feat(studio): render with preview variables + template handoff + docs

Sixth PR of the template-variables Studio stack — closing the loop from
preview to render to developer handoff.

- renders started from the Renders tab now carry the active preview
  variable overrides (StartRenderOptions.variables → POST /render →
  RenderConfig.variables), so "render" produces exactly what the user is
  previewing.
- Variables panel "Use this template" footer: copy the effective values
  (defaults merged with overrides) as JSON, or as a ready-to-run
  `npx hyperframes render <comp> --variables '<json>'` command.
- gitignore: negate the renders/ output rule for the tracked
  src/components/renders/ source dir — without it, pre-commit's format
  re-stage (`git add {staged_files}`) hard-fails on any change to those
  files.
- docs: the Studio panel docs/concepts/variables.mdx described was
  aspirational — replace with the real Variables-in-Studio section
  (declare/edit, render-truthful preview, render-with-values, handoff,
  usage badges); document the new SDK variable APIs in
  docs/sdk/reference/composition.mdx (declaration ops, read APIs,
  setPreviewVariables).

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

Author: jrusso1020

.fallowrc.jsonc

@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@
     // convention documented in CLAUDE.md. This is a namespace barrel, not a
     // collision.
     { "file": "packages/cli/src/commands/*.ts", "exports": ["examples"] },
+    // Options type for the render-queue hook's public startRender callback —
+    // consumed structurally by callers (StudioRightPanel), not by import.
+    {
+      "file": "packages/studio/src/components/renders/useRenderQueue.ts",
+      "exports": ["StartRenderOptions"],
+    },
     // Independent ML model managers each declare their own DEFAULT_MODEL /
     // MODELS_DIR / ensureModel for their model namespace.
     {

.gitignore

@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ output/
 renders/
 !packages/producer/tests/*/output/
 !packages/producer/tests/distributed/*/output/
+# Source dir that the renders/ output rule accidentally shadows (its files are
+# tracked; without this, pre-commit's format re-stage fails on them).
+!packages/studio/src/components/renders/
 
 # Composition source media (large binaries)
 compositions/**/*.mp4

docs/concepts/variables.mdx

@@ -300,7 +300,25 @@ const { variables } = extractCompositionMetadata(html);
 // variables is CompositionVariable[]
 ```
 
-This is the same API the Studio editing UI uses to build the variables panel for each composition.
+This is the same API the Studio Variables panel uses to build its editor for each composition.
+
+## Variables in Studio
+
+The Studio's **Variables** tab (right inspector panel) is a full UI over this
+system:
+
+- **Declare and edit** — add, edit, and remove declarations without touching the
+  HTML by hand; edits persist into `data-composition-variables` with undo support.
+- **Preview with values** — type-appropriate inputs write ephemeral overrides that
+  are injected into the preview as `window.__hfVariables`, exactly like render-time
+  injection, so what you preview is what `--variables` renders. A header pill shows
+  whether you're previewing defaults or custom values.
+- **Render with values** — renders started from the Renders tab carry the active
+  preview overrides.
+- **Handoff** — copy the effective values as JSON or as a ready-to-run
+  `hyperframes render --variables` command.
+- **Usage** — declarations no script reads are badged `unused`; ids read by scripts
+  but missing from the schema get a one-click Declare action.
 
 ## Next Steps
 

docs/sdk/reference/composition.mdx

@@ -110,6 +110,59 @@ comp.setVariableValue("brandFont", { name: "Inter", source: "https://fonts.googl
 comp.setVariableValue("heroImage", { url: "/assets/hero.jpg", fit: "cover" });
 ```
 
