Agent skill

debugging

Runtime debugging tools for Nethercore games on all consoles. Covers the F4 Debug Inspector, live value editing, watch variables, frame stepping, and time-scale controls. Use when tuning game parameters at runtime, tracking state over time, or stepping through frames to find bugs.

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Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/nethercore-systems/nethercore-ai-plugins/tree/main/nethercore/skills/debugging

Metadata

Additional technical details for this skill

author
nethercore-systems
version
1.0.0

SKILL.md

Nethercore Debugging

The debug system is built into the Nethercore player and works with all consoles.

F4 Debug Inspector

Press F4 during development to open the Debug Inspector. This is your primary debugging tool.

Features:

  • Live value editing (sliders, toggles, color pickers)
  • Read-only watches for monitoring
  • Grouped/collapsible organization
  • Frame control (pause, step, time scale)
  • Zero overhead in release builds

Quick Reference

Function Purpose Call In
debug_register_i32(name, ptr) Editable integer init()
debug_register_f32(name, ptr) Editable float init()
debug_register_bool(name, ptr) Toggle checkbox init()
debug_register_vec3(name, ptr) 3D position init()
debug_register_color(name, ptr) RGBA picker init()
debug_watch_*(name, ptr) Read-only display init()
debug_group_begin/end(name) Collapsible sections init()

Range-Constrained (Sliders)

rust
debug_register_f32_range(b"Speed".as_ptr(), 5, &SPEED, 0.0, 20.0);
debug_register_i32_range(b"Lives".as_ptr(), 5, &LIVES, 0, 10);

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key Action
F4 Toggle Debug Inspector
F3 Toggle Runtime Stats
F5 Pause/Resume
F6 Step one frame (when paused)
F7/F8 Decrease/Increase time scale

Frame Control

rust
fn update() {
    if debug_is_paused() != 0 { return; }
    let dt = delta_time() * debug_get_time_scale();
    // ...
}

Typical Setup

rust
static mut PLAYER_X: f32 = 0.0;
static mut GRAVITY: f32 = 9.8;
static mut GOD_MODE: u8 = 0;

fn init() {
    unsafe {
        debug_group_begin(b"Player".as_ptr(), 6);
        debug_watch_f32(b"X".as_ptr(), 1, &PLAYER_X);
        debug_register_f32_range(b"Gravity".as_ptr(), 7, &GRAVITY, 1.0, 50.0);
        debug_register_bool(b"God Mode".as_ptr(), 8, &GOD_MODE);
        debug_group_end();
    }
}

When to Use What

Scenario Tool
Live parameter tuning Debug Inspector (F4)
Tracking state over time log() in update()
Regression testing Replay system
Finding exact frame of bug F5 pause + F6 step

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