From 8e790b4a957a7430ebd573a6554ee457bb39c437 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: BenStullsBets <ben@benbetson.us>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:50:51 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] feat(dial): snap to the closest altitude on drag release
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A drag is a way of grabbing the altitude dial, not a free-standing encoder
detent. Until now onDialUp held the live blend wherever the knob stopped (the
"no auto-complete" model), so a grab-and-release could leave the experience
parked mid-morph between two altitudes.

Now a real turn (moved >= 6) auto-scrubs the short way to Math.round(pos) and
settles there (frac 0 locks) — a grab-and-release always lands on a discrete
altitude, exactly like a tap or label click. The tap path (moved < 6 ->
jumpToScale) is unchanged, and reduced motion is handled by autoScrub (jump to
target, no tween).

Adds an altitude-lock e2e asserting a partial drag settles on an integer
altitude after release. Full altitude-lock (14) + a11y + i18n suites green.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 simulator/e2e/tests/altitude-lock.spec.ts | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++-
 simulator/static/app.js                   |  6 ++++-
 2 files changed, 34 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/simulator/e2e/tests/altitude-lock.spec.ts b/simulator/e2e/tests/altitude-lock.spec.ts
index b86c830..f6aeb3a 100644
--- a/simulator/e2e/tests/altitude-lock.spec.ts
+++ b/simulator/e2e/tests/altitude-lock.spec.ts
@@ -276,7 +276,8 @@ test("crossing a detent commits and locks the destination clip", async ({ page }
   const box = (await page.locator("#dial").boundingBox())!;
   const cx = box.x + box.width / 2, cy = box.y + box.height / 2;
   // Drag clockwise across one full detent (top -> right ~= 90deg = 1.25 detents),
-  // crossing integer 1 (orbit) so it commits, then hold past it (no auto-complete).
+  // crossing integer 1 (orbit) so it commits, then hold past it WHILE STILL DRAGGING
+  // (the live blend holds wherever the knob is held; the snap happens only on release).
   await page.mouse.move(cx, cy - 30);
   await page.mouse.down();
   await page.mouse.move(cx + 30, cy + 6, { steps: 14 });
@@ -293,3 +294,30 @@ test("crossing a detent commits and locks the destination clip", async ({ page }
   expect(st2.activeClipId).toBe(st.activeClipId);
   await page.mouse.up();
 });
+
+test("releasing a partial drag snaps to the closest altitude (no held mid-blend)", async ({ page }) => {
+  // The operator can grab the dial, turn it PART of a detent, and let go between two
+  // altitudes. On release the knob must auto-scrub to the CLOSEST altitude and settle
+  // there (integer position, frac 0) — landing on a discrete altitude exactly as if
+  // they had clicked it, rather than holding the half-finished blend.
+  await boot(page);
+  const box = (await page.locator("#dial").boundingBox())!;
+  const cx = box.x + box.width / 2, cy = box.y + box.height / 2;
+  await page.mouse.move(cx, cy - 30);
+  await page.mouse.down();
+  await page.mouse.move(cx + 18, cy - 24, { steps: 8 });   // ~0.5 detent — parks BETWEEN altitudes
+  // While held we are mid-blend: a fractional knob position.
+  await page.waitForFunction(
+    () => { const p = (window as any).__hefState().pos; return Math.abs(p - Math.round(p)) > 0.05; },
+    null, { timeout: 5000 },
+  );
+  await page.mouse.up();
+  // After release the position settles on an integer altitude (the snap).
+  await page.waitForFunction(
+    () => Number.isInteger((window as any).__hefState().pos),
+    null, { timeout: 10000 },
+  );
+  const st = await page.evaluate(() => (window as any).__hefState());
+  expect(Number.isInteger(st.pos)).toBe(true);   // landed on an altitude, not held mid-blend
+  expect(st.ringIndex).toBe(st.pos);             // committed altitude == the position it landed on
+});
diff --git a/simulator/static/app.js b/simulator/static/app.js
index 3023f57..3fbb19a 100644
--- a/simulator/static/app.js
+++ b/simulator/static/app.js
@@ -1076,7 +1076,11 @@ function onDialUp(e) {
     }
     return;
   }
-  // No auto-complete: hold the blend wherever the knob stopped (continuous-encoder model).
+  // Snap on release: a drag is a way of GRABBING the dial, not a free-standing
+  // encoder detent — so when the operator lets go between altitudes, auto-scrub the
+  // short way to the CLOSEST one and settle there (frac 0 locks). The result is the
+  // same as a tap/label-click: a grab-and-release always lands on a discrete altitude.
+  autoScrub(Math.round(pos));
 }
 
 // Click a label → auto-scrub the SHORTEST signed way around the ring to that scale.
-- 
2.39.5