Enhance LED emitter visibility and glow effects

Author: ford442

App.tsx

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const SHADER_GROUPS = {
 };
 
 function App() {
-  const [shaderFile, setShaderFile] = useState<string>('patternv0.40.wgsl');
+  const [shaderFile, setShaderFile] = useState<string>('patternv0.50.wgsl');
   const [volume, setVolume] = useState<number>(0.5);
   const [pan, setPan] = useState<number>(0.0);
 

hooks/useAudioGraph.ts

@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export async function startAudioPlayback(
               volume: data.channelVU[c] || 0,
               pan: existing?.pan ?? 128,
               freq: existing?.freq ?? 0,
-              trigger: (data.channelVU[c] || 0) > 0.5 ? 1 : 0,
+              trigger: (data.channelVU[c] || 0) > 0.05 ? 1 : 0,
               noteAge: existing?.noteAge ?? 0,
               activeEffect: existing?.activeEffect ?? 0,
               effectValue: existing?.effectValue ?? 0,

public/shaders/patternv0.49.wgsl

@@ -289,11 +289,6 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
   let rowDist = min(rowDistRaw, 64.0 - rowDistRaw);
   let playheadActivation = 1.0 - smoothstep(0.0, 1.5, rowDist);
 
-  // Hardware Layering: Discard pixels over UI — SAFE HERE after playheadActivation computed
-  if (in.position.y > uniforms.canvasH * 0.88) {
-    discard;
-  }
-
   // CHANNEL 0 is the Indicator Ring (padTopChannel shifts music to 1-32)
   if (in.channel == 0u) {
     let onPlayhead = playheadActivation > 0.5;
@@ -354,9 +349,9 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
     var topIntensity = 0.0;
     if (!isMuted) {
       if (ch.trigger > 0u) {
-        topIntensity = 1.0 + bloom;
+        topIntensity = 2.5;
       } else if (playheadActivation > 0.5) {
-        topIntensity = playheadActivation * 0.6;
+        topIntensity = playheadActivation * 1.2;
       }
     }
 
@@ -381,7 +376,7 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
     let amberColor = vec3<f32>(1.0, 0.55, 0.1);
     var botIntensity = 0.0;
     if (!isMuted && hasExpression) {
-      botIntensity = 0.8 + bloom;
+      botIntensity = 2.0;
     }
 
     // --- RENDER UNIFIED GLASS LENS ---
@@ -398,14 +393,21 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
 
     finalColor = mix(finalColor, lens.rgb, lens.a);
 
-    // Add external glow when active
+    // External glow — bloom-independent so LEDs are always visible
     if (topIntensity > 0.0 || botIntensity > 0.0 || midIntensity > 0.5) {
       let totalActivity = topIntensity + botIntensity + (midIntensity - 0.12);
       let glowColor = mix(midColor, blueColor, topIntensity * 0.5);
       let glowColor2 = mix(glowColor, amberColor, botIntensity * 0.5);
-      let externalGlow = glowColor2 * totalActivity * bloom * 2.0 * exp(-length(p) * 4.0);
+      let externalGlow = glowColor2 * totalActivity * (0.3 + bloom * 1.5) * exp(-length(p) * 4.0);
       finalColor += externalGlow;
     }
+    // Direct LED glow independent of bloom
+    if (!isMuted && ch.trigger > 0u) {
+      finalColor += blueColor * 0.4 * exp(-length(p) * 3.5);
+    }
+    if (!isMuted && hasExpression) {
+      finalColor += amberColor * 0.3 * exp(-length(p) * 3.5);
+    }
   }
 
   // Kick reactive glow

public/shaders/patternv0.50.wgsl

@@ -256,17 +256,17 @@ fn drawUnifiedLensCap(
     // Top emitter scattering (Blue - note on)
     let distTop = length(uv - topPos - refractOffset * 0.3);
     let scatterTop = exp(-distTop * 5.0) * topEmitter.a;
-    subsurfaceGlow += topEmitter.rgb * scatterTop * 0.8;
-    
+    subsurfaceGlow += topEmitter.rgb * scatterTop * 3.5;
+
     // Middle emitter scattering (Note color - steady)
     let distMid = length(uv - midPos - refractOffset * 0.5);
     let scatterMid = exp(-distMid * 4.0) * midEmitter.a;
-    subsurfaceGlow += midEmitter.rgb * scatterMid * 1.5;
-    
+    subsurfaceGlow += midEmitter.rgb * scatterMid * 5.0;
+
     // Bottom emitter scattering (Amber - control)
     let distBot = length(uv - botPos - refractOffset * 0.3);
     let scatterBot = exp(-distBot * 5.0) * botEmitter.a;
-    subsurfaceGlow += botEmitter.rgb * scatterBot * 0.8;
+    subsurfaceGlow += botEmitter.rgb * scatterBot * 3.5;
 
     let totalGlow = topEmitter.a + midEmitter.a + botEmitter.a;
     let diffusion = exp(-radial * 3.0) * totalGlow * 0.3;
@@ -285,10 +285,11 @@ fn drawUnifiedLensCap(
     // Edge alpha
     let edgeAlpha = smoothstep(0.0, aa * 2.0, -dBox);
 
