# ReaSampler — implementation briefing

A native C++ REAPER extension that captures any arbitrary audio source into a
per-project **sample bank** (cached files + a docked grid), decoupled from the
arrange view, with keyboard/MIDI-bindable capture and placement. Built as a
precision tool: deterministic, non-destructive, no clutter.

This document is the spec. Read the existing scaffold first (`src/main.cpp` is
the REAPER<->extension contract; the pure/testable-core split in `src/mpe_model.*`
is the pattern to preserve — the MPE model is being replaced, the *discipline*
is not). Verify every REAPER API name and signature against
`vendor/reaper-sdk/sdk/reaper_plugin_functions.h` before use — the API names in
this brief are correct-by-intent but treat them as hints, not gospel, and check
argument order/types.

## The load-bearing principle

**Capture and placement are separate acts.** Capturing audio writes a file to
the bank and adds an index entry — it NEVER puts an item in the arrange. Placement
is a distinct, on-demand action (insert / drag). Any code path that auto-inserts a
capture into the timeline violates the entire point of the tool and must be
rejected in review. This single rule is why the tool exists.

## Settled decisions

- **Capture modes:** offline render (deterministic, the default) AND realtime
  record (for hardware / performed FX). Both sit behind one capture interface and
  produce identical bank entries.
- **Bank scope:** per-project, travels with the `.rpp`. Files live in a
  project-relative subfolder; the index persists in project ext state. No absolute
  paths anywhere in the index.
- **Material:** must handle full-mix/stem bounces, chops/one-shots, and
  single-cycle/wavetable grabs equally. That means exact sample-accurate bounds,
  explicit tail control, channel-count preservation, and loop/zero-crossing
  handling all matter from day one.

## Module architecture

Preserve the scaffold's split: pure, REAPER-free logic in one set of files
(unit-tested outside the DAW via the existing `tests/` + CTest harness), REAPER-
facing shells in another.

Pure (no REAPER types, fully unit-tested):
- `bank_model` — the `Sample` metadata struct and the `BankIndex` (add / remove /
  query / tier moves / dedup-by-hash) plus JSON serialize/deserialize to a
  `std::string`. This is the heart; test it hard.
- `peaks` — compute waveform min/max bins from raw PCM. Feed it a known signal
  (sine, ramp) and assert the envelope. We compute our own thumbnails from the
  captured file rather than depending on REAPER's peak API — we own the file
  format, so this is simpler, testable, and dependency-free.

REAPER-facing:
- `capture` — the `ICaptureBackend` interface plus `OfflineRenderBackend` and
  `RealtimeRecordBackend`. Input: a `CaptureRequest` (source mode, time range,
  wet/dry, tail, SR/bit-depth/channels, output path). Output: a finished file +
  a populated `Sample` handed to `bank_model`.
- `insert` — placement via `InsertMedia`; conform-to-project-tempo vs literal,
  as an explicit flag (never silent stretching).
- `bank_panel` — the docked grid: LICE-drawn thumbnails, audition, multi-select,
  keyboard navigation. Reuses the docking setup already in `mpe_view.cpp`.
- `persist` — project ext state <-> `bank_model` JSON; project-relative path
  resolution (resolve bank folder from the current project path).
- `actions` — registers the capture/placement/slot action family and routes each
  to the modules above (the `command_id` + `gaccel` + `hookcommand` pattern from
  `main.cpp`).

## Data model (sketch — refine in code)

`Sample`: id, display name, relative file path, source mode, source range (start/
end in project time + PPQ), track GUID(s) if applicable, wet/dry, channel count,
sample rate, length (seconds + musical/beats), capture tempo, optional key,
peak/RMS/LUFS, clip flag, tier (scratch | archive), content hash, provenance
(parent sample id + FX-chain snapshot string, when resampled from another sample),
created timestamp.

`BankIndex`: ordered collection of `Sample`, keyed by id; hash lookup for dedup;
tier filtering; JSON round-trip. Scratch tier is auto-prunable; archive is kept.

