Fix mouse look swallowing by the HUD

Move guard look handling to the _input stage, recapture the cursor on
window-focus return and when clicking back into gameplay, and make HUD controls
mouse-transparent. Add regression tests for yaw/pitch and HUD mouse filters.
Verified under Xvfb with real relative mouse motion. Headless 237/237, Python
94/94, movement smoke 60 fps.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@ All notable user-facing changes to Gig Line. The format follows
 [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/), and versions use
 Semantic Versioning.
 
+## [0.7.3] — 2026-11-01
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Mouse look now reads relative motion at the `_input` stage, so a full-screen
+  HUD or focused control cannot swallow it while the cursor is captured.
+- Mouse capture is restored after window/compositor focus returns, and clicking
+  back into a gameplay window recaptures it instead of opening the radial menu.
+- The HUD is mouse-transparent; its presentation controls no longer block
+  gameplay mouse input.
+
 ## [0.7.2] — 2026-11-01
 
 ### Added

MEMORY.md

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
 - Shift length is the scenario's `shift_duration_s` (900 s in all three venues). Tests and the screenshot tool override elapsed time; they do not change the default.
 - RNG: NPC reactions and event scheduling are seedable for deterministic tests.
 
+- **Mouse look (v0.7.3):** guard look is handled in `GuardController._input()` (before GUI), not `_unhandled_input`; focus/click-back recaptures the cursor and the HUD is made mouse-transparent recursively. Regression tests cover yaw/pitch and HUD filters.
 - **Tutorial foundation (0.8.0 work):** `docs/tutorial.md` is the eight-beat design; `src/game/tutorial.gd` is a pure `RefCounted` state machine with skip/restart and tests. It is not yet wired into `GameManager`; when wiring it, add an explicit QA bypass because captures/smokes would otherwise see prompts.
 - **Documentation ownership (2026-11-01):** `docs/architecture.md` §12 defines the source-of-truth map and consolidation rules. Obsolete/historical plan documents are removed rather than kept; current work belongs in `TODO.md`. README/development-status/Blender AO/Forward+ stale claims were corrected. The v1.0.0 gap register and 0.8/0.9/0.9.5/1.0 roadmap live in `TODO.md`.
 - **Vision judge (v0.7.2):** `tools/openrouter_judge.py` reads `/api/v1/models`, filters image-input models with `response_format`, and ranks by advertised prompt/image/completion prices. `--model auto` (default) uses the cheapest (`z-ai/glm-5.3-flash` on 2026-11-01) with fallbacks; explicit `--model`/`GIG_LINE_JUDGE_MODEL` wins. Auth errors abort, provider/model errors fall through. Full screen judge 13/13 match, 0 diff; A/B judge ~$0.006.

PLAN.md

@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ Primary decisions: [ADR-0007](docs/adr/0007-locomotion-and-input-layers.md), [AD
 
 ## Versioning and Delivery
 
-`config/version` in `project.godot` is the single version source (currently `0.7.2`). Releases are tagged `v<version>`; the CI pipeline builds and publishes the standard artifacts plus the optional Desktop HQ zip. Version bumps follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/). See [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md) and [`README.md`](README.md) for commands.
+`config/version` in `project.godot` is the single version source (currently `0.7.3`). Releases are tagged `v<version>`; the CI pipeline builds and publishes the standard artifacts plus the optional Desktop HQ zip. Version bumps follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/). See [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md) and [`README.md`](README.md) for commands.
 
