
124 main_camera = camera_new(width, height)
125 main_camera.x = width/2
126 main_camera.y = height/2
127 
128 debug_draw_enabled = false
129 
130 -- ============================================================
131 -- SCENE
132 -- ============================================================
133 -- The player — moved by the WASD / arrow binds, aims at the mouse.
... [85 more lines]

Now I'll wire steps 2 & 3 into main.lua. Let me read the draw() tail to place the gallery bg hook correctly.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

338    layer_render(debug_layer); layer_draw(debug_layer)
339 
340   sound_tuner_draw()
341 
342   -- ============================================================
343   -- UI RENDER  (composites widget draws over the scene)
344   -- ============================================================
345   -- ui_layer holds whatever widget commands update() queued. The
346   -- shadow layer is regenerated each frame from ui_layer's own canvas
347   -- via ui_shadow_shader (alpha → dark recolor) and composited beneath
348   -- ui_layer at a small offset, giving every UI element a SNKRX-style
349   -- soft drop shadow. Inside-panel elements naturally don't cast
350   -- visible shadows because the panel's body fill covers them.
351   -- Tunables (in snkrx/ui/init.lua):
352   --   ui_shadow_offset_x / ui_shadow_offset_y   default 2, 2
353   --   assets/shadow.frag                         shadow color + alpha
354   layer_render(ui_layer)
355   layer_clear(ui_shadow_layer)
356   layer_draw_from(ui_shadow_layer, ui_layer, ui_shadow_shader)
357   layer_draw(ui_shadow_layer, ui_shadow_offset_x, ui_shadow_offset_y)
358   layer_draw(ui_layer)
359 end
360 
361 -- ============================================================
362 -- UI GALLERY  (optional dev tool — uncomment to enable)

I have all the wiring points. Making the five main.lua edits for steps 2 & 3:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now update the bottom "UI GALLERY" reference section's header so it doesn't contradict the now-wired test scene:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

387    ui_gallery_bg_draw()
388 
389   -- ============================================================
390   -- UI RENDER  (composites widget draws over the scene)
391   -- ============================================================
392   -- ui_layer holds whatever widget commands update() queued. The
393   -- shadow layer is regenerated each frame from ui_layer's own canvas
394   -- via ui_shadow_shader (alpha → dark recolor) and composited beneath
395   -- ui_layer at a small offset, giving every UI element a SNKRX-style
396   -- soft drop shadow. Inside-panel elements naturally don't cast
397   -- visible shadows because the panel's body fill covers them.
398   -- Tunables (in snkrx/ui/init.lua):
399   --   ui_shadow_offset_x / ui_shadow_offset_y   default 2, 2
400   --   assets/shadow.frag                         shadow color + alpha
401   layer_render(ui_layer)
402   layer_clear(ui_shadow_layer)
403   layer_draw_from(ui_shadow_layer, ui_layer, ui_shadow_shader)
404   layer_draw(ui_shadow_layer, ui_shadow_offset_x, ui_shadow_offset_y)
405   layer_draw(ui_layer)
406 end

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

407  
408 -- ============================================================
409 -- UI GALLERY  (optional dev tool — uncomment to enable)
410 -- ============================================================
411 -- The F4 gallery (snkrx/ui/gallery.lua) is a paged overlay that
412 -- browses every UI widget at its actual rendering size — useful
413 -- while iterating on UI design, normally OFF for a real game. To
414 -- enable, uncomment all three blocks below. (The per-frame UI
415 -- plumbing in update() and the UI RENDER pipeline in draw() already
416 -- run regardless; the gallery shares them.)
417 --
418 -- 1. Add to the INPUT section:
419 --      bind('toggle_ui_gallery', 'key:f4')   -- toggle gallery
420 --      bind('ui_gallery_prev',   'key:[')    -- previous page
421 --      bind('ui_gallery_next',   'key:]')    -- next page
422 --      bind('ui_gallery_font',   'key:b')    -- toggle body font
423 --      bind('ui_breathe_toggle', 'key:o')    -- toggle UI breathe (flat <-> mix)
424 --      bind('ui_dither_next',    'key:u')    -- next breathe dither mode
425 --      bind('ui_dither_prev',    'key:p')    -- prev breathe dither mode
426 --      bind('ui_fs_down',        'key:k')    -- field_scale (breathe density) down
427 --      bind('ui_fs_up',          'key:l')    -- field_scale (breathe density) up
428 --
429 -- 2. Add to update(), AFTER ui_juice_update(dt):
430 --      ui_gallery_update(dt)
431 --
432 -- 3. Add to draw(), BEFORE the UI RENDER pipeline:
433 --      ui_gallery_bg_draw()
434 --    (Fills the gallery's full-screen bg into gallery_bg_layer +
435 --    composites it over your game; the shadow + ui_layer composite
436 --    still happens via the regular UI RENDER pipeline.)
... [1 more lines]

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me syntax-check the rewired main.lua:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok    main.lua parses clean

main.lua parses clean and the test scene is wired. One refinement for a better test: right now every carrier inherits the player's teal spec. Let me give the fireball and the rock their own colors so you can evaluate the breathe across a few hues (teal projectile/beam/flicker, red fireball, yellow rock, red enemies):

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok — main.lua parses clean

Done — the test scene is wired and parses clean. Run ./run.bat.

What you'll see

The world (default view):

Attacks (each carrier, to check it breathes + the FX tint + flash): | Input | Carrier | Color | |---|---|---| | LMB | projectile (raycasts off the wall) | teal (inherits player) | | RMB | area / fireball at cursor | red (explicit attack_spec) | | MMB | beam / railgun line | teal | | F | flicker chain-strike | teal | | R | rock lob → shatter debris | yellow (explicit rock_spec) |

The UI (step 3):

What to look for

Two notes:

Once you've looked, tell me what to tune and I'll sync CLAUDE.md to the final recipes.

[Pasted image/png]

[Pasted image/png]

Perfect, the main screen works, F3 works. F4 works. However, Ricochet template has various patterns (plasma, wood, etc) I can't change them here. Breathe off also just looks like it's not applying the effect at all, which I guess would be correct? But we can probably name that better, that would be one of the settings from Ricochet being turned off, I don't remember which. In general try to keep the nomenclature for things the same as Ricochet, and give me a way to try the different patterns too, as well as the different colors, the Ricochet template was quite useful with this... I don't know if we need new screens to test this out or what. Anyway, I quite like the default breathe on you have now, which is this green/blue that works quite nicely visually, like on the edges here, or on the bars here. What did you do here exactly to achieve this?

Glad it landed — and that screenshot is exactly the look I was hoping for. Let me answer your question first, since it's the key to everything else.

What produces the green/blue — exactly

When breathe is on, every UI element is drawn through color = 'mix' between its own token and a neighbor token, with pattern = 'organic' (the Balatro 3-point noise) sweeping that mix. The neighbor comes from a small table I added in snkrx/ui/paint.lua called ui_breathe_partner:

So a green element samples mix(green, light_blue, f) where f is the organic field — and because organic is anchored to screen space and animated by time, f varies across the element and over time. That's the living green↔cyan gradient you see on the SHOP card's selection border and the bars: each widget mixing its token with its palette neighbor. The default dither is off (smooth), so it reads as a gradient rather than a stipple. The whole recipe is built in ui_spec_for() in paint.lua.

On the nomenclature — you're right

"Breathe off" is just color = 'solid' in Ricochet's vocabulary (the flat token, no recipe) — so it correctly looks like "no effect applied." I invented the word "breathe"; I'll drop it and use Ricochet's axis names everywhere: pattern / color / dither / shape, with modifiers scale / speed / contrast / param. The F4 gallery's status line and keys will read in those terms (color: solidcolor: mix, plus a pattern: cycler), so it matches the Ricochet template exactly.

The thing you actually want — a pattern/color explorer

Right: there's currently no way to try plasma/wood/marble/etc. or sweep colors, because the effect system is wired as the substrate but I never ported Ricochet's gallery + inspector — which is the part you found useful. That's the real gap. It belongs as an optional dev tool (like the F4 UI gallery is), built on snkrx's own UI toolkit so it stays in the SNKRX style rather than dragging in Ricochet's blueprint chrome.

Two scoping calls before I write the design brief:

AskUserQuestion

Your questions have been answered: "What shape should the effect explorer take? (Ricochet had a pattern gallery grid AND a single-drawable inspector.)"="Let's try building an inspector and then we can change these settings by shape on the UI, is that possible? So I click a shape, the full inspector appear and I can change as I want.", "Where should the effect explorer live?"="Something else". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

Yes — that's exactly possible, and it's essentially how Ricochet's gallery worked under the hood (click a rect → the inspector edits that rect's modifiers). So: a canvas of sample shapes, click one to select it, and a full inspector panel edits that shape's spec. Each shape keeps its own spec, so you can have plasma-red next to organic-blue and compare.

Here's the shape of it (approach only — I'll write a full brief once placement is settled):

The one thing still open is placement — you said "something else" to my three guesses, so let me get specific rather than guess again:

AskUserQuestion

Your questions have been answered: "Where should the effect inspector live? (You passed on F4-pages / F5 / default-scene — here are more specific options.)"="Another screen that I press Fwhatever and it activates.". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

[Request interrupted by user]

Importantly, keep the recipe you used for the coloring, you called it the ui_breathe_partner, keep that and make it the default option where it fits, but also allow me to change things so I can see different options, if that makes sense, the Ricochet template had color pickers and so on, I think that's what I mean.

Got it — that all makes sense, and it's a nice synthesis:

Here's the design brief.

Design brief — Effect inspector (F5 lab)

Approach

A new snkrx/effect_lab.lua — an optional dev overlay, structured exactly like gallery.lua/sound_tuner.lua: an effect_lab_active flag toggled by F5, an effect_lab_update(dt) (queues the inspector widgets onto ui_layer, handles shape-clicks), and an effect_lab_bg_draw() (fills a bg + renders the sample shapes through the effect pipeline on a dedicated effect_lab_layer, composited before the UI). main.lua gets the same 3-line wiring the gallery has. It loads last in init.lua (after the UI toolkit).

The canvas — a list of ~5 sample drawables (two rects, a circle, a polygon, a rounded-rect "entity"), each holding its own spec. They render every frame via effect_rectangle/effect_circle/etc. New shapes are seeded with the partner breathe (color='mix', color_a=<distinct token>, color_b=palette_breathe_partner[color_a], pattern='organic') so the lab opens showing that look on varied geometry.

Click-to-select — clicking a shape sets effect_lab_selected; the selected shape gets the green-outline marker. The inspector binds to shapes[selected].spec.

The inspector — a left sidebar panel (Ricochet layout), built entirely from snkrx's own UI toolkit so it stays in-style and dogfoods the widgets. Rows, editing the selected shape's spec live:

At 480×270 this is dense, so I'll likely split it into two stacked groups or a small tabs strip (LOOK / MODIFIERS), matching Ricochet's shared-controls-vs-modifiers split.

Two new UI widgets (also Task-2 progress)

snkrx's toolkit has ui_slider but no cycler and no swatch picker, so I'll build them (Ricochet names, snkrx style):

Shared partner table + F4 rename

Functions (the conceptual map)

It's a sizable increment. I can build it in one pass, or stage it as (1) the two widgets + F4 rename + partner promotion, then (2) the lab scene — so you can test the widgets in the gallery before the lab depends on them. Which do you prefer? And: keep the cycler named ui_field (Ricochet-match) or something more snkrx (e.g. ui_cycler)?

Go ahead.

