---
title: "Tyre Round 1 — RegionHint API, anti-squaring, determinism/perf"
workshop: tile-derivation-contract
participant: Tyre
round: 1
date: 2026-06-07
---

# Tyre Round 1: The Derivation API Contract

## Framing the problem correctly

The 78 km → 1 km → 64 m → 1 m span is not a single derivation problem — it is
three distinct problems with different failure modes, and conflating them is how
you get squaring. My position up front: **each scale boundary needs a different
coherence mechanism**, and the `RegionHint` I sketched earlier needs to be split
into three typed carriers, one per boundary. The overall structure is:

```
Layer 1 cell (78 km)    → RegionProfile  (region-scale morphology zone + parameters)
RegionProfile           → ChunkContext   (64 m, resolved from heightmap position)
ChunkContext + seed     → VoxelColumn    (1 m, the actual derive call)
```

The `RegionHint` name survives but becomes specifically the `RegionProfile` — the
thing the region-level pass fills once and hands to all chunks within it.

---

## Scale boundary 1: 78 km cell → ~1 km region (RegionProfile)

This boundary is **classification**, not interpolation. A region does not gradually
become a fjord coast — it is or it isn't, based on contextual inputs. The squaring
risk here is not visual grid artifacts; it is abrupt zone transitions at region edges.

### What the 78 km cell hands down

The Layer 1 outputs already available per D-208 / D-209 / D-227:
- `elevation` (f32 heightmap, but read as integer-scaled u16 per D-010)
- `flow_accumulation` (D8 integer count)
- `flow_direction` (D8 integer 0–7)
- `sub_biome` (D-210 / D-228 — climate + vegetation zone)
- `river_network` membership (bool)

What the region pass adds (runs once per region, stored as `RegionProfile`):

```rust
pub struct RegionProfile {
    // Classification inputs — all integer or enum
    pub morphology_zone: MorphologyZone,   // fjord / meander / delta / etc.
    pub lithology:       Lithology,        // resolved from body parameters + elevation strata
    pub glaciation:      GlaciationGrade,  // 0..4 integer grade
    pub slope_class:     SlopeClass,       // Flat / Gentle / Steep / Cliff (computed from 3×3 elev kernel)
    pub drainage_class:  DrainageClass,    // None / Ephemeral / Perennial / Major
    pub sea_level_margin: i32,             // elevation - sea_level, integer metres

    // Morphology algorithm selector — derived from all above
    pub morphology_family: MorphologyFamily,

    // Parameters handed to ChunkContext
    pub relief_amplitude:  u16,  // max voxel-height variation within region, integer metres
    pub meander_intensity: u8,   // 0–255 integer
    pub erosion_grade:     u8,   // 0–255 integer
    pub dune_orientation:  u8,   // compass octant (0–7), prevailing wind
}
```

`MorphologyZone` is the D-228 "region-level morphology zone" field, resolved here.
`MorphologyFamily` is the algorithm selector — that is Gestalt's domain to enumerate;
I just need to know what I am selecting between.

### Lithology: resolving the ocean/lake mask gap

Q-101 flags the D-223 ocean-polygon removal as an "unowned dependency". My resolution:
**sea-level threshold + flood-fill from heightmap edge, all integer**.

```rust
fn classify_water_body(
    body_params: &BodyParams,    // has sea_level, radius
    elevation_grid: &Grid<u16>, // integer-scaled metres
    pos: (u16, u16),
) -> WaterBodyClass {
    // cells below sea_level threshold that are connected to the heightmap
    // edge (flood-fill) → ocean; isolated depressions below sea_level → lake
}
```

This is a single flood-fill pass — O(n) over the Layer-1 grid (512×256 = 131k cells),
produces a bitmask. Deterministic, integer-only, no authored polygon dependency.
Lithology strata are body-class parameters (tectonic activity, age) → integer lookup
table per `(body_class, elevation_band)`. No f32 in classification.