+### `declareVariable` / `updateVariableDeclaration` / `removeVariableDeclaration`
+
+```typescript
+declareVariable(declaration: CompositionVariable): void
+updateVariableDeclaration(id: string, declaration: CompositionVariable): void
+removeVariableDeclaration(id: string): void
+```
+
+Manage the `data-composition-variables` schema itself. `declareVariable` adds a new
+typed declaration (creating the attribute when the composition has none);
+`updateVariableDeclaration` replaces an existing declaration wholesale — the id is
+immutable, rename by remove + declare; `removeVariableDeclaration` deletes a
+declaration (the last removal drops the whole attribute). All three validate via
+`can()` (`E_DUPLICATE_VARIABLE`, `E_VARIABLE_NOT_FOUND`, `E_INVALID_ARGS`,
+`E_FRAGMENT_COMPOSITION` — fragment sources have no `<html>` to carry the schema).
+
+```typescript
+comp.declareVariable({ id: "title", type: "string", label: "Title", default: "Hello" });
+comp.updateVariableDeclaration("title", { id: "title", type: "string", label: "Headline", default: "Hello" });
+comp.removeVariableDeclaration("title");
+```
+
+### `getVariableDeclarations` / `getVariableValues` / `validateVariableValues` / `getVariableUsage`
+
+```typescript
+getVariableDeclarations(): CompositionVariable[]
+getVariableValues(overrides?: Record<string, unknown>): Record<string, unknown>
+validateVariableValues(values: Record<string, unknown>): VariableValidationIssue[]
+getVariableUsage(): VariableUsageReport
+```
+
+Read-only variable APIs (no dispatch). `getVariableDeclarations` returns the typed
+schema (same strict filter the render pipeline uses). `getVariableValues` resolves
+values exactly like the runtime's `getVariables()` — declared defaults merged under
+the given overrides — so callers can predict what a composition script will read for
+a given `--variables` payload. `validateVariableValues` runs the same checks as
+`--strict-variables` (`undeclared` / `type-mismatch` / `enum-out-of-range`).
+`getVariableUsage` statically scans every inline script for `getVariables()` reads
+and cross-references the schema: `{ usedIds, unusedDeclarations, undeclaredReads,
+scanIncomplete }` — `scanIncomplete` flips when scripts access variables dynamically,
+making `usedIds` a lower bound.
+
+### `setPreviewVariables`
+
+```typescript
+setPreviewVariables(values: Record<string, unknown> | null): boolean
+```
+
+Apply ephemeral variable values to the preview surface (never persisted — use
+`setVariableValue` to change a default). Pass `null` to restore declared defaults.
+Delegates to the preview adapter's optional `setPreviewVariables`; returns `false`
+when no adapter support is available.
+
 ### `getElementTimings`
 
 ```typescript

packages/studio/src/components/StudioRightPanel.tsx

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { SlideshowPanel } from "./panels/SlideshowPanel";
 import type { SceneInfo } from "./panels/SlideshowPanel";
 import { VariablesPanel } from "./panels/VariablesPanel";
 import { PanelTabButton } from "./PanelTabButton";
+import { usePreviewVariablesStore } from "../hooks/previewVariablesStore";
 import type { RenderJob } from "./renders/useRenderQueue";
 import type { BlockParam } from "@hyperframes/core/registry";
 import type { IframeWindow } from "../player/lib/playbackTypes";
@@ -421,6 +422,9 @@ export function StudioRightPanel({
           format,
           resolution,
           composition,
+          // Render what the user is previewing: active variable overrides
+          // from the Variables panel ride along (undefined = defaults).
+          variables: usePreviewVariablesStore.getState().values ?? undefined,
         });
       }}
       compositionDimensions={compositionDimensions}

packages/studio/src/components/panels/VariablesPanel.tsx

@@ -17,8 +17,14 @@ import {
   EMPTY_DRAFT,
 } from "./VariablesDeclarationForm";
 import { PreviewValueControl } from "./VariablesValueControls";
+import { copyTextToClipboard } from "../../utils/clipboard";
 import { isScalarVariableValue as isScalar } from "@hyperframes/core/variables";
 
+/** POSIX single-quote escaping so the copied command survives quotes in values. */
+function shellSingleQuote(value: string): string {
+  return `'${value.replace(/'/g, `'\\''`)}'`;
+}
+
 interface VariablesPanelProps {
   sdkSession: Composition | null;
   reloadPreview: () => void;
@@ -209,6 +215,45 @@ function PreviewModeHeader({
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Developer/agent handoff: copy the effective values as JSON or as a