Building it. The cycler stays ui_field (Ricochet-match, per your nomenclature preference). Before writing the two new widgets I need to match snkrx's exact widget conventions — let me read the UI substrate and the widgets I'll compose from.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\state.lua)

1    --[[
2     ui/state.lua — frame-local UI interaction state.
3   
4     `ui_state` holds the three interaction IDs, rebuilt every frame:
5       hot_id     widget under the cursor this frame
6       active_id  widget the mouse-down landed on (persists until release)
7       focus_id   widget last clicked (persists until the next click)
8   
9     `ui_state_begin_frame()` clears hot_id; call it once per frame before
10    any widget calls (the gallery does this in ui_gallery_update; a real
11    game calls it once per frame too). Widget IDs are explicit, caller-
12    provided strings — no auto-IDs.
13  
14    This is the rules-based, frame-local interaction layer the project's
15    action-vs-rules UI doctrine sanctions — it is NOT hidden persistent
16    state. Persistent UI state (what occupies a slot, a drag in progress)
17    is action-based and lives in caller-owned data, never here.
18  ]]
19  
20  ui_state = { hot_id = nil, active_id = nil, focus_id = nil }
21  
22  -- True for any frame a ui_text_input is focused (the field sets it
23  -- during draw). Reset every frame in ui_state_begin_frame, re-set by
24  -- the focused field. Readers (hotkey suppression) use the snapshot
25  -- below instead — it carries last frame's value across this frame's
26  -- reset, so the suppression is one-frame-lagged in the safe direction
27  -- (when a field is freshly focused, hotkeys are suppressed from the
28  -- NEXT frame on; when a field unfocuses, hotkeys re-enable one frame
29  -- after).
30  ui_capturing_text     = false
... [40 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\juice.lua)

1    --[[
2     ui/juice.lua — per-widget retained juice.
3   
4     Immediate-mode widgets are pure functions — they have nowhere to keep
5     a spring, a hover edge, or an eased value. These registries are that
6     place, keyed by the widget's explicit string id. The small, retained,
7     action-based sliver the UI doctrine puts behind an id; everything
8     else stays rules-based.
9   
10    Two registries:
11      ui_juice[id]     = { spring, was_hovered }  -- hover/click bounce
12      ui_bar_juice[id] = { front, back, shown_value, target, target_value }
13  
14    ui_bar_juice holds the v1-style HP bar tween: `front` (fast fraction),
15    `back` (delayed slow fraction — the trailing white 'lost health'
16    chunk), and `shown_value` (the displayed HP number, eased). All three
17    are driven by `ui_timer`, a shared scheduler whose entries are named
18    per bar id, so rapid successive hits debounce cleanly — a named entry
19    replaces the prior one of the same name.
20  
21    Lifecycle:
22      • ui_juice_update(dt)        — tick springs + ui_timer (once/frame,
23                                     caller-owned — main.lua runs this)
24      • ui_juice_hover(id, hov, clickable?, rect?)
25                                   — hover-edge bounce + sound
26      • ui_juice_pull(id, force, rect?)
27                                   — kick a spring (e.g. on click)
28      • ui_juice_scale(id) -> num  — current widget scale
29      • ui_bar_feed(id, frac, value) -> front, back, shown_value
30  
... [160 more lines]

Now the widgets I'll compose from and match. Let me read widgets.lua (button / icon_button / slider / slot / tabs) and the key primitives.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

1    --[[
2     ui/widgets.lua — interactive UI widgets.
3   
4     Same opts-table / ui_layer convention as ui/primitives.lua. These
5     widgets consult `ui_state` (ui/state.lua) — they derive hover via
6     ui_claim_hot, run the mouse-down→up click machine, and return an
7     interaction result. Each takes opts.id, an explicit caller-provided
8     string identity.
9   
10    Coloring goes through the edition pipeline (ui/paint.lua): draws use
11    the ui_rrect / ui_text wrappers, or bracket edition_set manually for
12    loops (draw_drag_target). Every widget accepts opts.edition to force
13    a specific edition for all its draws — the per-element override.
14  
15    They also carry SNKRX-style juice via ui/juice.lua: a per-id scale
16    spring that bounces on hover-enter and click, and the hover sounds.
17  
18    The action-vs-rules split: a widget's *data* states (a slot's
19    selected / occupied / locked / disabled) are caller-owned and passed
20    in via opts. Its *interaction* state (hover, active, focus) is
21    frame-local, derived here from ui_state. The juice + bar registries
22    are the one retained sliver — keyed by the explicit id.
23  ]]
24  
25  -- Clone a palette token with a fixed alpha. Returns a callable color.
26  local function with_alpha(token, a)
27    local c = color_clone(token)
28    c.a = a
29    return c
30  end
... [1084 more lines]

I have the widget conventions down. Now the primitives I'll compose from (ui_label, ui_panel, ui_text, ui_divider):

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

1    --[[
2     ui/primitives.lua — pure-draw UI primitives:
3       ui_panel        — rounded chrome (no default 1px border; the
4                         shadow provides edge; optional explicit border
5                         for state indicators)
6       ui_text         — single-line aligned text
7       ui_divider      — line with styles thin / thick / dotted / dashed
8                         / double
9       ui_item_icon    — colored tile + centered pictograph
10      ui_rich_text    — one line of text, multiple colored / mixed-font
11                        runs
12      ui_label        — flat dark rounded container (default font: Ark)
13      ui_tooltip      — self-sizing info panel (icon + title + desc
14                        lines + meta line)
15      ui_bracket_tag  — inline `[label]` (the bracket motif; default
16                        font: Ark)
17      ui_stat_chip    — icon + label + value readout; label/value
18                        force-uppercased; default font Ark
19      ui_pips         — row of filled/empty progress dots
20      rarity_color    — lookup helper (common/uncommon/rare/...)
21  
22    Calling convention (whole toolkit): each widget takes ONE opts table.
23    The rect is opts.rect — a {x, y, w, h} table, exactly what RectCut
24    (ui/rect.lua) produces. Position-only widgets (label, tooltip,
25    bracket_tag, stat_chip, pips, badge) take {x, y} and auto-size.
26  
27    Coloring goes through the edition pipeline (ui/paint.lua): these
28    functions don't call layer_* directly, they call the ui_rrect /
29    ui_rect / ui_glyph_text wrappers, which bracket each draw with the
30    edition that mimics its palette color. Every primitive accepts an
... [425 more lines]

I now have the full toolkit conventions. Let me check the gallery's bg-layer pattern (to mirror for the lab) and the RectCut helpers before writing.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

1040 --[[
1041      ui_gallery_bg_draw()
1042    
1043      Composite the gallery's full-screen bg fill BEFORE the regular UI
1044      render pipeline (so it covers the game world). The shadow + ui_layer
1045      composite stays in the caller's draw() — the gallery shares one
1046      pipeline with the rest of the UI so real-game widgets and gallery
1047      widgets get the same drop shadow.
1048    
1049      No-op when the gallery isn't active.
1050    ]]
1051    function ui_gallery_bg_draw()
1052      if not ui_gallery_active then return end
1053      layer_render(gallery_bg_layer)
1054      layer_draw(gallery_bg_layer)
1055    end
1056    

Grep (gallery_bg_layer\s*=|layer_new()

41:local gallery_bg_layer = layer_new('ui_gallery_bg')

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\rect.lua)

1    --[[
2     ui/rect.lua — RectCut layout primitive for the UI toolkit.
3   
4     A rect is a plain table {x, y, w, h}. Three families of operations:
5   
6       cut_*(r, n) — mutates r (eats n pixels from one side), returns the eaten slice.
7       get_*(r, n) — pure: returns a slice of r without mutating.
8       add_*(r, n) — pure: returns a new rect adjacent to r (extends outward).
9   
10    Plus utilities: contract / expand (inset / outset), center (place a w×h
11    rect centered inside another), split_h / split_v (divide into n equal parts).
12  
13    Origin: cut/get/add are the Halt RectCut pattern. Cuts are destructive on
14    the parent so successive cuts walk the rect. Canonical idiom:
15      local topbar = rect_cut_top(r, 24)   -- r is now the body below the topbar
16      local botbar = rect_cut_bot(r, 22)   -- r is now the body between bars
17  
18    Verbatim from the Anchor App (Anchor2/app/rect.lua) — proven, unchanged.
19  ]]
20  
21  function rect_new(x, y, w, h)
22    return {x = x, y = y, w = w, h = h}
23  end
24  
25  -- cut_*: mutate r (eat n from one side), return the eaten slice.
26  function rect_cut_left(r, n)
27    local s = {x = r.x, y = r.y, w = n, h = r.h}
28    r.x = r.x + n
29    r.w = r.w - n
30    return s
... [71 more lines]

I have everything I need — the widget conventions, the gallery's layer pattern, RectCut. Building now.

1. palette.lua — promote the breathe-partner table to a shared, palette-level concept:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\palette.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\palette.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

2. paint.luaui_breathe (bool) → ui_color (Ricochet's recipe name; default mix), referencing the shared partner table:

Write (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\paint.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\paint.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

3. widgets.lua — the two new widgets (ui_field cycler + ui_swatch_row color picker), appended after ui_icon_button:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

4. effect_lab.lua — the new F5 inspector scene (clickable shapes + the inspector panel):

Write (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\effect_lab.lua)

File created successfully at: E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\effect_lab.lua (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

5. gallery.lua — retire "breathe" for the color recipe nomenclature:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua)

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6. init.lua — load the effect lab (after the UI toolkit it depends on):

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\init.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\init.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

7. main.lua — rename the color toggle, add the F5 bind + the lab's update/draw hooks, and gate attacks while an overlay owns the mouse:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

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Now the stale bottom gallery doc reference:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now syntax-check everything changed/new, and sweep for any leftover ui_breathe references:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok    main.lua
ok    snkrx/init.lua
ok    snkrx/palette.lua
ok    snkrx/effect_lab.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/paint.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/widgets.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/gallery.lua
=== ALL PARSE CLEAN ===

Grep (ui_breathe|ui_breathe_partner|ui_breathe_toggle)

No matches found

All parse clean, no leftover ui_breathe references. The effect inspector is built. Here's what landed and how to drive it.

What's new

How to test (you run)

Press F5. You'll see 5 shapes, each opening with the partner breathe in a different hue (teal / red / green / violet / yellow), the first selected (green corner brackets).

In the inspector (left panel), editing the selected shape live:

Click a different shape to inspect it — each keeps its own spec, so you can sit plasma-red next to organic-teal and compare.

Notes / decisions I made on the open points

If the inspector feels cramped at 480×270 (it's dense — 4 cyclers + 2 swatch grids + 3–5 sliders in a 142px column), I can split it into LOOK / COLOR / MODS tabs. Take a look first. And once you're happy with the lab + the default recipes, I'll do the CLAUDE.md sync across both tasks.

Everything looks good. The original ricochet has a ramp editor as well, where you can select the number of colors and the colors for the ramp effect. You don't need to build this, but verify that the API can actually do this in the SNKRX template. If it can, then we may move on to any next test or whatever you need to do next, as everything here works fine.

Good to hear it all works. Let me verify the ramp API concretely — reading the actual ramp code paths in the ported files (not relying on memory), since I bumped the shader's palette array and want to confirm the ramp uniforms survived intact.

