Mod Context Pack - Taj''s Mod for Upload Labs

A) What the mod already does (feature inventory)

HUD/UX

el with a puzzle button in HUD extras; custom tabs and footer (mod_main.gd _setup_for_main, extensions/scripts/ui/settings_ui.gd). Touches HUD overlay at Main/MainContainer/Overlay and ExtrasButtons/Container.

• Real-time node counter with limit warning inside the settings panel (mod_main.gd _update_node_label). Reads Globals.max_window_count and Globals.custom_node_limit.
• Restart-required dialog for settings that need reload (mod_main.gd _show_restart_dialog). Uses HUD overlay and Sound.play.
• Go To Group quick panel (bottom-left) with popup list of groups (extensions/scripts/utilities/goto_group_panel.gd, goto_group_manager.gd). Uses camera tweening and Signals.center_camera.

Visuals

• Extra glow controls (intensity/strength/bloom/sensitivity) via WorldEnvironment (mod_main.gd _apply_extra_glow).
• UI opacity slider that modulates HUD/MainContainer alpha (mod_main.gd _apply_ui_opacity).
• Expanded group node colors and patterns with persistence (extensions/scenes/windows/window_group.gd). Adds pattern overlay and custom color picker.
• Custom wire colors with RGB picker; overrides Data.resources and Data.connectors (extensions/scripts/utilities/wire_color_overrides.gd, mod_main.gd _add_wire_color_section).
• Custom boot screen text and logo injection (extensions/scripts/utilities/patcher.gd patch_boot_screen).

Node graph workflow

• Wire drop node picker: drop a wire on empty canvas to spawn compatible nodes (extensions/scripts/wire_drop/wire_drop_handler.gd, node_compatibility_filter.gd, palette_overlay.gd picker mode). Uses Signals.connection_droppped and Signals.create_connection.
• Right-click to clear all wires from a connector (extensions/scripts/wire_drop/wire_clear_handler.gd). Uses Signals.delete_connection.
• Ctrl+A select all nodes on desktop (extensions/scripts/desktop.gd).
• Group Z-order fix for contained groups (extensions/scripts/utilities/node_group_z_order_fix.gd) with debounced updates.
• Group lock/unlock and Upgrade All for nodes inside group (extensions/scenes/windows/window_group.gd, extensions/scripts/options_bar.gd).
• Bin node injection with universal receiver inputs (extensions/scripts/utilities/patcher.gd inject_bin_window, extensions/scenes/windows/window_bin.gd, extensions/scenes/bin_input.gd, extensions/scenes/resource_container.gd).
• 6-input container upgrade for inventory (extensions/scenes/windows/window_inventory.gd).
• Node limit control (custom max or unlimited) enforced in window creation, paste, schematics, and wire drop (mod_main.gd, extensions/scripts/windows_menu.gd, extensions/scripts/desktop.gd, extensions/scripts/schematic_container.gd, extensions/scripts/wire_drop/wire_drop_connector.gd).

Command palette

• Command palette overlay with fuzzy search, favorites/recents, and navigation breadcrumbs (extensions/scripts/palette/palette_overlay.gd, fuzzy_search.gd).
• Command registry and default command set (select/deselect, center view, upgrade, settings toggles) (extensions/scripts/palette/command_registry.gd, default_commands.gd).
• Palette config persistence (favorites/recents/tools enabled) stored in mod config (extensions/scripts/palette/palette_config.gd).

QoL/Shop/Upgrades

• Buy Max button injected into upgrades tab for bulk purchases (extensions/scripts/utilities/buy_max_manager.gd).
• Buy Max for selected nodes in options bar (extensions/scripts/options_bar.gd).
• Cheats panel (currency/attribute adjustments) in settings UI (extensions/scripts/utilities/cheat_manager.gd).
• Mute on focus loss with configurable background volume (extensions/scripts/utilities/focus_handler.gd).
• High-quality tiled screenshots with configurable output (extensions/scripts/utilities/screenshot_manager.gd).

Performance/Diagnostics

• Debug log panel with optional verbose logging (mod_main.gd _add_debug_log).
• Node compatibility cache built deferred to avoid startup stalls (extensions/scripts/wire_drop/node_compatibility_filter.gd).
• Z-order fix uses debounced rect hashing to reduce churn (extensions/scripts/utilities/node_group_z_order_fix.gd).

Accessibility

• UI opacity adjustment (mod_main.gd).
• Wire color customization for better contrast (wire_color_overrides.gd).
• Focus mute to reduce background audio fatigue (focus_handler.gd).

