Merge branch 'main' into feat/font-picker

Reviewed-on: #16

README.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 > *Digital consciousness stream. Matrix aesthetic · THX-1138 hue.*
 
-A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large OTF-font block characters with a white-hot → deep green gradient. Headlines auto-translate into the native script of their subject region. Ambient mic input warps the glitch rate in real time. A `--poetry` mode replaces the feed with public-domain literary passages.
+A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large OTF-font block characters with a white-hot → deep green gradient. Headlines auto-translate into the native script of their subject region. Ambient mic input warps the glitch rate in real time. A `--poetry` mode replaces the feed with public-domain literary passages. Live messages can be pushed to the display over [ntfy.sh](https://ntfy.sh).
 
 ---
 
@@ -12,44 +12,103 @@ A full-screen terminal news ticker that renders live global headlines in large O
 python3 mainline.py                      # news stream
 python3 mainline.py --poetry             # literary consciousness mode
 python3 mainline.py -p                   # same
+python3 mainline.py --firehose           # dense rapid-fire headline mode
+python3 mainline.py --refresh            # force re-fetch (bypass cache)
 ```
 
-First run bootstraps a local `.mainline_venv/` and installs deps (`feedparser`, `Pillow`, `sounddevice`, `numpy`). Subsequent runs start immediately.
+First run bootstraps a local `.mainline_venv/` and installs deps (`feedparser`, `Pillow`, `sounddevice`, `numpy`). Subsequent runs start immediately, loading from cache.
 
 ---
 
 ## Config
 
-At the top of `mainline.py`:
+All constants live in `engine/config.py`:
 
 | Constant | Default | What it does |
 |---|---|---|
 | `HEADLINE_LIMIT` | `1000` | Total headlines per session |
+| `FEED_TIMEOUT` | `10` | Per-feed HTTP timeout (seconds) |
 | `MIC_THRESHOLD_DB` | `50` | dB floor above which glitches spike |
-| `_FONT_PATH` | hardcoded path | Path to your OTF/TTF display font |
+| `FONT_DIR` | `fonts/` | Folder scanned for `.otf`, `.ttf`, `.ttc` files used by the font picker |
-| `_FONT_SZ` | `60` | Font render size (affects block density) |
+| `FONT_PATH` | first supported font in `fonts/` | Active display font file selected at startup |
-| `_RENDER_H` | `8` | Terminal rows per headline line |
+| `FONT_SZ` | `60` | Font render size (affects block density) |
+| `RENDER_H` | `8` | Terminal rows per headline line |
+| `SSAA` | `4` | Super-sampling factor (render at 4× then downsample) |
+| `SCROLL_DUR` | `5.625` | Seconds per headline |
+| `FRAME_DT` | `0.05` | Frame interval in seconds (20 FPS) |
+| `GRAD_SPEED` | `0.08` | Gradient sweep speed (cycles/sec, ~12s full sweep) |
+| `FIREHOSE_H` | `12` | Firehose zone height (terminal rows) |
+| `NTFY_TOPIC` | klubhaus URL | ntfy.sh JSON endpoint to poll |
+| `NTFY_POLL_INTERVAL` | `15` | Seconds between ntfy polls |
+| `MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS` | `30` | How long an ntfy message holds the screen |
 
-**Font:** `_FONT_PATH` is hardcoded to a local path. Update it to point to whatever display font you want — anything with strong contrast and wide letterforms works well.
+**Font:** Put your `.otf`, `.ttf`, or `.ttc` files in `fonts/`. Startup opens the font picker from that folder and applies your selected font before streaming.
