# Phase B.4b — Outbound Use Handler Wiring **Status:** Design spec, created 2026-05-13 after L.2g slice 1 ship handoff. **Branch:** `claude/compassionate-wilson-23ff99` (worktree `compassionate-wilson-23ff99`). **Predecessors:** - [docs/research/2026-05-12-l2g-slice1-shipped-handoff.md](../../research/2026-05-12-l2g-slice1-shipped-handoff.md) — L.2g slice 1 shipped the inbound `SetState (0xF74B)` pipeline; visual test was deferred when investigation uncovered that the outbound Use handler had never been wired. - [docs/ISSUES.md](../../ISSUES.md) #57 — B.4 interaction-handler gap filed 2026-05-12, promoted to Phase B.4b. - Phase B.4 (`InteractRequests` wire builders + `InputAction` enum + `KeyBindings`, shipped 2026-04-28 per memory; commit history confirms the wire builders + bindings but not the handler). **Milestone:** M1 — Walkable + clickable world. Demo scenario *"open the inn door"* depends on this slice landing. Once B.4b lands, L.2g slice 1's deferred visual test verifies in the same scenario. **Estimate:** ~80 LOC, 1-2 subagent dispatches, ~30 minutes implementation. --- ## TL;DR Phase B.4 (2026-04-28) shipped half of itself: the wire-message builders (`InteractRequests.BuildUse` / `BuildUseWithTarget` / `BuildTeleToLifestone`), the `InputAction` enum entries (`SelectLeft` / `SelectDblLeft` / `UseSelected` / etc.), and the default keybindings. What was never landed: a handler that picks an entity at the mouse position when the user clicks, stores the selection, and sends a `BuildUse` packet. Two further gaps surfaced during this session's exploration that the L.2g handoff and ISSUES.md #57 both miss-claim as "exists": - `WorldPicker` — does NOT exist in `src/`. Doc-only. - `SelectionState` — does NOT exist in `src/`. Doc-only. - `InteractRequests.BuildPickUp` — does NOT exist; only `BuildUse`, `BuildUseWithTarget`, and `BuildTeleToLifestone` are present. B.4b creates the minimum new structure to close the gap: one new file (`WorldPicker.cs` as a stateless static helper), one rename (`_selectedTargetGuid` → `_selectedGuid` on `GameWindow`, unifying combat + interaction selection), and three switch cases in `GameWindow.OnInputAction` (for `SelectLeft`, `SelectDblLeft`, `UseSelected`). `SelectionState` as a class extraction is deferred to whenever the M2 HUD wants a `SelectionChanged` event; per CLAUDE.md "don't add abstractions beyond what the task requires." `BuildPickUp` (F-key) is out of scope — not on the Holtburg inn-door critical path. Filed as a follow-up. --- ## Why B.4b (and not "fix B.4" or "Phase B.5") | Option | Verdict | |---|---| | **Reopen "Phase B.4" and amend** | Rejected. B.4 is in memory + commit history as shipped 2026-04-28; reopening creates retroactive confusion. The gap is real; promote it to its own short-lived sub-phase per the L.2/L.2g precedent. | | **Roll into M2 interaction work** | Rejected. M2 is creatures + combat + a real selection HUD — weeks of work. The doors-open scenario is M1. Need a small slice that unblocks the M1 visual test without dragging M2 forward. | | **New phase "B.4b — Outbound Use handler wiring"** | **Selected.