Use when designing, implementing, or reviewing an audio plugin's user interface — knob layout, chassis composition, meter readability, signal-flow visualization, modulation halos, preset/A-B UI, DPI scaling, hardware-metaphor aesthetics, or pre-commit visual verification of plugin GUIs. Triggers on plugin UI mockups, knob/fader/segment work, plugin GUI builds in any framework (egui, JUCE, iPlug, Web Audio), and house-style decisions for Hyperfocus DSP / REXIST plugins.
Use whenever working on nih-plug / Rust audio plugins or audio-DSP Rust projects — VST3/CLAP, egui plugin UI, voice pool, sequencer, or real-time audio thread code. Triggers on mentions of nih-plug, VST3, CLAP, egui editor, audio thread, permit_alloc, assert_process_allocs, process() buffer, voice stealing, host transport, DAW persistence, or plugin bundling. Encodes proven patterns so new plugin work avoids re-inventing RT safety, audio/GUI sync, persistence, and bundling every time.