## REAPER API surface (verify all signatures)

Offline render (the crux — prototype this first):
- Drive render settings with `GetSetProjectInfo` (`RENDER_BOUNDSFLAG`,
  `RENDER_STARTPOS`, `RENDER_ENDPOS`, `RENDER_TAILFLAG`, `RENDER_TAILMS`,
  `RENDER_SRATE`, `RENDER_CHANNELS`, `RENDER_SETTINGS` for source = master mix /
  selected tracks / selected items / time selection, wet vs dry) and
  `GetSetProjectInfo_String` (`RENDER_FILE`, `RENDER_PATTERN`, `RENDER_FORMAT`).
- Trigger a no-dialog render via the appropriate render action / `RENDER_SETTINGS`
  bit. Confirm the exact command id and the "render without opening dialog" flag
  against current REAPER — do not assume; test that it runs headless.
- Determinism is a hard requirement: two identical requests must produce
  bit-identical files (enables the null test below).

Realtime record:
- Standard "resample track" recipe: create a hidden track, set its record mode to
  record-output (latency-compensated) or route the source to it via a send, arm
  (`I_RECARM`), `CSurf_OnRecord`, run for the range, `CSurf_OnStop`, then move the
  recorded source file into the bank and delete the temp track. Verify
  `I_RECMODE` / `I_RECINPUT` values for output-recording.

Sources & metadata:
- Time selection: `GetSet_LoopTimeRange`. Razor edits:
  `GetSetMediaTrackInfo_String(track, "P_RAZOREDITS", ...)`. Tempo:
  `Master_GetTempo` / `TimeMap2_timeToBeats` / `GetProjectTimeSignature2`.
  Selected items/tracks: `CountSelectedMediaItems` / `GetSelectedTrack`.

Placement:
- `InsertMedia(path, mode)` at edit cursor / new track / replace selection
  (verify mode bits). `SetEditCurPos`. Wrap edits in `Undo_BeginBlock2` /
  `Undo_EndBlock2`.

Persistence & paths:
- `SetProjExtState` / `GetProjExtState` (namespace e.g. `"reasampler"`) for the
  index JSON. Resolve project folder via `EnumProjects` / `GetProjectPathEx`;
  store the bank under a project-relative subfolder; keep only relative paths in
  the index.

## Build order (each milestone independently testable)

1. `bank_model` + JSON round-trip + unit tests. (pure — no REAPER)
2. `peaks` + unit tests. (pure)
3. Offline capture of the time-selection master mix to a wav in the project bank
   folder; add a `Sample`; log it to the console. (the render-driving spike)
4. `persist`: write the index to proj ext state, reload on project open; confirm
   it survives Save / Save As. (bank travels with the .rpp)
5. `bank_panel`: docked grid with thumbnails, audition, selection.
6. `insert`: "insert selected sample at edit cursor" action via `InsertMedia`.
7. Capture action family: master / selected tracks / selected items / razor area,
   each with wet-dry and tail options, all registered as bindable actions.
8. `RealtimeRecordBackend` behind the same interface.
9. Slots: "capture to slot N" / "insert slot N", MIDI-bindable (MPC-style).
10. Provenance + "re-capture from source"; null-test verify action.
11. Polish: batch capture (per selected item / per razor area), resample-and-mute-
    source, conform-on-insert, drag-out to OS.

## Precision invariants (enforce, test)

- **Null test:** a dry offline capture of a range, re-inserted at its source
  position, nulls to silence against the source. Ship this as a verification
  action; it is the tool's trust anchor.
- **Bit-identical repeats:** identical offline requests produce identical files.
- **Non-destructive:** capture never mutates source items or tracks (realtime's
  temp track is created and removed cleanly; source routing is restored).
- **Exact bounds:** no rounding of the requested range; no added silence unless a
  tail is explicitly requested; channel count preserved (no silent stereo fold).
- **Relative paths only** in the persisted index.

## Non-goals / guardrails

- No auto-insertion of captures into the arrange (see the load-bearing principle).
- Native OS drag-out is deferred to the final milestone — `InsertMedia`-driven
  placement is the primary path and must work first.
- Do not depend on REAPER's peak API for thumbnails; compute from the captured
  file.
- Do not silently time-stretch on insert; conform is opt-in.
- Do not trust this brief's API names blindly — verify against the SDK header.

## Open questions to resolve during build

- Exact no-dialog render command/flag on the current REAPER build.
- Realtime record routing that captures wet master output without altering the
  user's monitoring.
- Audio format for the bank (wav bit depth default; allow float for wavetable
  fidelity).
- Thumbnail cache: recompute vs store peak bins alongside the index.

