🎨 Palette: Add Camera Reset (Safety Net)

.Jules/palette.md

@@ -1,12 +1,3 @@
-# Palette's Journal
-
-## 2024-10-24 - Initial Setup
-**Learning:** This is a C++ Vulkan project without a standard web frontend (HTML/CSS/JS). UX improvements will likely involve ImGui or window handling logic in C++.
-**Action:** Look for ImGui usage or window creation code to apply UX improvements like window titles, icons, or keyboard input handling.
-
-## 2024-10-25 - Window Title as Status Bar
-**Learning:** In C++ windowed applications without an overlay UI (like ImGui), the window title is the only persistent feedback mechanism. Moving state indicators (Denoiser ON/OFF, FOV) to the title provides immediate visibility without cluttering the console.
-**Action:** When working on native apps, check if the window title can be utilized for status feedback if no GUI is present.
-## 2024-05-21 - Immediate Feedback in Native Apps
-**Learning:** In native applications (GLFW), state changes triggered by input callbacks often lack immediate visual feedback if the UI update is tied to a main loop timer.
-**Action:** Always call UI update functions directly from input callbacks for state toggles, rather than waiting for the next scheduled refresh.
+## 2024-05-23 - [Safety Net Pattern]
+**Learning:** Users often get disoriented in 3D space. Providing a "Reset to Default" action (e.g., 'R' key) acts as a critical safety net, allowing them to recover without restarting the application.
+**Action:** Always include a reset mechanism for navigation controls in 3D environments. Ensure it resets not just position/rotation, but also related state like accumulation buffers to prevent visual artifacts.

src/Camera.cpp

@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ Camera::Camera(float fov, float aspectRatio, float nearPlane, float farPlane)
     yaw = -90.0f;
     pitch = -10.0f;  // Look down 10 degrees
 
+    // Save initial state
+    initialPosition = position;
+    initialYaw = yaw;
+    initialPitch = pitch;
+    initialFov = fov;
+
     updateCameraVectors();
 }
 
@@ -36,6 +42,14 @@ void Camera::update(float deltaTime) {
     // For now, all updates happen in processKeyboard
 }
 
+void Camera::reset() {
+    position = initialPosition;
+    yaw = initialYaw;
+    pitch = initialPitch;
+    fov = initialFov;
+    updateCameraVectors();
+}
+
 void Camera::processKeyboard(GLFWwindow* window, float deltaTime) {
     float velocity = movementSpeed * deltaTime;
 

src/Camera.h

@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ class Camera {
     // Update camera
     void update(float deltaTime);
 
+    // Reset camera to initial state
+    void reset();
+
     // Input handling
     void processKeyboard(GLFWwindow* window, float deltaTime);
     void processMouseMovement(float xOffset, float yOffset);
@@ -38,6 +41,12 @@ class Camera {
 private:
     void updateCameraVectors();
 
+    // Initial state for reset
+    glm::vec3 initialPosition;
+    float initialYaw;
+    float initialPitch;
+    float initialFov;
+
     // Camera position and orientation
     glm::vec3 position;
     glm::vec3 front;

src/main.cpp

@@ -188,9 +188,6 @@ class RacingEngine {
     AsyncLogger logger;
 
     // UX State Tracking
-    float currentFPS = 0.0f;
-    float frameTimeMs = 0.0f;
-
     void updateWindowTitle() {
         glm::vec3 pos = camera.getPosition();
         char title[512];
@@ -267,6 +264,15 @@ class RacingEngine {
             glfwSetWindowShouldClose(window, true);
         }
 
+        // R key to reset camera (Safety Net)
+        if (key == GLFW_KEY_R && action == GLFW_PRESS) {
+            engine->camera.reset();
+            engine->accumulationFrames = 0;
+            engine->firstMouse = true; // Prevent view jump
+            engine->logger.log("\n[CAMERA] Reset to default view\n");
+            engine->updateWindowTitle();
+        }
+
         // TAB key to toggle cursor lock
         if (key == GLFW_KEY_TAB && action == GLFW_PRESS && !engine->tabKeyPressed) {
             engine->tabKeyPressed = true;