spore-ledlab/docs/PRESET_EDITOR.md

# Preset Editor - Implementation Summary

## Overview

A visual preset editor has been added to SPORE LEDLab, allowing users to create custom LED animations by combining reusable building blocks without writing code.

## Components Implemented

### 1. Building Blocks System (`presets/building-blocks.js`)

A comprehensive library of reusable animation components:

#### **Shapes**
- Circle, Rectangle, Triangle, Blob, Point, Line
- Configurable position, size, color, and intensity
- Support for blending and compositing

#### **Transforms**
- Rotate, Scale, Translate
- Transform composition for complex movements

#### **Color Generators**
- Solid, Gradient, Palette (multi-stop), Rainbow, Radial
- HSV color space support
- Programmable color functions

#### **Animations**
- Linear Move, Rotation, Pulse
- Oscillation (X/Y axes)
- Bounce physics, Fade in/out
- Time-based with customizable parameters

#### **Patterns**
- Trail effects (fade decay)
- Energy fields (distance-based intensity)
- Radial patterns
- Spiral patterns

### 2. Custom Preset Engine (`presets/custom-preset.js`)

A JSON-driven preset system that:
- Loads and validates preset configurations
- Manages multiple layers
- Applies animations in real-time
- Supports dynamic parameters
- Renders frames at target FPS

**JSON Schema:**
```json
{
  "name": "Preset Name",
  "description": "Description",
  "layers": [
    {
      "type": "shape|pattern",
      "shape": "circle|rectangle|...",
      "position": { "x": 8, "y": 8 },
      "size": { "radius": 3 },
      "color": { "type": "solid", "value": "ff0000" },
      "animation": {
        "type": "pulse",
        "params": { "minScale": 0.5, "maxScale": 1.5, "frequency": 1.0 }
      }
    }
  ],
  "parameters": {
    "speed": { "type": "range", "min": 0.1, "max": 2.0, "default": 1.0 }
  }
}
```

### 3. Visual Editor UI (`public/scripts/preset-editor.js`)

A modern two-panel editor interface:

**Left Panel: Preset Management & Layers**
- Preset metadata (name, description)
- **New preset button** - Creates fresh preset with confirmation
- Add layer button
- Expandable layer list with:
  - Visual layer cards showing type and properties
  - Layer reordering (up/down arrows)
  - Layer deletion
  - Click to expand/collapse layer details
- Management section:
  - Save/Load presets (localStorage)
  - Export/Import JSON files
  - Delete current preset

**Right Panel: Preview & Controls**
- Preview controls bar:
  - Node selection dropdown (Canvas Only or specific node)
  - Start/Stop preview button
  - Status indicator
  - Canvas size and FPS display
- **Real-time canvas preview** - Shows exact animation as streamed to nodes
- **Synchronized rendering** - Client preview matches server output perfectly

### 4. Server Integration (`server/index.js`)

Added `startCustomPreset` handler:
- Accepts JSON configuration via WebSocket
- Creates CustomPreset instance
- Manages streaming like built-in presets
- Supports all existing features (parameters, node selection, FPS control)

### 5. UI Integration (`public/index.html`, `public/styles/main.css`)

- Added Editor tab to navigation
- Modern two-panel responsive layout
- Dark/light theme support with **enhanced dropdown styling**
- **Dark dropdown backgrounds** with light text for better readability
- Notification system for user feedback
- Import/Export file handling
- **Canvas renderer** (`public/scripts/canvas-renderer.js`) for client-side preview

### 6. Example Presets (`presets/examples/`)

Four complete example presets:
1. **Pulsing Circle** - Rainbow circle with pulse animation
2. **Bouncing Squares** - Multiple colored squares with oscillation
3. **Spiral Rainbow** - Rotating spiral with multi-color gradient
4. **Moving Triangle** - Linear movement with gradient colors

Plus comprehensive README documentation.

## Features

✅ **Visual Composition**
- Drag-free layer management with expandable cards
- Real-time property editing
- Layer reordering and deletion
- **Triangle shape support** - Full triangle rendering with rotation

✅ **Flexible Configuration**
- Multiple shape types (circle, rectangle, triangle, blob, point)
- Various color modes (solid, gradient, palette, rainbow)
- Rich animation options (move, rotate, pulse, oscillate, fade)
- Parameter customization
- **Pattern layers** with intensity control

✅ **Save & Share**
- LocalStorage persistence
- JSON export/import
- Version-controllable configurations
- Shareable preset files
- **New preset button** for fresh starts

✅ **Live Preview**
- **Synchronized canvas preview** - Shows exact animation as streamed to nodes
- Real-time streaming to selected node
- Integrated with existing node selection
- Full parameter control
- **Layer compositing** - All layers render correctly with proper alpha blending

✅ **Reusable Components**
- Extracted from existing presets
- Optimized rendering
- Extensible architecture
- **Server-client rendering parity** - Identical output on both sides

## Usage Flow

1. User opens **🎨 Editor** view
2. Enters preset name and description
3. Adds layers:
   - Clicks "➕ Add Layer" button
   - Configures layer properties in expandable cards:
     - Shape type (circle, rectangle, triangle, blob, point)
     - Position (X, Y coordinates)
     - Size (radius, width, height)
     - Color (solid, gradient, palette, rainbow)
     - Intensity (0.0 - 1.0)
     - Animation (move, rotate, pulse, oscillate, fade)
4. Manages layers:
   - Expands/collapses layer details by clicking
   - Reorders with up/down arrows
   - Deletes unwanted layers
5. Previews animation:
   - Selects target node or "Canvas Only"
   - Clicks "▶️ Start" to begin preview
   - Watches synchronized canvas preview
6. Saves work:
   - Uses "💾 Save" to store in localStorage
   - Uses "📤 Export JSON" to download file
   - Uses "📥 Import JSON" to load shared presets
7. Creates new presets:
   - Uses "📄 New" button for fresh start
   - Confirms if current work will be lost

