Trim recording loop and retain async worker state

docs/modernization/debt.md

@@ -18,6 +18,17 @@ agent or engineer to remove them without reconstructing context from chat.
 
 ## Reductions
 
+- 2026-06-16: `DEBT-0037` was narrowed again. `App::rec_loop()` in
+  `src/app.cpp` now routes its coherent frame encode/update chunk through a
+  local helper instead of carrying dirty-stroke clearing, equirect PBO
+  creation, the worker-side `yield`, `ImageRef` creation, encode, and frame
+  label refresh inline; retained recording loop control, readback call sites,
+  and MP4 execution remain.
+- 2026-06-16: `DEBT-0003` was narrowed again. The prepared-file worker in
+  `src/app_events.cpp` and the canvas async worker in `src/canvas.cpp` now sit
+  behind named retained local worker-state helpers instead of bare static
+  worker accessors; retained app/canvas singleton reach and broader runtime
+  ownership remain.
 - 2026-06-16: `DEBT-0003` was narrowed again. `src/main.cpp` now keeps Win32
   window handles, GL/task mutex state, stylus timers, splash-dialog state, and
   VR worker state behind one retained local state object instead of separate

docs/modernization/roadmap.md

@@ -133,7 +133,11 @@ Current architecture mismatches that must be treated as real blockers:
   ownership instead of raw global lifetime, and the Windows main-loop/VR
   coordination flags now use `std::atomic` instead of unsynchronized globals,
   while the main Win32 entrypoint now groups window/GL/task/VR state behind a
-  retained local state object instead of separate process-wide globals.
+  retained local state object instead of separate process-wide globals, the
+  prepared-file and canvas async workers now sit behind named retained local
+  worker-state helpers instead of bare static accessors, and `App::rec_loop()`
+  has a smaller local encode/update shell even though the retained recording
+  loop still owns the worker-side readback flow.
 - Modern C++23 usage exists in extracted components, especially `std::span`,
   explicit result/status objects, and a few concepts, but the live app still
   does not consistently express ownership, thread affinity, or renderer

docs/modernization/tasks.md

@@ -401,9 +401,15 @@ Current slice:
   workers with explicit UI-thread handoff
 - canvas async import/export/save/open and timelapse export now also use owned
   worker queues instead of detached threads
+- `src/app_events.cpp` prepared-file worker ownership and `src/canvas.cpp`
+  async import/export/save/open worker ownership now also sit behind named
+  retained local worker-state helpers instead of bare static worker accessors
 - preview background rendering, recording, and the retained
   `NodePanelGrid::bake_uvs()` worker now also use `std::jthread`, but their
   retained loop/control flow is still open
+- `App::rec_loop()` now routes its frame encode/update chunk through a local
+  helper, and `App::update()` no longer carries the dead update mutex residue,
+  but retained recording loop control and readback ownership are still open
 
 Write scope:
 - `src/canvas.cpp`

src/app.cpp

@@ -473,11 +473,6 @@ void App::draw(float dt)
 
 void App::update(float dt)
 {
-    static std::mutex mutex;
-
-    // avoid multiple threads to update the scene
-    //std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(mutex);
-    
     const auto update_plan = pp::app::plan_app_frame_update(redraw, animate);
     if (!update_plan.update_frame)
         return;
@@ -646,6 +641,33 @@ void App::rec_export(std::string path)
         LOG("Recording export action failed: %s", status.message);
 }
 
+namespace
+{
+    template <typename CanvasDocument>
+    void encode_recording_frame(
+        App& app,
+        pp::app::RecordingWorkerIterationPlan const& plan,
+        Canvas* legacy_canvas,
+        CanvasDocument* canvas_document,
+        CanvasEncoder* encoder)
+    {
+        if (plan.clear_dirty_stroke)
+            canvas_document->m_dirty_stroke = false;
+
+        PBO equirect = legacy_canvas->m_layers_merge.gen_equirect_pbo(encoder->frame_size());
+        std::this_thread::yield();
+
+        ImageRef img;
+        img.create(equirect.width, equirect.height, equirect.map());
+        encoder->encode(img);
+        equirect.unmap();
+        LOG("rec frame encoded");
+
+        if (plan.update_frame_label)
+            app.update_rec_frames();
+    }
+}
+
 void App::rec_loop()
 {
     BT_SetTerminate();
@@ -665,20 +687,7 @@ void App::rec_loop()
             break;
 
         if (plan.encode_frame && legacy_canvas && canvas_document && encoder)
-        {
+            encode_recording_frame(*this, plan, legacy_canvas, canvas_document, encoder);
-            if (plan.clear_dirty_stroke)
-                canvas_document->m_dirty_stroke = false;
-            PBO equirect = legacy_canvas->m_layers_merge.gen_equirect_pbo(
-                encoder->frame_size());
-            std::this_thread::yield();
-            ImageRef img;
-            img.create(equirect.width, equirect.height, equirect.map());
-            encoder->encode(img);
-            equirect.unmap();
-            LOG("rec frame encoded");
-            if (plan.update_frame_label)
-                update_rec_frames();
-        }
     }
 }
 

src/app_events.cpp

@@ -89,10 +89,19 @@ private:
     std::jthread worker_;
 };
 
