# Session 0020.0 — Transcript

> App: human-experience-filter-art
> Start: 2026-06-26T06-47 (PST)
> End: 2026-06-26T07-58 (PST)
> Type: writing-plans (extended into execution — operator approved "then build it" at the plan gate)
> Posture: careful (execution proceeded under explicit operator approval)
> Claude-Session: e0cc053a-41fa-416d-a4f5-493f14984e75
> Anchor: design docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-26-audio-video-separated-controls-design.md (R2a)
> Status: FINALIZED

## Launch prompt

> Write the implementation plan for the "Audio + Video — separated Visual & Audio
> controls" feature, then build it. (Spec:
> docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-26-audio-video-separated-controls-design.md.)
> Split the bundled 7-way Content selector into orthogonal Visual (on/off) ×
> Audio (off / soundtrack / white noise). Audio follows the single Altitude dial;
> white noise synthesized (ffmpeg anoisesrc). Reframe the (unbuilt) networked-
> control-surface spec §3/§5 as a clean pre-implementation edit. Honor the testing
> tiers; resolve the three §12 flagged decisions.

## Pre-state

- `main` clean at 99a751c. Two stale `--INPROGRESS` placeholders (0015, 0017) from
  2026-06-24/25 — prior dead sessions, not live; left untouched.
- The networked-control-surface architecture (SSE / `/remote` / renderer split) was
  **unbuilt** — the sim is a single fused page (`simulator/static/index.html`) talking
  to FastAPI via `POST /api/alteration` (knobs) + `POST /api/ring/advance` (altitude).
- Audio assets (5 sourced ambiences) sat gitignored under `simulator/sample_media/audio/<scale>/`,
  unreferenced by the manifest, unserved; no `<audio>` element anywhere; video muted.

## Session arc (turn by turn)

1. **Session gate → writing-plans.** Classified the two-part "write the plan, then
   build it" prompt as the build track's entry; claimed session **0020** (`--type
   writing-plans`, careful posture). Baseline clean; created branch `session-0020`.
2. **Scoping.** Read both specs + the audio candidate pool; dispatched an Explore
   agent to map the current simulator. Key finding: the control-surface architecture
   is unbuilt, so the audio spec's §6 server contract had no host. **Resolved by the
   standing simulator-first directive:** build the audio feature into the current
   single-page sim (ships sound now); reframe the control-surface spec on paper only;
   do NOT build the SSE/`/remote`/renderer split (it's "v1 hardware," deferred). This
   build is the "Content step" the audio spec §11 anticipates.
3. **Plan.** Wrote `docs/superpowers/plans/2026-06-26-audio-video-separated-controls.md`
   (10 tasks, all testing tiers). Committed + pushed; presented at the careful-posture
   plan gate. Operator answered **"Approve — build it."** §12 decisions resolved:
   audio=live (~0.6 s crossfade), noise=pink, autoplay=tap-to-start overlay; asset
   params −18 LUFS / mp3 / loop mirrors the proven video crossfade recipe.
4. **Build (TDD, commit per task):**
   - T1–2: pure ffmpeg audio builders (`tools/pipeline/audio_ops.py`) + runner
     (`audio_run.py`) + `simulator/build_audio_media.py`; produced the 5 normalized
     loops + pink-noise bed (gitignored).
   - T3: `Scale.audio` manifest field + read/emit/serialize + `SCALE_AUDIO`; manifest
     regenerated (clean diff — only 5 audio lines).
   - T4–6: pure `player/audio.py` resolver; retired `player/content.py` (+ test);
     reframed `player/controls.py` + `player/state.py`; `/api/alteration` validates
     visual+audio and returns `render.video` + server-resolved `render.audio.url` from
     `altitude_index`. Full Python suite green.
   - T7–8: client — Content `<select>` → Visual toggle + Audio selector; A/B `<audio>`
     gain-crossfade layer; tap-to-start gesture. Smoke-tested page + media (200s).
   - T9: reframed the networked-control-surface spec §3/§4/§5/§6; recorded §12
     resolutions; ROADMAP note.
   - T10: Playwright E2E (`[e2e]` extra). Installed Chromium and ran it for real —
     surfaced + fixed three client issues (see Cut state). **3 E2E pass**, full suite
     **288 passed, 2 skipped**.
5. **Verify + ship.** Screenshotted the running app (cosmos plays, soundtrack audibly
   playing `cosmos/pillars.loop.mp3`, split controls visible, zero JS errors). Merged
   `session-0020` → `main` (`--no-ff`) and pushed. (`gh` PR create denied — Gitea host;
   merged locally with branch→merge discipline.)

## Deferred decisions

_No low-confidence autonomous calls. The scope decision (current-sim vs full control
surface) was approved at the plan gate; the three §12 resolutions were operator-
delegated by the launch prompt ("resolve the three flagged decisions"); asset params
(−18 LUFS, mp3, pink) follow the spec's stated direction._

## Cut state

- `main` @ `aa76cd1` (merge of session-0020), clean, synced with origin.
- **288 tests + 3 Playwright E2E pass; 2 skipped** (opt-in media integration).
- Three client robustness fixes the E2E drove out (worth remembering):
  - `fadeVolume` uses `setInterval`, not `requestAnimationFrame` (rAF stalls when the
    tab is backgrounded → the gain ramp hung in headless).
  - The start gesture drops per-element "priming": a single page click grants Chrome
    autoplay document-wide; priming srcless `<audio>` only hung the handler / polluted
    the paused-state.
  - `applyAudio` does not `await` `play()` (awaiting a srcless/buffering play can hang).
- Plan archival: this app has **no content repo** (`CONTENT_REMOTE` empty), so the plan
  was not archived to a `plans/` collection — it lives in-repo at
  `docs/superpowers/plans/` and is already on `main`.
- §9 pipeline: localhost + E2E stage is **green**; there is no PPE/prod infra for this
  simulator-first art app (deferred with the Pi renderer), so no further ship stage ran.

## Operator plate (what's true now / next)

- The simulator has **sound**: per-altitude soundtracks that follow the Altitude dial +
  a pink white-noise bed, behind orthogonal **Visual** × **Audio** controls. The unheard
  audio wants a by-ear review/tune.
- Deferred (already roadmap-tracked, not re-parked in memory): the **music** layer
  (reserved Audio position, no assets), the networked-control-surface SSE/`/remote`
  build, i2v ring transitions, the Pi renderer.

## Next /goal

```
/goal review/tune the new audio by ear in the sim (per-altitude soundtracks + pink white-noise + the ~0.6s A/B crossfade; tap-to-start), then source/compose the deferred per-altitude music layer (the reserved Audio position), per docs/audio-candidate-pool.md
```
