Deploy: pod_deploy.ps1 cockpit window layout + focus_dosbox.ps1 (renderer topmost, DOSBox focused)

Real-pod deployment launcher for the original VDB + octopus 4-head wiring:
VPX_COCKPIT borderless head windows (radar/win0 800,0; 3-color MFD/win4 1440,0;
2-color MFD/win3 2080,0; all 640x480) + the GL bridge as the main out-the-window
view (0,0, 800x600 via new BRIDGE_W/BRIDGE_H in live_bridge.py). Editable RECTS
at the top of the script for other rigs.

focus_dosbox.ps1 restores the deployment window state: renderer -> always-on-top
(WS_EX_TOPMOST, game view never covered) + DOSBox-X -> 10,10 with foreground
focus (keeps the emu thread at foreground priority so the RIO doesn't starve).
Coexist cleanly: topmost renderer stays above the focused-but-non-topmost DOSBox.
pod_deploy calls it last; re-run anytime the stack is disturbed. LAUNCH.md
documents both.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

emulator/LAUNCH.md

@@ -9,6 +9,27 @@ elevated previous instance).
 Boot to netnub-ready is ~4 min with sound (the SoundFont upload); add `-NoSound`
 to skip it.
 
+## Real-pod DEPLOYMENT (cockpit window layout)
+
+Formats the windows for the original VDB + octopus 4-head wiring: borderless
+VDB head windows on their VGA outputs + the GL bridge as the main out-the-window
+view, then parks DOSBox at 10,10 with focus (keeps the RIO fed).
+
+```powershell
+# BT looped drops, cockpit layout
+& .\emulator\render-bridge\pod_deploy.ps1
+
+# Red Planet, cockpit layout
+& .\emulator\render-bridge\pod_deploy.ps1 -Conf .\emulator\net_rp.conf
+```
+
+Layout (edit the RECTS at the top of `pod_deploy.ps1` for this rig's outputs):
+main/bridge `0,0` 800x600 · radar/win0 `800,0` · 3-color MFD/win4 `1440,0` ·
+2-color MFD/win3 `2080,0` (heads 640x480). Re-assert DOSBox focus anytime:
+`& .\emulator\render-bridge\focus_dosbox.ps1`. TODO: borderless-fullscreen main
+(BRIDGE_BORDERLESS), portrait-radar rotation in cockpit mode if this pod's radar
+CRT is sideways.
+
 ## Networked (console-driven) — the main ones
 
 ```powershell

emulator/render-bridge/focus_dosbox.ps1

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# Restore the deployment window state:
+#   1. the RENDERER (GL bridge, main out-the-window view) -> always-on-top
+#      (WS_EX_TOPMOST), so the game view is never covered.
+#   2. DOSBox-X -> parked at 10,10 with FOREGROUND FOCUS, so its emulation
+#      thread keeps foreground priority (else the RIO ACK deadline is missed
+#      and the board storms -- the RIO focus-sensitivity issue).
+# A topmost renderer stays visually above the focused-but-non-topmost DOSBox,
+# yet DOSBox remains the active window (priority boost). Run anytime the stack
+# gets disturbed (a capture, a click, new windows):  .\focus_dosbox.ps1
+param([int]$X = 10, [int]$Y = 10)
+Add-Type @'
+using System;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+public class DBFocus {
+  delegate bool EP(IntPtr h, IntPtr l);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern bool EnumWindows(EP cb, IntPtr l);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern int GetWindowTextA(IntPtr h, byte[] b, int m);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern bool IsWindowVisible(IntPtr h);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr h, IntPtr a, int x,int y,int w,int hh, uint f);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern bool SetForegroundWindow(IntPtr h);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern bool BringWindowToTop(IntPtr h);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern bool ShowWindow(IntPtr h, int c);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern IntPtr GetForegroundWindow();
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern uint GetWindowThreadProcessId(IntPtr h, out uint p);
+  [DllImport("user32.dll")] static extern bool AttachThreadInput(uint a, uint b, bool f);
+  [DllImport("kernel32.dll")] static extern uint GetCurrentThreadId();
+  static readonly IntPtr HWND_TOPMOST = new IntPtr(-1);
+  static IntPtr Find(string needle) {
+    IntPtr found=IntPtr.Zero;
+    EnumWindows((h,l)=>{ if(!IsWindowVisible(h)) return true;
+      byte[] b=new byte[256]; int n=GetWindowTextA(h,b,256);
+      if(n>0 && Encoding.ASCII.GetString(b,0,n).Contains(needle)){ found=h; return false; }
+      return true; }, IntPtr.Zero);
+    return found; }
+  static IntPtr FindRenderer() {
+    IntPtr h=Find("dpl3-revive renderer"); if(h!=IntPtr.Zero) return h;
+    return Find("VelociRender"); }
+  public static string Apply(int x, int y) {
+    string s="";
+    // 1) renderer -> topmost (keeps game view above everything)