 
 ---
 
 ## How it works
 
-- Feeds are fetched and filtered on startup (sports and vapid content stripped)
+- Feeds are fetched and filtered on startup (sports and vapid content stripped); results are cached to `.mainline_cache_news.json` / `.mainline_cache_poetry.json` for fast restarts
-- Headlines are rasterized via Pillow into half-block characters (`▀▄█ `) at the configured font size
+- Headlines are rasterized via Pillow with 4× SSAA into half-block characters (`▀▄█ `) at the configured font size
-- A left-to-right ANSI gradient colors each character: white-hot leading edge trails off to near-black
+- A left-to-right ANSI gradient colors each character: white-hot leading edge trails off to near-black; the gradient sweeps continuously across the full scroll canvas
 - Subject-region detection runs a regex pass on each headline; matches trigger a Google Translate call and font swap to the appropriate script (CJK, Arabic, Devanagari, etc.) using macOS system fonts
 - The mic stream runs in a background thread, feeding RMS dB into the glitch probability calculation each frame
 - The viewport scrolls through a virtual canvas of pre-rendered blocks; fade zones at top and bottom dissolve characters probabilistically
+- An ntfy.sh poller runs in a background thread; incoming messages interrupt the scroll and render full-screen until dismissed or expired
+
+---
+
+## Architecture
+
+`mainline.py` is a thin entrypoint (venv bootstrap → `engine.app.main()`). All logic lives in the `engine/` package:
+
+```
+engine/
+  config.py       constants, CLI flags, glyph tables
+  sources.py      FEEDS, POETRY_SOURCES, language/script maps
+  terminal.py     ANSI codes, tw/th, type_out, boot_ln
+  filter.py       HTML stripping, content filter
+  translate.py    Google Translate wrapper + region detection
+  render.py       OTF → half-block pipeline (SSAA, gradient)
+  effects.py      noise, glitch_bar, fade, firehose
+  fetch.py        RSS/Gutenberg fetching + cache load/save
+  ntfy.py         NtfyPoller — standalone, zero internal deps
+  mic.py          MicMonitor — standalone, graceful fallback
+  scroll.py       stream() frame loop + message rendering
+  app.py          main(), boot sequence, signal handler
+```
+
+`ntfy.py` and `mic.py` have zero internal dependencies and can be imported by any other visualizer.
 
 ---
 
 ## Feeds
 
-~25 sources across four categories: **Science & Technology**, **Economics & Business**, **World & Politics**, **Culture & Ideas**. Add or swap in `FEEDS`.
+~25 sources across four categories: **Science & Technology**, **Economics & Business**, **World & Politics**, **Culture & Ideas**. Add or swap feeds in `engine/sources.py` → `FEEDS`.
 
-**Poetry mode** pulls from Project Gutenberg: Whitman, Dickinson, Thoreau, Emerson.
+**Poetry mode** pulls from Project Gutenberg: Whitman, Dickinson, Thoreau, Emerson. Sources are in `engine/sources.py` → `POETRY_SOURCES`.
+
+---
+
+## ntfy.sh Integration
+
+Mainline polls a configurable ntfy.sh topic in the background. When a message arrives, the scroll pauses and the message renders full-screen for `MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS` seconds, then the stream resumes.
+
+To push a message:
+
+```bash
+curl -d "Body text" -H "Title: Alert title" https://ntfy.sh/your_topic
+```
+
+Update `NTFY_TOPIC` in `engine/config.py` to point at your own topic. The `NtfyPoller` class is fully standalone and can be reused by other visualizers:
+
+```python
+from engine.ntfy import NtfyPoller
+poller = NtfyPoller("https://ntfy.sh/my_topic/json?since=20s&poll=1")
+poller.start()
+# in render loop:
+msg = poller.get_active_message()  # returns (title, body, timestamp) or None
+```
 
 ---
 
@@ -62,7 +121,6 @@ At the top of `mainline.py`:
 
 ### Graphics
 - **Matrix rain underlay** — katakana column rain rendered at low opacity beneath the scrolling blocks as a background layer
-- **Animated gradient** — shift the white-hot leading edge left/right each frame for a pulse/comet effect
 - **CRT simulation** — subtle dim scanlines every N rows, occasional brightness ripple across the full screen
 - **Sixel / iTerm2 inline images** — bypass half-blocks entirely and stream actual bitmap frames for true resolution; would require a capable terminal
 - **Parallax secondary column** — a second, dimmer, faster-scrolling stream of ambient text at reduced opacity on one side
@@ -75,6 +133,10 @@ At the top of `mainline.py`:
 - **Persona modes** — `--surveillance`, `--oracle`, `--underground` as feed presets with matching color themes and boot copy
 - **Synthesized audio** — short static bursts tied to glitch events, independent of mic input
 
+### Extensibility
+- **serve.py** — HTTP server that imports `engine.render` and `engine.fetch` directly to stream 1-bit bitmaps to an ESP32 display
+- **Rust port** — `ntfy.py` and `render.py` are the natural first targets; clear module boundaries make incremental porting viable
+
 ---
 
 *macOS only (system font paths hardcoded). Python 3.9+.*

engine/app.py

@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@ Application orchestrator — boot sequence, signal handling, main loop wiring.
