Ride: play the viz on the windshield

The dash radio (0.6x0.35) and lucky billboards were the only viz surfaces, so pinned viz never read on Ride cards. A raked windshield plane across the cabin front carries the same viz texture feed at 4x the area, front-hemisphere only like real glass, with A-pillars seating it. Verified front/rear/side in the orientation rig and viz-bound in full composite.

flow-state/src/venues/ride.js

@@ -42,13 +42,18 @@ export const ride = {
     // Venue RTT: the compositor calls this with the finished viz texture after
     // compositing the viz stack into vizTarget. The radio screen samples it,
     // so the viz plays ON the dash rather than composited over the venue —
-    // and so does the roadside billboard when the seed placed one.
+    // and so does the windshield below and the roadside billboard when the
+    // seed placed one.
     bindVizTexture(instance, texture) {
         if (!instance || !texture) return;
         if (instance.radioMat && instance.radioMat.emissiveMap !== texture) {
             instance.radioMat.emissiveMap = texture;
             instance.radioMat.needsUpdate = true;
         }
+        if (instance.shieldMat && instance.shieldMat.emissiveMap !== texture) {
+            instance.shieldMat.emissiveMap = texture;
+            instance.shieldMat.needsUpdate = true;
+        }
         if (instance.billMat && instance.billMat.emissiveMap !== texture) {
             instance.billMat.emissiveMap = texture;
             instance.billMat.needsUpdate = true;
@@ -339,7 +344,7 @@ export const ride = {
             skyMesh: sky.mesh, skyMat: sky.mat,
             crew,
             ambient, key, tail,
-            radioMat: null, radioMesh: null, billPanel: null,
+            radioMat: null, radioMesh: null, shieldMat: null, shieldMesh: null, billPanel: null,
             bodyMeshes: [],
             seed,
             venueSpec: venueSpec || null,
@@ -527,6 +532,43 @@ export const ride = {
             instance.radioMesh = radio;
             instance.bodyMeshes.push(radio);
 
+            // Windshield: the viz at a size worth looking at. A raked plane
+            // across the cabin front, same emissiveMap feed as the radio —
+            // the dash screen is for the crew, this is the one the chase
+            // camera actually sees. Front hemisphere only (single-sided):
+            // from behind it reads as dark glass, like a real windshield.
+            // Clears the dash (top 0.87 at z ≥ -1.09) and the crew (z ≥ -0.4).
+            const shieldMat = new T.MeshStandardMaterial({
+                color: new T.Color(0.02, 0.02, 0.02),
+                emissive: new T.Color(1, 1, 1),
+                emissiveIntensity: 1.0,
+                roughness: 0.4, metalness: 0.2,
+            });
+            const shield = new T.Mesh(new T.PlaneGeometry(1.44, 0.44), shieldMat);
+            shield.position.set(0, 0.8, -1.14);
+            // Face up-forward: lookAt aims +z at the target, so the normal
+            // lands ~23° off vertical — a raked windshield, not a billboard.
+            // Car group is at identity in build, so local == world here.
+            shield.lookAt(0, 3.0, -6.0);
+            shield.name = 'windshield';
+            instance.car.add(shield);
+            instance.shieldMat = shieldMat;
+            instance.shieldMesh = shield;
+            instance.bodyMeshes.push(shield);
+            // A-pillars so the glass sits in the car instead of hovering over
+            // it: thin struts from the cabin top to the glass top corners.
+            const pillarMat = new T.MeshStandardMaterial({
+                color: new T.Color(0.05, 0.05, 0.06), roughness: 0.6, metalness: 0.3,
+            });
+            for (const side of [-1, 1]) {
+                const pillar = new T.Mesh(new T.BoxGeometry(0.05, 0.37, 0.05), pillarMat);
+                pillar.position.set(side * 0.7, 0.83, -1.1);
+                pillar.rotation.x = 0.31;
+                pillar.name = 'pillar';
+                instance.car.add(pillar);
+                instance.bodyMeshes.push(pillar);
+            }
+
             // Headlight cones: two small translucent wedges so chase mode
             // reads. Kept short and faint — long cones filled the frame.
             const beamMat = new T.MeshBasicMaterial({
@@ -791,6 +833,13 @@ export const ride = {
             instance.radioMat.emissive.setRGB(1, 1, 1);
             instance.radioMat.emissiveIntensity = (params.light || 0.85) * (0.7 + l * 0.7);
         }
+        // Windshield glow, same feed, slightly restrained — it is 4x the
+        // radio's area and would blow out at the same intensity.
+        if (instance.shieldMat) {
+            const l = vState ? vState.light : 1;
+            instance.shieldMat.emissive.setRGB(1, 1, 1);
+            instance.shieldMat.emissiveIntensity = (params.light || 0.85) * (0.55 + l * 0.55);
+        }
         // Ground follows horizon like the stage field.
         instance.road.position.y = -1.15 + (spaceHorizon - 0.5) * 0.6;