Generator Patterns

Shared patterns for organizing spec-first procedural asset generation. Optimized for maintainability and LLM context efficiency.

Core Principle: One Spec Per Asset

Every procedural asset (texture, normal, sound, instrument, mesh, character, animation) should have its own dedicated .spec.py file. This pattern provides:

1. LLM Context Efficiency - Load only lib + single asset file (~150 lines vs 500+)
2. Maintainability - Changes to one asset don't affect others
3. Discoverability - File name = asset name
4. Parallel Development - Multiple agents can work on different assets without conflicts
5. Testing - Generate a single category when iterating
6. Batch Generation - Single entry point: python .studio/generate.py

Standard Project Structure

project/
├── .studio/
│   ├── generate.py
│   ├── parsers/                  # Installed by /init-procgen
│   └── specs/
│       ├── textures/
│       ├── normals/
│       ├── sounds/
│       ├── instruments/
│       ├── music/
│       ├── meshes/
│       ├── characters/
│       └── animations/
└── generated/
    ├── textures/
    ├── normals/
    ├── meshes/
    ├── characters/
    ├── animations/
    ├── audio/
    │   └── instruments/
    └── tracks/

Spec File Template

Each spec file defines exactly one asset:

# .studio/specs/sounds/laser.spec.py
SOUND = {
    "sound": {
        "name": "laser",
        "category": "projectile",
        "duration": 0.25,
        "layers": [ ... ],
    }
}

File Size Limits

If a spec exceeds 200 lines, simplify structure or split into multiple assets.

References

• references/file-organization.md - Detailed organization guide
• references/zx-constraints.md - ZX budgets and constraints

Related Skills

• procedural-meshes - Mesh-specific generation techniques
• procedural-textures - Texture-specific generation techniques
• procedural-sprites - Sprite-specific generation techniques
• procedural-animations - Animation-specific generation techniques