+    IntPtr r=FindRenderer();
+    if(r!=IntPtr.Zero){ SetWindowPos(r, HWND_TOPMOST, 0,0,0,0, 0x0001|0x0002); s+="renderer topmost; "; }
+    else s+="renderer NOT found; ";
+    // 2) DOSBox -> 10,10 + foreground focus (RIO priority)
+    IntPtr d=Find("DOSBox-X");
+    if(d==IntPtr.Zero) return s+"DOSBox NOT found";
+    SetWindowPos(d, IntPtr.Zero, x,y, 0,0, 0x0001|0x0004);  // NOSIZE|NOZORDER
+    ShowWindow(d, 9);  // SW_RESTORE
+    uint pid; uint fg=GetWindowThreadProcessId(GetForegroundWindow(), out pid);
+    uint me=GetCurrentThreadId();
+    AttachThreadInput(me, fg, true);
+    BringWindowToTop(d); SetForegroundWindow(d);
+    AttachThreadInput(me, fg, false);
+    return s+"DOSBox at "+x+","+y+" focused="+(GetForegroundWindow()==d);
+  }
+}
+'@
+[DBFocus]::Apply($X, $Y)

emulator/render-bridge/live_bridge.py

@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ path = sys.argv[1]
 catchup = sys.argv[2] if len(sys.argv) > 2 else None
 board = VirtualBoard()
 board.munga = False
-r = Renderer(w=832, h=512,
+# BRIDGE_W/BRIDGE_H size the main out-the-window render window (default the
+# 832x512 debug size; pod deploy sets the main display's native res e.g.
+# 800x600). BRIDGE_BORDERLESS=1 drops the title bar for a kiosk deploy.
+r = Renderer(w=int(os.environ.get('BRIDGE_W', '832')),
+             h=int(os.environ.get('BRIDGE_H', '512')),
              title=f"dpl3-revive renderer (Dave) -- LIVE from our pod [{backend}]")
 r.fps = int(os.environ.get('BRIDGE_FPS', '60' if backend == 'GL' else '30'))
 # eye TRIM on top of the camera position (live; render window must be

emulator/render-bridge/pod_deploy.ps1

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Real-pod deployment launcher: cockpit window layout for the ORIGINAL VDB +
+# octopus 4-head wiring. Four VGA heads, each a borderless window on its
+# physical output:
+#   Head 1  main out-the-window  = the GL bridge window        -> 0,0
+#   Head 2  radar (HEAD C)       = win0 (VPX_WIN0)             -> 800,0
+#   Head 3  3-color MFD (HEAD B) = win4 (VPX_WIN4, UL+UC+UR)   -> 1440,0
+#   Head 4  2-color MFD (HEAD A) = win3 (VPX_WIN3, LL+LR)      -> 2080,0
+# The octopus/DB25 cable splits each MFD head's R/G/B wires to the mono MFDs.
+#
+# Edit the RECTS below to match this pod's extended-desktop output coordinates,
+# then:  .\pod_deploy.ps1                 (BT, looped drops)
+#        .\pod_deploy.ps1 -Conf ..\net_rp.conf   (Red Planet)
+param(
+    [string]$Conf = "$PSScriptRoot\..\net_loop.conf",
+    [switch]$NoSound
+)
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+
+# ---- POD DISPLAY LAYOUT (x,y[,w,h]); edit for this rig's outputs ----------
+$MAIN   = '0,0';   $MAIN_W = 800; $MAIN_H = 600   # GL bridge (out-the-window)
+$RADAR  = '800,0,640,480'      # Head C  -> win0
+$MFD3   = '1440,0,640,480'     # Head B, 3-color (UL/UC/UR) -> win4
+$MFD2   = '2080,0,640,480'     # Head A, 2-color (LL/LR)    -> win3
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# Cockpit window mode: borderless VDB head windows at the rects above.
+# VPX_COCKPIT overrides VPX_EXPLODE (which launch_pod sets), so we get the
+# 3 head windows (win0/win3/win4), not the 7-window debug spread.
+$env:VPX_COCKPIT = '1'
+$env:VPX_WIN0 = $RADAR
+$env:VPX_WIN4 = $MFD3
+$env:VPX_WIN3 = $MFD2
+# Main render window size = the main display's native res.
+$env:BRIDGE_W = "$MAIN_W"
+$env:BRIDGE_H = "$MAIN_H"
+
+$extra = @{}
+if ($NoSound) { $extra.NoSound = $true }
+# The GL bridge is the main head; park it at $MAIN's origin.
+& "$PSScriptRoot\launch_pod.ps1" -Conf $Conf -BridgePos $MAIN @extra
+
+# DOSBox to 10,10 with FOREGROUND FOCUS (keeps the emu thread at foreground
+# priority so the RIO doesn't starve). Small wait so the DOSBox window exists,
+# then focus it LAST so it wins over the bridge/head windows.
+Start-Sleep -Seconds 3
+& "$PSScriptRoot\focus_dosbox.ps1" -X 10 -Y 10
+
+Write-Host ""
+Write-Host "DEPLOY layout: main(bridge)=$MAIN  radar/win0=$RADAR  3col/win4=$MFD3  2col/win3=$MFD2"
+Write-Host "DOSBox parked at 10,10 with focus. If focus is lost later (head/bridge"
+Write-Host "windows, or a capture), re-run:  .\focus_dosbox.ps1"
+Write-Host "NOTE: VDB head windows are borderless 640x480. Main render window is"
+Write-Host "now sized to $MAIN_W`x$MAIN_H but still has its title bar -- a true kiosk"
+Write-Host "deploy wants it BORDERLESS on the main output (BRIDGE_BORDERLESS SDL"
+Write-Host "change, TODO). Radar is NOT rotated in cockpit mode (explode rotates it);"
+Write-Host "if this pod's radar CRT is portrait, flag it and we'll rotate win0."