feat: add no-notifications mode

Suppress transient toasts and ambient parameter readouts for a clean
field. Start with --no-notifications; toggle live with Ctrl+N. Guards
push_msg and the ambient Tune surface; user-opened overlays (controls,
palette editor, dashboard, preset transitions) are unaffected. Listed in
the README controls table and the ? hints overlay.

Recapture the palette, charset, and randomize gallery demos with
notifications suppressed.

Author: tamirelazar

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ First public release.
 - README gallery: six looping demos of the runtime controls — palette cycling,
   character sets, preset transitions, randomize, live parameter tuning, and the
   palette editor (replaces the earlier static preset stills)
+- No-notifications mode: suppress transient toasts and ambient parameter
+  readouts for a clean field. Start with `--no-notifications`; toggle live with
+  `Ctrl+N`. User-opened overlays (controls, palette editor, dashboard, preset
+  transitions) are unaffected.
 - `vinescii` preset — the vines (flocking) pattern in pure ASCII
 - Experimental: multi-species, choir audio, and GUI (feature-gated); WASM build (standalone crate)
 

README.md

@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ lowercase increases and uppercase (Shift) decreases.
 | `Ctrl+Z` / `Ctrl+Y` | Undo / redo |
 | `h` | Controls panel |
 | `?` | Keyboard hints |
+| `Ctrl+N` | Toggle notifications (toasts + param readouts) |
 | `\` | Dashboard overlay |
 | `g` | Save current frame to PNG |
 | `q` | Quit |

assets/demos/charset-cycle.gif

@@ -1020,6 +1020,7 @@ pub fn run_simulation(
     runtime_state.active_overrides = startup_ov;
     runtime_state.preload_pause_logo(term_width as usize, term_height as usize);
     runtime_state.dither_mode = dither_mode;
+    runtime_state.notifications_enabled = !args.no_notifications;
     runtime_state.trail_age_enabled = args.trail_age;
     runtime_state.trail_delta_enabled = args.trail_delta;
     runtime_state.gradient_magnitude_enabled = args.gradient_magnitude;
@@ -3305,6 +3306,15 @@ pub fn run_simulation(
                                 runtime_state.on_modal_close();
                             }
                         }
+                        ControlAction::ToggleNotifications => {
+                            runtime_state.notifications_enabled =
+                                !runtime_state.notifications_enabled;
+                            // Confirm only when turning them back ON — push_msg is
+                            // a no-op while disabled, so an "off" toast can't show.
+                            if runtime_state.notifications_enabled {
+                                runtime_state.show_notification("Notifications on".to_string());
+                            }
+                        }
                         ControlAction::SetIntensityMapping(_) => {}
                         ControlAction::ShowConfigBrowser => {
                             runtime_state.close_all_overlays();
@@ -3535,9 +3545,12 @@ pub fn run_simulation(
                     // each adjust refreshes the hold so rapid adjusts extend it,
                     // then it eases back to BASE. This REPLACES any on-adjust
                     // toast (none existed — param adjusts only notify at bounds).
-                    if let Some(tune) =
+                    let tune_view = if runtime_state.notifications_enabled {
                         tune_view_for_action(&runtime_state, &action, &registry_ctx, agent_count)
-                    {
+                    } else {
+                        None
+                    };
+                    if let Some(tune) = tune_view {
                         const TUNE_HOLD_SECS: f32 = 2.5;
                         let now = runtime_state.phase_clock;
                         // Surface the focused param (debounced) and drop the

assets/demos/palette-cycle.gif

@@ -852,6 +852,13 @@ pub struct Args {
     /// Show the preset tagline during figlet/type transitions.
     pub transition_tagline: bool,
 
