ss14-sprite-overlays-shaders

name	ss14-sprite-overlays-shaders
description	Work with SS14 sprites, RSI metadata, sprite layers, overlays, custom visualizers, shaders, lighting-like client effects, and visual assets under `Resources/Textures` or client visual systems.

SS14 Sprites, Overlays, And Shaders

Use this skill when a change affects visual assets or client-side rendering.

Prefer data-driven sprite and appearance patterns before writing custom rendering code. When custom overlays or shaders are necessary, keep them client-only, narrow, and cheap.

Workflow

1. Choose the simplest visual path.

• Prototype sprite layers and GenericVisualizer are preferred for normal state-driven visuals.
• Custom client visualizers are for behavior that prototypes cannot express cleanly.
• Overlays and shaders are for screen/world rendering effects that are truly rendering concerns.

2. Keep visuals client-owned and state-driven.

• Gameplay state belongs in shared/server components.
• Client visuals should read appearance, networked state, or explicit visual events.
• Do not make rendering systems mutate authoritative gameplay state.

3. Preserve asset conventions.

• Keep RSI meta.json ordering and indentation consistent with repo rules.
• Put fork-only textures under _OpenSpace when applicable.
• Check license and attribution for new or ported art.

4. Watch render hot paths.

• Avoid allocations, broad entity scans, and expensive per-frame lookups in overlays.
• Cache resources and query only the data needed for drawing.
• Load ss14-standard-optimizations for overlays, shaders, or frequently updated visual systems.

5. Validate visuals.

• Run RSI validation for texture metadata changes.
• Build client code for overlay/shader changes.
• Prefer an in-game or screenshot pass when changing visible rendering.

Reference Map

• ../ss14-graphics-generic-visualizer-appearance/SKILL.md
• ../ss14-standard-optimizations/SKILL.md
• ../ss14-porting-and-licensing/SKILL.md
• ../ss14-prototypes-locale/SKILL.md

Good File Anchors

• Content.Client/**/*Overlay*.cs
• Content.Client/**/*Visualizer*.cs
• Content.Client/**/*Shader*.cs
• Resources/Textures/**
• Resources/Prototypes/**

Common Pitfalls

• Writing a custom overlay for a simple sprite-layer toggle.
• Putting visual-only code in shared or server assemblies.
• Adding RSI states without validating meta.json.
• Doing heavy entity queries or allocations every frame.