 """
 
 import sys
+import os
 import time
 import signal
 import atexit
+import termios
+import tty
 
-from engine import config
+from engine import config, render
 from engine.terminal import (
     RST, G_HI, G_MID, G_DIM, W_DIM, W_GHOST, CLR, CURSOR_OFF, CURSOR_ON, tw,
     slow_print, boot_ln,
@@ -26,6 +29,208 @@ TITLE = [
     "  ╚═╝     ╚═╝╚═╝  ╚═╝╚═╝╚═╝  ╚═══╝╚══════╝╚═╝╚═╝  ╚═══╝╚══════╝",
 ]
 
+def _read_picker_key():
+    ch = sys.stdin.read(1)
+    if ch == "\x03":
+        return "interrupt"
+    if ch in ("\r", "\n"):
+        return "enter"
+    if ch == "\x1b":
+        c1 = sys.stdin.read(1)
+        if c1 != "[":
+            return None
+        c2 = sys.stdin.read(1)
+        if c2 == "A":
+            return "up"
+        if c2 == "B":
+            return "down"
+        return None
+    if ch in ("k", "K"):
+        return "up"
+    if ch in ("j", "J"):
+        return "down"
+    if ch in ("q", "Q"):
+        return "enter"
+    return None
+
+def _normalize_preview_rows(rows):
+    """Trim shared left padding and trailing spaces for stable on-screen previews."""
+    non_empty = [r for r in rows if r.strip()]
+    if not non_empty:
+        return [""]
+    left_pad = min(len(r) - len(r.lstrip(" ")) for r in non_empty)
+    out = []
+    for row in rows:
+        if left_pad < len(row):
+            out.append(row[left_pad:].rstrip())
+        else:
+            out.append(row.rstrip())
+    return out
+
+
+def _draw_font_picker(faces, selected):
+    w = tw()
+    h = 24
+    try:
+        h = os.get_terminal_size().lines
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+
+    max_preview_w = max(24, w - 8)
+    header_h = 6
+    footer_h = 3
+    preview_h = max(4, min(config.RENDER_H + 2, max(4, h // 2)))
+    visible = max(1, h - header_h - preview_h - footer_h)
+    top = max(0, selected - (visible // 2))
+    bottom = min(len(faces), top + visible)
+    top = max(0, bottom - visible)
+
+    print(CLR, end="")
+    print(CURSOR_OFF, end="")
+    print()
+    print(f"  {G_HI}FONT PICKER{RST}")
+    print(f"  {W_GHOST}{'─' * (w - 4)}{RST}")
+    print(f"  {W_DIM}{config.FONT_DIR[:max_preview_w]}{RST}")
+    print(f"  {W_GHOST}↑/↓ move · Enter select · q accept current{RST}")
+    print()
+
+    for pos in range(top, bottom):
+        face = faces[pos]
+        active = pos == selected
+        pointer = "▶" if active else " "
+        color = G_HI if active else W_DIM
+        print(f"  {color}{pointer} {face['name']}{RST}{W_GHOST} · {face['file_name']}{RST}")
+
+    if top > 0:
+        print(f"  {W_GHOST}… {top} above{RST}")
+    if bottom < len(faces):
+        print(f"  {W_GHOST}… {len(faces) - bottom} below{RST}")
+
+    print()
+    print(f"  {W_GHOST}{'─' * (w - 4)}{RST}")
+    print(
+        f"  {W_DIM}Preview: {faces[selected]['name']} · {faces[selected]['file_name']}{RST}"
+    )
+    preview_rows = faces[selected]["preview_rows"][:preview_h]
+    for row in preview_rows:
+        shown = row[:max_preview_w]
+        print(f"    {shown}")
+
+def pick_font_face():
+    """Interactive startup picker for selecting a face from repo OTF files."""