Grep (ramp|u_ramp)

45:      color          'none'      -- 'none' | 'solid' | 'mix' | 'ramp'
49:      ramp           effect_ramp -- ordered token-name list, used by color='ramp'
80:      ramp     f mapped across the ordered `ramp` token list (generalizes mix
82:               f, so an animated pattern sweeps the ramp in time and a gradient
141:  ramp  = 3,
144:-- Ordered palette tokens for color='ramp' — the on-palette "polychrome". f maps
147:effect_ramp = { 'red', 'orange', 'yellow', 'green', 'blue', 'pink' }
238:color_cycle_names   = { 'none', 'solid', 'mix', 'ramp' }
386:  Performance: enqueues ~14 uniform writes per call (plus the ramp token list
387:  when color='ramp'). Cheap (a few bytes each).
427:  -- color='ramp': push the ordered token list (indices + count). Only when the
428:  -- recipe is active — other recipes leave the (unused) ramp uniforms as-is.
430:    local ramp = spec.ramp or effect_ramp
431:    local rn = math.min(#ramp, 8)
432:    layer_shader_set_int(layer, effect_draw_shader, 'u_ramp_count', rn)
434:      layer_shader_set_int(layer, effect_draw_shader, 'u_ramp_tokens[' .. (i - 1) .. ']', resolve_color(ramp[i]))
483:    color='ramp' -> the ramp's first stop
489:  if spec.color == 'ramp' then
490:    local r = spec.ramp or effect_ramp

Grep (u_ramp_tokens|u_ramp_count|color_ramp|kind == 3)

40://   u_ramp_tokens[8] int   ordered palette token indices for color='ramp'
41://   u_ramp_count     int   number of active ramp stops (2..8)
42-//   u_color_a        int   palette token index (0..25)
43-//   u_color_b        int   palette token index (0..25)
44-//   u_time           float elapsed seconds (for time-varying patterns)
45-//   u_palette[26]    vec4  active palette; .rgb per token (alpha unused)
46-//
47-// PALETTE TOKEN INDICES (mirrors palette.lua's palette_token_names) — snkrx's
48-// 18 canonical tokens (9 chrome ladder + 9 accents) + 8 legacy snkrx_* tokens.
49-//   0 bg          1 slot_fill    2 panel_fill   3 charcoal     4 panel_border
--
108:uniform int   u_ramp_tokens[8];    // ordered palette token indices for color='ramp'
109:uniform int   u_ramp_count;        // number of active ramp stops (2..8)
110-uniform float u_time;
111-uniform int   u_image_field;       \ sprite field source: 0 = pattern (effect_field_shaped),
112-                                   // 1 = the drawn image's own luminance (dither/recolor a real image)
113-uniform float u_image_pattern_amount; \ luminance mode: how much the animated pattern ripples the
114-                                      // image's field before dither (0 = static, →1 = flowing)
115-
116-// Active palette. Written once at boot (and on palette switch) by
117-// effect_write_palette(). Indexed by token; only .rgb is read.
--
338:    if (kind == 3)  return pattern_plasma(world_pos, scale, t, param);
339-    if (kind == 4)  return pattern_waves(world_pos, scale, t, param);
340-    if (kind == 5)  return pattern_marble(world_pos, scale, t, param);
341-    if (kind == 6)  return pattern_sine_grid(world_pos, scale, t, param);
342-    if (kind == 7)  return pattern_wood(world_pos, scale, t, param);
343-    if (kind == 8)  return pattern_truchet(world_pos, scale, t, param);
344-    if (kind == 9)  return pattern_contours(world_pos, scale, t, param);
345-    if (kind == 10) return pattern_linear_gradient(uv, quad_px, param, param2);
... [60 more lines]

Verified — and concretely, not from memory. The ramp path is fully intact in the ported files and the API supports a ramp editor exactly like Ricochet's. Trace:

Number of stops is configurable (1–8):

Stop colors are configurable (any of the 26 tokens):

The shader interpolates across N stops:

So a ramp editor is purely a UI exercise: it just mutates spec.ramp (append = add stop, pop = remove, replace = recolor a stop) — no shader or effect.lua change needed. Same data flow Ricochet used. The lab's color cycler already reaches ramp (effect.lua:238); it currently falls back to the default effect_ramp (red→orange→yellow→green→blue→pink) since the lab shapes don't set their own .ramp, and the A/B swatches don't touch it — so the only thing missing is the editor widget, not the capability.

One caveat to know (documented, not a limitation): a 2-level dither (e.g. bayer4_2) quantizes f to {0,1} before color, collapsing an N-stop ramp to just its two endpoints. For a smooth ramp, use dither: off or one with ≥N levels (bayer4_8, bayer8_16, noise_8). So if you flip a lab shape to color: ramp while its dither is bayer4_2, seeing only 2 colors is expected.


Both tasks' code is working. What's outstanding:

  1. Docs sync.claude/CLAUDE.md still describes the edition system throughout (the whole "edition stack" section, UI editions, gotchas, file map) and doesn't mention the effect system, spec_color, the lab, ui_field/ui_swatch_row, or ui_color. It's now significantly stale and would mislead the next instance. Quick, mechanical, overdue.
  2. Task 2 proper — your original "standardize the UI" ask. The lab already added two widgets and dogfooded the toolkit, but the broader pass (uniform table returns + next_x/next_y chaining, ui_begin/ui_end/ui_capture_input + layout helpers, filling component gaps to Ricochet parity, a components.lua-style showcase, migrating the F3 sound tuner onto the toolkit) is untouched.

I'd do the docs sync first (so the repo isn't lying to the next session), then start Task 2. Want me to go that order, jump straight to Task 2, or something else?

Go ahead.

On it — docs sync first. The .claude/CLAUDE.md needs a thorough pass (the edition system runs through it). Let me re-read it fresh so I'm editing against current text.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

58   ---
59  
60  ## What this is
61  
62  A starter Anchor 2 project for building **attacks** (projectiles, areas,
63  beams, polygonal projectiles, movement abilities) in the SNKRX / Orblike
64  / Invoker visual style. Fork the directory, edit `main.lua`, prototype.
65  
66  Layout:
67  - **`main.lua`** — the clean reference scene: a complete minimal scene
68    (moving player + the wired physics / update / draw skeleton) that
69    fires no attacks. The file a forking dev reads top-to-bottom and edits.
70  - **`snkrx/`** — the attack toolkit: the five carriers (projectile,
71    area, beam, flicker, prop), the `airborne` component, the edition
72    draw-shader stack, fx, sounds, the example entities, and all the
73    cross-cutting plumbing. `require('snkrx')` (from `main.lua`) loads it
74    all. Plain readable Lua, not an opaque module — open the files.
75  - **`snkrx/ui/`** — the UI toolkit: a generalizable SNKRX / GLIMPO-style
76    UI element set (panel, text, slot, button, bar, …), edition-backed
77    coloring, and an F4 gallery. Loaded by `require('snkrx')` too. See
78    the "UI toolkit" section below.
79  - **`main_old.lua`** — the pre-`snkrx/` demo scene, frozen for
80    reference (beam-homing playground, area-shape cycling, etc.). Does
81    NOT run as-is — its `require`s point at the old flat layout.
82  - **`anchor/`** — the Anchor 2 engine framework. Stays at root.
83  
84  The carrier set is **closed** — projectile / area / beam / flicker /
85  prop is the whole generalization. Further attacks (railgun, psylance,
86  construct, …) are built per-game *from* these carriers, not added here.
87  
... [90 more lines]

This is a large, scattered rewrite. Let me work through it section by section. First batch — the intro, read order, structure, and the visual-stack section I just re-read:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

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First batch done. Let me read the next chunk to find the remaining edition references in the "What's wired up" section (carriers, the edition-integration subsection).

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

177    "Effect system" section below for the full model.
178 
179 ### Entities
180 - **`player.lua`**: WASD / arrows movement, mouse-aim rotation, scale +
181   visual_r juice on left/right press, a `.spec` breathe (`player_spec` —
182   a snkrx_blue↔light_blue organic mix), `:hit(damage, hit_x, hit_y,
183   source)` for taking contact damage. Stats-driven HP/MP (`stats.lua`).
184 - **`seeker.lua`** (verbatim from `Invoker/seeker.lua`): chase-the-
185   player enemy. Steering = seek + wander + separate
186   (`steering_seek/wander/separate`). `:push(angle, force, duration)`
187   knockback. `:hit(damage, hit_vol)` damage application. `:die` death
188   FX. **`:wall_bump(angle)` is local to snkrx-template** — see below.
189   Floating HP bar via `draw_health_ui` (`should_show_health_ui` gates
190   by `time - last_damage_time < 2`).
191 - **`fx.lua`**: `fx_hit_circle`, `fx_particle`, `fx_hit_effect`,
192   `fx_effect`. Each has a `spawn_*` wrapper that registers in the
193   global `fxs` list. `:change_color(fraction, target)` schedules a
194   mid-life color swap (the v1 "flash white, bleed to spell color"
195   pattern). `fx_particle` supports `zag` / `zag_dist` (a one-time
196   angle kink after travelling `zag_dist`). `fx_effect` plays any
197   registered spritesheet once (v1's general fx_effect; distinct from
198   `fx_hit_effect`, which is hardcoded to `hit1`).
199 - **`wall.lua`** (adapted from `Invoker/v1/main.lua` lines 5144-5186):
200   `wall_object` with static chain collider + triangulated filled draw.
201   Has a `self.edition` field bracket so wall body shimmers like
202   everything else. Bundle via `spawn_wall(verts, opts)`.
203 - **`stats.lua`** (verbatim from `Invoker/stats.lua`): the procedural
204   stats / buff machinery. Player uses it for hp / hp_max / mp / mp_max
205   / regens.
206 
... [160 more lines]

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Now the "Edition system integration" subsection and the debug/keybinding parts around it — let me read them:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

358  harder each time.
359 
360 ### Edition system integration
361 - **Player has an `.edition` field** cycled with `0` / `F1`. Initial
362   value picked at random from `edition_cycle` at boot.
363 - **Wall has an `.edition` field** cycled with `9` / `8`. Initial value
364   picked at random at boot.
365 - **Projectiles and areas inherit `.edition` from caster** by default
366   (`opts.edition or caster.edition or 0`). The carrier's draw brackets
367   `set_edition` for its own silhouette; particle bursts use
368   `edition_base_color(edition) or fallback_color` for tinting.
369 - **Particles inherit editions**:
370   - **Seeker spawn / die particles** target `edition_base_color(self.edition) or red` — a ruby seeker spawns + dies in red-ish particles, an emerald one in green-ish.
371   - **Player-hit particles** (`player:hit` with a `source` argument) target `color_mix(edition_base_color(player.edition), edition_base_color(source.edition), 0.5)` — a warm/cool mix. Edition `nil`/`0`/`23`/`24` fall back gracefully via `or text` chain.
372   - **White-flash fractions**: death particles flash at `0.6` of duration (long, dramatic), hit particles at `0.3` (briefer but visible). Clear "small hit vs. fatal hit" hierarchy.
373 
374 ### Debug
375 - **F2** toggles a collider debug overlay. Iterates `p` / `seekers[]` /
376   `walls[]` / `projectiles[]` / `debris_pieces[]`, calls
377   `collider:get_shapes_geometry()`, draws each shape outline on a
378   dedicated `debug_layer` (no edition shader). Solid shapes in lime;
379   sensor shapes (projectiles) in yellow.
380 - **F3** enters the per-sound DSP tuning overlay (see Runtime DSP
381   below). `sound_tuner.lua` binds F3 itself.
382 
383 The clean `main.lua` binds only **WASD / arrows** (move) and **F2**;
384 F3 is bound inside `sound_tuner.lua`. Attack keys are the dev's to
385 add. (`main_old.lua` has the full demo keymap — area-shape cycling,
386 beam-homing tuning, H/K debug-damage — frozen for reference.)
387 
... [105 more lines]

Now the "Edition system integration" subsection, the debug/keybinding notes, the critical-convention, and the layer-hierarchy lines:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

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Let me grep for all remaining edition references in CLAUDE.md to target the rest precisely (UI editions section, widget list, gotchas, file map, working style):

Grep (edition|set_edition|edition_set|edition_base_color|gradient|symbols.lua|ui_color_edition|ui_global_edition|ui_edition_for|field_scale|dither_mode|u_edition|mimic|gradient_polygon|0 / F1|cycle.*edition)

175:  uses an `effect_*` wrapper). The OLD edition system (`edition.lua`,
176:  `set_edition`, `gradient.lua`, `symbols.lua`) is GONE — see the
372:- **Particles / FX tint via `spec_color(spec)`** (the `edition_base_color`
510:- `debug_layer` — F2 collider overlay (no edition, no camera)
534:   shape, hit/wall/death effects, edition tinting, sound) generically.
585:   + max-range + edition-tinted FX + caster juice.
663:- `paint.lua` — edition-backed coloring (see below).
803:Every UI color is drawn through the edition pipeline. Each of the 18
804:locked palette tokens has a "mimic edition" (shader modes **50..67**,
809:- `paint.lua` holds `ui_color_edition` (token → edition) and the
811:  each draw with `edition_set`. Widgets go through these, never raw
813:- Edition resolution (`ui_edition_for`): global override → per-element
814:  `opts.edition` → the token table. Every widget accepts `opts.edition`.
815:- `ui_global_edition` is the gallery's preview override — it cycles
816:  only colour-PRESERVING editions: per-color / dynamic (23) /
817:  palette-cycle (24) / polychrome (12). Hue-locked editions are
820:- `ui_field_scale` / `ui_dither` tune shimmer density and dither.
821:- **Split amplitude on chrome (editions 50..58) vs accents (59..67):**
851:`F4` toggle · `[` `]` page · `B` body font · `O`/`P` global edition ·
852:`K`/`L` field_scale · `U` dither.
860:- **`set_edition(layer, 0)` after every bracketed draw** — the shader uniform persists across subsequent draws on the same layer if you don't reset it.
881:│   ├── draw_shader.frag        # single unified edition shader
915:    ├── edition.lua             # from edition-template
916:    ├── palette.lua             # from edition-template
917:    ├── gradient.lua            # from edition-template (present, currently unrequired)
918:    ├── geometry.lua            # from edition-template
919:    ├── symbols.lua             # from edition-template (present, currently unrequired)
925:        ├── paint.lua           # edition-backed coloring (draw wrappers)
935:Same conventions as Anchor 2 / edition-template / Invoker:
948:- **Test scenes follow the edition-template key convention:**
... [2 more lines]

