Sync Static Positions

Sync Static Positions

Core Principle

What You See Is What You Get. Editor preview should match game behavior for static positions.

What This Skill Does

Finds conflicts like:

# enemy.gd
func _ready():
    position = Vector2(500, 300)  # Code says here

# enemy.tscn
[node name="Enemy" type="CharacterBody2D"]
position = Vector2(100, 100)  # Editor says here

# RESULT: Confusing! Editor shows wrong position

Resolves to:

# enemy.gd
func _ready():
    # Position is set in scene file for editor visibility
    pass

# enemy.tscn
[node name="Enemy" type="CharacterBody2D"]
position = Vector2(500, 300)  # Updated to match intended position

# RESULT: Editor preview matches game

Detection Patterns

Identifies:

Direct Position Assignment in _ready()

func _ready():
    position = Vector2(100, 150)  # STATIC CONFLICT
    global_position = Vector2(500, 300)  # STATIC CONFLICT

Node Property Assignment

func _ready():
    $Sprite.position = Vector2(10, 20)  # Child position conflict
    get_node("CollisionShape2D").position = Vector2(0, 0)

Multiple Property Conflicts

func _ready():
    position = Vector2(100, 100)
    rotation = deg_to_rad(45)  # Also position-related
    scale = Vector2(2, 2)

When to Use

Level Design Workflow

Placing objects in editor but code overrides positions.

Debugging Position Issues

"Why is this node in the wrong place?"

Maintaining WYSIWYG

Want editor preview to be accurate.

Preparing for Collaboration

Level designers need accurate editor preview.

Process

1. Scan - Find position assignments in _ready()
2. Compare - Check against .tscn values
3. Detect Conflicts - Identify static conflicts (not dynamic)
4. Choose Strategy - User selects sync direction
5. Apply - Update .tscn or .gd files
6. Document - Add comments explaining ownership
7. Validate - Ensure positions match across editor/​game
8. Commit - Git commit per conflict resolution

Sync Strategies

Strategy 1: Editor Wins (Recommended for Static Positions)

Move code value to .tscn, remove from code.

When to use:

• Position should be visible in editor
• Designer-controlled placement
• Static object positioning

Example:

# Before
func _ready():
    position = Vector2(500, 300)

# After
func _ready():
    # Position is set in scene file
    pass

# enemy.tscn updated
position = Vector2(500, 300)

Strategy 2: Code Wins (Keep Dynamic)

Remove editor value, keep code assignment.

When to use:

• Position calculated at runtime
• Depends on other nodes/​data
• Procedural positioning

Example:

# Before
func _ready():
    position = spawn_point.position + offset  # Dynamic!

# After
func _ready():
    # Position is dynamically calculated (see spawn_point)
    position = spawn_point.position + offset

# enemy.tscn - position removed or set to (0,0) as placeholder

Strategy 3: Document Intent

Keep both but add clear comments.

When to use:

• Initial position in editor, overridden intentionally
• Default position with code override
• Both values have meaning

Example:

# Before
func _ready():
    position = start_position

# After
func _ready():
    # Editor position is default spawn, overridden to start_position
    position = start_position

Smart Detection

Identifies STATIC conflicts (fixes these):

func _ready():
    position = Vector2(100, 100)  # Literal constant - STATIC
    position = Vector2(CONSTANT_X, CONSTANT_Y)  # Constants - STATIC
    $Child.position = Vector2(10, 10)  # Literal - STATIC

Skips DYNAMIC positioning (intentional):

func _ready():
    position = player.position  # Variable reference - DYNAMIC
    position = get_spawn_point()  # Function call - DYNAMIC
    if some_condition:
        position = Vector2(100, 100)  # Conditional - DYNAMIC

func _process(delta):
    position = target  # Every frame - DYNAMIC (skip)

Key distinction: Static = same every time, Dynamic = varies at runtime

What Gets Created

• Synced .tscn files with correct positions
• Updated or cleaned code files
• Comments documenting position ownership
• Validation ensuring sync worked
• Git commits per sync operation

Common Conflicts

Conflict 1: Spawn Position

# Before: Code says (500, 300), editor says (0, 0)
func _ready():
    position = Vector2(500, 300)

# After: Editor updated, code removed
# enemy.tscn: position = Vector2(500, 300)

Conflict 2: Child Node Offset

# Before: Child offset in code, not editor
func _ready():
    $Sprite.position = Vector2(0, -10)

# After: Sprite position moved in .tscn
# enemy.tscn: [node name="Sprite"] position = Vector2(0, -10)

Conflict 3: Multiple Properties

# Before: Position, rotation, scale all in code
func _ready():
    position = Vector2(100, 100)
    rotation = deg_to_rad(45)
    scale = Vector2(1.5, 1.5)

# After: All properties in .tscn, code clean
# enemy.tscn has all three properties set

Integration

Works with:

• godot-sync-camera-positions - Camera-following elements
• godot-sync-parallax - Parallax-specific syncing
• godot-clean-conflicts - General conflict resolution
• godot-fix-positions (orchestrator) - All position sync operations

Safety

• Original positions preserved in git
• Validation ensures sync correctness
• Rollback on validation failure
• .tscn format preserved exactly

When NOT to Use

Don't sync if:

• Position is calculated dynamically
• Position varies based on game state
• Intentional position override pattern
• Position set in _process() (every frame)

Valid code-controlled positions:

# These should NOT be synced to .tscn
func _ready():
    position = get_spawn_location_from_data()  # Data-driven
    position = player.position + offset  # Relative to player
    position = area.get_random_point()  # Procedural

Benefits

• WYSIWYG - Editor shows accurate positions
• Designer-Friendly - Level design in editor, not code
• Debugging - Obvious where position comes from
• Consistency - Clear ownership pattern
• Visualization - Preview exactly matches game

Position Ownership Patterns

After syncing, clear patterns emerge:

Validation

After syncing, validates:

• .tscn file parses correctly
• Position values match intended target
• References (@onready) still work
• Scene loads without errors
• Visual position matches code position

Documentation Added

# Position is set in scene file at (500, 300)
# Rotation is controlled by AnimationPlayer "rotate"
# Scale is controlled by code (dynamic resizing based on health)

Clear ownership = clear code = fewer bugs.