+    if not config.FONT_PICKER:
+        return
+
+    font_files = config.list_repo_font_files()
+    if not font_files:
+        print(CLR, end="")
+        print(CURSOR_OFF, end="")
+        print()
+        print(f"  {G_HI}FONT PICKER{RST}")
+        print(f"  {W_GHOST}{'─' * (tw() - 4)}{RST}")
+        print(f"  {G_DIM}> no .otf/.ttf/.ttc files found in: {config.FONT_DIR}{RST}")
+        print(f"  {W_GHOST}> add font files to the fonts folder, then rerun{RST}")
+        time.sleep(1.8)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    prepared = []
+    for font_path in font_files:
+        try:
+            faces = render.list_font_faces(font_path, max_faces=64)
+        except Exception:
+            fallback = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(font_path))[0]
+            faces = [{"index": 0, "name": fallback}]
+        for face in faces:
+            idx = face["index"]
+            name = face["name"]
+            file_name = os.path.basename(font_path)
+            try:
+                fnt = render.load_font_face(font_path, idx)
+                rows = _normalize_preview_rows(render.render_line(name, fnt))
+            except Exception:
+                rows = ["(preview unavailable)"]
+            prepared.append(
+                {
+                    "font_path": font_path,
+                    "font_index": idx,
+                    "name": name,
+                    "file_name": file_name,
+                    "preview_rows": rows,
+                }
+            )
+
+    if not prepared:
+        print(CLR, end="")
+        print(CURSOR_OFF, end="")
+        print()
+        print(f"  {G_HI}FONT PICKER{RST}")
+        print(f"  {W_GHOST}{'─' * (tw() - 4)}{RST}")
+        print(f"  {G_DIM}> no readable font faces found in: {config.FONT_DIR}{RST}")
+        time.sleep(1.8)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    def _same_path(a, b):
+        try:
+            return os.path.samefile(a, b)
+        except Exception:
+            return os.path.abspath(a) == os.path.abspath(b)
+
+    selected = next(
+        (
+            i
+            for i, f in enumerate(prepared)
+            if _same_path(f["font_path"], config.FONT_PATH)
+            and f["font_index"] == config.FONT_INDEX
+        ),
+        0,
+    )
+
+    if not sys.stdin.isatty():
+        selected_font = prepared[selected]
+        config.set_font_selection(
+            font_path=selected_font["font_path"],
+            font_index=selected_font["font_index"],
+        )
+        render.clear_font_cache()
+        print(
+            f"  {G_DIM}> using {selected_font['name']} ({selected_font['file_name']}){RST}"
+        )
+        time.sleep(0.8)
+        print(CLR, end="")
+        print(CURSOR_OFF, end="")
+        print()
+        return
+
+    fd = sys.stdin.fileno()
+    old_settings = termios.tcgetattr(fd)
+    try:
+        tty.setcbreak(fd)
+        while True:
+            _draw_font_picker(prepared, selected)
+            key = _read_picker_key()
+            if key == "up":
+                selected = max(0, selected - 1)
+            elif key == "down":
+                selected = min(len(prepared) - 1, selected + 1)
+            elif key == "enter":
+                break
+            elif key == "interrupt":
+                raise KeyboardInterrupt
+    finally:
+        termios.tcsetattr(fd, termios.TCSADRAIN, old_settings)
+
+    selected_font = prepared[selected]
+    config.set_font_selection(
+        font_path=selected_font["font_path"],
+        font_index=selected_font["font_index"],
+    )
+    render.clear_font_cache()
+    print(f"  {G_DIM}> using {selected_font['name']} ({selected_font['file_name']}){RST}")
+    time.sleep(0.8)
+    print(CLR, end="")
+    print(CURSOR_OFF, end="")
+    print()
+
 
 def main():
     atexit.register(lambda: print(CURSOR_ON, end="", flush=True))
@@ -40,6 +245,8 @@ def main():
     w = tw()
     print(CLR, end="")
     print(CURSOR_OFF, end="")
+    pick_font_face()
+    w = tw()
     print()
     time.sleep(0.4)
 

engine/config.py

@@ -4,6 +4,53 @@ Configuration constants, CLI flags, and glyph tables.
 
 import sys
 
+from pathlib import Path
+_REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+_FONT_EXTENSIONS = {".otf", ".ttf", ".ttc"}
+
+
+def _arg_value(flag):
+    """Get value following a CLI flag, if present."""
+    if flag not in sys.argv:
+        return None
+    i = sys.argv.index(flag)
+    return sys.argv[i + 1] if i + 1 < len(sys.argv) else None
+
+
+def _arg_int(flag, default):
+    """Get int CLI argument with safe fallback."""
+    raw = _arg_value(flag)
+    if raw is None:
+        return default
+    try:
+        return int(raw)
+    except ValueError:
+        return default
+
+
+def _resolve_font_path(raw_path):
+    """Resolve font path; relative paths are anchored to repo root."""