** Mirrors the L.2d → L.2g lettered-sub-phase pattern. Phase-sized (30-50 LOC was the initial estimate; final is closer to ~80 with the picker file), commit-trackable, closeable as soon as the visual test passes. | --- ## Problem evidence Discovered 2026-05-12 while running the L.2g slice 1 visual test. The input dispatcher correctly fires `SelectDblLeft` on every double-left- click — the diagnostic `[input] SelectDblLeft Press` line shows in the log — but `GameWindow.OnInputAction`'s switch has zero `case InputAction.SelectLeft / SelectDblLeft / UseSelected` branches. Nothing downstream listens. The click silently dies. From `GameWindow.cs:8546-8646` (the full `OnInputAction` switch as of this morning's L.2g merge): ``` switch (action) { case InputAction.AcdreamToggleDebugPanel: ... case InputAction.AcdreamToggleCollisionWires: ... case InputAction.AcdreamDumpNearby: ... case InputAction.AcdreamCycleTimeOfDay: ... // ... 12 other Acdream*/Combat*/Toggle* cases ... case InputAction.SelectionClosestMonster: SelectClosestCombatTarget(showToast: true); break; case InputAction.EscapeKey: ... } ``` `SelectionClosestMonster` (Q-cycle combat target) is the *only* selection-related case. `SelectLeft` / `SelectDblLeft` / `SelectRight` / `UseSelected` / `SelectionPickUp` / all the other Select-family actions have no cases at all. Inbound side (L.2g slice 1) is wired and ready to receive the server's reply. Outbound is the only block. --- ## Current acdream state | Component | State | |---|---| | `InteractRequests.BuildUse(seq, guid)` wire builder | shipped at `src/AcDream.Core.Net/Messages/InteractRequests.cs:37` | | `InteractRequests.BuildUseWithTarget` | shipped at same file:51 | | `InteractRequests.BuildPickUp` | DOES NOT EXIST (handoff was wrong) | | `InputAction.SelectLeft` / `SelectDblLeft` / `SelectRight` / `UseSelected` / `SelectionPickUp` | defined in `InputAction` enum | | KeyBindings: LMB → `SelectLeft`, LMB-dblclick → `SelectDblLeft`, RMB → `SelectRight`, R → `UseSelected`, F → `SelectionPickUp` | wired in `src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Input/KeyBindings.cs:303-320, 172, 210` | | `WorldPicker` class | DOES NOT EXIST (handoff was wrong) | | `SelectionState` class | DOES NOT EXIST (handoff was wrong) | | Selection field on GameWindow | exists as `_selectedTargetGuid` but combat-only (used by `SelectClosestCombatTarget` and `ToggleLiveCombatMode`) | | `WorldSession.NextGameActionSequence()` | shipped; outbound chat/move already uses it | | `WorldSession.SendGameAction(byte[])` | shipped; outbound chat/move already uses it | | `OnInputAction` switch case for `Select*` / `UseSelected` | MISSING — **the gap** | --- ## Design ### Architecture One new file + edits to `GameWindow.cs`. **New:** `src/AcDream.Core/Selection/WorldPicker.cs` — static helper class in `AcDream.Core.Selection` namespace. Two pure methods, no state, no DI. **Lives in Core** (not App) because it has no App-layer dependencies: it operates on `WorldEntity` (Core) plus `System.Numerics` matrices/vectors. Putting it in Core also means it can be unit-tested via the existing `AcDream.Core.Tests` project; no new test project required (`AcDream.App.Tests` does not exist as of 2026-05-13 and creating it would add more LOC than the picker itself). **Edited:** `src/AcDream.App/Rendering/GameWindow.cs`: 1. Rename field `_selectedTargetGuid` → `_selectedGuid` (project-wide find/replace; ~5 call sites all inside `GameWindow.cs`). Unifies combat + interaction selection on one field. Retail-faithful: AC has one "current target" not two. 2. Add three switch cases to `OnInputAction`: `SelectLeft`, `SelectDblLeft`, `UseSelected`. `SelectionState` as a separate class is deferred. Reason: only two consumers today (combat Q-cycle, click handler). The class earns its keep when consumer #3 (HUD widget that subscribes to `SelectionChanged`) lands in M2. Premature otherwise. ### Components #### `WorldPicker.BuildRay` Standard