joelgraff

Evaluating and Refining Your Puzzle Categories
Your categories provide a solid foundation for puzzle design in VCF Quest, especially since the game revolves around vendor interactions, item trading, knowledge exchange, and exploration in a retro computing-themed environment. They align well with adventure game tropes, drawing from your specified actions (Buy, Sell, Trade, Look, Ask, Tell, Take, Give) and vendor data (items, facts, additional puzzle-related assets). The emphasis on procedural variety—making puzzles differ each run—is key, and these categories can support that through randomization of elements like involved NPCs, required items/facts, dependencies, and rewards.
I’ll break down my thoughts on each category: what’s strong, any potential issues (e.g., vagueness or overlap), and suggestions for refinement. Then, I’ll propose additions to make the set more comprehensive, ensuring it covers a broader range of puzzle mechanics while staying true to the game’s theme. Finally, I’ll outline a high-level 

joelgraff

{
  "vendors": [
    {
      "id": "vendor_a",
      "name": "Apple Vintage Collection",
      "booth": "A",
      "description": "Early Apple computers, peripherals, and rare prototypes from Cupertino",
      "x": 112,
      "y": 96,
      "items": [

joelgraff

Sub GenerateCalendarDaysCSV()
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Dim startDate As Date
    Dim currentDate As Date
    Dim i As Long
    Dim totalDays As Long
    Dim holidays As Collection
    Dim holidayWeekFridays As Collection
    Dim isIncluded As Boolean
    Dim weekStart As Date

joelgraff

# source_screen_ui.py: UI setup for SourceScreen
#
# Overview:
# Defines the setup_ui function for the Local Files screen.
# Sets up file list, USB/Internal toggles, TV output toggles, Play/Stop/Schedule buttons, Back button, and playback state label.
#
# Recent Changes (as of June 2025):
# - Fixed 'setAlignment' error on Back button using QHBoxLayout.
# - Extracted hardcoded values to config.py.
# - Updated filepaths to use /home/admin/kiosk/ project root (except VIDEO_DIR).

joelgraff

import numpy as np
from shapely.geometry import Polygon, Point
from geometry_utils import is_inside_polygon

def parameterize_boundary(poly, min_points=50):
    """Parameterize a polygon boundary by arc length, ensuring sufficient points."""
    if not poly.is_valid:
        raise ValueError("Invalid polygon provided for parameterization.")
    coords = list(poly.exterior.coords)[:-1]
    if len(coords) < 3:

joelgraff

import numpy as np
from shapely.geometry import Polygon
from shapely.affinity import scale

def generate_elliptical_core(a=8, b=8):
    return {'type': 'ellipse', 'a': a, 'b': b}

def generate_core_polygon(core_shape, scale_factor=1.0, min_points=87):  # Reduced to match
    """Generate a Shapely polygon for the core with at least min_points."""
    if core_shape['type'] != 'ellipse':

joelgraff

Yes, it is possible to shape the grid edges to follow the hull’s shape and interpolate between the outer and inner hulls, rather than simply laying a regular grid over the deck and trimming it. This can be achieved by using a mapped grid that adapts to the deck’s geometry while maintaining a structured layout. Below, I’ll explain how this works and why it’s a great fit for your procedural starship deck layout generator.

What Does This Mean?
When you talk about shaping the grid edges to follow the hull and interpolating between the outer hull (the perimeter) and the inner hull (the core), you’re asking for a grid that:
	•	Conforms to the hull’s shape at the boundary.
	•	Transitions smoothly from the core to the hull.
	•	Avoids the irregular or partial cells that result from trimming a regular grid.
Instead of starting with a rigid, square grid and cutting it to fit, we can design a grid that naturally molds to the deck’s contours while still being usable for room placement.

How It Works: The Mapped Grid Appr