# WorldBuilder Inventory — what we take, adapt, or leave

**Status:** load-bearing reference. As of 2026-05-08 acdream's strategy is
to **rely heavily on WorldBuilder** for rendering and dat-handling rather
than re-port retail algorithms ourselves. WorldBuilder is MIT-licensed, is
verified by visual inspection to render the AC world correctly (terrain,
scenery, slabs, dungeons, slopes, particles), and uses the same Silk.NET
+ .NET stack we already target.

**Integration model:** **fork upstream WorldBuilder** at
`github.com/Chorizite/WorldBuilder`, depend on our fork, delete editor-only
code, expose hooks for our network state to feed scene data in. Sync with
upstream via merge so we inherit fixes. This document tells you, before
you write code, whether the thing you're about to port already exists in
WorldBuilder.

**Workflow change:** Before re-implementing any AC-specific rendering or
dat-handling algorithm, **check this inventory first**. If WorldBuilder
has it, port from WorldBuilder (or call into our fork once it's wired
up), not from retail decomp. Retail decomp remains the oracle for things
WorldBuilder lacks — animation, motion, physics collision, networking.

---

## Repo layout (as of cloned snapshot under `references/WorldBuilder/`)

- **`Chorizite.OpenGLSDLBackend/`** — full OpenGL renderer (Silk.NET).
- **`WorldBuilder.Shared/`** — data models, dat parsers, landscape module.
- **`WorldBuilder/`** — Avalonia desktop app shell (NOT taken).
- **`WorldBuilder.{Windows,Linux,Mac}/`** — platform entry points (NOT taken).
- **`WorldBuilder.Server/`** — collab editing backend (NOT taken).
- **`Tests/` + `WorldBuilder.Shared.Benchmarks/`** — test harness (study).

**Upstream NuGet dependencies** (these stay as NuGet packages, we don't
vendor them):

| Package | Version | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `Chorizite.Core` | 0.0.18 | Plugin framework — contains `Chorizite.Core.Lib.BoundingBox`, `Chorizite.Core.Render.*` interfaces used by every render manager |
| `Chorizite.DatReaderWriter` | 2.1.x | dat parsing (we already use 2.1.7) |
| `Chorizite.DatReaderWriter.Extensions` | 1.1.x | extra dat helpers |
| `BCnEncoder.Net` | 2.2.x | DXT decode (we already use) |
| `SixLabors.ImageSharp` | 3.1.x | image loading |
| `Silk.NET.OpenGL` + `Silk.NET.SDL` | 2.23.x | GL + windowing (we use Silk's own windowing, they use SDL) |
| `MP3Sharp` | 1.0.5 | MP3 decode |

---

## 🟢 RENDERING — take wholesale or adapt

These are what makes WB "perfect". Anything in this section, we should
use from WB rather than re-implement.

### Terrain

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `TerrainRenderManager` | Full pipeline (per-chunk GPU buffers, draw orchestration) |
| `LandSurfaceManager` | Texture blending atlas (palCode, alpha masks, road overlays) |
| `TerrainGeometryGenerator` | Heightmap → mesh, normals, OnRoad, GetHeight, GetNormal |
| `TerrainChunk` | 16×16 landblock chunk geometry |
| `TextureAtlasManager` | Texture atlas builder |
| `VertexLandscape` | Terrain vertex format |

### Scenery (procedural placement: trees, bushes, rocks, fences)

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `SceneryRenderManager` | Generate + render per-vertex scenery |
| `SceneryHelpers` | Displace / RotateObj / ScaleObj / ObjAlign / CheckSlope |
| `SceneryInstance` | Per-spawn instance data |

### Static objects (buildings, slabs, props — Setup + GfxObj + ObjDesc)

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `StaticObjectRenderManager` | Master pipeline for static objects |
| `ObjectRenderManagerBase` + `BaseObjectRenderManager` | Common render base |
| `ObjectMeshManager` | Mesh extraction from Setup/GfxObj, ObjDesc application |

### Dungeons / interiors

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `EnvCellRenderManager` | Dungeon interior cell geometry |
| `PortalRenderManager` | Portal traversal / visibility |

### Sky + atmosphere

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `SkyboxRenderManager` | Skybox rendering |
| `ParticleEmitterRenderer` + `ParticleBatcher` + `ActiveParticleEmitter` | Particle systems (sky particles, weather, magic) |