### Region boundary blending (anti-squaring at this boundary)

The morphology zone must not flip discretely at region edges. Mechanism: **dual
classification with a blending weight**, resolved at the `ChunkContext` level.

Each region classifies to a primary and a secondary `MorphologyFamily`, with an
integer weight `primary_weight: u8` (255 = fully primary, 128 = equal mix). Chunks
near region boundaries inherit both families and blend their parameter tables.
The boundary width is one chunk (64 m) on each side — chosen to be invisible at
normal view distances and narrow enough not to corrupt chunk interiors.

---

## Scale boundary 2: ~1 km region → 64 m chunk (ChunkContext)

This is the **critical** boundary for squaring. Adjacent chunks from different
regions must tile seamlessly. The failure mode here is visible grid lines where
chunk borders coincide with region zone changes.

### ChunkContext struct

```rust
pub struct ChunkContext {
    // Position identity
    pub chunk_pos: ChunkPos,          // integer chunk grid coordinates
    pub chunk_seed: SeedChain,        // SeedChain::derive(Block, chunk_id)

    // Inherited from RegionProfile (primary)
    pub primary: RegionProfile,

    // Boundary blending — present only for boundary chunks
    pub secondary: Option<RegionProfile>,
    pub blend_weight: u8,             // 255 = fully primary (no blend)

    // Heightmap slice — integer, resolved at chunk resolution
    pub elevation_min: u16,
    pub elevation_max: u16,
    pub elevation_grid: [u16; 64*64], // 4096 u16 values, bilinear from Layer 1 → chunk res

    // Flow data at chunk resolution
    pub flow_direction: [u8; 64*64],  // D8 octant per chunk-scale cell
    pub river_cells: u64,             // bitmask of 8×8 macro-cells with river presence
}
```

`ChunkContext` is **computed once per chunk** and cached per D-227 (same eviction
tier as the derived tile data itself). Computing it requires reading the four
surrounding `RegionProfile` records plus the heightmap tile. Cost: integer arithmetic
over 64×64 arrays — well under 1 ms.

### Anti-squaring: domain warping at the chunk scale

The principal technique for seam-free transitions at chunk boundaries is
**position-domain warping using a global continuous noise field** — matching the
D-228 "global, position-keyed continuous noise field — never per-chunk" directive
for the cohesion matrix at the material layer.

The same principle applies at the morphology level: the warping offsets are derived
from a **global field** keyed on (body_id, world_seed), evaluated at any (x, y)
position. Any chunk can independently compute the warp offset for any position
within or adjacent to itself — producing identical values for the shared boundary.
This is the structural guarantee of seam-freedom: warp values are global functions,
not per-chunk state.

Concretely:

```rust
fn warp_offset(seed: u64, body_id: u64, x: f64, y: f64) -> (f64, f64) {
    // Two independent value-noise fields (no coherent noise dependency)
    // Using integer-grid hash + bilinear interpolation to keep it f64-confined
    // Returns sub-voxel displacement in (dx, dy), magnitude capped at ~8m
}
```

The warp magnitude (~8 m maximum) is chosen to be larger than one tile (1 m) but
smaller than a chunk (64 m). This means:
- Chunk-grid lines are visibly displaced by up to 8 m in both directions
- No straight-line grid artifact can persist for more than 8 m
- Adjacent chunks compute the warp for their shared edge independently and get
  identical values (pure function of world coordinates + seed)

The warp is applied in **world-space coordinates before the morphology algorithm runs** —
the algorithm sees warped positions and produces terrain that has no knowledge of
the chunk grid. The chunk boundary is invisible because neither algorithm has it.

### Relation to the D-227 chunk cache

The domain-warp field does not need to be cached separately. Each chunk computes
warp offsets only for its own tiles (the 64×64 grid) plus a 16-tile overlap margin
on each side (for the blend zone). This overlap is cheap — 96×96 evaluations vs 64×64.
The warp function itself is O(1) per position; the cost scales with chunk area, not
with neighbor count.

