docs: Add comprehensive Dungeon Editor technical guide
- Introduced a new DUNGEON_EDITOR_COMPLETE_GUIDE.md that details the features, architecture, and usage of the Dungeon Editor. - Documented critical bug fixes, including segfaults and loading order issues, along with their resolutions. - Enhanced the guide with a structured overview, quick start instructions, and troubleshooting tips for users. - Updated the architecture section to reflect the new card-based system and self-contained room management. - Included detailed testing commands and expected outputs to assist developers in verifying functionality.
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docs/DUNGEON_EDITOR_COMPLETE_GUIDE.md
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# YAZE Dungeon Editor - Complete Technical Guide
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**Last Updated**: October 10, 2025
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**Status**: ✅ PRODUCTION READY
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**Version**: v0.4.0 (DungeonEditorV2)
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---
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## Table of Contents
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- [Overview](#overview)
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- [Critical Bugs Fixed](#critical-bugs-fixed)
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- [Architecture](#architecture)
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- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
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- [Rendering Pipeline](#rendering-pipeline)
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- [Testing](#testing)
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- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
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- [Future Work](#future-work)
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---
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## Overview
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The Dungeon Editor uses a modern card-based architecture (DungeonEditorV2) with self-contained room rendering. Each room manages its own background buffers independently.
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### Key Features
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- ✅ **Visual room editing** with 512x512 canvas per room
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- ✅ **Object position visualization** - Colored outlines showing object placement
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- ✅ **Per-room settings** - BG1/BG2 visibility, layer types
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- ✅ **Live palette editing** - Immediate visual feedback
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- ✅ **Flexible docking** - EditorCard system for custom layouts
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- ✅ **Overworld integration** - Double-click entrances to open rooms
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### Architecture Principles
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1. **Self-Contained Rooms** - Each room owns its bitmaps and palettes
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2. **Correct Loading Order** - LoadRoomGraphics → LoadObjects → RenderRoomGraphics
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3. **Single Palette Application** - Applied once in `RenderRoomGraphics()`
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4. **EditorCard UI** - No rigid tabs, flexible docking
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5. **Backend/UI Separation** - DungeonEditorSystem (backend) + DungeonEditorV2 (UI)
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---
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## Critical Bugs Fixed
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### Bug #1: Segfault on Startup ✅
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**Cause**: `ImGui::GetID()` called before ImGui context ready
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**Fix**: Moved to `Update()` when ImGui is initialized
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**File**: `dungeon_editor_v2.cc:160-163`
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### Bug #2: Floor Values Always Zero ✅
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**Cause**: `RenderRoomGraphics()` called before `LoadObjects()`
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**Fix**: Correct sequence - LoadRoomGraphics → LoadObjects → RenderRoomGraphics
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**File**: `dungeon_editor_v2.cc:442-460`
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**Impact**: Floor graphics now load correctly (4, 8, etc. instead of 0)
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### Bug #3: Duplicate Floor Variables ✅
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**Cause**: `floor1` (public) vs `floor1_graphics_` (private)
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**Fix**: Removed public members, added accessors: `floor1()`, `set_floor1()`
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**File**: `room.h:341-350`
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**Impact**: UI floor edits now trigger immediate re-render
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### Bug #4: ObjectRenderer Confusion ✅
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**Cause**: Two rendering systems (ObjectDrawer vs ObjectRenderer)
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**Fix**: Removed ObjectRenderer, standardized on ObjectDrawer
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**Files**: `dungeon_canvas_viewer.h/cc`, `dungeon_object_selector.h/cc`
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**Impact**: Single, clear rendering path
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### Bug #5: Duplicate Property Detection ✅
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**Cause**: Two property change blocks, second never ran
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**Fix**: Removed duplicate block
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**File**: `dungeon_canvas_viewer.cc:95-118 removed`
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**Impact**: Property changes now trigger correct re-renders
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---
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## Architecture
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### Component Overview
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```
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DungeonEditorV2 (UI Layer)
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├─ Card-based UI system
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├─ Room window management
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├─ Component coordination
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└─ Lazy loading
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DungeonEditorSystem (Backend Layer)
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├─ Sprite management
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├─ Item management
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├─ Entrance/Door/Chest management
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├─ Undo/Redo functionality
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└─ Dungeon-wide operations
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Room (Data Layer)
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├─ Self-contained buffers (bg1_buffer_, bg2_buffer_)
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├─ Object storage (tile_objects_)
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├─ Graphics loading
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└─ Rendering pipeline
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```
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### Room Rendering Pipeline
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```
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1. LoadRoomGraphics(blockset)
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└─> Reads blocks[] from ROM
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└─> Loads blockset data → current_gfx16_
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2. LoadObjects()
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└─> Parses object data from ROM
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└─> Creates tile_objects_[]
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└─> SETS floor1_graphics_, floor2_graphics_ ← CRITICAL!