+    #[arg(
+        long = "no-notifications",
+        help = "Suppress transient notifications (toasts + ambient param readouts); toggle at runtime with Ctrl+N"
+    )]
+    /// Start with transient notifications suppressed. Toggle live with `Ctrl+N`.
+    pub no_notifications: bool,
+
     #[arg(
         long = "aspect",
         value_name = "RATIO",
@@ -2354,6 +2361,7 @@ impl Default for Args {
             chrome_style: None,
             transition: None,
             transition_tagline: false,
+            no_notifications: false,
             aspect: None,
             window_padding: None,
             frame_matte_cols: None,

assets/demos/randomize.gif

@@ -269,6 +269,12 @@ impl KeyboardHintsOverlay {
                 Left,
                 Left,
             )
+            .add_two_col(
+                "Ctrl+N     Notifications",
+                "g          Save frame PNG",
+                Left,
+                Left,
+            )
             .add_two_col(
                 "( / )      Window frame",
                 "F10        Cycle chrome",

src/app/runner.rs

@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ pub fn handle_key_event(key_event: &KeyEvent) -> ControlAction {
                 }
             }
             KeyCode::Char('y') | KeyCode::Char('Y') => return ControlAction::Redo,
+            KeyCode::Char('n') | KeyCode::Char('N') => return ControlAction::ToggleNotifications,
             _ => {}
         }
     }

src/cli.rs

@@ -371,6 +371,8 @@ pub enum ControlAction {
     CycleOptionsCategoryReverse,
     /// Toggle dashboard overlay (merged stats + info).
     ToggleDashboard,
+    /// Toggle transient notifications (toasts + ambient param readouts).
+    ToggleNotifications,
     /// Show configuration browser.
     ShowConfigBrowser,
     /// Show configuration save dialog.
@@ -813,6 +815,12 @@ pub struct RuntimeState {
     /// runner resolves the highest-priority live entry each frame via
     /// [`crate::render::ambient::resolve`].
     pub ambient_states: Vec<crate::render::ambient::AmbientState>,
+    /// When `false`, transient notifications are suppressed: toast messages
+    /// ([`push_msg`](Self::push_msg)) and the ambient `Tune` param readouts are
+    /// not surfaced, leaving the field clean. User-opened overlays (controls,
+    /// palette editor, dashboard, preset-transition) are unaffected. Toggled at
+    /// runtime with `Ctrl+N`; set false at launch via `--no-notifications`.
+    pub notifications_enabled: bool,
 }
 
 impl RuntimeState {
@@ -963,6 +971,7 @@ impl RuntimeState {
             glyph: crate::render::charset::GlyphConfig::default(),
             phase_clock: 0.0,
             ambient_states: vec![crate::render::ambient::AmbientState::Base],
+            notifications_enabled: true,
         }
     }
 
@@ -1873,6 +1882,11 @@ impl RuntimeState {
     /// At most one active MSG is kept. The duration is determined by `level`
     /// via [`crate::render::ambient::msg`].
     pub fn push_msg(&mut self, level: NotificationLevel, text: String) {
+        // Suppressed entirely when notifications are off, so no transient toast
+        // ever reaches the ambient stack.
+        if !self.notifications_enabled {
+            return;
+        }
         let now = self.phase_clock;
         // Remove any existing Msg entries so messages don't stack unbounded.
         self.ambient_states
@@ -2064,6 +2078,32 @@ mod tests {
         )
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn notifications_enabled_by_default_and_push_msg_surfaces_a_toast() {
+        let mut rs = create_test_runtime_state();
+        assert!(rs.notifications_enabled, "default should be enabled");
+        rs.push_msg(NotificationLevel::Info, "hello".to_string());
+        assert!(
+            rs.ambient_states
+                .iter()
+                .any(|s| matches!(s, crate::render::ambient::AmbientState::Msg { .. })),
+            "a Msg should be surfaced when notifications are enabled"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn disabled_notifications_suppress_push_msg() {
+        let mut rs = create_test_runtime_state();
+        rs.notifications_enabled = false;
+        rs.push_msg(NotificationLevel::Info, "hidden".to_string());
+        assert!(
+            !rs.ambient_states
+                .iter()
+                .any(|s| matches!(s, crate::render::ambient::AmbientState::Msg { .. })),
+            "no Msg should be surfaced when notifications are disabled"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn reset_transient_clears_transient_flags() {
         let mut rs = create_test_runtime_state();