 ## Design Direction
 

README.md

@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ precision walk, the Joke Shop alley, the TV Studio arrival, and the prop lineup.
 > Downloads are public (no sign-in required) since the host's instance-wide
 > `REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW` was disabled on 2026-10-31.
 >
-> **Latest: v0.7.2** — a cost-aware OpenRouter screenshot judge, an optional
+> **Latest: v0.7.3** — mouse-look input reliability fixes, plus the v0.7.2
-> Forward+ Desktop HQ build with volumetric fog/SDFGI/flashlight, distinct Joke
+> cost-aware OpenRouter judge, optional Forward+ Desktop HQ build, distinct
-> Shop and TV Studio geometry, and fitted NPC gear.
+> venues and fitted NPC gear.
 > Releases are built automatically when a `vX.Y.Z` tag is pushed
 > (see [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md)); manual builds use
 > `./tools/build_releases.sh`. Installer/AppImage packaging runs in the same pipeline

docs/architecture.md

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ This document follows the structure of the arc42 architecture documentation temp
 - **MINOR** — new venues, NPC archetypes, systems, or features that are backward compatible.
 - **PATCH** — bug fixes and small polish that do not change behavior.
 
-The single source of truth for the version is `config/version` in `project.godot` (currently `0.7.2`). Each release is tagged in git as `v<version>` (e.g. `v0.6.0`). The `0.x` series is pre-1.0, so MINOR bumps may introduce breaking changes while the prototype is still stabilizing. `tools/build_releases.sh` and `tools/publish_release.sh` read the version from `project.godot`, so bumping it there is the only required step before a release. The full bump checklist lives in [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md).
+The single source of truth for the version is `config/version` in `project.godot` (currently `0.7.3`). Each release is tagged in git as `v<version>` (e.g. `v0.6.0`). The `0.x` series is pre-1.0, so MINOR bumps may introduce breaking changes while the prototype is still stabilizing. `tools/build_releases.sh` and `tools/publish_release.sh` read the version from `project.godot`, so bumping it there is the only required step before a release. The full bump checklist lives in [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md).
 
 ## 3. Context and Scope
 

docs/development-status.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Implemented so far:
 - Godot 4.3 project scaffold, input map, procedural world builder
 - Venue-driven simulation core: `ShiftCoordinator`, `VenueScenario`, `EventScheduler`, `NPCController` + FSM, `AccessVerifier`, `EscalationManager`, `RadioSystem`, `IncidentRecorder`, `ReputationEvaluator`, `CrowdSystem`
 - Three authored scenarios (Hollywood Boulevard building, The Joke Shop, Late Night TV Studio) with access policies, NPC archetypes, and event pools
-- Headless unit tests: **235 passing** (access rules and venue-correct access loadout, escalation, radio cooldown/battery, NPC reaction determinism, door lock, flashlight perception, persistence round-trip, settings round-trip, input remaps, navmesh, step colliders, skyline alpha, scenario data, full-shift simulation, wand screening, responder dispatch, localization strings, focus cone, action wheel, session shell, PLAN verbs and incident recording, crowd presentation, emergency aftermath, body-camera timeline, NPC theater poses, audio, accessibility, authored scenario content, string formatting, `.tres` venue round-trip, surface materials and environment, focus ranking and outfit/gait helpers, generated prop models, web export preset, prop atlas material, player movement, NPC character layers/LOD/queue, input bindings)
+- Headless unit tests: **237 passing** (access rules and venue-correct access loadout, escalation, radio cooldown/battery, NPC reaction determinism, door lock, flashlight perception, persistence round-trip, settings round-trip, input remaps, navmesh, step colliders, skyline alpha, scenario data, full-shift simulation, wand screening, responder dispatch, localization strings, focus cone, action wheel, session shell, PLAN verbs and incident recording, crowd presentation, emergency aftermath, body-camera timeline, NPC theater poses, audio, accessibility, authored scenario content, string formatting, `.tres` venue round-trip, surface materials and environment, focus ranking and outfit/gait helpers, generated prop models, web export preset, prop atlas material, player movement, NPC character layers/LOD/queue, input bindings)
 - Simulation extras: protester archetype, CALL_SOMEONE reaction, door lock/secure mechanic (visual indicator), flashlight with night perception bonus, LATE shift phase reaching the violent-threat event
 - First-person prototype with interaction HUD, access inspection, wand screening, radio report form (incl. emergency hold-to-confirm), dispatched responder avatars, aim-free targeting, venue cycling between all three scenarios, color-coded escalation feedback, procedural audio cues, navigation-mesh NPC paths, JSON-backed localized strings, persisted shift history, debug overlay, and shift review
 - Control pass: focus cone on NPC heads with a billboarded blue circle in front of the face and name, action wheel (LMB/Space) with de-escalation-first slices, mouse-look freeze while a panel is open, acceleration-based walking, and named input actions (`action_menu`, `confirm`, `cancel`, `inspect`, `wand`)
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Implemented so far:
 