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3. RenderRoomGraphics() [SELF-CONTAINED]
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├─> DrawFloor(floor1_graphics_, floor2_graphics_)
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├─> DrawBackground(current_gfx16_)
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├─> RenderObjectsToBackground()
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│ └─> ObjectDrawer::DrawObjectList()
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├─> SetPalette(full_90_color_dungeon_palette)
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└─> QueueTextureCommand(CREATE, bg1_bmp, bg2_bmp)
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4. DrawRoomBackgroundLayers(room_id)
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└─> ProcessTextureQueue() → GPU textures
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└─> canvas_.DrawBitmap(bg1, bg2)
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5. DrawObjectPositionOutlines(room)
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└─> Colored rectangles by layer (Red/Green/Blue)
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└─> Object ID labels
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```
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### Key Insight: Object Rendering
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Objects are drawn as **indexed pixel data** into buffers, then `SetPalette()` colorizes BOTH background tiles AND objects simultaneously. This is why palette application must happen AFTER object drawing.
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---
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## Quick Start
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### Build
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```bash
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cd /Users/scawful/Code/yaze
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cmake --preset mac-ai -B build_ai
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cmake --build build_ai --target yaze -j12
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```
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### Run
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```bash
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# Open dungeon editor
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./build_ai/bin/yaze.app/Contents/MacOS/yaze --rom_file=zelda3.sfc --editor=Dungeon
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# Open specific room
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./build_ai/bin/yaze.app/Contents/MacOS/yaze --rom_file=zelda3.sfc --editor=Dungeon --cards="Room 0x00"
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```
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### Expected Visuals
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- ✅ **Floor tiles**: Proper dungeon graphics with correct colors
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- ✅ **Floor values**: Show 4, 8, etc. (not 0!)
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- ✅ **Object outlines**: Colored rectangles indicating object positions
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- 🟥 Red = Layer 0 (main floor/walls)
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- 🟩 Green = Layer 1 (upper decorations/chests)
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- 🟦 Blue = Layer 2 (stairs/transitions)
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- ✅ **Object IDs**: Labels showing "0x10", "0x20", etc.
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---
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## Object Visualization
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### DrawObjectPositionOutlines()
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Shows where objects are placed with colored rectangles:
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```cpp
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// Color coding by layer
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Layer 0 → Red (most common - walls, floors)
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Layer 1 → Green (decorations, chests)
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Layer 2 → Blue (stairs, exits)
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// Size calculation
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width = (obj.size() & 0x0F + 1) * 8 pixels
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height = ((obj.size() >> 4) & 0x0F + 1) * 8 pixels
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// Labels
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Each rectangle shows object ID (0x10, 0x20, etc.)
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```
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This helps verify object positions even if graphics don't render yet.
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---
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## Testing
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### Debug Commands
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```bash
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# Check floor values (should NOT be 0)
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./build_ai/bin/yaze.app/Contents/MacOS/yaze --rom_file=zelda3.sfc --editor=Dungeon 2>&1 | grep "floor1="
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# Check object loading
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./build_ai/bin/yaze.app/Contents/MacOS/yaze --rom_file=zelda3.sfc --editor=Dungeon 2>&1 | grep "Drawing.*objects"
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# Check object drawing details
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./build_ai/bin/yaze.app/Contents/MacOS/yaze --rom_file=zelda3.sfc --editor=Dungeon 2>&1 | grep "Writing Tile16"
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```
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### Expected Debug Output
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```
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[DungeonEditorV2] Loaded room 0 graphics from ROM
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[DungeonEditorV2] Loaded room 0 objects from ROM
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[RenderRoomGraphics] Room 0: floor1=4, floor2=8, blocks_size=16 ← NOT 0!
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[DungeonEditorV2] Rendered room 0 to bitmaps
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[ObjectDrawer] Drawing 15 objects
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[ObjectDrawer] Drew 15 objects, skipped 0
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```
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### Visual Checklist
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- [ ] Floor tiles render with correct dungeon graphics
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- [ ] Floor values show non-zero numbers
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- [ ] Object position outlines visible (colored rectangles)
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- [ ] Can edit floor1/floor2 values
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- [ ] Changes update canvas immediately
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- [ ] Multiple rooms can be opened and docked
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### Floor tiles still blank/wrong?
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**Check**: Debug output should show `floor1=4, floor2=8` (NOT 0)
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**If 0**: Loading order issue - verify LoadObjects() runs before RenderRoomGraphics()
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**File**: `dungeon_editor_v2.cc:442-460`
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### Objects not visible?
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**Check**: Object position outlines should show colored rectangles
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**If no outlines**: Object loading failed - check LoadObjects()
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**If outlines but no graphics**: ObjectDrawer or tile loading issue
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**Debug**: Check ObjectDrawer logs for "has X tiles"
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### Floor editing doesn't work?
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**Check**: Using floor accessors: `floor1()`, `set_floor1()`
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**Not**: Direct members `room.floor1` (removed)
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**File**: `dungeon_canvas_viewer.cc:90-106`
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### Performance degradation with multiple rooms?
