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Lesson 275: FMOD Playtest Menu Snapshot Spot Receipt on BUILD_RECEIPT (2026)

Direct answer: Before December 2026 playtest pins, promote fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1.json with P1–P6 gates—snapshot name crosswalk, pre-menu RTPC baseline, main menu OnEnter spot (no Combat on title without input), Settings/Credits submenu row, WebGL delta ≤ 1.5 dB, and BUILD_RECEIPT menu_snapshot_spot_ok: true. Pair FMOD menu snapshot preflight (Guide #37), 5-night FMOD menu challenge, and cousin Lesson 228 (90 s itch fest WebGL lane).

Lesson hero for FMOD menu snapshot spot BUILD_RECEIPT receipt

Why this matters now (November fest menu state churn)

November 2026 teams ship nightly playtest builds while Settings, Credits, and fest RC labels churn the menu state machine. Bevy Lesson 259 wires frame hitch receipts; 275 wires bus RTPC drift when facilitators report “combat music on title screen” while last week’s Profiler screenshot still shows green.

Lesson 274 promoted Unreal OTLP diligence; 275 promotes menu audio truth so Thursday row review diffs menu_snapshot_spot_ok beside demo_smoke_ok and loudness_spot_ok (Lesson 273)—audio regressions are not “subjective QA.”

Promotion order on BUILD_RECEIPT: demo_smoke_ok → menu_snapshot_spot_ok (when FMOD cohort active) → december_playtest_pin_allowed.

Beginner path (cold boot → menu → receipt)

Step Action Success check
1 Confirm Menu/Explore/Combat names in code P1 crosswalk
2 Log pre-menu bus baseline P2 screenshot
3 Open main menu on desktop build P3 no Combat without input
4 Open Settings or Credits P4 submenu RTPC logged
5 Repeat menu loop on itch WebGL P5 delta ≤ 1.5 dB
6 File receipt + BUILD_RECEIPT menu_snapshot_spot_ok: true

Time: ~45 minutes first menu refactor; ~12 minutes when Guide #37 preflight template exists.

Developer path (gates P1–P6)

Gate Check Fail when
P1 Snapshot strings match Studio export Stale registration after rename
P2 Pre-menu RTPC baseline No cold-start evidence
P3 Main menu OnEnter spot Combat audible on title without gameplay
P4 Submenu state spot Credits/settings drift undocumented
P5 WebGL row vs desktop Delta > 1.5 dB or combat pre-gesture
P6 Receipt + BUILD_RECEIPT Promote before P5 GREEN when WebGL cohort exists

Align with Guide #37—guide = ninety-second gate; 275 = BUILD_RECEIPT milestone with jq promotion.

Cousin receipt crosswalk

Field Cousin (228 WebGL fest) Cousin (playtest spot guide) This lesson (275)
Schema fmod_webgl_snapshot_receipt_v1 fmod_playtest_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1 fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1
Scope 90 s itch fest boot Combat duck delta Menu OnEnter + submenu RTPC
BUILD_RECEIPT fmod_webgl_snapshot_ok Optional preflight column menu_snapshot_spot_ok
Path release-evidence/audio/ Same tree Same tree

Do not merge JSON schemas—reference paths in cousin_receipts only.

P1 — Snapshot name crosswalk

After menu refactor, grep engine code for stale strings:

// Unity FMOD example — names must match Studio export
RuntimeManager.StudioSystem.lookupSnapshot("Menu");
RuntimeManager.StudioSystem.lookupSnapshot("Explore");
RuntimeManager.StudioSystem.lookupSnapshot("Combat");

Fail: Studio renamed Menu → Menu_Main but code still registers Menu.

P2 — Pre-menu baseline

Cold-start desktop playtest build (not Editor PIE-only). Capture FMOD Profiler or bus meter before first menu open:

Bus Baseline (dB) File
Master night_baseline.png
Music
SFX

Store under release-evidence/audio/menu-snapshot/.

P3–P4 — Desktop menu state spots

  1. Boot build matching BUILD_RECEIPT build_label.
  2. Open main menu—screenshot Profiler (P3).
  3. Navigate to Settings or Credits—second screenshot (P4).
  4. Confirm Combat snapshot did not trigger without gameplay input.

If Bevy menu flush Lesson 259 shows one-frame stall but RTPC correct—fix schedule separately; still file this receipt.

P5 — WebGL row (when itch cohort exists)

Field Desktop WebGL Pass
Menu music bus (dB) ≤ 1.5 dB delta
Pre-gesture silent N/A true No combat pre-click
gesture_probe N/A pointerdown_on_canvas Logged
Combat on menu false false Both surfaces

Pair WebGL gesture parity preflight when cold-tab fails P5.

P6 — fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1.json

{
  "schema": "fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1",
  "build_label": "november-fest-2026-rc3",
  "fmod_studio_version": "2.03.xx",
  "menu_state_spots": {
    "main_menu_on_enter_db": -18.0,
    "settings_submenu_db": -19.2,
    "credits_submenu_db": -20.1
  },
  "surfaces": {
    "desktop_playtest": { "menu_music_db": -18.2, "pass": true },
    "webgl_itch_playtest": { "menu_music_db": -17.6, "pass": true }
  },
  "cousin_receipts": {
    "fmod_playtest_snapshot_spot": "release-evidence/audio/FMOD_PLAYTEST_SNAPSHOT_SPOT_RECEIPT.json",
    "fmod_webgl_snapshot": "release-evidence/audio/FMOD_WEBGL_SNAPSHOT_RECEIPT.json",
    "bevy_menu_flush": "release-evidence/perf/BEVY_MENU_UI_FLUSH_RECEIPT.json"
  },
  "gates": {
    "P1_snapshot_names": "pass",
    "P2_baseline": "pass",
    "P3_menu_on_enter": "pass",
    "P4_submenu_state": "pass",
    "P5_webgl_row": "pass",
    "P6_receipt": "pass"
  },
  "menu_snapshot_spot_ok": true,
  "december_playtest_pin_allowed": true
}

Pin at release-evidence/audio/FMOD_MENU_SNAPSHOT_SPOT_RECEIPT.json.