---

# Design View — additive phase spec

> **Additive section.** This is a standalone phase parallel to — not part of — the
> M0–M11 capture roadmap above. Nothing above changes. Product framing (workflow
> narrative, screenset differentiation, N-mode reasoning, design-direction calls)
> lives in `docs/product/design-view.md`; this section is the authoritative
> technical spec, matching the house style of the capture spec. Same standing
> discipline applies: **verify every REAPER API name/signature against
> `vendor/reaper-sdk/sdk/reaper_plugin_functions.h` before use.**

## What it is

A **track-visibility-plus-processing "mode" system**, toggled from the ReaSampler
window. Tracks used purely for sound design (scratch oscillators, FX mangling,
resampling sources) are tagged into **Design** mode; the arrangement's real tracks
are **Arrange** mode (the default). Toggling to a mode **hides and disables** the
tracks that don't belong to it. Workflow value: mental separation + clutter
elimination — be in Design view, resample into the bank, flip to Arrange, place it.

**This is not a separate canvas.** REAPER has exactly one arrange timeline. Design
View is the *same timeline* with a curated, filtered track set and the inactive
tracks parked — not a second surface, window, or duplicated project.

It is the visibility/processing analog of the capture pillar's load-bearing rule:
**designing and arranging are separate stances on one timeline**, and the tool
enforces the separation **without ever destroying the user's real state.**

## Settled decisions

- **Membership.** Default = Arrange; every untagged leaf belongs to it. Leaves
  **opt in** to Design (or any mode). No track appears in two modes at once except
  (a) via an explicit **show-both** toggle, or (b) parent/folder derivation.
- **Parents are derived, never tagged.** A parent/folder track is visible in mode M
  if **either** (a) any descendant leaf is visible in M (descendant-derived), **or**
  (b) the parent belongs to M by its **own membership** — and an untagged parent is
  an Arrange member by default. So an untagged folder carrying its own FX/media
  above all-Design leaves shows in **both** Arrange (its own default) and Design
  (derived from its children). A parent is **never parked** in any mode it is visible
  in. Rule of thumb: **tag leaves; parents follow** — the common case, since a
  content-bearing folder still surfaces wherever its own membership places it.
  Master track is always visible and never touched.
- **N-mode model, two-mode UI.** The data model carries arbitrarily many modes; the
  UI ships **Arrange** + **Design**. A mode is (stable id, display name, ordinal).
  Arrange is special only as the default home for untagged leaves.
- **Parking a track** (inactive-mode leaf): `B_SHOWINTCP=0`, `B_SHOWINMIXER=0`
  (hide both panels), `B_MAINSEND=0` (out of mix), `I_FXEN=0` (FX bypassed), and
  `TrackFX_SetOffline(track, fx, true)` for **each** FX (reclaim CPU). Full CPU-park
  is the deliberate choice over mix-removal-only.
- **Never touches `B_MUTE` / `I_SOLO`.** The tool owns only visibility,
  `B_MAINSEND`, `I_FXEN`, and per-FX offline — on every managed leaf, tagged or
  untagged. User mute/solo survives every toggle untouched.
- **Persistence.** Membership index + last-active mode + per-track flag snapshots
  ride in the existing `"reasampler"` project ext-state namespace and travel with
  the `.rpp`. On project open, reapply the active mode's visibility + processing.

## Precision invariants (enforce, test)

- **Non-destructive restore.** For every flag the tool drives, snapshot the prior
  value **before** parking; on toggle-back restore **from the snapshot**, never to a
  hardcoded "on." Round-trip (snapshot → park → restore) returns every driven flag
  to its captured value. This is the phase's trust anchor — the analog of the
  capture null test — and is enforced in the pure layer.
- **Mute/solo untouched.** No toggle ever reads or writes `B_MUTE` / `I_SOLO`.
- **Master untouched.** The tool never drives the master track's visibility flags
  (the SDK forbids `B_SHOWINTCP`/`B_SHOWINMIXER` on master; the invariant agrees).
- **GUID-keyed, reorder-safe.** Membership keys on track GUID (`GetTrackGUID`),
  never track index; tolerates unknown/stale GUIDs (prune on reconcile).
- **Relative/portable state only** in the persisted view section (GUID strings, mode
  ids — no absolute paths, no index positions).

## Documented caveat

Offlined FX **re-instantiate** when a track returns to the active mode. Stateful
plugins (convolution, loaded samplers, tail-holding effects) re-initialize on
return — possible load hitch, un-persisted internal state lost. Accepted cost of
the CPU reclaim; surface it at the toggle affordance (tooltip).

