aesthetic.computer / core
Monorepo for Aesthetic.Computer aesthetic.computer
fork atom
core / reference / tools / recording /
at main 3 folders 11 files
deprecated
pieces
tests
README.md
cleanup-artifacts.sh
cleanup-hanging-processes.sh
frame-renderer.mjs
gif-renderer.mjs
headless.mjs
logger.mjs
orchestrator.mjs
package-lock.json
package.json
tv-preview.mjs
README.md

Recording Tools#

Professional offline rendering system for Aesthetic Computer pieces and KidLisp cache pieces.

Directory Structure#

recording/
├── orchestrator.mjs     # Main render coordinator (supports $code pieces)
├── frame-renderer.mjs   # Individual frame renderer
├── headless.mjs         # AC system initialization
├── logger.mjs           # Logging utility
├── cleanup-*.sh         # Cleanup utilities
├── pieces/              # Pieces to be recorded
│   └── elcid-flyer.mjs  # Example event flyer piece
└── deprecated/          # Legacy tools (tape.mjs, etc.)

../output/               # Generated video files  
└── *.mp4               # Rendered MP4 videos

Usage#

Basic Rendering#

# From the recording directory
cd /workspaces/aesthetic-computer/reference/tools/recording

# Render elcid-flyer for 30 seconds (1800 frames at 60fps)
node orchestrator.mjs elcid-flyer 30000

# Render any piece for custom duration
node orchestrator.mjs piece-name 10000  # 10 seconds

# You can also use explicit paths if needed
node orchestrator.mjs pieces/elcid-flyer.mjs 30000

KidLisp Cache Pieces#

The orchestrator now supports recording KidLisp cache pieces directly by using their $code identifiers:

# Record any KidLisp cache piece for 5 seconds
node orchestrator.mjs '$otoc' 5000
node orchestrator.mjs '$roz' 10000
node orchestrator.mjs '$cow' 15000

# Longer recordings
node orchestrator.mjs '$rose' 30000  # 30 seconds

Requirements for KidLisp pieces:

  • Development server must be running on localhost:8888
  • The orchestrator will automatically fetch the source code from the server
  • Creates temporary .mjs files that embed the KidLisp source

Parameters#

  • piece: Name of the piece (e.g., "elcid-flyer" looks for pieces/elcid-flyer.mjs) or KidLisp code (e.g., "$otoc")
  • duration: Recording duration in milliseconds
  • output-dir: Optional custom output directory

The orchestrator automatically looks for pieces in the pieces/ subfolder when you provide just a name, or fetches KidLisp source when you provide a $code identifier.

Technical Details#

  • Frame Rate: 60fps output
  • Resolution: 2048×2048 pixels (configurable in piece)
  • Format: Raw RGB frames → MP4 conversion
  • Memory: Stateless rendering (zero memory leaks)
  • Resume: Automatically resumes from state.json if interrupted

Features#

✅ Stateless Rendering: Each frame in fresh process (no memory leaks)
✅ Resumable: Crashes/interruptions resume automatically
✅ High Resolution: 2048×2048 default (piece-configurable)
✅ Progress Tracking: Real-time progress bar with ETA
✅ MP4 Export: Professional video output with H.264
✅ Background Continuity: Preserves inter-frame state

Output Files#

Generated in ../output/:

  • piece-timestamp-duration.mp4 - Final rendered video
  • Artifacts directory with RGB frames and state (auto-cleaned)

Performance#

  • Zero memory leaks (stateless process-per-frame)
  • Automatic resume from any point
  • Efficient background buffer preservation
  • High-quality H.264 encoding