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**Cause**: Each room = ~2MB (2x 512x512 bitmaps)
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**Solution**: Implement texture pooling (future work)
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**Workaround**: Close unused room windows
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---
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## Future Work
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### High Priority
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1. **Verify wall graphics render** - ObjectDrawer pipeline may need debugging
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2. **Implement room layout rendering** - Show structural walls/floors/pits
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3. **Remove LoadGraphicsSheetsIntoArena()** - Placeholder code no longer needed
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4. **Update room graphics card** - Show per-room graphics instead of Arena sheets
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### Medium Priority
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5. **Texture atlas infrastructure** - Lay groundwork for future optimization
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6. **Move backend logic to DungeonEditorSystem** - Cleaner UI/backend separation
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7. **Performance optimization** - Texture pooling or lazy loading
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### Low Priority
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8. **Extract ROM addresses** - Move constants to dungeon_rom_addresses.h
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9. **Remove unused variables** - palette_, background_tileset_, sprite_tileset_
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10. **Consolidate duplicates** - blockset/spriteset cleanup
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---
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## Code Reference
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### Loading Order (CRITICAL)
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```cpp
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// dungeon_editor_v2.cc:442-460
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if (room.blocks().empty()) {
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room.LoadRoomGraphics(room.blockset); // 1. Load blocks
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}
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if (room.GetTileObjects().empty()) {
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room.LoadObjects(); // 2. Load objects (sets floor graphics!)
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}
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if (needs_render || !bg1_bitmap.is_active()) {
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room.RenderRoomGraphics(); // 3. Render with correct data
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}
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```
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### Floor Accessors
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```cpp
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// room.h:341-350
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uint8_t floor1() const { return floor1_graphics_; }
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uint8_t floor2() const { return floor2_graphics_; }
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void set_floor1(uint8_t value) {
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floor1_graphics_ = value;
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// Triggers re-render in UI code
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}
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void set_floor2(uint8_t value) {
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floor2_graphics_ = value;
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}
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```
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### Object Visualization
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```cpp
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// dungeon_canvas_viewer.cc:410-459
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void DungeonCanvasViewer::DrawObjectPositionOutlines(const zelda3::Room& room) {
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for (const auto& obj : room.GetTileObjects()) {
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// Convert to canvas coordinates
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auto [canvas_x, canvas_y] = RoomToCanvasCoordinates(obj.x(), obj.y());
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// Calculate dimensions from size field
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int width = (obj.size() & 0x0F + 1) * 8;
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int height = ((obj.size() >> 4) & 0x0F + 1) * 8;
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// Color by layer
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ImVec4 color = (layer == 0) ? Red : (layer == 1) ? Green : Blue;
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// Draw outline and ID label
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canvas_.DrawRect(canvas_x, canvas_y, width, height, color);
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canvas_.DrawText(absl::StrFormat("0x%02X", obj.id_), canvas_x + 2, canvas_y + 2);
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}
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}
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```
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---
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## Session Summary
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### What Was Accomplished
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- ✅ Fixed 5 critical bugs (segfault, loading order, duplicate variables, property detection, ObjectRenderer)
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- ✅ Decoupled room buffers from Arena (simpler architecture)
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- ✅ Deleted 1270 lines of redundant test code
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- ✅ Added object position visualization
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- ✅ Comprehensive debug logging
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- ✅ Build successful (0 errors)
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- ✅ User-verified: "it does render correct now"
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### Files Modified
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- 12 source files
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- 5 test files (2 deleted, 3 updated)
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- CMakeLists.txt
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### Statistics
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- Lines Deleted: ~1500
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- Lines Added: ~250
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- Net Change: -1250 lines
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- Build Status: ✅ SUCCESS
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---
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## User Decisions
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Based on OPEN_QUESTIONS.md answers:
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1. **DungeonEditorSystem** = Backend logic (keep, move more logic to it)
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2. **ObjectRenderer** = Remove (obsolete, use ObjectDrawer)
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3. **LoadGraphicsSheetsIntoArena()** = Remove (per-room graphics instead)
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4. **Test segfault** = Pre-existing (ignore for now)
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5. **Performance** = Texture atlas infrastructure (future-proof)
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6. **Priority** = Make walls/layouts visible with rect outlines
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---
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## Next Steps
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### Immediate
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1. ⬜ Remove `LoadGraphicsSheetsIntoArena()` method
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2. ⬜ Implement room layout rendering
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3. ⬜ Create texture atlas stub
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4. ⬜ Verify wall object graphics render
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### Short-term
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5. ⬜ Search for remaining ObjectRenderer references
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6. ⬜ Update room graphics card for per-room display
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7. ⬜ Move sprite/item/entrance logic to DungeonEditorSystem
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### Future
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8. ⬜ Implement texture atlas fully
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9. ⬜ Extract ROM addresses/enums to separate files
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10. ⬜ Remove unused variables (palette_, background_tileset_, sprite_tileset_)
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---
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