 - Visual alignment: start/venue menu, pause, settings, shift review, radio, wand, inspection, timeline, HUD target chip/escalation bar, and radial menu now use or match their AI references in `assets/images/ui/`. The runtime art loader (`src/game/ui/art.gd`) falls back cleanly when a file is missing.
 - Realism adoption (post-v0.6.0): v2 per-phase skylines and surface tiles with normal maps, retuned sun/exposure/fog, wet asphalt, denser foliage, a visible additive flashlight beam, and refreshed staging captures. `tools/check_screenshots.sh` is the repeatable capture/compare gate; judge is clean of `diff` verdicts.
-- Input/reliability fixes: selecting a venue now releases the start-menu input lock and recaptures the mouse; the body-camera overlay no longer covers the shift status.
+- Input/reliability fixes: selecting a venue releases the start-menu input lock and recaptures the mouse; the body-camera overlay no longer covers the shift status. Mouse look now reads at `_input`, restores capture on window focus/click-back, and the HUD is mouse-transparent.
 - Tutorial foundation (0.8.0 work): the eight-beat first-shift design and a deterministic, skippable/restartable `Tutorial` state machine exist; the in-game prompt/visitor wiring is the next step.
 - Vision judge (v0.7.2): discovers the cheapest current OpenRouter image+JSON model, reports the model/fallbacks used, and clears the full screen-design judge (13/13 match, 0 diff).
 - Desktop HQ (v0.7.1): optional Forward+ Windows/Linux zip with volumetric fog, SDFGI and a volumetric flashlight; the default Compatibility/Web builds and headless tests gate the effect off. A/B captures are generated locally under `docs/screens/realism/` (gitignored).

project.godot

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ config_version=5
 
 config/name="Gig Line"
 config/description="Workplace security simulation about observation, access verification, and proportionate escalation."
-config/version="0.7.2"
+config/version="0.7.3"
 run/main_scene="res://scenes/main.tscn"
 config/features=PackedStringArray("4.3", "GL Compatibility")
 

src/game/guard_controller.gd

@@ -115,14 +115,36 @@ static func _ensure_gamepad_bindings() -> void:
 			press.pressed = false
 			InputMap.action_add_event(action, press)
 
-func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
+## Mouse look is read at the `_input` stage, before GUI/Control handling. A
+## full-screen HUD or a focused control must never be able to swallow relative
+## mouse motion while the game is in captured mode.
+func _input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
 	if input_locked:
 		return
-	if event is InputEventMouseMotion and Input.get_mouse_mode() == Input.MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED:
+	if event is InputEventMouseMotion:
-		rotate_y(-event.relative.x * look_sensitivity)
+		if Input.get_mouse_mode() != Input.MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED:
-		var pitch_sign := 1.0 if invert_y else -1.0
+			return
-		head.rotate_x(pitch_sign * event.relative.y * look_sensitivity)
+		_apply_mouse_look(event.relative)
-		head.rotation.x = clampf(head.rotation.x, deg_to_rad(-80.0), deg_to_rad(80.0))
+		get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()
+	elif event is InputEventMouseButton and event.pressed 			and Input.get_mouse_mode() != Input.MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED:
+		# Recover capture if the window lost it (alt-tab, compositor focus,
+		# clicking back into the game) without opening the radial menu.
+		Input.set_mouse_mode(Input.MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED)
+		get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()
+
+## Pure look update, kept separate so the rotation math is testable.
+func _apply_mouse_look(relative: Vector2) -> void:
+	rotate_y(-relative.x * look_sensitivity)
+	var pitch_sign := 1.0 if invert_y else -1.0
+	head.rotate_x(pitch_sign * relative.y * look_sensitivity)
+	head.rotation.x = clampf(head.rotation.x, deg_to_rad(-80.0), deg_to_rad(80.0))
+
+func _notification(what: int) -> void:
+	# A window/compositor focus change can silently release capture. Restore it
+	# when gameplay owns the input layer; menus set input_locked instead.
+	if what == NOTIFICATION_APPLICATION_FOCUS_IN or what == NOTIFICATION_WM_WINDOW_FOCUS_IN:
+		if is_inside_tree() and not input_locked:
+			Input.set_mouse_mode(Input.MOUSE_MODE_CAPTURED)
 
