aesthetic.computer / core
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core / reference / tools / recording / deprecated /
at main 7 files
README.md
TAPE_USAGE.md
burn-flyer.mjs
dashboard-main.mjs
noise-test.mjs
tape.mjs
television.mjs
README.md

Deprecated Recording Tools#

This folder contains deprecated recording tools that have been superseded by the new orchestrator.mjs pipeline.

Migration Summary#

Date: September 20, 2025
Reason: Simplified rendering pipeline using orchestrator.mjs + frame-renderer.mjs

Current Active Pipeline#

The recording system now uses:

orchestrator.mjs        # Main orchestrator
├── frame-renderer.mjs  # Renders individual frames  
├── headless.mjs        # Base AC system
├── logger.mjs          # Logging utility
└── elcid-flyer.mjs     # Example piece

Usage: node orchestrator.mjs elcid-flyer 30000

Deprecated Files#

🗂️ tape.mjs (1849 lines)#

  • Purpose: Legacy animation recorder with GIF/PNG export
  • Why deprecated: Replaced by simpler orchestrator + frame-renderer approach
  • Features:
    • Complex GIF encoding with gifenc
    • Sixel terminal preview
    • Multiple export formats (GIF, PNG, MP4)
    • KidLisp piece support via $code
  • Migration: Use orchestrator.mjs for MP4 exports instead

🗂️ dashboard-main.mjs (633 lines)#

  • Purpose: TUI dashboard controller for recording process
  • Why deprecated:
    • Imports missing dashboard.mjs file (broken dependency)
    • Overly complex for current workflow
  • Features:
    • Process orchestration with TUI
    • Session tracking and summaries
    • Frame counting and progress monitoring
  • Migration: Use orchestrator.mjs directly (has built-in progress)

🗂️ television.mjs (247 lines)#

  • Purpose: Sixel preview generator for terminal display
  • Why deprecated: Terminal preview not needed in current workflow
  • Features:
    • Raw RGBA to sixel conversion
    • File watching for live updates
  • Migration: No replacement needed (orchestrator shows progress without preview)

🗂️ burn-flyer.mjs (44 lines)#

  • Purpose: High-resolution elcid-flyer renderer using dashboard
  • Why deprecated: Depends on broken dashboard-main.mjs
  • Features: Wrapper script for dashboard rendering
  • Migration: Use node orchestrator.mjs elcid-flyer 30000 directly

🗂️ noise-test.mjs (92 lines)#

  • Purpose: Stress test piece for blur patterns
  • Why deprecated: Test piece, not core rendering infrastructure
  • Features: Generates noise patterns for testing blur performance
  • Migration: Can be kept if needed for testing, but not part of core workflow

🗂️ TAPE_USAGE.md#

  • Purpose: Documentation for legacy tape.mjs system
  • Why deprecated: Documents the deprecated tape.mjs workflow
  • Migration: See main README.md for orchestrator usage

Key Differences: Old vs New#

Feature Old (tape.mjs) New (orchestrator.mjs)
Memory Kept frames in memory Stateless, frame-by-frame
Output GIF, PNG, MP4 RGB frames → MP4
Preview Sixel terminal display Progress bar
Resume No state persistence Resumable via state.json
Complexity 1849 lines ~400 lines total
Dependencies Many (chalk, boxen, figlet, gifenc) Minimal (Node.js built-ins)

If You Need These Tools#

If you need any of these deprecated tools for specific use cases:

  1. GIF Export: The new pipeline only exports MP4. If you need GIF, you can:

    • Use ffmpeg to convert MP4 → GIF: ffmpeg -i video.mp4 output.gif
    • Or temporarily restore tape.mjs for specific projects

  2. Terminal Preview: If you need live preview:

    • The new pipeline shows progress but no visual preview
    • Could be added back if needed

  3. Dashboard UI: The TUI dashboard could be rebuilt if needed:

    • Would need to create the missing dashboard.mjs file
    • Or simplify dashboard-main.mjs to work without it

Safety Notes#

  • These files have been moved, not deleted, so they can be restored if needed
  • The package.json dependencies for these tools are still installed
  • The core orchestrator pipeline is much simpler and more reliable
  • All functionality has been replaced or is unnecessary

Contact#

If you need to restore any of these tools or have questions about the migration, ask Jeffrey.