# pulseJT - YuhFramer 3.5.1

This release focuses on making PulseJT feel smoother, faster, and more complete inside After Effects. The big upgrades are Playlist Queue, better video loading, stronger themes, more useful settings, cleaner small-panel layouts, and more reliable save/restore behavior.

## Highlights

- Playlist Queue for videos, GIFs, and images
- Seamless back-to-back playlist playback
- Better handling for large videos and recent media
- Resource usage pass for lighter video loading and thumbnail work
- Stronger themes that affect the whole plugin
- Completed backdrop controls
- Settings search, health notices, and quick reset actions
- QOL Polish Pack: Clear Cache, Smart Shuffle, Preset Profiles, tooltips, micro animations, and better empty states
- Compact Mini Mode for tiny AE panel layouts
- More reliable setting and last-media restore
- Updated panel identity: `pulseJT - YuhFramer`

## Playlist Queue

- Added a dedicated Playlist tab in Settings.
- Add media to the playlist from the current preview, recent media, or directly from folders.
- Supports videos, GIFs, and images.
- Added shuffle, repeat, and image duration controls.
- Added drag-and-drop playlist reordering.
- Added Up and Down controls for small panels.
- Added Remove Current and Clear Watched actions.
- Playlist state is saved between panel sessions.

## Seamless Playback

- Playlist playback no longer shows the normal loading or converter popup between items.
- Playlist videos preload quietly so transitions feel faster.
- Path-backed videos are read directly when possible.
- Unsupported playlist videos fail quietly and keep the queue moving.
- Added guards so old async loads cannot steal playback from the current playlist item.
- Fixed cases where two playlist items could try to start at once.

## Video And History Improvements

- Large videos are now handled more safely in history.
- Recent media can save path-backed video metadata without forcing huge files into storage.
- Last media restore now loads the real latest item, including path-backed media.
- Startup restore uses the modern media loading path.
- Reduced noisy video fallback logs during healthy playlist sessions.
- Improved handling for CEP codec limitations and FFmpeg fallback paths.
- Normal videos now load through object URLs instead of large base64 playback strings.
- Large videos skip expensive frame thumbnail decoding and use lightweight placeholders.
- History saves avoid duplicate thumbnail generation for the same media item.

## Themes

- All included themes are available in the no-license build.
- Fixed the theme selector so the visible cards, hidden select, badge, saved value, app class, and CSS variables stay in sync.
- Removed the duplicate theme selector behavior that could make themes feel inconsistent.
- Themes now affect more of the interface:
  - main text and labels
  - Settings rows and tabs
  - action buttons
  - segmented controls
  - playlist rows
  - history badges
  - toggles and sliders
  - search and health badges
  - dock buttons
  - modal surfaces
  - borders, shadows, and glows

## Settings

- Added Settings search.
- Added setting health notices.
- Added modified indicators with quick reset controls.
- Added Preset Profiles for Editing, Reference, Tiny Panel, and Performance setups.
- Added one-click Clear Cache for recent media, thumbnails, playlist cache, and last-media restore data while keeping preferences.
- Added better General, Playback, Backdrop, Playlist, History, and Info tab controls.
- Added quick actions for Reset View, Reset General, Reset Playback, Reset Backdrop, and Reset Settings.
- Settings now fit better in small docked AE panels.
- Update notes and popups now adapt better to smaller panels.

## Backdrop Controls

- Restored missing backdrop sliders.
- Added dim and blur control polish.
- Added custom image opacity control.
- Added image fit options.
- Added checker size and checker variant controls.
- Added theme-generated backdrop variants.
- Added backdrop presets and clearer status text.

## Main Panel

- Refined the main panel controls and buttons.
- Improved audio button clickability.
- Fullscreen mode now hides the UI after activation so controls do not block the preview.
- Added richer empty states with direct add-media actions.
- Added a tooltip and micro-animation pass so controls feel clearer and more responsive.
- Added better tiny-panel fitting.
- Added Compact Mini Mode for a larger preview and smaller hover-friendly controls.

## Playlist Polish

- Smart Shuffle now avoids recently played items before cycling back.
- Playlist empty states now give direct actions to add files or add the current media.
- Playlist cache can be cleared from General settings without resetting themes or preference choices.

## Save And Restore

- Added a disk-backed settings profile at `%APPDATA%\PulseJT\pulsejt-settings.json`.
- Settings now survive After Effects reloads more reliably.
- Playlist state, restore media state, backdrop settings, and core panel settings are mirrored into the profile.
- Recent media scrolling was repaired so the History tab can scroll reliably inside CEP.

## Identity And Compatibility

- Updated the panel name to `pulseJT - YuhFramer`.
- Updated CEP identity and build metadata for After Effects 2026.
- Cleaned up old startup restore behavior that could trigger misleading autoplay/source warnings.

## Recommended Install Note

After updating, close the old panel tab and reopen:

`Window > Extensions > pulseJT - YuhFramer`

This helps After Effects refresh any cached panel name or CEP metadata.