## Technical Architecture

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Editor UI (Browser)             │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │  Preset Editor Component           │ │
│  │  - Layer Management                │ │
│  │  - Property Forms                  │ │
│  │  - Preview Control                 │ │
│  └────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │ WebSocket (JSON Config)
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Server (Node.js)                │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │  startCustomPreset Handler         │ │
│  │  - Parse JSON configuration        │ │
│  │  - Create CustomPreset instance    │ │
│  │  - Start streaming                 │ │
│  └────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │ Frame Generation Loop
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│      Custom Preset Engine               │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │  Building Blocks System            │ │
│  │  - Shapes, Patterns, Colors        │ │
│  │  - Animations, Transforms          │ │
│  │  - Composition & Rendering         │ │
│  └────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────┘
               │ UDP Frames
               ▼
      [SPORE Node LED Matrix]
```

## File Changes Summary

### New Files
- `presets/building-blocks.js` - Core building blocks library
- `presets/custom-preset.js` - JSON-driven preset engine
- `public/scripts/preset-editor.js` - Visual editor UI
- `public/scripts/canvas-renderer.js` - Client-side canvas renderer
- `presets/examples/pulsing-circle.json` - Example preset
- `presets/examples/bouncing-squares.json` - Example preset
- `presets/examples/spiral-rainbow.json` - Example preset
- `presets/examples/moving-triangle.json` - Example preset
- `presets/examples/README.md` - Example documentation
- `PRESET_EDITOR.md` - This file

### Modified Files
- `public/index.html` - Added Editor view HTML with New button
- `public/styles/main.css` - Added editor styles and enhanced dropdown styling
- `server/index.js` - Added custom preset handler
- `presets/building-blocks.js` - Added intensity support for pattern layers
- `presets/custom-preset.js` - Added intensity support for pattern rendering
- `README.md` - Added Preset Editor documentation

## Extensibility

The system is designed to be easily extended:

**Add New Shape:**
```javascript
Shapes.star = (frame, width, height, centerX, centerY, points, radius, color) => {
  // Rendering logic
};
```

**Add New Animation:**
```javascript
Animations.wobble = (amplitude, frequency) => {
  return () => {
    // Animation logic
  };
};
```

**Add New Color Generator:**
```javascript
ColorGenerators.plasma = (time, x, y) => {
  // Color calculation
};
```

## Performance

- Efficient rendering with minimal allocations
- Frame generation at configurable FPS (1-60)
- Optimized color blending
- Smart update scheduling

## Browser Compatibility

- Modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Requires ES6+ support
- LocalStorage for persistence
- File API for import/export

## Recent Updates

### Latest Improvements (Current Version)
- ✅ **Triangle Shape Support** - Added full triangle rendering with rotation animation
- ✅ **Layer Compositing Fix** - All layers now render correctly with proper alpha blending
- ✅ **Server-Client Synchronization** - Preview canvas shows identical animation to streamed output
- ✅ **Pattern Layer Intensity** - Pattern layers now support intensity control like shape layers
- ✅ **New Preset Button** - Quick way to start fresh with confirmation dialog
- ✅ **Enhanced Dropdown Styling** - Dark backgrounds with light text for better readability
- ✅ **Canvas Renderer** - Dedicated client-side renderer for accurate previews

### Bug Fixes
- Fixed pattern layer overwriting instead of compositing with other layers
- Fixed gradient color calculation bug in client-side renderer
- Fixed triangle rendering missing from preview canvas
- Improved dropdown readability in dark theme

## Future Enhancements

Possible future additions:
- [ ] Undo/Redo support
- [ ] Layer groups
- [ ] Custom parameter types
- [ ] Animation timeline editor
- [ ] Blend modes between layers
- [ ] Physics simulations
- [ ] Sound-reactive parameters
- [ ] Community preset library
- [ ] Preset thumbnails/previews
- [ ] Keyboard shortcuts
- [ ] Line shape support
- [ ] Additional pattern types
- [ ] Real-time collaboration

## Testing

To test the implementation:

1. Start LEDLab server: `npm start`
2. Open browser to `http://localhost:3000`
3. Navigate to Stream view and select a node
4. Switch to Editor view
5. Import an example preset (e.g., `pulsing-circle.json`)
6. Click Preview to see it running
7. Modify parameters and preview again
8. Create your own preset from scratch
9. Export and reimport to verify JSON handling

## Conclusion

The Preset Editor provides a powerful, user-friendly way to create custom LED animations without coding. It leverages a well-architected building blocks system that extracts reusable patterns from existing presets and makes them composable through a visual interface and JSON configuration.

**Key achievements:**
- **Perfect synchronization** between preview and actual output
- **Comprehensive shape support** including triangles with rotation
- **Proper layer compositing** with alpha blending
- **Intuitive UI** with expandable layer cards and dark theme
- **Robust persistence** with localStorage and JSON export/import
- **Real-time preview** that matches server rendering exactly

The editor is now production-ready with all major rendering issues resolved and enhanced user experience features implemented.