-LegacyPreparedFileWorker& prepared_file_worker()
+struct RetainedPreparedFileWorkerState final {
+    void post(std::function<void()> task)
     {
-    static LegacyPreparedFileWorker worker;
+        worker.post(std::move(task));
-    return worker;
+    }
+
+    LegacyPreparedFileWorker worker;
+};
+
+RetainedPreparedFileWorkerState& retained_prepared_file_worker_state()
+{
+    static RetainedPreparedFileWorkerState state;
+    return state;
 }
 
 [[nodiscard]] GLint rgba8_internal_format() noexcept
@@ -284,7 +293,7 @@ void App::pick_file_save(const std::string& type, const std::string& default_nam
     LOG("App::pick_file_save %s", target.path.c_str());
     if (target.write_on_background_thread) {
         auto* app = this;
-        prepared_file_worker().post([
+        retained_prepared_file_worker_state().post([
             app,
             writer = std::move(writer),
             callback = std::move(callback),

src/canvas.cpp

@@ -102,10 +102,21 @@ private:
     std::jthread worker_;
 };
 
-LegacyCanvasAsyncWorker& canvas_async_worker()
+class RetainedCanvasAsyncWorkerState final {
+public:
+    void post(std::function<void()> task)
     {
-    static LegacyCanvasAsyncWorker worker;
+        worker_.post(std::move(task));
-    return worker;
+    }
+
+private:
+    LegacyCanvasAsyncWorker worker_;
+};
+
+RetainedCanvasAsyncWorkerState& canvas_async_worker_state()
+{
+    static RetainedCanvasAsyncWorkerState state;
+    return state;
 }
 
 GLint current_canvas_stroke_internal_format()
@@ -2846,7 +2857,7 @@ void Canvas::import_equirectangular(std::string file_path, std::shared_ptr<Layer
 {
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), layer = std::move(layer)] {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), layer = std::move(layer)] {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             import_equirectangular_thread(file_path, layer);
         });
@@ -2938,7 +2949,7 @@ void Canvas::export_equirectangular(std::string file_path, std::function<void()>
 {
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             export_equirectangular_thread(file_path);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3024,7 +3035,7 @@ void Canvas::export_depth(std::string file_name, std::function<void()> on_comple
 {
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, file_name = std::move(file_name), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, file_name = std::move(file_name), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             export_depth_thread(file_name);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3131,7 +3142,7 @@ void Canvas::export_layers(std::string path, std::function<void()> on_complete)
 {
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, path = std::move(path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, path = std::move(path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             export_layers_thread(path);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3157,7 +3168,7 @@ void Canvas::export_anim_frames(std::string path, std::function<void()> on_compl
 {
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, path = std::move(path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, path = std::move(path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             export_anim_frames_thread(path);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3182,7 +3193,7 @@ void Canvas::export_anim_mp4(std::string path, std::function<void()> on_complete
 {
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, path = std::move(path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, path = std::move(path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             export_anim_mp4_thread(path);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3220,7 +3231,7 @@ void Canvas::export_cube_faces(std::string file_name, std::function<void()> on_c
 {
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, file_name = std::move(file_name), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, file_name = std::move(file_name), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             export_cube_faces_thread(file_name);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3273,7 +3284,7 @@ void Canvas::project_save(std::function<void(bool)> on_complete)
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
         const auto file_path = App::I->doc_path;
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, file_path, on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, file_path, on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             bool ret = project_save_thread(file_path, true);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3287,7 +3298,7 @@ void Canvas::project_save(std::string file_path, std::function<void(bool)> on_co
     LOG("saving %s", file_path.c_str());
     if (App::I->check_license())
     {
-        canvas_async_worker().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+        canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
             BT_SetTerminate();
             bool ret = project_save_thread(file_path, true);
             if (on_complete)
@@ -3568,7 +3579,7 @@ bool Canvas::project_save_thread(std::string file_path, bool show_progress)
 
 void Canvas::project_open(std::string file_path, std::function<void(bool)> on_complete)
 {
-    canvas_async_worker().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
+    canvas_async_worker_state().post([this, file_path = std::move(file_path), on_complete = std::move(on_complete)]() mutable {
         BT_SetTerminate();
         bool result = project_open_thread(file_path);
         if (on_complete)