---

## Scale boundary 3: 64 m chunk → 1 m voxel (the derive call)

This is where D-227's `subtile(x,y,z) = derive(seed, atlas, position)` lives.

### Refined function signature

```rust
pub fn derive_voxel(
    ctx: &ChunkContext,     // pre-computed chunk context (cached)
    pos: VoxelPos,          // integer (x, y, z) — 1 m resolution
) -> TileAxes {
    // Returns the D-228 composite:
    // TerrainMaterial, FloorMaterial, Vegetation, Water, elevation
}

pub struct TileAxes {
    pub terrain_material: TerrainMaterial,  // u8 enum
    pub floor_material:   FloorMaterial,    // u8 enum
    pub vegetation:       VegetationKind,   // u8 enum
    pub water:            WaterDepth,       // u8 enum
    pub elevation:        u16,              // integer metres
}
```

The `pos` parameter carries world-space coordinates, not chunk-local coordinates.
The algorithm:

1. Apply `warp_offset(ctx.chunk_seed.seed(), body_id, pos.x, pos.y)` — warp the
   position.
2. If `ctx.blend_weight < 255`: resolve `TileAxes` twice (primary + secondary
   `RegionProfile`), then integer-blend the parameters before selecting materials.
   The blend uses the same warp offset to prevent the blend seam from aligning with
   the chunk edge.
3. Call the `MorphologyFamily`-specific derivation function with the `ChunkContext`
   parameters.
4. Derive `TerrainMaterial` from `lithology + elevation + slope`.
5. Derive `Vegetation` from `sub_biome + terrain_material + elevation`.
6. Derive `Water` from regional water-height vs `elevation` (the D-228 cheap
   seasonal/tidal water model).
7. Return `TileAxes`.

Step 3 is Gestalt's domain (the morphology algorithm implementations). The contract
from my side: each family receives `ChunkContext` + warped position and returns an
`ElevationDelta: i16` (delta from the base heightmap elevation, signed, integer metres).
That delta feeds into step 4 onward.

### Structural decisions (D-010 integer discipline)

All structural decisions — which material, which morphology zone, which elevation band —
are **integer-only**. f64 is confined to the warp offset computation and any
within-voxel interpolation. This is not ceremonial: D-227 makes it save-critical.
A single f32 comparison that flips on a different hardware FPU would desync every
mutator reference in a save file.

Specific constraints I am placing:
- `ElevationDelta` is `i16` (integer metres). No sub-voxel elevation in the
  structural layer. Sub-voxel geometry is a render concern (shape-from-material,
  D-228: "sand slumps to angle of repose, rock breaks to vertical face").
- Material selection is a series of integer comparisons / lookup table reads.
- The warp offset is f64 during computation but is immediately truncated to an
  `i16` (integer metre displacement) before any structural decision uses it.
  The sub-metre remainder is discarded — only the rendered visual uses sub-voxel
  precision, and that is a client concern.

---

## Performance contract

Target: <5 ms per chunk, per D-227.

Budget breakdown (64×64 = 4,096 tiles per chunk):

| Work item | Cost estimate | Basis |
|-----------|--------------|-------|
| `ChunkContext` construction (once per chunk) | ~0.2 ms | 4×4 RegionProfile lookups + 64×64 integer array ops |
| Warp offset computation (4,096 + margin positions) | ~0.5 ms | ~5,000 hash + bilinear evaluations |
| Morphology algorithm (4,096 tiles, varies by family) | ~1–3 ms | family dependent; Gestalt/Troblum to validate |
| Material + vegetation + water derivation (4,096 tiles) | ~0.5 ms | integer table lookups |
| **Total** | **~2.2–4.2 ms** | headroom for complex families |

The chunk cache means this cost is paid once per chunk per play session (or per
Atlas view request). Adjacent chunks share no mutable state; they are embarrassingly
parallel under Rayon (D-208 precedent).