+    p = Path(raw_path).expanduser()
+    if p.is_absolute():
+        return str(p)
+    return str((_REPO_ROOT / p).resolve())
+
+
+def _list_font_files(font_dir):
+    """List supported font files within a font directory."""
+    font_root = Path(font_dir)
+    if not font_root.exists() or not font_root.is_dir():
+        return []
+    return [
+        str(path.resolve())
+        for path in sorted(font_root.iterdir())
+        if path.is_file() and path.suffix.lower() in _FONT_EXTENSIONS
+    ]
+
+
+def list_repo_font_files():
+    """Public helper for discovering repository font files."""
+    return _list_font_files(FONT_DIR)
 # ─── RUNTIME ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 HEADLINE_LIMIT = 1000
 FEED_TIMEOUT = 10
@@ -17,7 +64,16 @@ NTFY_POLL_INTERVAL = 15   # seconds between polls
 MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS = 30 # how long a message holds the screen
 
 # ─── FONT RENDERING ──────────────────────────────────────
-FONT_PATH = "/Users/genejohnson/Documents/CS Bishop Drawn/CSBishopDrawn-Italic.otf"
+FONT_DIR = _resolve_font_path(_arg_value('--font-dir') or "fonts")
+_FONT_FILE_ARG = _arg_value('--font-file')
+_FONT_FILES = _list_font_files(FONT_DIR)
+FONT_PATH = (
+    _resolve_font_path(_FONT_FILE_ARG)
+    if _FONT_FILE_ARG
+    else (_FONT_FILES[0] if _FONT_FILES else "")
+)
+FONT_INDEX = max(0, _arg_int('--font-index', 0))
+FONT_PICKER = '--no-font-picker' not in sys.argv
 FONT_SZ = 60
 RENDER_H = 8              # terminal rows per rendered text line
 
@@ -33,3 +89,12 @@ GRAD_SPEED = 0.08         # gradient traversal speed (cycles/sec, ~12s full swee
 # ─── GLYPHS ───────────────────────────────────────────────
 GLITCH = "░▒▓█▌▐╌╍╎╏┃┆┇┊┋"
 KATA = "ﾊﾐﾋｰｳｼﾅﾓﾆｻﾜﾂｵﾘｱﾎﾃﾏｹﾒｴｶｷﾑﾕﾗｾﾈｽﾀﾇﾍ"
+
+
+def set_font_selection(font_path=None, font_index=None):
+    """Set runtime primary font selection."""
+    global FONT_PATH, FONT_INDEX
+    if font_path is not None:
+        FONT_PATH = _resolve_font_path(font_path)
+    if font_index is not None:
+        FONT_INDEX = max(0, int(font_index))

engine/render.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Depends on: config, terminal, sources, translate.
 
 import re
 import random
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
 
@@ -31,18 +32,73 @@ GRAD_COLS = [
     "\033[2;38;5;235m",  # near black
 ]
 
+# Complementary sweep for queue messages (opposite hue family from ticker greens)
+MSG_GRAD_COLS = [
+    "\033[1;38;5;231m",  # white
+    "\033[1;38;5;225m",  # pale pink-white
+    "\033[38;5;219m",    # bright pink
+    "\033[38;5;213m",    # hot pink
+    "\033[38;5;207m",    # magenta
+    "\033[38;5;201m",    # bright magenta
+    "\033[38;5;165m",    # orchid-red
+    "\033[38;5;161m",    # ruby-magenta
+    "\033[38;5;125m",    # dark magenta
+    "\033[38;5;89m",     # deep maroon-magenta
+    "\033[2;38;5;89m",   # dim deep maroon-magenta
+    "\033[2;38;5;235m",  # near black
+]
+
 # ─── FONT LOADING ─────────────────────────────────────────
 _FONT_OBJ = None
+_FONT_OBJ_KEY = None
 _FONT_CACHE = {}
 
 
 def font():
-    """Lazy-load the primary OTF font."""
+    """Lazy-load the primary OTF font (path + face index aware)."""
-    global _FONT_OBJ
+    global _FONT_OBJ, _FONT_OBJ_KEY
-    if _FONT_OBJ is None:
+    if not config.FONT_PATH:
-        _FONT_OBJ = ImageFont.truetype(config.FONT_PATH, config.FONT_SZ)
+        raise FileNotFoundError(
+            f"No primary font selected. Add .otf/.ttf/.ttc files to {config.FONT_DIR}."