Mod interoperability

• Script extensions applied through ModLoader (mod_main.gd _init with ModLoaderMod.install_script_extension).
• Uses game globals and signals (D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Upload Labs\Upload Labs Source Files\scripts\signals.gd, scripts\data.gd, scripts\utils.gd) rather than custom hooks.

Misc

• Additional schematic icon options in save UI (extensions/scripts/popup_schematic.gd).
• Schematic sanitizer for missing window keys (extensions/scripts/utilities/patcher.gd sanitize_schematics).

B) UI/UX patterns and components already used

• Settings panel: PanelContainer with title/content/footer and tab buttons (extensions/scripts/ui/settings_ui.gd).
• Toggle rows: label + CheckButton (settings_ui.gd add_toggle).
• Slider rows: label + HSlider with value label (settings_ui.gd add_slider).
• Action buttons: TabButton style (settings_ui.gd add_button, mod_main.gd debug buttons).
• Palette overlay: dim background + centered panel + search + results list + breadcrumbs (extensions/scripts/palette/palette_overlay.gd).
• Color picker: HSV plane, sliders, swatches, recents, RGBA inputs (extensions/scripts/ui/color_picker_panel.gd).
• Popup lists: PopupMenu used in group window for pattern selection (extensions/scenes/windows/window_group.gd).
• HUD buttons injected into existing containers (extras buttons, options bar, bottom-left panel).
• Notifications via Signals.notify.emit and Sound.play throughout.

C) Input model

• Palette: middle mouse button toggles (extensions/scripts/palette/palette_controller.gd), XButton1/XButton2 for back/forward. Keyboard in palette: arrows, Enter, Esc, Tab, Left/Backspace for back, Ctrl+F to favorite (extensions/scripts/palette/palette_overlay.gd).
• Wire clear: right-click on connector (extensions/scripts/wire_drop/wire_clear_handler.gd).
• Desktop: Ctrl+A selects all nodes (extensions/scripts/desktop.gd).
• Go To Group popup: Esc or click outside to close (extensions/scripts/utilities/goto_group_panel.gd).
• Settings button toggles panel; click outside closes (extensions/scripts/ui/settings_ui.gd, mod_main.gd _input).

Note: README mentions Spacebar for palette; no Spacebar handling exists in code.

D) Data & persistence

• Main mod config: user://tajs_mod_config.json managed by extensions/scripts/utilities/config_manager.gd.
• Palette config stored under "palette" inside the main config (extensions/scripts/palette/palette_config.gd), with migration from legacy user://tajs_mod_palette.json.
• Wire color overrides stored in wire_colors_hex inside mod config (wire_color_overrides.gd).
• Group custom data saved via save()/export() in extensions/scenes/windows/window_group.gd (pattern index, lock state, custom_color).
• Node limit stored in config and mirrored to Globals.custom_node_limit (mod_main.gd, extensions/scripts/globals.gd).
• Schematics saved through game Data.save_schematic with extended icon list (extensions/scripts/popup_schematic.gd).

E) Architecture overview

• Entry point: mod_main.gd preloads services, installs script extensions, and wires managers during _init and _ready.
• Services/managers: Config, ScreenshotManager, PaletteController, WireClearHandler, FocusHandler, WireColorOverrides, GotoGroupManager/Panel, NodeGroupZOrderFix, BuyMaxManager, CheatManager.
• Initialization flow: _init installs extensions and creates managers; _ready builds shared color picker, applies wire color overrides, applies node limit, injects bin window, defers sanitation; waits for Main/HUD before UI setup.
• Update loop: _process patches desktop once and refreshes node info label; avoids repeated heavy operations.
• Performance safeguards: deferred cache building for compatibility filter, debounced z-order fix, screenshot tiling to avoid oversized textures.

F) Constraints & risks

• Heavy reliance on specific scene tree paths (e.g., Main/MainContainer/Overlay, ExtrasButtons/Container, upgrades tab structure). Game UI refactors will break injections.
• Desktop script patching replaces script at runtime (patcher.gd patch_desktop_script), which can desync if base script changes.
• Wire compatibility cache loads each window scene to inspect ResourceContainers; can be expensive on large window sets.
• Wire color overrides mutate Data.resources and Data.connectors globally; other mods altering the same data can conflict.
• Bin window inputs skip tutorial to avoid breaking tutorial steps (window_bin.gd).
• Drag dead zone feature is blocked by a base class_name conflict (not implementable via script extension per comment in mod_main.gd).
• Palette input is hard-coded to mouse buttons and keyboard; no dynamic remap hook exists.

Potential breakpoints for game updates:

• Data.windows schema, Data.schematics shape, or connector APIs.
• Signal names/typos (e.g., Signals.connection_droppped) used by wire drop.
• Camera and HUD node names used by screenshot and UI injection.