## Module architecture (preserve the pure/shell split)

Pure (no REAPER types, unit-tested — the mirror of `bank_model`):
- `view_mode_model` — mode registry (id/name/ordinal; Arrange + Design seeded);
  membership index (`track GUID → { mode ids }` + per-track show-both flag; add /
  remove / retag / query); **folder-tree-aware** visibility derivation (given the
  current parent↔child tree supplied by the shell + the active mode, compute the
  visible set); the **parking/restore planner** (given active mode + snapshot
  record, emit the exact (track, flag, value) operation lists for park and
  restore — where the restore invariant is enforced); JSON round-trip of modes +
  membership + show-both + snapshots + active mode.

REAPER-facing:
- `view` shell — reads `I_FOLDERDEPTH` across the track list to build the
  parent↔child tree and feeds it to `view_mode_model`; applies the planner's operations
  via `SetMediaTrackInfo_Value` (`B_SHOWINTCP` / `B_SHOWINMIXER` / `B_MAINSEND` /
  `I_FXEN`) and `TrackFX_GetCount` + per-FX `TrackFX_SetOffline`; snapshots prior
  flag values before parking; resolves GUIDs via
  `GetTrackGUID` / `guidToString` / `stringToGuid`. Never touches master
  visibility, never touches `B_MUTE` / `I_SOLO`.
- `persist` (slice) — serialize/deserialize the view section into the
  `"reasampler"` namespace alongside the bank; on project open, rebuild the tree
  and reapply the active mode.
- `actions` (entries) — toggle active mode; activate mode: Arrange / Design;
  tag/untag selected tracks → mode; show-both for selected tracks. Registered with
  the `command_id` / `gaccel` / `hookcommand` pattern; toggle + mode-jumps
  MIDI-bindable.
- UI (in the ReaSampler / bank_panel window) — a **segmented mode switch**
  (`[ Arrange | Design ]`) in the window header, active segment lit; small per-mode
  membership count; the offlined-FX caveat as a tooltip. Tag/untag acts on the
  current REAPER track selection, not a per-track widget.

## Show-both semantics

A **per-track "pin visible across modes"** flag that **re-enables processing**
whenever shown. A show-both leaf appears in every mode's visible set and is **never
parked** — its driven flags stay at snapshot/restored values, FX online, in the
mix. ("Show but keep parked" is not offered — a visible-but-silent-and-offline
track is clutter with a thumbnail.) Stored on the membership record; persists;
togglable per selection.

## REAPER API surface (verify all signatures)

- Visibility/routing/FX flags via `GetMediaTrackInfo_Value` (snapshot) /
  `SetMediaTrackInfo_Value` (apply): `B_SHOWINTCP`, `B_SHOWINMIXER`, `B_MAINSEND`,
  `I_FXEN`. (Note: brief cited `B_SHOWINMCP`; verified SDK name is `B_SHOWINMIXER`.)
- Per-FX offline: `TrackFX_GetCount` + `TrackFX_SetOffline(track, fx, offline)`.
- Folder tree: read `I_FOLDERDEPTH` per track to derive parent↔child structure.
- GUID keying: `GetTrackGUID`, `guidToString`, `stringToGuid`.
- Persistence: `SetProjExtState` / `GetProjExtState` under `"reasampler"` (shared
  with the bank index — one blob, two logical sections).
- Wrap flag mutations in `Undo_BeginBlock2` / `Undo_EndBlock2` as appropriate.

## Non-goals / guardrails

- **No second canvas.** Do not build a parallel arrange surface — reject any such
  path in review.
- **Never touch mute/solo.** Any code path reading/writing `B_MUTE` / `I_SOLO` is a
  bug.
- **Every leaf is managed.** The mode system owns all leaf tracks: an untagged leaf
  is an Arrange member, and when the active mode is not Arrange it is fully parked
  and snapshot-restored exactly like a tagged leaf out of its mode. **show-both** is
  the only way to opt a leaf out of parking. (Parents stay visibility-only, master
  is never touched — see below.)
- **Restore from snapshot, never to a default.** No hardcoded "on" restores.
- **Verify API names** against the SDK header before use.

## Open questions to resolve during build

- Snapshot durability across a save-while-parked (persisted here by decision; the
  lean alternative is force-restore-to-Arrange on save — see product notes item 4).
- Reconcile behavior when a tagged leaf is deleted or a folder restructured while
  parked (ignore-and-prune stale GUIDs on next toggle/open).
- Interaction with the user having a screenset active (Design View drives the same
  flags a screenset recall would; last writer wins — confirm no surprising fight).