mouse-to-world unprojection. Convert pixel `(mouseX, mouseY)` to NDC `(2*mouseX/vpW - 1, 1 - 2*mouseY/vpH)`, unproject the near point (`ndc.z = -1`) and far point (`ndc.z = +1`) through `inverse(projection) → inverse(view)`, return `(origin = near, direction = normalize(far - near))`. Signature: ```csharp public static (Vector3 Origin, Vector3 Direction) BuildRay( float mouseX, float mouseY, float viewportW, float viewportH, Matrix4x4 view, Matrix4x4 projection); ``` ~20 LOC. Pure math. No exception paths — the OpenGL view/proj matrices we hand it are always invertible. #### `WorldPicker.Pick` Ray-sphere intersection against each candidate entity's `Position` with radius 5.0f (matches `WorldEntity.DefaultAabbRadius`). Skip the self-guid (player). Track the closest hit with `t < maxDistance` (50m default). Return the picked entity's `ServerGuid`, or `null` for miss. Signature: ```csharp public static uint? Pick( Vector3 origin, Vector3 direction, IEnumerable candidates, uint skipServerGuid, float maxDistance = 50f); ``` ~30 LOC. Excludes entities with `ServerGuid == 0` (atlas-tier scenery + dat-hydrated statics) — those have no server-side identity, so a `BuildUse` against them would carry guid=0 and be rejected. Sphere intersection math (geometric form): for each candidate, compute `oc = origin - entity.Position`, `b = dot(oc, direction)`, `c = dot(oc, oc) - r²`, discriminant `d = b² - c`. If `d < 0` no hit. Otherwise `t = -b - sqrt(d)` is the near intersection; track smallest positive `t < maxDistance`. #### `OnInputAction` switch cases Three new cases right before the `EscapeKey` case (preserve the existing case ordering by feature group): ```csharp case InputAction.SelectLeft: PickAndStoreSelection(useImmediately: false); break; case InputAction.SelectDblLeft: PickAndStoreSelection(useImmediately: true); break; case InputAction.UseSelected: UseCurrentSelection(); break; ``` Plus three private helper methods on `GameWindow`: - `PickAndStoreSelection(bool useImmediately)`: pull `_lastMouseX/Y`, `_cameraController.Active.View/Projection`, `_window.Size`; call `WorldPicker.BuildRay` → `WorldPicker.Pick`; on hit, set `_selectedGuid = picked`, toast "Selected: {name}", emit diagnostic `[B.4b] pick guid=0x{picked:X8} name={DescribeLiveEntity(picked)}`. If `useImmediately`, also call `SendUse(picked)`. On miss, toast "Nothing to select" (no diagnostic line, no state change). - `UseCurrentSelection()`: if `_selectedGuid is uint sel`, call `SendUse(sel)`. Otherwise toast "Nothing selected". - `SendUse(uint guid)`: gate on `_liveSession?.CurrentState == InWorld`; `seq = _liveSession.NextGameActionSequence()`; `body = InteractRequests.BuildUse(seq, guid)`; `_liveSession.SendGameAction(body)`; diagnostic `[B.4b] use guid=0x{guid:X8} seq={seq}`. All three switch branches honor the existing `if (activation != ActivationType.Press) return;` filter above the switch. ### Data flow (happy path) ``` mouse double-click on door at pixel (540, 320) -> Silk.NET window event InputDispatcher.OnMouseDown -> DoubleClick chord match -> InputDispatcher.Fired(SelectDblLeft, Press) -> GameWindow.OnInputAction(SelectDblLeft, Press) -> PickAndStoreSelection(useImmediately: true) -> pulls _lastMouseX/Y + _cameraController.Active.View/Projection WorldPicker.BuildRay(540, 320, vpW, vpH, view, proj) -> (origin, dir) -> WorldPicker.Pick(origin, dir, _entitiesByServerGuid.Values, _playerServerGuid, 50f) -> 0xDoorGuid -> _selectedGuid = 0xDoorGuid toast "Selected: Door" log "[B.4b] pick guid=0x000F4244 name=Door" -> SendUse(0xDoorGuid) -> seq = _liveSession.NextGameActionSequence() body = InteractRequests.BuildUse(seq, 0xDoorGuid) _liveSession.SendGameAction(body) log "[B.4b] use guid=0x000F4244 seq=N" -> ACE processes Use, calls Door.Open() ACE broadcasts UpdateMotion(NonCombat,On) -> swing animation ACE broadcasts SetState(guid=0xDoor, state=0x14) -> WorldSession.StateUpdated event fires (L.2g slice 1 path) -> ShadowObjectRegistry.UpdatePhysicsState(doorGuid, 0x14) -> next physics tick CollisionExemption.ShouldSkip returns true -> door no longer blocks -> player walks through doorway ``` ### Error handling / edge cases - **No entity hit** (clicked on terrain, sky, empty space): `Pick` returns `null`. No `_selectedGuid` change. Toast "Nothing to select". No network send. - **ImGui consuming the click**: `InputDispatcher` already filters via `wantCaptureMouse`. `OnInputAction` only fires when the click was outside ImGui panels. No new guard needed. - **No live session / not in world**: `SendUse` short-circuits early. Toast "Not in world" for debug visibility. Picker still runs (cheap; fine to leave selection state updated even offline). - **`UseSelected` with no current selection**: toast "Nothing selected". No network send. - **Selected entity despawns between select and use**: `BuildUse` still sends the cached guid. ACE replies with `UseDone` carrying `WeenieError.InvalidObject` (a non-zero error code). That error already flows into the chat-log channel via the existing `GameEventType.UseDone` handler; no new code needed. - **Ray construction degenerate**: if `direction.LengthSquared() < eps`, treat as no-hit and return null from `Pick`. Defensive — should never trigger for sane view/proj matrices. - **Entity at exactly `_selectedGuid` despawns silently while selected** (e.g. NPC walks out of streaming range): `_selectedGuid` becomes a stale reference. Acceptable for B.4b — the next `UseSelected` either sends a guid the server now doesn't recognize (server replies with an error, harmless) or the player picks a new target before pressing R. Stale-selection cleanup is M2 HUD work. ### Testing **Unit tests** — `tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Selection/WorldPickerTests.cs` (new file in existing test project): | Test | Scenario | Asserts | |---|---|---| | `BuildRay_CenterOfViewport_ReturnsForwardRay` | mouse at (vpW/2, vpH/2), identity view, simple perspective proj | direction approx -Z (camera-forward) within eps | | `BuildRay_OffsetMouse_DeflectsRay` | mouse right-of-center, same camera | direction.X > 0 (deflects toward camera-right) | | `Pick_RayThroughEntity_ReturnsServerGuid` | synthetic entity at (0,0,-10) with ServerGuid=0xABCD, ray from origin along -Z | returns 0xABCD | | `Pick_RayMisses_ReturnsNull` | same entity, ray aimed at +X | returns null | | `Pick_TwoEntitiesInLine_ReturnsCloser` | entities at -5 and -10, ray along -Z | returns the -5 one | | `Pick_SkipsSkipGuid` | one entity at -10 with guid=0xABCD, skipServerGuid=0xABCD | returns null | | `Pick_SkipsZeroServerGuid` | entity with ServerGuid=0 (dat-hydrated scenery) in path | returns null | | `Pick_BeyondMaxDistance_ReturnsNull` | entity at -100, default maxDist=50 | returns null | **Switch-case behavior** — not unit-tested. Would require mocking `GameWindow` + `WorldSession` + `InputDispatcher` + `CameraController`, high cost low value for a 3-case wiring change. Verified at runtime via visual test. **Runtime verification** — Holtburg inn doorway scenario (per the L.2g slice 1 handoff reproducibility recipe): ```powershell $env:ACDREAM_DAT_DIR = "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\Asheron's Call" $env:ACDREAM_LIVE = "1" $env:ACDREAM_TEST_HOST = "127.0.0.1" $env:ACDREAM_TEST_PORT = "9000" $env:ACDREAM_TEST_USER = "testaccount" $env:ACDREAM_TEST_PASS = "testpassword" $env:ACDREAM_DEVTOOLS = "1" $env:ACDREAM_PROBE_BUILDING = "1" $env:ACDREAM_PROBE_RESOLVE = "1" dotnet run --project src\AcDream.App\AcDream.App.csproj -c Debug 2>&1 | Tee-Object -FilePath "launch-b4b.log" ``` Then in-client: walk to the Holtburg inn doorway, double-left-click the closed door, wait for swing animation, walk through. After 30s, watch auto-close. Expected log grep: ```powershell Select-String -Path launch-b4b.log -Pattern ` "B.4b|setstate-hex|setstate.*guid|input.*SelectDblLeft|entity-source.*Door" ``` Expected matches: - `[input] SelectDblLeft Press` (dispatcher fires — already worked pre-B.4b) - **NEW:** `[B.4b] use guid=0x000F4244 seq=N` (B.4b send fires) - `[setstate-hex] body.len=16 ...` (server replied — L.2g hex probe) - `[setstate] guid=0x000F4244 state=0x00000014` (door opens — L.2g per-tick probe) — **NB:** if state is `0x4` only (not `0x14`), follow the L.2g slice-1 review's "Important note" → file a tiny L.2g slice 1b to widen `CollisionExemption.ShouldSkip`. - `[setstate] guid=0x000F4244 state=0x00000000` ~30s later (auto-close). - Player visibly walks through doorway during the open window. ### Slice plan This is one slice. No further sub-slicing. | Step | Files | LOC | Subagent? | |---|---|---|---| | 1. Write `WorldPickerTests.cs` (TDD: tests first) | `tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Selection/WorldPickerTests.cs` (new) | ~80 | Yes (Sonnet) — bounded TDD task | | 2. Create `WorldPicker.cs` static helper | `src/AcDream.Core/Selection/WorldPicker.cs` (new) | ~50 | Same agent as step 1 | | 3. Rename `_selectedTargetGuid` → `_selectedGuid` in `GameWindow.cs` | 1 file edit | ~5 sites | Manual or Sonnet | | 4. Add 3 switch cases + 3 helper methods in `GameWindow.OnInputAction` | 1 file edit | ~40 | Manual or Sonnet | | 5. `dotnet build` + `dotnet test` green | — | — | Manual | | 6. Visual test at Holtburg inn doorway + log grep | — | — | Manual (user) | | 7. Commit + close #57 + update roadmap + update memory | — | — | Manual | Total: ~80 LOC new code + ~80 LOC tests + ~50 LOC edits. One commit (or two: picker + test as one, handler wiring + rename as another). ### Acceptance criteria - [ ] `dotnet build` green - [ ] `dotnet test` green; 8 new `WorldPickerTests` pass - [ ] Double-left-click on closed door in Holtburg inn doorway: - [ ] Log shows `[B.4b] pick guid=0x... name=Door` - [ ] Log shows `[B.4b] use guid=0x... seq=N` - [ ] Log shows `[setstate] guid=0x... state=0x14` (or `0x4`) shortly after - [ ] Door swings open visually (animation plays) - [ ] Player can walk through threshold (no `RESOLVE`-line wall hits) - [ ] R hotkey with no selection: toast "Nothing selected", no send. - [ ] R hotkey after selecting a door (single click) but not using it (no double-click): sends `BuildUse` for the same guid. - [ ] Single left-click on terrain (or sky): toast "Nothing to select", no send. - [ ] Q-cycle (combat closest-target) still works after the `_selectedTargetGuid` → `_selectedGuid` rename. - [ ] ISSUES.md #57 moved to "Recently closed" with this commit's SHA. - [ ] Roadmap "shipped" table updated. - [ ] CLAUDE.md "Currently in Phase L.2" paragraph updated to reflect L.2g slice 1 + B.4b verified, next phase candidate is the next preference-order item from the candidate