 func _physics_process(_delta: float) -> void:
 	if focus_suppress_s > 0.0:

src/game/ui/hud.gd

@@ -356,6 +356,17 @@ func _init() -> void:
 	debug_label.add_theme_font_size_override("font_size", 11)
 	debug_label.autowrap_mode = TextServer.AUTOWRAP_WORD_SMART
 	add_child(debug_label)
+	_ignore_mouse(self)
+
+## HUD controls are presentation-only. Leaving the full-screen containers on the
+## default MOUSE_FILTER_STOP can swallow mouse motion/buttons before the guard's
+## captured-look input sees them. Make every non-gameplay HUD control inert to
+## the mouse; modal menus are separate CanvasLayers and keep their own filters.
+func _ignore_mouse(node: Node) -> void:
+	for child in node.get_children():
+		if child is Control:
+			(child as Control).mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE
+		_ignore_mouse(child)
 
 func set_shift_state(coordinator: Object, scenario: Resource) -> void:
 	top_label.text = scenario.display_name if scenario else "Gig Line"

src/test/tests/test_guard_input.gd

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+extends RefCounted
+## Regression tests for the first-person mouse-look path and non-blocking HUD.
+
+const GameManager := preload("res://src/game/game_manager.gd")
+const GuardController := preload("res://src/game/guard_controller.gd")
+const Hud := preload("res://src/game/ui/hud.gd")
+
+func test_mouse_look_rotates_yaw_and_pitch() -> bool:
+	var root := Node3D.new()
+	var gm: Node = GameManager.new()
+	var guard: GuardController = gm.call("_build_guard")
+	guard._ready()
+	var yaw0 := guard.rotation.y
+	var pitch0 := guard.head.rotation.x
+	guard._apply_mouse_look(Vector2(100, 50))
+	var a := TestUtils.check(guard.rotation.y < yaw0 - 0.1, "horizontal motion yaws the guard")
+	var b := TestUtils.check(guard.head.rotation.x < pitch0 - 0.1, "vertical motion pitches the head")
+	guard._apply_mouse_look(Vector2(0, 100000))
+	var c := TestUtils.check(absf(rad_to_deg(guard.head.rotation.x)) <= 80.01,
+		"pitch stays clamped")
+	guard.free()
+	gm.free()
+	root.free()
+	return a and b and c
+
+func test_hud_does_not_capture_mouse_input() -> bool:
+	var hud: Hud = Hud.new()
+	var root := hud.get_child(0) as Control
+	var a := TestUtils.check(root != null and root.mouse_filter == Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE,
+		"full-screen HUD root ignores mouse input")
+	var labels := hud.find_children("*", "Label", true, false)
+	var blocking := 0
+	for node in labels:
+		if (node as Control).mouse_filter != Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE:
+			blocking += 1
+	var b := TestUtils.check(blocking == 0, "HUD labels do not swallow mouse motion")
+	hud.free()
+	return a and b