+        )
+    key = (config.FONT_PATH, config.FONT_INDEX, config.FONT_SZ)
+    if _FONT_OBJ is None or _FONT_OBJ_KEY != key:
+        _FONT_OBJ = ImageFont.truetype(
+            config.FONT_PATH, config.FONT_SZ, index=config.FONT_INDEX
+        )
+        _FONT_OBJ_KEY = key
     return _FONT_OBJ
 
+def clear_font_cache():
+    """Reset cached font objects after changing primary font selection."""
+    global _FONT_OBJ, _FONT_OBJ_KEY
+    _FONT_OBJ = None
+    _FONT_OBJ_KEY = None
+
+
+def load_font_face(font_path, font_index=0, size=None):
+    """Load a specific face from a font file or collection."""
+    font_size = size or config.FONT_SZ
+    return ImageFont.truetype(font_path, font_size, index=font_index)
+
+
+def list_font_faces(font_path, max_faces=64):
+    """Return discoverable face indexes + display names from a font file."""
+    faces = []
+    for idx in range(max_faces):
+        try:
+            fnt = load_font_face(font_path, idx)
+        except Exception:
+            if idx == 0:
+                raise
+            break
+        family, style = fnt.getname()
+        display = f"{family} {style}".strip()
+        if not display:
+            display = f"{Path(font_path).stem} [{idx}]"
+        faces.append({"index": idx, "name": display})
+    return faces
+
 
 def font_for_lang(lang=None):
     """Get appropriate font for a language."""
@@ -132,9 +188,10 @@ def big_wrap(text, max_w, fnt=None):
     return out
 
 
-def lr_gradient(rows, offset=0.0):
+def lr_gradient(rows, offset=0.0, grad_cols=None):
     """Color each non-space block character with a shifting left-to-right gradient."""
-    n = len(GRAD_COLS)
+    cols = grad_cols or GRAD_COLS
+    n = len(cols)
     max_x = max((len(r.rstrip()) for r in rows if r.strip()), default=1)
     out = []
     for row in rows:
@@ -148,11 +205,16 @@ def lr_gradient(rows, offset=0.0):
             else:
                 shifted = (x / max(max_x - 1, 1) + offset) % 1.0
                 idx = min(round(shifted * (n - 1)), n - 1)
-                buf.append(f"{GRAD_COLS[idx]}{ch}\033[0m")
+                buf.append(f"{cols[idx]}{ch}{RST}")
         out.append("".join(buf))
     return out
 
 
+def lr_gradient_opposite(rows, offset=0.0):
+    """Complementary (opposite wheel) gradient used for queue message panels."""
+    return lr_gradient(rows, offset, MSG_GRAD_COLS)
+
+
 # ─── HEADLINE BLOCK ASSEMBLY ─────────────────────────────
 def make_block(title, src, ts, w):
     """Render a headline into a content block with color."""

engine/scroll.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 """
-Scroll engine — the main frame loop with headline rendering and message display.
+Render engine — ticker content, scroll motion, message panel, and firehose overlay.
 Depends on: config, terminal, render, effects, ntfy, mic.
 """
 
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@ from datetime import datetime
 
 from engine import config
 from engine.terminal import RST, W_COOL, CLR, tw, th
-from engine.render import big_wrap, lr_gradient, make_block
+from engine.render import big_wrap, lr_gradient, lr_gradient_opposite, make_block
 from engine.effects import noise, glitch_bar, fade_line, vis_trunc, next_headline, firehose_line
 
 
 def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor):
-    """Main rendering loop. Scrolls headlines, shows ntfy messages, applies effects."""
+    """Main render loop with four layers: message, ticker, scroll motion, firehose."""