Let me read the rest of the affected sections (UI editions, gallery keys, gotchas, file map, working style) in one pass:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

798  `gallery_bg_layer` for its bg fill; a real game's game-world layers
799 sit behind `ui_layer` and provide the bg directly.
800 
801 ### Editions on the UI
802 
803 Every UI color is drawn through the edition pipeline. Each of the 18
804 locked palette tokens has a "mimic edition" (shader modes **50..67**,
805 see `ui_palette_color` in `assets/draw_shader.frag`) that reproduces
806 its exact color plus a subtle lightness shimmer — the UI reads as the
807 locked palette but breathes like SNKRX entities.
808 
809 - `paint.lua` holds `ui_color_edition` (token → edition) and the
810   `ui_rrect` / `ui_rect` / `ui_glyph_text` draw wrappers that bracket
811   each draw with `edition_set`. Widgets go through these, never raw
812   `layer_*` for colored draws.
813 - Edition resolution (`ui_edition_for`): global override → per-element
814   `opts.edition` → the token table. Every widget accepts `opts.edition`.
815 - `ui_global_edition` is the gallery's preview override — it cycles
816   only colour-PRESERVING editions: per-color / dynamic (23) /
817   palette-cycle (24) / polychrome (12). Hue-locked editions are
818   excluded from the UI — they force one hue and erase the colour
819   semantics the UI depends on.
820 - `ui_field_scale` / `ui_dither` tune shimmer density and dither.
821 - **Split amplitude on chrome (editions 50..58) vs accents (59..67):**
822   - Chrome (bg / slot_fill / panel_fill / charcoal / panel_border /
823     grey / text_muted / white / text) is **brighten-only** at amp
824     `0.18` — lightness ranges `L_base..(L_base+0.09)`, never below
825     base. Dark chrome would otherwise produce visible dark patches
826     against the brighter bg.
827   - Accents (red / orange / yellow / lime / green / light_blue / blue
... [126 more lines]

Now the remaining sections — UI color recipe, gallery keys, gotcha, file map, working style, plus the scattered one-liners:

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Now the file map and working-style sections:

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The scattered references are fixed. Now I need to add the "## Effect system" section that two of my edits point to ("see the Effect system section below"). Let me find the insertion point before the UI toolkit section:

Grep (^## (UI toolkit|Carriers — the closed set|Foundational design decisions))

524:## Foundational design decisions
576:## Carriers — the closed set
605:## UI toolkit (snkrx/ui/)

Let me read the lines just before the UI toolkit section to anchor the insertion cleanly:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

595     or thrown) + `debris` shards; the rock-attack damage is layered on
596    as separate `polygonal_*` functions. The arc is the shared
597    `airborne.lua` component (z + draw scale only).
598 
599 Deferred / per-game: a static `prop` instance (vase/box) — the generic
600 shatter + `debris` pieces are ready for it; airborne behaviors beyond
601 throw-up-and-down; element-flavored carrier variants (decision 5 below).
602 
603 ---
604 
605 ## UI toolkit (snkrx/ui/)
606 

Now insert the "## Effect system" section before the UI toolkit:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

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Let me do a final sweep of CLAUDE.md for any remaining edition references, and confirm the widget element-set list mentions the new widgets:

Grep (edition|set_edition|edition_set|mimic|field_scale|dither_mode|gradient.lua|symbols.lua|u_edition|edition-template|edition-backed|shimmer)

175:  uses an `effect_*` wrapper). The OLD edition system (`edition.lua`,
176:  `set_edition`, `gradient.lua`, `symbols.lua`) is GONE — see the
372:- **Particles / FX tint via `spec_color(spec)`** (the `edition_base_color`
608:verbatim from **ricochet-template** (the old edition system is gone). Full
646:The shimmer is NOT a special recipe — it's `pattern='organic'` sweeping a
649:gray ladder = lightness shimmer; accents to the next hue). The entity specs
652:tints (the `edition_base_color` replacement).
869:  lightness shimmer; accents breathe to the next hue = the green/blue
880:  (token → neighbor) drive the mix. `ui_field_scale` / `ui_dither` tune
882:- **Legacy note:** widgets still thread an inert `opts.edition` param down
907:(solid↔mix) · `U`/`P` breathe dither · `K`/`L` field_scale.

All remaining references are correct (describing the removal, the replacement, or actual current globals like ui_field_scale). Let me add the two new widgets to the element-set prose for completeness:

Grep (icon_button — thin wrapper|^- **modal**|Widgets** (interactive)

750:**Widgets** (interactive, `widgets.lua`):
751-- **slot** — inventory cell; selected (1px green stencil-outline,
752-  drawn ON TOP of the icon so it stays visible when the icon fills
753-  the slot; flips to blue when the icon's fill is itself green),
--
788:- **modal** — full-screen scrim + centered title/body/buttons panel.
789-  Caller raises `ui_input_locked` BEFORE drawing the screen behind
790-  it; ui_modal lowers it for its own content.
791-

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

788  - **modal** — full-screen scrim + centered title/body/buttons panel.
789   Caller raises `ui_input_locked` BEFORE drawing the screen behind
790   it; ui_modal lowers it for its own content.
791 
792 The gallery also carries **composite reference screens** — full-screen
793 mock-ups (HUD, shop, inventory, skillset, pause) assembled purely
794 from the elements above, no new widgets. They are gallery pages, not
795 toolkit API: a game's screen layout is game-specific, so it is

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Docs sync is done. The .claude/CLAUDE.md no longer describes the edition system anywhere — I rewrote every affected section (the visual/effect stack, entity/carrier descriptions, the effect/spec integration, critical conventions, gotchas, file map, keybindings, working style), added a full ## Effect system section, documented ui_color/palette_breathe_partner/spec_color/the F5 lab/ui_field/ui_swatch_row, and flagged the inert opts.edition plumbing as a Task-2 cleanup. The remaining "edition" mentions are all intentional (describing the removal or naming edition_base_color as the thing spec_color replaced).

That clears Task 1 fully. Now Task 2 — standardize + demonstrate the UI. Your original spec breaks into four parts:

My instinct is A → B → C → D (foundation first, then the showcase/tuner dogfood the result). But D is the most concrete and self-contained, and migrating it first would surface exactly which conventions/widgets are missing — a "demonstrate by doing" start.

Where do you want to start?

AskUserQuestion

Your questions have been answered: "Task 2 is multi-part (A conventions / B parity / C showcase / D F3-tuner migration). Where should I start?"="A — conventions first". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

A — conventions first. That's a sizable refactor touching every widget, so per the workflow I'll post a design brief and wait. To make the snkrx helpers faithful adaptations rather than guesses, let me first read ricochet's shared UI core (the ric.* helpers, ui_begin/ui_end, ui_stack, ret, req_id).

Read (E:\a327ex\ricochet-template\ricochet\ui.lua)

1    --[[
2     ricochet/ui.lua — the Ricochet UI toolkit: shared core + the skin binder.
3   
4     The smooth (hi-res) and rough (low-res) Ricochet UIs are genuinely different
5     DESIGNS — not just sizes. Across the board the treatments differ (smooth radio
6     is a CIRCLE, rough is a square; smooth toggle has a green track; smooth tabs
7     invert the active cell; etc.). So EVERY widget that has a distinct look per
8     mode lives in a SKIN: `ricochet/skin_smooth.lua` (matches the smooth lab /
9     showcase + the reference sheets) and `ricochet/skin_rough.lua` (matches the
10    rough lab). `ricochet_use_skin(mode)` binds the active skin's functions onto
11    the public `ui_*` globals; `ricochet_theme_set` calls it. A game writes
12    mode-agnostic UI (`ui_panel{...}`); flipping MODE swaps look + metrics + fonts.
13  
14    This file holds only what is TRULY shared:
15      - the immediate-mode interaction step (`ric.interact`) + `ric.req_id`
16      - text + hairline + bracket + icon draw helpers the skins compose from
17      - `ric.ret` (the uniform widget return) + the per-frame contract helpers
18      - layout helpers: `ui_heading` / `ui_sublabel` / `ui_stack` (rectcut = regions)
19      - the mode-independent public widgets (frame / text / icon / icon_button / divider)
20      - `ricochet_use_skin`
21  
22    EVERY ui_* widget returns a TABLE (never a bare number): always `next_x`/`next_y`
23    (just past the widget + a standard gap, for chaining), plus its own fields
24    (`clicked`, `value`, `checked`, `on`, `index`, `dir`, `content_y`, ...).
25  
26    Per-frame contract (game's update + draw):
27      update(): ui_capture_input()                       -- captures mouse edges
28      draw():   ui_begin()                               -- reset + effect_clear(ui_layer)
29                [widgets...]; [game world]; layer_render/draw(...)
30                ui_end()                                 -- consume the captured edges
... [251 more lines]

I now have ricochet's exact core. Here's the design brief for the conventions pass, adapted to snkrx (which differs from ricochet in three structural ways: its UI runs in update() not draw() — correct, since snkrx has no render_uncapped; it has juice (springs/sounds); and it intentionally allows id-less static widgets).

Design brief — Task 2A: UI conventions alignment

Approach

Five pieces, staged so you can test between each.

1. New helpers (ui/state.lua or a small ui/core.lua) — additive, breaks nothing

2. Contract helpers — ui/init.lua

snkrx's contract is update + draw, not ricochet's draw-only, so the helpers differ:

main.lua's two manual blocks collapse to ui_begin(dt) / ui_render(); the gallery / effect_lab / sound_tuner keep working (the helpers do exactly what they do today). No ui_capture_input — snkrx reads live edges in update().

3. Layout helpers — ui/core.lua

4. Uniform returns across every widget + position-only primitive

Convert each return {clicked=...} / {value=...} / etc. to return ui_ret(rect, {...fields}). Additive — every existing .clicked / .value / .checked read keeps working; next_x / next_y / x/y/w/h are now also present everywhere. Position-only primitives (label/tooltip/bracket_tag/stat_chip/pips) already return their rect → wrapped in ui_ret for next_x/next_y chaining.

5. editionspec rename (the Task-1 cleanup)

Mechanical s/opts.edition/opts.spec/ + s/edition = ed/spec = sp/ across widgets.lua + primitives.lua (the inert per-element override param). paint.lua already treats a table override as a spec; this just makes the param name honest. No live caller sets it, so it's safe.

Staging (test between)

Divergences from ricochet (deliberate, flagging them)

Two things I want your read on before I start: the id-guard philosophy (keep permissive + opt-in ui_req_id, my recommendation — or go strict like ricochet?), and whether to factor ui_interact now (cleaner, but touches every interactive widget) or leave the per-widget machines. Everything else I'll take as proposed.

Go ahead with your preferences.