-    // Glass transparency
+    // Glass transparency — reduce opacity when active emitters are lit
     let diodeVisibility = diodeMask * 0.55;
     let baseAlpha = 0.72 + 0.28 * fresnel;
-    let alpha = mix(baseAlpha, 0.32, diodeVisibility) * edgeAlpha;
+    let emitterLift = clamp(topEmitter.a * 0.4 + botEmitter.a * 0.4, 0.0, 0.7);
+    let alpha = mix(baseAlpha, 0.32, min(diodeVisibility + emitterLift, 0.9)) * edgeAlpha;
 
     // Directional lighting
     let lightDir = vec3<f32>(0.4, -0.7, 0.6);
@@ -303,7 +304,7 @@ fn drawUnifiedLensCap(
     let diodeBlend = diodeMask * (1.0 - alpha * 0.65);
     finalColor = mix(finalColor, combinedDiode, diodeBlend);
     finalColor = mix(finalColor, litGlassColor, alpha);
-    finalColor += subsurfaceGlow * 2.0;
+    finalColor += subsurfaceGlow * 5.0;
 
     // Concentrated glow around active emitters
     if (midEmitter.a > 0.05) {
@@ -342,11 +343,6 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
   let kick = uniforms.kickTrigger;
   let beat = uniforms.beatPhase;
 
-  // Hardware Layering: Discard pixels over UI
-  if (in.position.y > uniforms.canvasH * 0.88) {
-    discard;
-  }
-
   // Smooth playhead position
   let playheadStep = uniforms.playheadRow - floor(uniforms.playheadRow / 64.0) * 64.0;
   let rowDistRaw = abs(f32(in.row % 64u) - playheadStep);
@@ -414,12 +410,12 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
     var topIntensity = 0.0;
     if (!isMuted) {
       if (ch.trigger > 0u) {
-        topIntensity = 1.0 + bloom;
+        topIntensity = 2.5;
       } else if (playheadActivation > 0.5) {
-        topIntensity = playheadActivation * 0.6;
+        topIntensity = playheadActivation * 1.2;
       }
     }
-    let topColor = blueColor * (1.0 + bloom * 2.0);
+    let topColor = blueColor * (1.5 + bloom * 2.0);
 
     // EMITTER 2 (MIDDLE): Steady Note Color
     // Shows pitch color steadily whenever there's a note (does NOT blink)
@@ -443,9 +439,9 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
     let amberColor = vec3<f32>(1.0, 0.55, 0.1);
     var botIntensity = 0.0;
     if (!isMuted && hasExpression) {
-      botIntensity = 0.8 + bloom;
+      botIntensity = 2.0;
     }
-    let botColor = amberColor * (1.0 + bloom * 2.0);
+    let botColor = amberColor * (1.5 + bloom * 2.0);
 
     // --- DRAW UNIFIED LENS CAP ---
     let lensUV = btnUV - vec2<f32>(0.5, 0.5);
@@ -461,10 +457,19 @@ fn fs(in: VertexOut) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
 
     finalColor = mix(finalColor, unifiedLens.rgb, unifiedLens.a);
 
-    // External glow when note is playing
+    // External glow when note is playing on playhead
     if (playheadActivation > 0.5 && hasNote) {
       let pulseColor = mix(blueColor, amberColor, 0.5 + 0.5 * sin(beat * 6.2832));
-      finalColor += pulseColor * playheadActivation * 0.15;
+      finalColor += pulseColor * playheadActivation * 0.4;
+    }
+
+    // Blue LED: bloom-independent external glow for active channels
+    if (!isMuted && ch.trigger > 0u) {
+      finalColor += blueColor * 0.4 * exp(-length(p) * 3.5);
+    }
+    // Amber LED: bloom-independent external glow for expression data
+    if (!isMuted && hasExpression) {
+      finalColor += amberColor * 0.3 * exp(-length(p) * 3.5);
     }
   }