     random.shuffle(items)
     pool = list(items)
     seen = set()
@@ -28,16 +28,21 @@ def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor):
 
     w, h = tw(), th()
     fh = config.FIREHOSE_H if config.FIREHOSE else 0
-    sh = h - fh                    # scroll zone height
+    ticker_view_h = h - fh         # reserve fixed firehose strip at bottom
     GAP = 3            # blank rows between headlines
-    scroll_interval = config.SCROLL_DUR / (sh + 15) * 2
+    scroll_step_interval = config.SCROLL_DUR / (ticker_view_h + 15) * 2
 
-    # active blocks: (content_rows, color, canvas_y, meta_idx)
+    # Taxonomy:
+    # - message: centered ntfy overlay panel
+    # - ticker: large headline text content
+    # - scroll: upward camera motion applied to ticker content
+    # - firehose: fixed carriage-return style strip pinned at bottom
+    # Active ticker blocks: (content_rows, color, canvas_y, meta_idx)
     active = []
-    cam = 0            # viewport top in virtual canvas coords
+    scroll_cam = 0     # viewport top in virtual canvas coords
-    next_y = sh        # canvas-y where next block starts (off-screen bottom)
+    ticker_next_y = ticker_view_h  # canvas-y where next block starts (off-screen bottom)
     noise_cache = {}
-    scroll_accum = 0.0
+    scroll_motion_accum = 0.0
 
     def _noise_at(cy):
         if cy not in noise_cache:
@@ -53,16 +58,17 @@ def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor):
         t0 = time.monotonic()
         w, h = tw(), th()
         fh = config.FIREHOSE_H if config.FIREHOSE else 0
-        sh = h - fh
+        ticker_view_h = h - fh
 
         # ── Check for ntfy message ────────────────────────
-        msg_h = 0  # rows consumed by message zone at top
+        msg_h = 0
+        msg_overlay = []
         msg = ntfy_poller.get_active_message()
 
         buf = []
         if msg is not None:
             m_title, m_body, m_ts = msg
-            # ── Message zone: pinned to top, scroll continues below ──
+            # ── Message overlay: centered in the viewport ──
             display_text = m_body or m_title or "(empty)"
             display_text = re.sub(r"\s+", " ", display_text.upper())
             cache_key = (display_text, w)
@@ -71,15 +77,17 @@ def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor):
                 _msg_cache = (cache_key, msg_rows)
             else:
                 msg_rows = _msg_cache[1]
-            msg_rows = lr_gradient(msg_rows, (time.monotonic() * config.GRAD_SPEED) % 1.0)
+            msg_rows = lr_gradient_opposite(msg_rows, (time.monotonic() * config.GRAD_SPEED) % 1.0)
             # Layout: rendered text + meta + border
             elapsed_s = int(time.monotonic() - m_ts)
             remaining = max(0, config.MESSAGE_DISPLAY_SECS - elapsed_s)
             ts_str = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M:%S")
+            panel_h = len(msg_rows) + 2  # meta + border
+            panel_top = max(0, (h - panel_h) // 2)
             row_idx = 0
             for mr in msg_rows:
                 ln = vis_trunc(mr, w)
-                buf.append(f"\033[{row_idx+1};1H  {ln}{RST}\033[K")
+                msg_overlay.append(f"\033[{panel_top + row_idx + 1};1H  {ln}{RST}\033[K")
                 row_idx += 1
             # Meta line: title (if distinct) + source + countdown
             meta_parts = []
@@ -87,49 +95,46 @@ def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor):
                 meta_parts.append(m_title)
             meta_parts.append(f"ntfy \u00b7 {ts_str} \u00b7 {remaining}s")
             meta = "  " + " \u00b7 ".join(meta_parts) if len(meta_parts) > 1 else "  " + meta_parts[0]
-            buf.append(f"\033[{row_idx+1};1H{MSG_META}{meta}{RST}\033[K")
+            msg_overlay.append(f"\033[{panel_top + row_idx + 1};1H{MSG_META}{meta}{RST}\033[K")
             row_idx += 1
-            # Border — constant boundary between message and scroll
+            # Border — constant boundary under message panel
             bar = "\u2500" * (w - 4)
-            buf.append(f"\033[{row_idx+1};1H  {MSG_BORDER}{bar}{RST}\033[K")
+            msg_overlay.append(f"\033[{panel_top + row_idx + 1};1H  {MSG_BORDER}{bar}{RST}\033[K")
-            row_idx += 1
-            msg_h = row_idx
 
-        # Effective scroll zone: below message, above firehose
+        # Ticker draws above the fixed firehose strip; message is a centered overlay.