BUILD_RECEIPT promotion jq

jq -e '
  .schema == "fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1" and
  .menu_snapshot_spot_ok == true and
  (.gates.P3_menu_on_enter == "pass")
' release-evidence/audio/FMOD_MENU_SNAPSHOT_SPOT_RECEIPT.json

Append BUILD_RECEIPT row:

{
  "menu_snapshot_spot_ok": true,
  "fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt": "release-evidence/audio/FMOD_MENU_SNAPSHOT_SPOT_RECEIPT.json",
  "december_playtest_pin_allowed": true
}

Rule: Keep fmod_playtest_snapshot_spot_ok (combat duck preflight) and menu_snapshot_spot_ok (this lesson) as separate columns—menu refactor can fail while combat duck still passes.

Proof table (facilitator audit)

Row Evidence GREEN when
P1 Code + Studio snapshot list Names match export
P2 night_baseline.png Cold-start baseline filed
P3 Main menu Profiler shot No Combat without input
P4 Submenu Profiler shot P4 drift ≤ 2 dB or noted
P5 WebGL vs desktop table Delta ≤ 1.5 dB
P6 BUILD_RECEIPT column menu_snapshot_spot_ok matches receipt

Key takeaways

  1. Re-spot after every menu state machine change—not once per fest (P3).
  2. Combat on title without input is P3 fail—even if last week’s duck check passed.
  3. WebGL row required when itch playtest runs beside Steam (P5).
  4. 5-night challenge owns facilitator rhythm; 275 owns BUILD_RECEIPT promotion.
  5. Lesson 228 = 90 s itch boot cousin—file both when cohorts overlap.
  6. Lesson 259 = frame hitch cousin—orthogonal to bus RTPC.
  7. Guide #37 preflight — ninety-second P1–P6 gate before this lesson.
  8. Playtest snapshot spot preflight owns combat duck receipt—not menu OnEnter.
  9. November capstone 276 wires 266–275 including this row.
  10. Wednesday smoke proves binary boot—does not read menu RTPC.

Common mistakes

  • Auditioning Combat=1 in Studio once—never re-spotting after menu code changes (P3).
  • Skipping Credits/Settings submenu after UX churn (P4).
  • Desktop-only spot when half the cohort uses itch WebGL (P5).
  • Merging fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt into fmod_playtest_snapshot_spot_receipt—separate schemas.
  • Setting menu_snapshot_spot_ok manually when jq gate fails (P6).
  • Assuming Lesson 228 covers menu OnEnter spots.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Lane
Combat audible on title P3 — audit default RTPC / snapshot trigger on menu OnEnter
Credits +2 dB surprise P4 — document in notes[] or fix blend
WebGL delta > 1.5 dB P5 — gesture parity + bank load receipts
Hitch but correct RTPC Bevy menu flush 259
Banks load, buses zero WebGL snapshot registration
Five-night ladder RED 5-night challenge Night 5 P6

Mini exercise (45 minutes)

  1. Grep snapshot registration strings vs Studio export (P1).
  2. Cold-boot desktop build; capture pre-menu baseline (P2).
  3. Main menu OnEnter Profiler screenshot—confirm no Combat (P3).
  4. Settings/Credits submenu screenshot (P4).
  5. itch WebGL 60 s menu loop + gesture probe (P5).
  6. File fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1.json and promote BUILD_RECEIPT for Thursday review.

Continuity — November 2026 fest close-out + playtest triage (266–276)

Lesson Receipt focus
274 Unreal OTLP corporate proxy diligence
275 (this) FMOD menu snapshot spot
276 November closeout capstone

Previous: Lesson 274 — Unreal OTLP corporate proxy diligence receipt
Next: Lesson 276 — November closeout truth capstone receipt

FAQ

Same as Guide #37?
Guide = ninety-second P1–P6 preflight; 275 = BUILD_RECEIPT menu_snapshot_spot_ok column + promotion jq.

Same as 5-night challenge?
Challenge owns five-night facilitator ladder; 275 owns receipt culture on BUILD_RECEIPT.

Same as Lesson 228?
228 = 90 s itch fest WebGL boot; 275 = menu OnEnter RTPC after state changes—cousin lanes, separate columns.

Same as playtest snapshot spot preflight?
Preflight owns fmod_playtest_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1 (combat duck); 275 owns fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1.

Can we skip WebGL when Steam-only?
Set receipt surfaces.webgl_itch_playtest.pass: null with waiver notes—document in facilitator README; do not fake P5 pass.

Does menu_snapshot_spot_ok replace loudness spot?
No—independent columns; wire Lesson 273 before Whisper batch.

Related GamineAI reads

Sign-off: Log before/after menu OnEnter RTPC, require WebGL row when cohort exists, file fmod_menu_snapshot_spot_receipt_v1.json, promote menu_snapshot_spot_ok on BUILD_RECEIPT—then reference the row in November capstone 276.