The `ChunkContext` is the critical cache object — it amortizes the `RegionProfile`
lookups across all 4,096 tile derivations in the chunk. Evicting a chunk from cache
means recomputing its `ChunkContext` plus all tile derivations; the `RegionProfile`
cache above it is longer-lived (one per ~1 km region vs one per 64 m chunk).

---

## What I need from teammates

**From Gestalt:**
- The ≥6 morphology family names and their context selectors, so I can populate
  `MorphologyFamily` as a typed enum with explicit `#[repr(u8)]` discriminants
  (stability requirement — same as `SeedDomain`).
- The `ElevationDelta` range each family can produce. I need to know if any family
  wants sub-voxel precision (answer: no — see D-010 argument above) or more than
  ±255 m variation within a chunk (answer: physically implausible for a 64 m chunk).
- Any context inputs the family selector needs beyond what `RegionProfile` already
  carries. My position: `RegionProfile` should be sufficient; if a family needs a
  per-tile input not in `RegionProfile`, that is a signal the classification belongs
  at the `ChunkContext` level, not the voxel level.

**From Troblum:**
- Stress-test the warp budget specifically. 5,000 hash + bilinear evaluations in
  0.5 ms is ~90 ns/evaluation — plausible on modern hardware but worth verifying.
  The warp can be precomputed into a lookup grid within the `ChunkContext` if that
  is faster, at the cost of ~12 KB of additional cache memory per chunk.
- Validate the `ChunkContext` construction cost. The 64×64 integer bilinear
  interpolation from Layer-1 resolution to chunk resolution is ~8× upsampling;
  that should be fast but Troblum should confirm.

**From Miri:**
- Which morphology zones need sub-region variation within a single 64 m chunk?
  For example: a meander reach with an oxbow lake needs the lake to appear within
  a chunk that the region classifies as "meander reach". Does that require a
  secondary zone classification at the chunk level, or does the morphology algorithm
  handle it internally?
- The D-228 "named features matter for the wiki/atlas" list — which ones require
  the `RegionProfile.morphology_zone` to be queryable at Atlas-generation time?
  That determines whether `RegionProfile` needs to be persisted to the layer cache
  or can be recomputed on Atlas queries.

---

## Open issues I am flagging for Round 2

1. **River flow direction at the voxel level.** Q-101 notes "river flow direction
   derives from the D8 network at query time." The D8 network is Layer-1 resolution
   (512×256). At 1 m voxel resolution, a river cell needs flow direction at meter
   scale. The meander algorithm (Gestalt's domain) presumably drives local course
   variation — but does the D8 direction act as a basin-scale constraint or a
   cell-level input? This affects whether `flow_direction` in `ChunkContext` is
   one value per chunk or one value per 8×8 macro-cell within the chunk.

2. **`RegionProfile` persistence vs recompute.** The Atlas viewer (D-225) currently
   caches `Layer1Output` (rivers, basins, attractors). `RegionProfile` is a finer
   grain. For Phase 4 Atlas use, we may want to compute `RegionProfile` lazily on
   Atlas request rather than precomputing for all regions — the number of regions
   per body is on the order of 78km/1km ≈ ~6,000 per body. That is cheap to
   recompute on demand but expensive to precompute at atlas-load time for all bodies.

3. **`MorphologyFamily` transition zones and pathological adjacencies.** What happens
   when a fjord coast is adjacent to a meander delta? The blend mechanism handles it
   at the chunk level but the `RegionProfile` classifier needs to produce a sensible
   `secondary` morphology zone for the boundary chunks. This requires the
   morphology-zone vocabulary (Gestalt's Round 1 output) before Round 2 can finalize.

4. **Body-class modulation of `RIVER_THRESHOLD`.** Q-101 flags this. My position:
   `RIVER_THRESHOLD` should be a body parameter computed from `(hydrosphere, tectonic_activity,
   precipitation_class)` using an integer lookup table. This gives Nigel the handle
   without touching the D8 algorithm itself. The lookup table lives in `body_params.rs`
   alongside other per-body scalar parameters.