list. ### Non-goals / explicitly deferred - **`BuildPickUp` (F-key pickup)** — `InteractRequests` doesn't have this builder yet. Out of M1 critical path; file as a follow-up note. - **`UseWithTarget`** — wire builder exists but no client-side UX yet (cursor-on-item then click-on-target). M2 work. - **`SelectionState` as a class with `SelectionChanged` event** — wait for HUD consumer in M2. - **Hover-highlight / cursor change on hover** — UX polish, M2/M3. - **Right-click `SelectRight` radial menu** — M3. - **Selected-entity HUD widget (name, vitals)** — M2. - **Stale-selection auto-clear when target despawns** — M2 HUD work. - **Mesh-accurate picking (vs. 5m sphere)** — optimization for later; the 5m sphere is the retail "fast bbox" first pass, which retail followed with a per-triangle test on the candidate. Add only if a visual-test session reports a wrong-entity pick. ### Risks / open questions | Risk | Mitigation | |---|---| | **5m sphere too generous at doorways** — picks the wall or NPC inside the inn instead of the door | First visual test pass settles it. If it picks the wrong entity, tighten the radius to 3m or add a closer-than-furthest tiebreak by entity type. | | **Camera-mode mismatch** — in fly/orbit mode the ray origin should be the camera position, not the player. | Resolved by using `_cameraController.Active.View` which is the camera's view matrix regardless of mode. The picker doesn't care about player position. | | **State value `0x4` vs `0x14`** — L.2g slice-1 review flagged that `CollisionExemption.ShouldSkip` requires both `ETHEREAL (0x4)` AND `IGNORE_COLLISIONS (0x10)`. If ACE sends only `0x4`, the exemption won't fire. | Settled by the same visual test's `[setstate]` log line. If `0x4` only, file a tiny L.2g slice 1b to widen the check; that's a one-line edit and out of B.4b scope. | | **`_lastMouseX/Y` at click time vs. dispatcher-fire time** — if there's a frame of latency between Silk's mouse-down event and the dispatcher fire, the mouse may have moved. | Silk fires mouse-down synchronously; `_lastMouseX/Y` are updated on every move, so they hold the click position at the moment the dispatcher fires. Verified by reading the existing `OnMouseDown` path. Low risk. | | **Entity not in `_entitiesByServerGuid` despite being visible** — e.g. dat-hydrated EnvCell statics have `ServerGuid=0` and won't be pickable | Acceptable for B.4b. Doors and NPCs in Holtburg are server-spawned with non-zero `ServerGuid`. Dat-hydrated statics (fireplaces, decorations) aren't meant to be Use-able. | ### Open question after slice ships (L.2g slice 1b) The L.2g slice-1 final-review "Important note" — does ACE's `PhysicsObj.cs:787-791` set both `ETHEREAL_PS (0x4)` AND `IGNORE_COLLISIONS_PS (0x10)` simultaneously when doors open, or only ETHEREAL? B.4b's visual test settles this. If the hex shows `0x4` alone, file L.2g slice 1b to either widen `CollisionExemption.ShouldSkip` to `((state & ETHEREAL_PS) != 0)` alone, or set both bits in `UpdatePhysicsState`. Decision deferred until evidence lands. --- ## Reproducibility Same launch recipe as L.2g slice 1 (above). Visual verification is the same scenario — both L.2g slice 1 and B.4b verified together. No separate L.2g visual test session needed. --- ## Worktree Branch: `claude/compassionate-wilson-23ff99`, worktree `compassionate-wilson-23ff99`. Clean off main (commit `eea9b4d` = the L.2g slice 1 merge from the previous session). After ship: merge to main, close #57, update CLAUDE.md + roadmap + memory, archive this spec + the impl plan.