# Bullosseum — CLAUDE.md

## About this project

A 3D arena game built in Godot 4.7 (Forward Plus renderer, Jolt Physics) where the player controls a bull. Currently features third-person camera, bull movement with charge mechanics, and a placeholder arena.

## AI role

I am a **Godot 4.6+ expert**. I follow current best practices for GDScript, scene architecture, physics, and performance. If a question suggests a suboptimal approach — wrong node type, unnecessary complexity, a pattern that fights the engine — I will say so and explain the better alternative before implementing anything.

## Project structure

| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
| `scene.tscn` | Main scene (arena + player) |
| `Player.tscn` | Player scene root (`CharacterBody3D`) |
| `player.gd` | Movement, charge, turning logic |
| `camera_spring_arm.gd` | Mouse-look pivot (`Node3D` + `SpringArm3D`) |
| `camera_follow.gd` | Smooth camera follow (`Camera3D`) |
| `matador.gd` | Matador AI (wander / ragdoll state machine) |
| `matador_spawn.gd` | Spawns N matadors at random arena positions |
| `debug_params.gd` | Runtime-tunable parameter registry (autoload `DP`) |
| `Assets/` | Raw 3D assets (`.glb`, `.fbx`) |
| `Blender/` | Blender source files, animation scripts, FBX exports |
| `Blender/create_matador_anims.py` | Creates walk + idle animations and exports FBX |
| `Blender/render_anim_preview.py` | Renders animation preview PNGs for visual verification |
| `Blender/preview/` | Output directory for animation preview images |
| `tests/` | Headless test scripts (screenshot capture, logic validation) |
| `addons/rider-plugin/` | JetBrains Rider IDE integration |

## Tech choices

- **Physics:** Jolt Physics (not the default Godot Physics)
- **Renderer:** Forward Plus
- **Input map:** WASD + arrow keys, Shift = charge, Space = jump, scroll = zoom, middle-click = toggle mouse capture
- **IDE:** JetBrains Rider via the rider-plugin addon

## GDScript conventions

- Typed GDScript everywhere (`var x: float`, return types on functions)
- `@onready` for node references; never `get_node()` strings when avoidable
- Constants in `SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE`, variables in `snake_case`
- One script per scene root — keep scripts focused
- Signal names in `snake_case`; connect via `signal.connect()` not the legacy string form
- Prefer `_physics_process` for physics/movement, `_process` for visuals/camera, `_unhandled_input` for input that shouldn't bubble
- No comments that restate what the code already says; only comment non-obvious constraints or workarounds

## Best practices to enforce

- Use `CharacterBody3D` for player-controlled characters, not `RigidBody3D` (unless the design specifically needs physics simulation)
- Use `SpringArm3D` for third-person cameras to get free collision avoidance
- Prefer `move_and_slide()` with `velocity` over manual collision queries
- Export variables (`@export`) for any value a designer might tune; keep magic numbers out of logic
- Scene composition over inheritance — build behaviour from small focused scenes
- Use `autoload` (singletons) sparingly: only for truly global state (e.g. GameManager, AudioBus); not as a shortcut for passing data
- Keep `_physics_process` deterministic and frame-rate independent (always multiply by `delta`)
- Prefer signals over direct node references for decoupling

## Animation & bone conventions

### Blender rig (matador_v02)
- **Armature bones:** `matador` (root) → `COG` → `chest` → `head`, `collarbone_L/R` → `arm_L/R` → `forearm_L/R` → `hand_L/R`, `leg_L/R` → `shin_L/R` → `foot_L/R`
- **Rotation mode:** All animated bones use **XYZ Euler** (set in `create_matador_anims.py`)
- **Bone-local axes:** Swing (forward/back) is on **local X**. Arm lowering from T-pose is on **local Y** (positive = left arm down, negative = right arm down). Knee bend is **positive X** (shins only bend backward).
- **Walk cycle:** 30 frames at 30 fps = 1 second loop. Legs swing ±25° X, knees bend 0–30° X (only when leg is back), arms swing ±15° X opposite phase to legs, arms lowered 55° Y from T-pose, elbows constant 25° X bend.
- **Idle pose:** Arms lowered 55° Y, elbows 25° X, everything else at rest.

### FBX export settings
- `primary_bone_axis = 'Y'`, `secondary_bone_axis = 'X'`
- `apply_scale_options = 'FBX_SCALE_ALL'`
- `add_leaf_bones = False`
- `bake_anim_use_all_actions = True`, `bake_anim_use_nla_strips = False`

### Godot animation names
After FBX import, animations appear as `Armature|walk` and `Armature|idle` in AnimationPlayer.

### Verification workflow
1. Edit bones/animations in Blender (`create_matador_anims.py`)
2. Run render preview: `blender --background Blender/matador_v02.blend --python Blender/render_anim_preview.py`
3. Inspect PNGs in `Blender/preview/` — check bone orientations **before** exporting to Godot
4. Export FBX (done automatically by `create_matador_anims.py`)
5. Re-import in Godot and test in-game

## Running tests

```bash
# All tests (lint + logic + gameplay assertions):
bash run_tests.sh

# Individual tests:
gdlint *.gd tests/*.gd                                # GDScript lint (gdtoolkit, installed via uv)
godot --headless --script tests/logic_test.gd         # pure logic, ~2 s
godot --headless --script tests/gameplay_test.gd      # full scene, bone sanity, ~4 s

# Gameplay test with real rendering (inspect frame strip visually):
godot --script tests/gameplay_test.gd                 # opens a window, saves real screenshots
# Output: tests/output/gameplay/motion_00..04.png, ragdoll_trigger.png, ragdoll_result.png
```

### What the gameplay test catches
| Check | What it detects |
|---|---|
| Tail Verlet chain spread | Tail bunching — consecutive nodes collapsed to same position |
| Ragdoll bone positions finite + within 15 m | Matador limbs exploding after ragdoll impulse |
| Ragdoll Y position > −10 | Bones falling through the floor |
| Frame strip (visual, manual) | Leg IK quality, animation glitches, anything that looks wrong in motion |

Headless screenshots will be blank (Forward Plus has no display). Run without `--headless` to get real frame strips.

## Godot 4.x specifics

- `wrapf` / `wrap` instead of manual modulo for angles
- `lerp_angle` for smooth rotation interpolation (handles wrap-around correctly)
- `move_toward` for speed ramps without overshooting
- `PackedStringArray`, `PackedVector3Array`, etc. for performance-sensitive arrays
- `@tool` scripts for editor helpers only — don't use in gameplay scripts
- Resource (`extends Resource`) for shared data/config; no plain `Dictionary` for structured data
- `StringName` (`&"action_name"`) for input action lookups in hot paths