Approved with my preferences (permissive ids + opt-in ui_req_id; factor ui_interact). Implementing now, staged. First I need the UI aggregator's require order and the shadow-render details for ui_render:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\init.lua)

1    --[[
2     snkrx/ui/init.lua — the UI toolkit aggregator.
3   
4     Loaded by snkrx/init.lua (so plain `require('snkrx')` pulls the UI
5     toolkit in alongside the attack carriers). Runs AFTER snkrx/palette.lua,
6     so the 18 locked palette tokens (bg, panel_fill, text, red, ...) are
7     global and available to every UI module.
8   
9     What it sets up:
10      • the UI fonts — two headers + two interchangeable body fonts
11      • ui_layer — the screen-space UI layer (no camera, no edition shader)
12      • the toolkit modules: rect (layout), state (interaction), primitives,
13        gallery (the F4 test scene). Element modules are required here as
14        they land.
15  ]]
16  
17  -- ── Fonts ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
18  -- Headers (fixed):
19  --   header_l — Awesome 9 @ 16    : big header / pictographs
20  --   header_s — FatPixelFont @ 8  : the biggest/boldest header (FatPixel
21  --              renders huge even at 8)
22  -- Body (two candidates, toggled live):
23  --   LanaPixel @ 11 and Ark Pixel @ 10 — both cover all languages. Every
24  --   UI element draws body text in `ui_font_body`, which the gallery
25  --   flips between the two (key B) so they can be compared in context.
26  ui_font_header_l  = font_register('ui_head_l',    'assets/Awesome 9.ttf',                       16)
27  ui_font_header_s  = font_register('ui_head_s',    'assets/FatPixelFont.ttf',                     8)
28  ui_font_body_lana = font_register('ui_body_lana', 'assets/LanaPixel.ttf',                       11)
29  ui_font_body_ark  = font_register('ui_body_ark',  'assets/ark-pixel-10px-proportional-latin.ttf', 10)
30  
... [74 more lines]

I have the require order (rect → state → juice → paint → primitives → widgets → gallery) and the shadow pipeline. I'll do stage 2A-i this turn: the helper library + contract helpers + wire main.lua — a clean, testable foundation (the widget conversion and rename follow as 2A-ii / 2A-iii). First, the new ui/core.lua:

Write (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\core.lua)

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Now wire core into the UI aggregator and add the contract helpers:

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Now collapse main.lua's manual UI plumbing into the new helpers:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

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Syntax-check the three changed/new files:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok    main.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/core.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/init.lua
=== PARSE CLEAN ===

Clean. Let me check the bottom gallery doc in main.lua still references the old plumbing names:

Grep (ui_juice_update|ui_typed_text|AFTER ui_juice)

174:  --   ui_typed_text           drained from SDL; the focused
178:  --   ui_juice_update(dt)     ticks the per-widget scale springs +
446:-- 2. Add to update(), AFTER ui_juice_update(dt):

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

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Stage 2A-i is in and parses clean. This is the foundation — no visual change, all internal.

What landed (2A-i)

New snkrx/ui/core.lua — the shared core (snkrx's analog of ricochet's ric.*):

snkrx/ui/init.lua — requires core; adds the contract helpers:

main.lua — the two manual blocks collapsed to ui_begin(dt) / ui_render().

Test (you run)

Everything should look and behave exactly as before — the F4 gallery, the F5 lab, the breathe, the drop shadow, widget hover/click. This stage only swaps main.lua's inline UI plumbing for the two helper calls (plus a harmless effect_clear(ui_layer) safety baseline). If the UI flickers, loses its shadow, or goes unresponsive, that means ui_begin/ui_render diverged from the old blocks — but they're line-for-line equivalent, so it should be a clean no-op.

The interaction helpers (ui_ret, ui_interact, ui_req_id) are defined but not yet consumed by the widgets — that's the next stage. ui_begin/ui_render are live now; ui_stack/ui_heading/ui_sublabel get exercised when I build the showcase / migrate the F3 tuner.

Next

Both are internal (no visual change). Want me to go straight into 2A-ii, or test 2A-i first?

Go ahead.

Going into 2A-ii — converting every widget/primitive to ui_interact + ui_ret. Starting with the shared form-control machine, then ui_slot and ui_button:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

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ui_button's interaction and return:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

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Now ui_bar (add a return), ui_tabs, and the form-control / slider returns:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

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ui_radio / ui_slider returns, then ui_list_row and ui_card:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

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Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

ui_card machine + return, then text_input / modal / field / swatch_row returns and the swatch machine:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

ui_field return + ui_swatch_row machine and return:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

widgets.lua converted. Let me verify no bare return { remain and that ui_claim_hot survives only in the custom-machine widgets (slider/text_input):

Grep (return {|ui_claim_hot)

6:  ui_claim_hot, run the mouse-down→up click machine, and return an
621:    ui_claim_hot(id, r)
871:    ui_claim_hot(id, r)

No bare returns remain in widgets.lua; ui_claim_hot survives only in slider + text_input (the custom-machine widgets) — correct. Now the position-only primitives:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

ui_item_icon, ui_rich_text, ui_label, ui_tooltip, ui_pips:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

ui_tooltip and ui_pips returns:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me verify primitives.lua is fully converted and syntax-check all three UI files plus the dependents:

Grep (return r$|return {)

No matches found

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok    snkrx/ui/core.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/primitives.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/widgets.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/gallery.lua
ok    snkrx/effect_lab.lua
ok    main.lua
=== PARSE CLEAN ===

All parse clean, primitives fully converted. Stage 2A-ii is complete.

What landed (2A-ii)

Every interactive widget now runs the factored ui_interact machine instead of an inline copy — ui_slot, ui_button, ui_tabs (per cell), ui_card, ui_list_row, and form_control_interact (checkbox/radio) + ui_swatch_row. The per-widget juice (ui_juice_pull on the pressed edge, ui_juice_hover) stays in each widget, tuned as before. ui_slider and ui_text_input keep their custom machines (drag / focus).

Every widget + position-only primitive now returns via ui_ret — so all of them carry next_x / next_y (chainable) + x/y/w/h alongside their own fields. This is additive: every existing .clicked / .value / .checked / .token read still works; ui_button keeps its x/y/w/h. Even the void ones (ui_bar, ui_panel, ui_text, ui_divider, ui_item_icon) now return a chainable rect.

Test (you run)

The behavior should be identical — but this stage touched the interaction machinery, so it's worth exercising:

If any widget stops hovering/clicking or loses its juice bounce, that's a sign ui_interact diverged from the inline machine — but it's a faithful 1:1 factor (claim hot → press grabs active+focus → release-on-hot fires), so it should be a clean no-op.

Next

2A-iii — the mechanical opts.editionopts.spec rename across widgets.lua + primitives.lua (the inert per-element override param, the last Task-1 cleanup). No behavior change. Want me to go ahead, or test 2A-ii first?

Go ahead.

Going into 2A-iii — the opts.editionopts.spec rename. This is ~70 sites, so let me first map every form of edition in the two files to craft safe replacements:

Grep (edition)

snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua:58

Found 58 total occurrences across 1 file.

Grep (edition = |edition |edition\b(?! = |\w))

No matches found

Grep (edition)

10:  Coloring goes through the edition pipeline (ui/paint.lua): draws use
11:  the ui_rrect / ui_text wrappers, or bracket edition_set manually for
12:  loops (draw_drag_target). Every widget accepts opts.edition to force
13:  a specific edition for all its draws — the per-element override.
62:    edition    forces an edition for all the slot's draws
80:  local ed  = opts.edition
95:  ui_panel({ rect = lr, bg = slot_fill, radius = rad, edition = ed })
106:                   radius = math.max(0, rad - pad), edition = ed })
113:              align_h = 'center', align_v = 'center', edition = ed })
178:    edition     forces an edition for all the button's draws.
189:  local ed      = opts.edition
225:              color = text_muted, align_h = 'center', edition = ed })
233:              color = label_c, align_h = 'center', edition = ed })
240:              color = lblc, align_h = 'center', edition = ed })
284:    edition forces an edition for all the bar's draws
298:  local ed    = opts.edition
332:              align_h = 'center', color = text, edition = ed,
356:    edition  forces an edition for all the widget's draws
372:  local ed      = opts.edition
379:  ui_panel({ rect = r, bg = charcoal, radius = rad, edition = ed })
424:              align_h = 'center', align_v = 'center', edition = ed })
485:    edition  forces an edition for all the widget's draws
497:  local ed   = opts.edition
527:              align_v = 'center', edition = ed })
553:  local ed   = opts.edition
578:              align_v = 'center', edition = ed })
595:    edition  forces an edition for all the widget's draws
609:  local ed      = opts.edition
670:    edition  forces an edition for the row's draws
686:  local ed     = opts.edition
... [28 more lines]

I have the full landscape. To rename safely without breaking the threading, I'll use ordered replace_all passes (the keyword edition = and the param opts.edition are code-only; no comment contains them). The internal local stays ed (it's invisible to callers; the public param is what matters). Starting with widgets.lua:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && grep -c "edition = " snkrx/ui/widgets.lua; echo "...)

30
--- any 'edition = ' inside a comment line? ---
none (safe)

Confirmed safe. Three ordered replace_all passes on widgets.lua:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Wait — I dropped the trailing space: edition =spec = produced spec =ed (no space after =). Let me check and fix:

Grep (spec =)

95:  ui_panel({ rect = lr, bg = slot_fill, radius = rad, spec =ed })
106:                   radius = math.max(0, rad - pad), spec =ed })
113:              align_h = 'center', align_v = 'center', spec =ed })
225:              color = text_muted, align_h = 'center', spec =ed })
233:              color = label_c, align_h = 'center', spec =ed })
240:              color = lblc, align_h = 'center', spec =ed })
332:              align_h = 'center', color = text, spec =ed,
379:  ui_panel({ rect = r, bg = charcoal, radius = rad, spec =ed })
424:              align_h = 'center', align_v = 'center', spec =ed })
527:              align_v = 'center', spec =ed })
578:              align_v = 'center', spec =ed })
728:                     glyph_font = c.icon.glyph_font, spec =ed })
732:                align_h = c.align or 'left', spec =ed })
788:               radius = rad, spec =ed })
790:    ui_panel({ rect = lr, radius = rad, spec =ed })

[Showing results with pagination = limit: 15]

All are spec =ed (no space). No correct spec = exists, so a single replace_all re-inserts the space safely:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

<tool_use_error>No changes to make: old_string and new_string are exactly the same.</tool_use_error>

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me verify no broken spec = remain and see what edition references are left (should be doc prose only):

Grep (spec =[^ ])

No matches found

Grep (edition)

10:  Coloring goes through the edition pipeline (ui/paint.lua): draws use
11:  the ui_rrect / ui_text wrappers, or bracket edition_set manually for
13:  a specific edition for all its draws — the per-element override.
62:    edition    forces an edition for all the slot's draws
178:    edition     forces an edition for all the button's draws.
284:    edition forces an edition for all the bar's draws
356:    edition  forces an edition for all the widget's draws
485:    edition  forces an edition for all the widget's draws
595:    edition  forces an edition for all the widget's draws
670:    edition  forces an edition for the row's draws
759:    edition     forces an edition for all the card's draws
849:    edition     forces an edition for the field's draws
942:    edition   forces an edition for the modal's draws
1038:  variant, disabled, radius, surface, edition.
1065:    edition forces an edition for the draws

No broken spec =, and all remaining edition mentions are in comments. Let me fix the doc prose — the header docblock, the per-widget label suffixes, and icon_button's opts list:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the leading param-label edition in the per-widget doc lines (varying indentation), via per-variant replace_all:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\widgets.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me confirm widgets.lua is clean and see primitives.lua's edition forms:

Grep (edition)

No matches found

Grep (edition)

27:  Coloring goes through the edition pipeline (ui/paint.lua): these
30:  edition that mimics its palette color. Every primitive accepts an
31:  optional `opts.edition` to force a specific edition for its draws.
49:    rect, bg (panel_fill), radius (3), edition
59:  local ed   = opts.edition
77:  align_v ('top'/'center'/'bottom'), edition.
102:    color, opts.edition)
110:  color (panel_border), edition, style.
121:  local ed     = opts.edition
152:  (ui_font_header_l), glyph_color (text), radius (2), edition.
159:  ui_rrect(r.x, r.y, r.w, r.h, rad, fill, opts.edition)
164:              edition = opts.edition,
183:    edition  forces a specific edition for every run
204:      run.color or text, opts.edition)
226:    edition forces a specific edition for the whole label
247:  ui_rrect(r.x, r.y, r.w, r.h, rad, opts.bg or charcoal, opts.edition)
250:                   runs = opts.runs, font = font, edition = opts.edition })
254:              edition = opts.edition })
289:    edition      forces an edition for the whole tooltip
299:  local ed = opts.edition
330:  ui_panel({ rect = r, radius = 4, edition = ed })
339:                   glyph_color = opts.icon.glyph_color, edition = ed })
347:            color = opts.title_color or text, edition = ed })
353:              align_v = 'top', edition = ed })
358:                   font = mfont, edition = ed })
382:    edition
398:                    edition = opts.edition })
416:    edition
423:    x = opts.x, y = opts.y, font = font, edition = opts.edition,
445:    edition
... [1 more lines]

widgets.lua is clean. Now primitives.lua — same passes (this time keeping the trailing space in spec =):