+ * ready-to-run render command mirroring exactly what the preview shows.
+ */
+function HandoffFooter({
+  effectiveValues,
+  compPath,
+  onCopy,
+}: {
+  effectiveValues: Record<string, unknown>;
+  compPath: string;
+  onCopy: (text: string, what: string) => void;
+}) {
+  const json = JSON.stringify(effectiveValues);
+  const command = `npx hyperframes render ${shellSingleQuote(compPath)} --variables ${shellSingleQuote(json)}`;
+  return (
+    <div className="space-y-1.5 rounded-lg border border-neutral-800/70 bg-neutral-900/40 p-2">
+      <p className="text-[9px] font-medium uppercase tracking-wider text-neutral-500">
+        Use this template
+      </p>
+      <code className="block truncate font-mono text-[9px] text-neutral-500" title={command}>
+        {command}
+      </code>
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+        <RowAction
+          label="Copy render command"
+          title="CLI command rendering exactly what the preview shows"
+          onClick={() => onCopy(command, "Render command")}
+        />
+        <RowAction
+          label="Copy values JSON"
+          title="Effective values (defaults merged with preview overrides)"
+          onClick={() => onCopy(json, "Values JSON")}
+        />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 const EMPTY_STATE = (
   <p className="text-[10px] leading-relaxed text-neutral-500">
     No variables declared. Variables make parts of this composition dynamic — declare them here (or
@@ -269,6 +314,24 @@ export const VariablesPanel = memo(function VariablesPanel({
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
     [sdkSession, previewValues, refreshKey, revision],
   );
+  const effectiveValues = useMemo(
+    () => sdkSession?.getVariableValues(previewValues ?? undefined) ?? {},
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+    [sdkSession, previewValues, refreshKey, revision],
+  );
+
+  const copyToClipboard = useCallback(
+    (text: string, what: string) => {
+      // Shared helper carries the execCommand fallback Safari needs.
+      void copyTextToClipboard(text).then((ok) =>
+        showToast(
+          ok ? `${what} copied` : `Couldn't copy ${what.toLowerCase()}`,
+          ok ? "info" : "error",
+        ),
+      );
+    },
+    [showToast],
+  );
 
   const dropPreviewOverride = useCallback(
     (id: string) => {
@@ -424,6 +487,13 @@ export const VariablesPanel = memo(function VariablesPanel({
             Scripts access variables dynamically — usage info may be incomplete.
           </p>
         )}
+        {declarations.length > 0 && (
+          <HandoffFooter
+            effectiveValues={effectiveValues}
+            compPath={activeCompPath ?? "index.html"}
+            onCopy={copyToClipboard}
+          />
+        )}
         {addOpen ? (
           <DeclarationForm
             initial={EMPTY_DRAFT}

packages/studio/src/components/renders/useRenderQueue.ts

@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ export interface StartRenderOptions {
   resolution?: ResolutionPreset | "auto";
   /** Render a specific composition file instead of index.html. */
   composition?: string;
+  /**
+   * Composition-variable overrides ({variableId: value}), forwarded to the
+   * render route and injected as window.__hfVariables — the same channel
+   * `hyperframes render --variables` uses.
+   */
+  variables?: Record<string, unknown>;
 }
 
 // "Hide" (formerly "Clear") is a view operation, not a delete: hidden ids are
@@ -126,7 +132,9 @@ export function useRenderQueue(projectId: string | null) {
   }, [loadRenders]);
 
   // Start a render and track progress via SSE
+  // Pre-existing branchy fetch/poll flow — the variables passthrough added one branch.
   const startRender = useCallback(
+    // fallow-ignore-next-line complexity
     async (opts: StartRenderOptions = {}) => {
       if (!projectId) return;
 
@@ -154,6 +162,7 @@ export function useRenderQueue(projectId: string | null) {
         format: string;
         resolution?: string;
         composition?: string;
+        variables?: Record<string, unknown>;
         telemetryDistinctId: string;
       } = {
         fps,
@@ -166,6 +175,9 @@ export function useRenderQueue(projectId: string | null) {
       };
       if (resolution && resolution !== "auto") body.resolution = resolution;
       if (composition) body.composition = composition;
+      if (opts.variables && Object.keys(opts.variables).length > 0) {
+        body.variables = opts.variables;
+      }
       let res: Response;
       try {
         res = await fetch(`/api/projects/${projectId}/render`, {