-        scroll_h = sh - msg_h
+        ticker_h = ticker_view_h - msg_h
 
-        # ── Scroll: headline rendering (always runs) ──────
+        # ── Ticker content + scroll motion (always runs) ──
-        # Advance scroll on schedule
+        scroll_motion_accum += config.FRAME_DT
-        scroll_accum += config.FRAME_DT
+        while scroll_motion_accum >= scroll_step_interval:
-        while scroll_accum >= scroll_interval:
+            scroll_motion_accum -= scroll_step_interval
-            scroll_accum -= scroll_interval
+            scroll_cam += 1
-            cam += 1
 
             # Enqueue new headlines when room at the bottom
-            while next_y < cam + sh + 10 and queued < config.HEADLINE_LIMIT:
+            while ticker_next_y < scroll_cam + ticker_view_h + 10 and queued < config.HEADLINE_LIMIT:
                 t, src, ts = next_headline(pool, items, seen)
-                content, hc, midx = make_block(t, src, ts, w)
+                ticker_content, hc, midx = make_block(t, src, ts, w)
-                active.append((content, hc, next_y, midx))
+                active.append((ticker_content, hc, ticker_next_y, midx))
-                next_y += len(content) + GAP
+                ticker_next_y += len(ticker_content) + GAP
                 queued += 1
 
             # Prune off-screen blocks and stale noise
             active = [(c, hc, by, mi) for c, hc, by, mi in active
-                      if by + len(c) > cam]
+                      if by + len(c) > scroll_cam]
             for k in list(noise_cache):
-                if k < cam:
+                if k < scroll_cam:
                     del noise_cache[k]
 
-        # Draw scroll zone (below message zone, above firehose)
+        # Draw ticker zone (above fixed firehose strip)
-        top_zone = max(1, int(scroll_h * 0.25))
+        top_zone = max(1, int(ticker_h * 0.25))
-        bot_zone = max(1, int(scroll_h * 0.10))
+        bot_zone = max(1, int(ticker_h * 0.10))
         grad_offset = (time.monotonic() * config.GRAD_SPEED) % 1.0
-        scroll_buf_start = len(buf)  # track where scroll rows start in buf
+        ticker_buf_start = len(buf)  # track where ticker rows start in buf
-        for r in range(scroll_h):
+        for r in range(ticker_h):
-            scr_row = msg_h + r + 1  # 1-indexed ANSI screen row
+            scr_row = r + 1  # 1-indexed ANSI screen row
-            cy = cam + r
+            cy = scroll_cam + r
             top_f = min(1.0, r / top_zone) if top_zone > 0 else 1.0
-            bot_f = min(1.0, (scroll_h - 1 - r) / bot_zone) if bot_zone > 0 else 1.0
+            bot_f = min(1.0, (ticker_h - 1 - r) / bot_zone) if bot_zone > 0 else 1.0
             row_fade = min(top_f, bot_f)
             drawn = False
             for content, hc, by, midx in active:
@@ -160,22 +165,24 @@ def stream(items, ntfy_poller, mic_monitor):
                 else:
                     buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H\033[K")
 
-        # Draw firehose zone
+        # Glitch — base rate + mic-reactive spikes (ticker zone only)
-        if config.FIREHOSE and fh > 0:
-            for fr in range(fh):
-                fline = firehose_line(items, w)
-                buf.append(f"\033[{sh + fr + 1};1H{fline}\033[K")
-
-        # Glitch — base rate + mic-reactive spikes (scroll zone only)
         mic_excess = mic_monitor.excess
         glitch_prob = 0.32 + min(0.9, mic_excess * 0.16)
         n_hits = 4 + int(mic_excess / 2)
-        scroll_buf_len = len(buf) - scroll_buf_start
+        ticker_buf_len = len(buf) - ticker_buf_start
-        if random.random() < glitch_prob and scroll_buf_len > 0:
+        if random.random() < glitch_prob and ticker_buf_len > 0:
-            for _ in range(min(n_hits, scroll_buf_len)):
+            for _ in range(min(n_hits, ticker_buf_len)):
-                gi = random.randint(0, scroll_buf_len - 1)
+                gi = random.randint(0, ticker_buf_len - 1)
-                scr_row = msg_h + gi + 1
+                scr_row = gi + 1
-                buf[scroll_buf_start + gi] = f"\033[{scr_row};1H{glitch_bar(w)}"
+                buf[ticker_buf_start + gi] = f"\033[{scr_row};1H{glitch_bar(w)}"
+
+        if config.FIREHOSE and fh > 0:
+            for fr in range(fh):
+                scr_row = h - fh + fr + 1
+                fline = firehose_line(items, w)
+                buf.append(f"\033[{scr_row};1H{fline}\033[K")
+        if msg_overlay:
+            buf.extend(msg_overlay)
 
         sys.stdout.buffer.write("".join(buf).encode())
         sys.stdout.flush()