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me check what edition remains in primitives.lua (should be comments only now):

Grep (edition)

27:  Coloring goes through the edition pipeline (ui/paint.lua): these
30:  edition that mimics its palette color. Every primitive accepts an
31:  optional `opts.spec` to force a specific edition for its draws.
49:    rect, bg (panel_fill), radius (3), edition
77:  align_v ('top'/'center'/'bottom'), edition.
110:  color (panel_border), edition, style.
152:  (ui_font_header_l), glyph_color (text), radius (2), edition.
183:    edition  forces a specific edition for every run
226:    edition forces a specific edition for the whole label
289:    edition      forces an edition for the whole tooltip
382:    edition
416:    edition
445:    edition

All remaining are comments. Let me clean primitives.lua's doc prose — the header block, then the doc labels and descriptions via replace_all:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\primitives.lua has been updated. All occurrences were successfully replaced. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me verify both files are fully clean (no edition, no broken spec =) and syntax-check:

Grep (edition|spec =[^ ])

No matches found

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok    snkrx/ui/widgets.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/primitives.lua
=== PARSE CLEAN ===

Both files fully clean and parse. 2A-iii is complete — the opts.editionopts.spec rename (code + docs) is done across widgets.lua and primitives.lua. Let me run one comprehensive syntax-check across the whole UI chain to confirm nothing regressed:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok    main.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/core.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/init.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/state.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/juice.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/paint.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/primitives.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/widgets.lua
ok    snkrx/ui/gallery.lua
ok    snkrx/effect_lab.lua
=== ALL UI FILES PARSE CLEAN ===

All ten UI files parse clean. Task 2A — conventions alignment — is complete across all three stages.

2A recap (now fully landed)

Test (you run)

The whole point of 2A is that the UI behaves identically — it's all internal restructuring. Exercise the F4 gallery (hover/click buttons, tabs, checkboxes, drag sliders — juice bounce + hover sounds + click reporting) and the F5 lab (select shapes, the field cyclers / swatch pickers / sliders). Everything should respond exactly as before. The in-game player/seekers/attacks are untouched.

The widgets now return next_x/next_y on every call (you can chain ui_button{...}.next_y etc.), and a future caller themes a widget by passing spec = {...} instead of edition = ....

What's left in Task 2

I'd suggest D next — it's concrete, self-contained, immediately testable, and it dogfoods everything from 2A (ui_stack, ui_field, the contract helpers, uniform returns) on a real panel, which will also surface any parity gaps (feeding B). Want me to go to D, or pick a different one?

Go ahead.

Going to D — the F3 sound-tuner migration. First I need to read the current sound_tuner.lua to understand what I'm migrating (it's the two-tier raw-draw overlay), then I'll post a design brief.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

1    --[[
2     sound_tuner.lua — F3 two-tier tuning overlay.
3   
4     Tier 1 (GRID) is a browse view: every loaded sound shown in a 2-column
5     list with its current bits / sr_div / volume. Arrow-key navigation;
6     Enter opens the per-sound edit modal; S writes both override files;
7     Esc/F3 closes the tuner.
8   
9     Tier 2 (MODAL) is the per-sound editor: the previously-only-view but
10    now scoped to one sound, with explicit edit keys for bits, sr_div,
11    and (new) volume. Auto-replays every 0.5s; Space forces an immediate
12    replay. Esc returns to the grid; F3 closes everything.
13  
14    Self-contained — loading this module registers bindings, font, layer,
15    and state. The host calls two hooks:
16  
17      sound_tuner_update(dt) -> bool   true while non-off (host should
18                                       skip its game logic when this
19                                       returns true — game pauses while
20                                       tuning)
21      sound_tuner_draw()               draws the overlay; no-op when off.
22                                       Call at the end of host's draw().
23  
24    Persistence
25      snkrx/sound_tuning.lua  per-path {bits, sr_div} overrides.
26      snkrx/volume_tuning.lua per-gameplay-name volume overrides.
27  
28    Volume editing semantics
29      Sound files in `sounds` (gameplay-name keys) imply a volume key in
30      `volumes` of the same name (for variants tables, the `_variants`
... [500 more lines]

I've read the tuner fully. It's a keyboard-driven two-tier overlay (grid + edit modal) that draws raw layer_* to its own tune_layer with inline color() values — none of the toolkit. Here's the migration brief.

Design brief — Task 2D: migrate the F3 sound tuner onto the toolkit

The core architectural change

The tuner currently draws in draw() (sound_tuner_draw) on its own tune_layer. The toolkit's widgets are immediate-mode + mouse-interactive, which requires them to be queued in update() (snkrx's UI-in-update model — mouse edges are update-only) and composited by the host's ui_render(). So the migration restructures the tuner to mirror the F4 gallery / F5 lab pattern:

This keeps the "F3 pauses the game" behavior intact and drops the separate tune_layer + all the inline color() values.

Widget mapping (built on the toolkit, in SNKRX style)

Grid (tier 1): dim backdrop + a title (ui_text) + a list of ui_list_row (one per sound; cells = name flex + a right-aligned b8 sr1 v0.50 values cell) + a footer hint. The keyboard- or mouse-selected row gets selected = true. Single-column (toolkit-native; ~14 rows/page fits 270px — the template's ~13 sounds are one page); PgUp/PgDn paging kept with the page X/Y title. Click a row → select + open its modal; arrows + Enter still work.

Modal (tier 2): a centered ui_panel + the path (ui_text) + a ui_stack of:

So every control is dual keyboard + mouse — the keyboard workflow you know is unchanged; mouse is added because the toolkit widgets are interactive anyway. This also dogfoods all of 2A (ui_stack, ui_field, the contract, uniform returns).

What stays untouched

All the non-UI logic: tune_build_volume_keys, the pagination math, serialize_sound_tuning/serialize_volumes/save_all, the auto-replay drive, the DSP application (sound_handle_set_dsp). Only the drawing + interaction surface changes.

Decisions to confirm

  1. Interaction model — I propose keyboard + mouse (recommended; the toolkit widgets are interactive, so wiring mouse is nearly free and demonstrates the toolkit). Alternative: a pure keyboard reskin (toolkit chrome/tokens/shadow but no mouse — simpler, but the ui_field arrows / slider would be decorative).
  2. Volume controlui_slider (draggable, visual level) vs a ui_field stepper like bits/sr_div (uniform, precise). I lean slider + keep the ,/. keys for fine steps.
  3. Grid layout — single-column ui_list_row list (recommended) vs preserving the 2-column grid (more code, less toolkit-native).

If you're good with the recommended path on all three (keyboard+mouse, volume slider, single-column), I'll build it. Otherwise tell me which to flip.

Go ahead with your preferences.

Approved with my preferences (keyboard + mouse, volume slider, single-column). Implementing the tuner migration. First the layer/color section (drop the raw tune_layer + inline colors for a scrim layer) and the single-column pagination constants:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the big one — replacing the update section (the keyboard-only tune_update_grid/tune_update_modal with the toolkit-driven tune_grid/tune_modal that queue widgets + handle keyboard AND mouse):

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the draw section — replacing the three raw-draw functions + dispatcher with the small sound_tuner_bg_draw (the scrim). Let me read the current tail to match it exactly:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

405    local sf = ui_field({ rect = st:take(16), id = 'tune_f_sr', label = 'sr_div',
406                         value = tostring(sr_div) })
407   if sf.prev_clicked then sr_div = math.max(1, sr_div - 1); changed_dsp = true end
408   if sf.next_clicked then sr_div = sr_div + 1;              changed_dsp = true end
409 
410   -- Apply DSP edits to the entry + the live voice (before the replay below).
411   if changed_dsp then
412     if entry then entry.bits = bits; entry.sr_div = sr_div
413     else entry = { bits = bits, sr_div = sr_div }; sound_tuning[cur.path] = entry end
414     if tune_last_handle >= 0 then sound_handle_set_dsp(tune_last_handle, bits, sr_div) end
415   end
416 
417   -- Volume: a label + a 0..2 slider; the , / . keys fine-step ±0.02.
418   ui_text({ rect = st:take(ui_font_body_ark.height), font = ui_font_body_ark,
419             color = text_muted, text = string.format('VOLUME   %s   [%s]',
420               vol and string.format('%.2f', vol) or '—', vol_key or '—') })
421   local vs = ui_slider({ rect = st:take(12), id = 'tune_f_vol',
422                          value = (vol or 1.0)/2, knob = 10, track_h = 4 })
423   if vs.changed and vol_key then volumes[vol_key] = math.max(0, vs.value*2) end
424   if is_pressed('tune_vol_dn') then tune_vol_step(cur.path, -VOLUME_STEP) end
425   if is_pressed('tune_vol_up') then tune_vol_step(cur.path,  VOLUME_STEP) end
426 
427   -- Save / back buttons.
428   st:gap(ui_sp.s2)
429   local brow = st:take(18)
430   if ui_button({ rect = rect_new(brow.x, brow.y, 52, 18), id = 'tune_save_btn',
431                  label = 'save', variant = 'primary' }).clicked then save_all() end
432   if ui_button({ rect = rect_new(brow.x + 58, brow.y, 52, 18), id = 'tune_back_btn',
433                  label = 'back' }).clicked then tune_mode = 'grid'; tune_replay_timer = 0 end
434 
... [120 more lines]

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

554    layer_rectangle(tune_layer, 0, 0, width, height, tune_modal_bg())
555 
556   local mx = math.floor((width  - MODAL_W)/2 + 0.5)
557   local my = math.floor((height - MODAL_H)/2 + 0.5)
558 
559   -- Panel fill + 1px border.
560   layer_rectangle(tune_layer, mx, my, MODAL_W, MODAL_H, tune_panel_bg())
561   layer_rectangle(tune_layer, mx, my, MODAL_W, 1, tune_panel_border_c())
562   layer_rectangle(tune_layer, mx, my + MODAL_H - 1, MODAL_W, 1, tune_panel_border_c())
563   layer_rectangle(tune_layer, mx, my, 1, MODAL_H, tune_panel_border_c())
564   layer_rectangle(tune_layer, mx + MODAL_W - 1, my, 1, MODAL_H, tune_panel_border_c())
565 
566   local cur = tune_list[tune_grid_index]
567   if not cur then return end
568   local entry  = sound_tuning[cur.path]
569   local bits   = entry and entry.bits   or 16
570   local sr_div = entry and entry.sr_div or 1
571   local vol, vol_key = tune_vol_get(cur.path)
572 
573   local x = mx + 12
574   local y = my + 10
575 
576   -- Path (full, not display name — modal has the room).
577   layer_text(tune_layer, cur.path, ui_font_body, x, y, fg_color())
578   y = y + LINE_H + 4
579 
580   layer_text(tune_layer,
581     string.format('bits:   %2d        [ / ]', bits),
582     ui_font_body, x, y, text())
583   y = y + LINE_H
... [31 more lines]

I have the full draw section. Replacing it (the three raw-draw functions + dispatcher) with the small scrim function:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

The big replacement worked. Now update the docblock hooks description and the main.lua call:

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Grep (sound_tuner_draw)

391-  layer_render(debug_layer); layer_draw(debug_layer)
392-
393:  sound_tuner_draw()

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

391    layer_render(debug_layer); layer_draw(debug_layer)
392 
393   sound_tuner_draw()
394 
395   -- F4 widget gallery (test scene): fills + composites its full-screen bg
396   -- before the UI render pipeline. No-op while the gallery is toggled off.
397   ui_gallery_bg_draw()
398 
399   -- F5 effect inspector (test scene): composites its canvas (shapes + marker)
400   -- before the UI render pipeline, so the inspector draws on top. No-op off.
401   effect_lab_bg_draw()
402 

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Syntax-check and verify no dangling references to the removed locals/functions:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

ok   snkrx/sound_tuner.lua
ok   main.lua

Grep (tune_layer|tune_sel_bg|tune_panel_bg|tune_modal_bg|tune_panel_border_c|tune_bg\b|LINE_H|COL_W|COL_GAP|MODAL_W|MODAL_H|tune_update_grid|tune_update_modal|tune_draw_grid|tune_draw_cell|tune_draw_modal|sound_tuner_draw\b)

87:local tune_bg_layer = layer_new('tune_bg')

Both parse clean (the one match is the intentional 'tune_bg' layer-name string). Let me run a full syntax sweep across the entire project to be safe after this large change:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

=== ALL 28 FILES PARSE CLEAN ===

All 28 files parse clean. Task 2D — the F3 sound tuner is migrated onto the toolkit.

