Milestone Release: Theory & Power-Saving

[jimishol]

This release marks a significant milestone for the project, uniting the visualization engine with its complete theoretical framework.

🔋 Engine Updates: Power-Saving Pause

• Backend-Agnostic Freeze: Toggling playback (Pause) now completely freezes the 3D rendering loop across all backends.
• Battery Efficiency: This significantly reduces GPU/CPU usage when the visualizer is idle, making it much friendlier for laptop battery life.
• Smooth Transitions: Optimized resource management eliminates hitches when freezing/unfreezing the scene.

📐 Theoretical Framework: Umbilic-Surface Grammar

I have published the complete geometric logic behind the visualizations in the docs/ folder. This framework explains why the shapes move the way they do.

• The Grammar Spec: Defines the 3D coordinate system, token syntax, and navigation rules on the Circle-of-Fourths lattice.
• The Classical Filter: Explains how standard Western Tonal functions (Dominant, Subdominant) emerge naturally from the lattice topology.
• Case Study: Chopin Prelude No. 4: A bar-by-bar geometric decoding of the Prelude, demonstrating the "Shearing Effect" and "Decomposed Snaps" visible in the animation.

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The lattice offers a map; the music remains the territory.

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This discussion was created from the release Milestone Release: Theory & Power-Saving.

[jimishol]

For too long, music visualization has been merely descriptive—showing what notes are playing. I have built this Grammar to be structural—showing why they move.

I propose that Tonal Harmony is a rigorous topological system. While the composer is free to choose the path, the geometry determines the available roads. In the 'Chopin Case Study,' I demonstrate how the lattice accurately predicts the 'Deceptive Resolutions' that standard theory treats as accidents.

I invite theorists from institutions like IRCAM and MIT to examine this logic. If the geometry is flawed, refute it. If it is sound, then the standard for music visualization has just moved from 2D to 3D.