# [Pixel Post] SpriteDX – Runs, Recovery, and Reproducibility

In SpriteDX, every time you click **Generate**, we create a new `run_xxxx` folder. That folder is more than just output files—it’s a **self-contained recipe** of everything needed to reproduce that generation: parameters, pipeline JSON, environment, seeds, and stage manifests.

## Why Runs Matter

* **Reproducibility** – given a run folder, you can recreate results bit-for-bit.
    
* **Audit trail** – every completed run is immutable, so you can always go back and see exactly what settings produced what outputs.
    
* **Incremental speedups** – when you change a single parameter, only the affected stage and its downstream stages rebuild; everything else is reused.
    

## Run Manifests

Each run has:

* `run.json` – captures the global pipeline, UI state, seeds, and asset catalog.
    
* `stages/<name>/manifest.json` – records inputs, hashes, and outputs for that stage.
    

This structure makes it easy to tell which stages can be skipped or reused.

## Recovery Workflow

Navigation into a `run_xxxx` folder **does not** automatically change your editor. You stay in control. If you want to restore settings from a past run, the header shows a clear **Recover & Continue** button. From there you can:

* **Recover only** – repopulate the editor with that run’s parameters.
    
* **Recover & Continue** – repopulate and immediately start a new run, reusing what hasn’t changed.
    
* **Resume** – if the run was incomplete and matches your current params, continue in place.
    

This keeps runs immutable by default, while making it fast to pick up exactly where you left off.

## The UX Philosophy

* **Explicit, not automatic** – params don’t change just because you clicked into a folder.
    
* **Immutable history** – completed runs are never mutated.
    
* **Fast reuse** – fingerprints (hashes of params, graphs, assets, seeds) ensure only what’s necessary recomputes.
    

---

That’s it: **runs as recipes**. SpriteDX treats every generation as a build artifact you can always come back to, recover, and continue—just like a compiler build, but for generative art.