What changed

The tuner was ~140 lines of raw layer_* draws on its own tune_layer with inline color() values. It's now built entirely on the toolkit:

All the non-UI logic — the volume-key mapping, pagination math, serialization, save_all, auto-replay, DSP application — is untouched.

Test (you run)

Press F3:

One minor note: I dropped the old per-name left-truncation (the list_row doesn't clip cell text), but the template's sound names fit the full-width column — only an unusually long name in a real game would overflow.

Task 2 status

Want me to continue with 2B (parity audit first — I'll produce the concrete gap list before building anything), 2C (showcase), or pause here so you can test the tuner?

RROR: snkrx/sound_tuner.lua:402: attempt to call a number value (method 'gap') stack traceback: snkrx/sound_tuner.lua:402: in upvalue 'tune_modal' snkrx/sound_tuner.lua:469: in function 'sound_tuner_update' main.lua:190: in function 'update'

On clicking a sound

Good catch — that's a real bug in my ui_stack. I named both the field gap (the spacing amount) and the method :gap() — the field shadows the method, so st:gap(...) resolves to the number, not the function. Fix: rename the field to _gap.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\core.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\core.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\core.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\ui\core.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me confirm no self.gap references remain and syntax-check:

Grep (self.gap|.gap =|gap =)

139:  return setmetatable({ x = rect.x, y = rect.y, w = rect.w, _gap = gap or ui_sp.s3 },

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && "E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tools/lu...)

ok core.lua

Fixed and parses clean. The bug was in ui_stack: the gap amount was stored in a field named gap, which shadowed the :gap() method (Lua checks table fields before the metatable's __index). The field is now _gap, so st:gap(...) resolves to the method.

The grid worked (it uses rect_new directly), which is why you got as far as clicking a sound — that opened the modal, which is the only place that uses ui_stack:gap(), so it crashed there. It'll work now.

Retry F3 → click a sound → the editor modal should open with the bits/sr_div steppers, the volume slider, and save/back buttons. (This was the first real exercise of ui_stack, so good that it surfaced now.)

[Pasted image/png]

Spacing issue when editing a sound, everything else seems OK.

The screenshot shows the save/back buttons overlapping the footer text — my modal panel was a fixed ph = 138, too short for the content, and the footer was absolutely pinned to the panel bottom (colliding with the stack-placed buttons). Fix: compute the panel height from its actual rows, drop the redundant explicit gaps (the stack already spaces each row), and let the footer flow in the stack below the buttons.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\snkrx\sound_tuner.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Syntax-check the fix:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && "E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tools/lu...)

ok sound_tuner.lua

Fixed and parses clean. The modal now:

So the save/back buttons and the Space replay · S save · … hint now sit on their own rows with clean 4px spacing. Retry F3 → click a sound — the editor should lay out without the overlap. That was the last rough edge in the tuner migration (2D done); the grid and the rest you confirmed already look right.

Perfect. Let's end the session here. Document everything properly (no need to do a super thorough documentation, the next instance will continue the work), then end it and call it Visual Experiments 6. Once you're done, also create a prompt that I can paste to the next instance so that it continues with the rest of the work, make sure to be detailed and point to the right places so it can continue properly.

Perfect — that wraps up the work. Let me document the Task 2 changes in CLAUDE.md (lightly), then end the session and prepare the hand-off prompt. First, let me locate the UI sections that need updating:

Grep (Per-frame contract|ui_state_begin_frame|Legacy note|ui_typed_text = engine_get|Calling convention|### Files)

491:ui_typed_text = engine_get_typed_text()  -- drain + capture for ui_text_input
672:### Calling convention
689:### Per-frame contract (in main.lua's update + draw)
693:ui_typed_text = engine_get_typed_text()    -- drain SDL + capture
694:ui_state_begin_frame()                     -- reset hot/capturing/locked
712:### Files
891:- **Legacy note:** widgets still thread an inert `opts.edition` param down
927:- **`engine_get_typed_text()` must be drained** each frame even if nothing consumes typed input — otherwise SDL's text-input queue fills up after ~32 keypresses and warns per-press forever. main.lua does this at the top of `update()` as `ui_typed_text = engine_get_typed_text()` — draining it AND capturing the frame's typed string into the global the focused `ui_text_input` reads. A game using the UI toolkit must keep this line.

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

672  ### Calling convention
673 
674 Every widget takes ONE opts table. Widgets draw to the global
675 `ui_layer`. Colors are the 18 locked palette tokens from
676 `snkrx/palette.lua`.
677 
678 - **Rect-positioned widgets** take `opts.rect` — a `{x,y,w,h}` table,
679   exactly what RectCut (`ui/rect.lua`) produces.
680 - **Position-only widgets** (`ui_label`, `ui_tooltip`, `ui_bracket_tag`,
681   `ui_stat_chip`, `ui_pips`, `ui_button` in auto-size mode) take
682   `opts.x, opts.y` and auto-size to content.
683 - **Static**: omit `id` → no juice, no hover, no click reporting.
684 - **Interactive**: pass `id` (caller-chosen string) → widget hit-tests,
685   runs juice, returns `{ hovered, clicked, ... }`.
686 - **State is caller-owned**: pass `opts.checked / selected / value /
687   text`; widget reports clicks; caller updates its own state.
688 
689 ### Per-frame contract (in main.lua's update + draw)
690 
691 ```lua
692 -- update():
693 ui_typed_text = engine_get_typed_text()    -- drain SDL + capture
694 ui_state_begin_frame()                     -- reset hot/capturing/locked
695 ui_juice_update(dt)                        -- tick springs + HP-bar tweens
696 -- ... widget calls queue commands onto ui_layer ...
697 
698 -- draw():
699 layer_render(ui_layer)
700 layer_clear(ui_shadow_layer)
701 layer_draw_from(ui_shadow_layer, ui_layer, ui_shadow_shader)
... [30 more lines]

Updating the three UI sections — calling convention (uniform returns + opts.spec), the per-frame contract (ui_begin/ui_render), and the files list (add core.lua):

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the widgets files-list line, the stale "Legacy note", and the file map. Let me locate them:

Grep (interactive (consult ui_state|Legacy note|sound_tuner.lua\s+# F3|gallery.lua\s+# optional dev gallery|state.lua\s+# ui_state — frame-local)

744:- `widgets.lua` — interactive (consult ui_state + juice): `ui_slot`,
907:- **Legacy note:** widgets still thread an inert `opts.edition` param down
994:    ├── sound_tuner.lua         # F3 tuning UI module
1002:        ├── state.lua           # ui_state — frame-local hot/active/focus + ui_capturing_text + ui_input_locked
1007:        └── gallery.lua         # optional dev gallery (gallery_bg_layer + paged showcase + composite mock screens)

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

744  - `widgets.lua` — interactive (consult ui_state + juice): `ui_slot`,
745   `ui_button`, `ui_bar`, `ui_tabs`, `ui_checkbox`, `ui_radio`,
746   `ui_slider`, `ui_list_row`, `ui_card`, `ui_text_input`, `ui_modal`,
747   `ui_icon_button`.

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

905    (token → neighbor) drive the mix. `ui_field_scale` / `ui_dither` tune
906   the breathe (noise density + dither mode NAME).
907 - **Legacy note:** widgets still thread an inert `opts.edition` param down
908   to `paint.lua` (a no-op now — the override path ignores it). Task 2's UI
909   standardization renames it `spec`.
910 

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the file map — add ui/core.lua and note the tuner is on the toolkit:

Read (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

992      ├── wall.lua                # example entity — Orblike v1 wall_object (translated)
993     ├── stats.lua               # procedural stats / buff machinery
994     ├── sound_tuning.lua        # per-sound DSP tuning table (path → {bits, sr_div})
995     ├── sound_tuner.lua         # F3 tuning UI module
996     ├── effect.lua              # four-axis effect system (spec API + cyclers + spec_color)
997     ├── effect_lab.lua          # F5 effect inspector (dev tool, built on the UI toolkit)
998     ├── palette.lua             # 26 tokens + effect adapter + palette_breathe_partner
999     ├── geometry.lua            # triangulation + scatter utilities
1000        └── ui/                     # the UI toolkit — require('snkrx') loads it
1001            ├── init.lua            # UI aggregator: fonts, ui_layer + ui_shadow_layer + ui_shadow_shader, ui_typed_text, requires
1002            ├── rect.lua            # RectCut layout primitive
1003            ├── state.lua           # ui_state — frame-local hot/active/focus + ui_capturing_text + ui_input_locked
1004            ├── juice.lua           # per-widget spring / sound / bar juice + area_scale
1005            ├── paint.lua           # effect-pipeline coloring (ui_color, ui_spec_for, draw wrappers)
1006            ├── primitives.lua      # panel / text / divider / item_icon / rich_text / label / tooltip / bracket_tag / stat_chip / pips
1007            ├── widgets.lua         # interactive: slot / button / bar / tabs / checkbox / radio / slider / list_row / card / text_input / modal / icon_button / field / swatch_row
1008            └── gallery.lua         # optional dev gallery (gallery_bg_layer + paged showcase + composite mock screens)
1009    ```

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:\a327ex\snkrx-template.claude\CLAUDE.md)

The file E:\a327ex\snkrx-template\.claude\CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Docs synced for Task 2A/2D. Let me do a final parse sweep to ensure the committed state is clean, then I'll hand off and end the session.

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && LUA="E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tool...)

=== ALL 28 FILES PARSE CLEAN ===

All 28 files parse clean. Documentation is synced. Here's the session wrap-up and the hand-off prompt, then I'll end the session as Visual Experiments 6.

Session summary — what landed

Hand-off prompt for the next instance

This session continues work on snkrx-template (E:/a327ex/snkrx-template). Read these to get
aligned BEFORE proposing anything:
- snkrx-template/.claude/CLAUDE.md — conventions + current state. Note the DESIGN-BRIEF-BEFORE-CODE
  rule (post a conceptual brief, wait for my feedback, iterate, THEN write code) and the "Effect
  system" + "UI toolkit" sections.
- a327ex-site/logs/visual-experiments-6.md — last session's log (full detail of everything below).
- The UI toolkit: snkrx/ui/core.lua, paint.lua, primitives.lua, widgets.lua, init.lua, gallery.lua.
- ricochet-template/components.lua + ricochet/ui.lua + ricochet/skin_smooth.lua + skin_rough.lua —
  the SOURCE we're matching for parity + the showcase.

DONE (sessions "Visual Experiments 5" + "6"):
- TASK 1 — snkrx's old edition system replaced with ricochet's four-axis effect system (pattern ×
  color × dither × shape). effect.lua + assets/draw_shader.frag ported, wired to snkrx's 26-token
  palette. Drawables carry a `.spec` (no `.edition`); draw via effect_set/effect_clear; FX tint via
  spec_color(). The SNKRX breathe = pattern='organic' sweeping color='mix' between a token and its
  palette_breathe_partner neighbor (in snkrx/palette.lua). F5 effect inspector = snkrx/effect_lab.lua.
- TASK 2A — UI conventions: snkrx/ui/core.lua (ui_sp / ui_ret uniform returns with next_x/next_y /
  ui_interact factored interaction machine / ui_req_id opt-in id guard / ui_stack + ui_heading +
  ui_sublabel); ui_begin(dt) + ui_render() contract helpers in ui/init.lua; every widget + primitive
  converted to ui_interact + ui_ret; opts.edition renamed to opts.spec.
- TASK 2D — F3 sound tuner (snkrx/sound_tuner.lua) on the toolkit: single-column ui_list_row grid +
  ui_panel/ui_field/ui_slider/ui_button modal, dual keyboard + mouse, scrim layer + drop shadow.
- New widgets: ui_field (cycler "LABEL value [‹][›]"), ui_swatch_row (palette-token color picker).