### Visibility / culling

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `VisibilityManager` + `VisibilitySnapshot` | Frustum + cell visibility |
| `Frustum` | Frustum-cull math |

### Other rendering helpers

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `MinimapRenderer` | Top-down minimap |
| `GlobalMeshBuffer` | Shared GPU mesh buffer |
| `GpuResourceManager` | GPU resource lifecycle |
| `InstanceData` | Instanced draw data |
| `TextureHelpers` | INDEX16, P8, BGRA, DXT decode + alpha (canonical port) |
| `DebugRenderer` + `DebugRendererLineDrawer` + `EdgeLineBuilder` | Debug primitives |

### Shaders (22 total)

Located at `Chorizite.OpenGLSDLBackend/Shaders/`:

`Landscape.{vert,frag}` · `StaticObject.{vert,frag}` · `StaticObjectModern.{vert,frag}` · `Particle.{vert,frag}` · `PortalStencil.{vert,frag}` · `Outline.{vert,frag}` · `Simple3D.{vert,frag}` · `InstancedLine.{vert,frag}` · `Text.{vert,frag}` · `UI.{vert,frag}` · `Gizmo.{vert,frag}` (editor-only)

---

## 🟢 LOW-LEVEL GL / FRAMEWORK — take or replace with our own

Either take WB's wrappers wholesale, or keep our own and adapt the
render managers to use ours. These wrappers are stateless or
near-stateless and are the easiest to swap.

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `OpenGLGraphicsDevice` | Silk.NET.OpenGL wrapper |
| `OpenGLRenderer` | Render orchestration |
| `GLSLShader` | Shader compile/link/uniforms |
| `GLHelpers` + `GLStateScope` | GL state utility |
| `ManagedGLFrameBuffer` / `ManagedGLIndexBuffer` / `ManagedGLTexture` / `ManagedGLTextureArray` / `ManagedGLUniformBuffer` / `ManagedGLVertexArray` / `ManagedGLVertexBuffer` | GL resource wrappers |
| `TextureParameters` | Sampler config |
| `GpuMemoryTracker` | Memory tracking |
| `Camera2D` / `Camera3D` / `CameraBase` / `ICamera` / `CameraController` | Camera primitives |
| `GameScene` + `SingleObjectScene` + `SceneData` + `ModernRenderData` + `RenderPass` | Scene / pass structures |

---

## 🟢 GEOMETRY / MATH UTILS — take wholesale

| Component | File |
|---|---|
| `TerrainUtils` (OnRoad, GetNormal, GetHeight, GetRoad, palCode) | `WorldBuilder.Shared/Modules/Landscape/Lib/TerrainUtils.cs` |
| `TerrainCacheManager` | `…/Lib/TerrainCacheManager.cs` |
| `TerrainRaycast` | `…/Lib/TerrainRaycast.cs` |
| `GeometryUtils` | `WorldBuilder.Shared/Lib/GeometryUtils.cs` |
| `RaycastingUtils` (ray-vs-sphere/AABB/triangle) | `WorldBuilder.Shared/Lib/RaycastingUtils.cs` |
| `DoubleNumerics` (double-precision Vector/Matrix) | `WorldBuilder.Shared/Lib/DoubleNumerics.cs` |
| `DatUtils` | `WorldBuilder.Shared/Lib/DatUtils.cs` |
| `BoundingBoxExtensions` | `Chorizite.OpenGLSDLBackend/Lib/BoundingBoxExtensions.cs` |

---

## 🟢 DATA MODELS — take selectively

| Component | What it does |
|---|---|
| `RegionInfo` | Landblock metadata wrapper (LandblockSizeInUnits, CellSizeInUnits, etc.) |
| `TerrainEntry` | Per-vertex terrain (Type/Scenery/Road/Height) |
| `MergedLandblock` | Merged dat data |
| `CellSplitDirection` | SW-NE vs NE-SW |
| `Cell` | Generic cell wrapper |
| `ObjectId` | Object identifier |
| `Position` | World position |
| `ACEnums` | AC-specific enums |
| `WbBuildingPortal` / `WbCellPortal` | Portal structures |
| `BuildingObject` | Building data |

---

## 🟡 EDITOR-ONLY — leave behind / delete in fork

These exist for the editor experience and have no place in a game
client. Delete in fork.

- **`Modules/Landscape/Tools/*`** — `BrushTool`, `BucketFillTool`,
  `RoadLineTool`, `RoadVertexTool`, `InspectorTool`,
  `ObjectManipulationTool`, `Gizmo*` (DragHandler, HitTester, Renderer,
  State), `TexturePainting*`, `SceneRaycaster`,
  `LandscapeBrush`, `LandscapeToolBase`, `LandscapeToolContext`,
  `IToolSettingsProvider`, `ILandscapeBrush`, `ILandscapeEditorService`,
  `ILandscapeRaycastService`, `ILandscapeTool`, `ITexturePaintingTool`
- **`Modules/Landscape/Commands/*`** — undo/redo command pattern for
  editor (Add/Delete/Move/Rename/Reorder/etc.)
- **`LandscapeDocument` + `LandscapeLayer` + `LandscapeLayerGroup` + `LandscapeChunk` + `LandscapeLayerChunk` + `LandscapeLayerBase`** — editor document model
- **`Modules/Landscape/Models/TerrainPatch*` + `LandblockChangedEventArgs`** — editor mutation events
- **`Modules/Landscape/Services/ILandscapeCacheService` + `ILandscapeDataProvider` + `ILandscapeObjectService` + impls** — editor data flow
- **All `Migrations/*`** — SQLite schema migrations (project file format)
- **`Repositories/*`** + **`Services/*`** — project storage, dat repository, AceDb, SignalR sync, document manager, undo stack, world coordinates, keyword DB, project migration, semantic kernel AI helpers
- **`Hubs/*`** — collaborative editing via SignalR
- **`StaticObject` (editor model)** — replace with our own scene-state data model fed from network
- **`BackendGizmoDrawer` + `GizmoRenderer`** — editor gizmos
- **`ProjectStructures, IProject, Project`** — editor project files
- **`KeyBinding`** — editor input binding
- **`ViewportInputEvent[Extensions]`** — editor viewport input
- **`EditorState`** — editor state container

---

## 🟡 AUDIO / FONT — we already have alternatives

Keep ours; don't take theirs.

- **`AudioPlaybackEngine`** — uses MP3Sharp. We have OpenAL.
- **`FontRenderer`** — uses ImageSharp. We have BitmapFont/StbTrueTypeSharp + ImGui.

---

## 🔴 NOT IN WORLDBUILDER — port from retail decomp ourselves

WorldBuilder is a dat editor; it does not have:

- **Network protocol** — UDP framing, ISAAC, packet codec, ACE message
  layer (we have this; oracle is `references/holtburger`)
- **Physics** — collision (CPhysicsObj transitions, BSP queries, sphere
  sweeps), step-up, walkable validation (we have partial; oracle is the
  retail decomp at `docs/research/named-retail/`)
- **Animation** — motion sequencer, cycle/non-cycle parts, animation
  frame interpolation (we have this; oracle is retail decomp)
- **Movement** — local player WASD → MoveToState wire, remote-entity
  motion via UpdateMotion + dead-reckoning (we have this; oracle is
  `references/holtburger` + retail decomp)
- **Game UI** — chat, vitals, inventory, spell book, allegiance, options
  (we have this; ImGui-based today, custom-toolkit later)
- **Plugin API** — `IGameState`, `IEvents`, `IActions`, `IPacketPipeline`,
  `IOverlay` (we have this — acdream-unique)
- **Game events** — combat, allegiance, spell casting, quest events
  (we have this; oracle is ACE for opcodes + retail for client behavior)
- **Audio** — OpenAL pipeline, sound triggers (we have this)
- **TurbineChat** + **slash commands** (we have this)
- **Login + character selection flow** (we have this)

---

## What this means for the workflow

The CLAUDE.md "grep named → decompile → verify → port" workflow stays
the rule for everything in the 🔴 list (network, physics, animation,
movement, UI, plugin, audio, chat). For anything in 🟢, the new rule is:
**check this inventory FIRST**. If WB has it, port from WB. Re-porting
from retail decomp when WB already has a tested port is no longer
appropriate — that's how we got the scenery edge-vertex bug.

When the inventory says "take wholesale or adapt" and we discover a
behavior mismatch with retail (rare — WB is verified), the resolution
is: reconcile WB ↔ retail decomp ↔ holtburger ↔ ACE ↔ ACViewer (the
existing reference hierarchy in CLAUDE.md). WorldBuilder ranks at the
top of that hierarchy for anything 🟢.