LEFT (the rest of Task 2 — "standardize + demonstrate the UI"):
- TASK 2B — component parity. Audit snkrx's set vs ricochet's; build any genuinely-missing widgets in
  SNKRX style (NOT the blueprint look). snkrx has (interactive): slot/button/bar/tabs/checkbox/radio/
  slider/list_row/card/text_input/modal/icon_button/field/swatch_row + primitives (panel/text/divider/
  item_icon/rich_text/label/tooltip/bracket_tag/stat_chip/pips). ricochet additionally has toggle/
  stepper/dropdown/badge/tag/keyhint/sparkline/stat/hud_bar/segbar/ability_slot/menu_item/upgrade_chip/
  counter/status_tag (see ricochet/ui.lua's ricochet_use_skin binder for the full list). Not all are
  worth building for a game template — START with the concrete gap list + a recommendation, then ASK
  me before building.
- TASK 2C — showcase. Bring snkrx's F4 gallery (snkrx/ui/gallery.lua) to ricochet-components.lua
  parity: fold ui_field + ui_swatch_row + any 2B widgets into the paged showcase; ensure every
  component is demonstrated.

WORKING AGREEMENTS:
- Design brief before code; one increment at a time; I test between each.
- Do NOT run the executable (no ./run.bat) — I run + test. Syntax-check Lua with
  E:/a327ex/Anchor/reference/love-compare/tools/lua54.exe -e "assert(loadfile('FILE'))".
- Use AskUserQuestion liberally for design decisions.
- main.lua currently carries a TEST SCAFFOLD (seekers + wall + every carrier on mouse 1/2/3 + F/R,
  F4 gallery, F5 effect lab, F3 tuner) — intentional for testing, not the clean template; don't
  revert it unless asked.

Start by reading the above and giving me the Task 2B gap-list audit (don't build yet).

Now ending the session as Visual Experiments 6:

Skill

Launching skill: end-session

Base directory for this skill: E:\a327ex.claude\skills\end-session

End Session Workflow

This skill is invoked from the same conversation where the work was done. You already have the full session context in memory — you do NOT need to read the transcript.

Step 1: Get Session Info

Ask the user for the session title (max 30 characters). Examples: "Anchor Phase 10 Part 5", "Physics Arena Setup", "Timer System Fix", "Thalien Lune Design".

Determine the project yourself from your session context — you know which repo(s) were worked on, which files were created/modified, and where they live. No need to ask. See Step 5 for the list of known project roots; if the session touched something outside the list, infer the root from the paths you actually edited.

Step 2: Write Summary

Write the summary from your conversation memory. You have the full session context — no need to read any files.

The summary should be thorough and detailed. Each major topic deserves its own section with multiple specific bullet points. Don't compress — expand.

Purpose: These summaries serve as searchable records. Future Claude instances will grep through past logs to find how specific topics were handled. The more detail you include, the more useful the summary becomes for finding relevant context later.

Format (this is just an example structure — adapt sections to match what actually happened):

# [Title]

## Summary

[1-2 sentence overview of the session's main focus]

**[Topic 1 - e.g., "Spring Module Implementation"]:**
- First specific detail about what was done
- Second detail - include file names, function names
- User correction or feedback (quote if notable)
- Technical decisions and why

**[Topic 2 - e.g., "Camera Research"]:**
- What was researched
- Key findings
- How it influenced implementation

**[Topic 3 - e.g., "Errors and Fixes"]:**
- Specific error message encountered
- Root cause identified
- How it was fixed

[Continue for each major topic...]

---

[Rest of transcript follows]

Rules: - Be thorough — If in doubt, include more detail, not less. Each topic should be as detailed as possible while still being a summary. - Think searchability — Future instances will search these logs. Include keywords, function names, error messages that someone might grep for. - One section per major topic — Don't combine unrelated work into one section - Chronological order — Sections should match conversation flow - Specific details — Error messages, file names, function names, parameter values - Include user quotes — When user gave notable feedback, quote it (e.g., "k/d variables are not intuitive at all") - Weight planning equally — Research, proposals, alternatives considered, user feedback on approach are as important as implementation - Weight problems solved — Errors, root causes, fixes, user corrections all matter - Technical specifics — Include formulas, API signatures, parameter changes when relevant

Step 3: Proceed Without Approval

Do NOT show the summary to the user for approval. Write it directly. The user can review the committed log after the fact and request a follow-up edit if anything is off.

Step 4: Convert Transcript and Write the Log File

# Find recent sessions (Claude + Cursor + Codex). Same script lives in Anchor2:
python E:/a327ex/Anchor2/scripts/find-recent-session.py --limit 5
# or: python E:/a327ex/Anchor/scripts/find-recent-session.py --limit 5

The script shows sessions sorted by when they ended. The first result is the current conversation (since end-session was invoked here). Use it.

Use a lowercase hyphenated slug derived from the title (e.g., "anchor-primitives-hitstop-animation").

Get the end timestamp for the Date frontmatter — this is the wall-clock time when end-session was invoked, NOT the time the JSONL started. Sessions often span multiple days, and the log should be filed under the day the work was wrapped up:

date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"

Use this output verbatim. Do not substitute the JSONL start timestamp; the log appears in the sidebar sorted by Date, and a multi-day session with a Date pinned to day 1 will sort below sessions that ended later but started later, hiding the most recent work.

Convert the transcript to markdown:

python E:/a327ex/Anchor2/scripts/jsonl-to-markdown.py [SESSION_PATH] /tmp/session-log.md
# or: python E:/a327ex/Anchor/scripts/jsonl-to-markdown.py ...

The same script auto-detects Claude Code JSONL vs Cursor/Composer agent JSONL (~/.cursor/projects/.../agent-transcripts/...) vs Codex rollouts (~/.codex/sessions/...). For Composer sessions, use find-recent-session.py (it merges all sources) and pick the [cursor] line for the current chat.

Replace the default header (# Session YYYY-MM-DD...) at the top of /tmp/session-log.md with the approved title and summary, AND prepend frontmatter. The final file shape:

Title: [Title]
Date: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

# [Title]

## Summary

[approved summary text from step 2]

---

[transcript content from jsonl-to-markdown script]

Frontmatter is non-negotiable. Every log file MUST start with Title: and Date: lines. Without them, the site's sidebar shows the slug as the title and 0 (epoch) as the sort date. The backfill script in a327ex-site/deploy/backfill_metadata.py is a safety net, not a substitute — write it correctly the first time.

Then copy the final file to the log destination:

cp /tmp/session-log.md E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/logs/[slug].md

Step 4.5: Decrement the lock (if active)

Read E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/.lock.json if it exists. If it contains {"remaining": N} with N > 0:

  • Decrement N by 1
  • Write {"remaining": N-1} back to the file
  • If N becomes 0, the lock is cleared. You may leave the file at {"remaining": 0} or delete it; both work.

The lock file lives in the a327ex-site repo, so the change is staged automatically by git add -A in Step 6.

If no lock file exists or remaining is already 0, do nothing. (See the /lock skill for the lock's full design.)

Step 5: Commit Project Repo

Identify the project repo(s) worked on this session from your own context — you already know which repos were touched and which files changed. For the common projects:

Project Root Stage command
Anchor E:/a327ex/Anchor git add docs/ framework/ engine/ scripts/ reference/
Anchor2 E:/a327ex/Anchor2 git add framework/ engine/ arena/ reference/ scripts/ docs/ .claude/
emoji-ball-battles E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles git add -A
invoker E:/a327ex/Invoker git add -A
thalien-lune E:/a327ex/thalien-lune git add -A
a327ex-site E:/a327ex/a327ex-site git add -A (this IS one of the web repos — the log file added in Step 4 is staged here automatically)

For a project not listed, infer the root from the files you actually created or modified this session and stage those. If multiple candidate roots look valid, ask the user which files to stage.

cd into the project root, stage, run git status to verify before committing.

IMPORTANT — FULL SUMMARY IN COMMIT: The commit message MUST include the FULL summary from the log file. Read the summary back from the log file to ensure nothing is missing.

IMPORTANT — COMMIT METHOD: The summary contains backticks, special characters, and markdown that WILL break heredocs and git commit -m. ALWAYS use the file-based method below. NEVER try a heredoc first — it will fail and produce a malformed commit that needs amending.

# Skip until we hit the line "## Summary", then take everything after the next
# blank line until the --- separator that precedes the transcript.
awk '/^## Summary$/{found=1; next} found && NR>1 && /^---$/{exit} found' \
    E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/logs/[slug].md > /tmp/commit_msg.txt

# Prepend the title (plain text, no #) and append attribution
sed -i "1i [Title]\n" /tmp/commit_msg.txt
printf "\nGenerated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)\n\nCo-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>\n" >> /tmp/commit_msg.txt

git commit -F /tmp/commit_msg.txt

Step 6: Push the Repos

Two pushes — project (to GitHub) and a327ex-site (to the VPS):

# Project repo to GitHub. Skip this push if the project IS a327ex-site
# (handled by the second push below — don't duplicate).
git push origin main

# a327ex-site to the VPS (post-receive hook restarts the Lua server).
cd E:/a327ex/a327ex-site
git add -A
git commit -m "[Title]"
git push prod main 2>&1 | tail -3

Failure handling: if either push fails, the other still happens. Local commits stay intact, so the user can re-push manually once they've fixed whatever blocked it. Don't roll back; the committed state on disk is the source of truth.

Step 7: Confirm

Tell the user: - Project commit hash + GitHub push result - a327ex-site commit hash + VPS push result

Format:

Logged — "[Title]".
  project (Anchor2):  abc1234  pushed to GitHub
  a327ex-site:        ghi9012  pushed to a327ex.com (post-receive deployed)

If a push failed, surface that explicitly with the error.

Notes

  • Frontmatter is non-negotiable. Every log file MUST have Title: and Date: at the top. Enforced at write time in step 4. The backfill script is a safety net, not a substitute.
  • If the project IS a327ex-site (e.g., you spent the session writing the renderer or fixing the theme), there's no separate "project repo to GitHub" push — the a327ex-site push at the end IS the project push. Don't duplicate.
  • Legacy note: this skill used to also dual-write to anchor.blot.im/logs/ and anchor.blot.im/context/. Post-cutover (May 2026), anchor.blot.im is a JS redirect to a327ex.com and no longer receives content. Drop those steps if you find any older docs that still reference them.

ARGUMENTS: Title: Visual Experiments 6

The title is "Visual Experiments 6". Project root is E:/a327ex/snkrx-template (inferred from the files edited). Let me gather the session info and check the repo setup:

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/snkrx-template && echo "=== is snkrx-template a git repo? ===" && g...)

=== is snkrx-template a git repo? ===
E:/a327ex/snkrx-template
=== remote ===
origin  git@github.com:a327ex/snkrx-template.git (fetch)
origin  git@github.com:a327ex/snkrx-template.git (push)
=== current date ===
2026-05-31 15:31:52

Bash (python E:/a327ex/Anchor2/scripts/find-recent-session.py --limit 5 2>&1 | head -2...)

2026-05-31T18:31:52.954Z f3072210-1253-4649-93d4-0acb943686d4 [claude] <-- MOST RECENT
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\f3072210-1253-4649-93d4-0acb943686d4.jsonl

2026-05-31T18:08:46.478Z 06f5cfc2-4245-4927-9a2d-d7f372358eff [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\06f5cfc2-4245-4927-9a2d-d7f372358eff.jsonl

2026-05-31T17:16:35.593Z aca39077-9a40-4d7e-ac77-c4c05ac51979 [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\aca39077-9a40-4d7e-ac77-c4c05ac51979.jsonl

2026-05-31T16:28:30.113Z 0751ea9b-b519-4976-ba6f-32bffe9fed2f [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\0751ea9b-b519-4976-ba6f-32bffe9fed2f.jsonl

2026-05-31T14:53:20.185Z c125dd2c-61d9-4ab1-9397-0c1e640d0074 [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\c125dd2c-61d9-4ab1-9397-0c1e640d0074.jsonl

snkrx-template is its own git repo (remote a327ex/snkrx-template). This is the most recent session. Let me convert the transcript: