Library, Branching, and Reuse

The Library system makes recall and reuse first-class creative actions. Instead of losing good ideas to iteration, Motif preserves them — and makes it easy to build new work from existing material.

Templates

Templates capture the shape of an entity as a reusable starting point. instantiateTemplate(template, newId) returns new entity data with a fresh ID — changes don’t affect the template.

When to use: When you find yourself creating the same kind of entity repeatedly with similar settings.

Snapshots

A snapshot freezes the state of an entity at a moment in time. restoreSnapshot(snapshot) returns a copy for reverting or creating new entities.

When to use: Before destructive changes. About to rework a combat scene? Snapshot it first.

Branches

A branch creates a new, independent entity from a snapshot — diverging from the original while preserving lineage. traceLineage walks the full chain back to the root entity.

When to use: When you want to try something radically different without losing the original.

Favorites and Collections

Favorites are lightweight bookmarks referencing any entity. Collections are named groups of favorites for organizing into meaningful sets (“Combat sounds”, “Ready to ship”).

Compare

compareEntities(a, b, entityKind, labelA, labelB) produces a field-by-field diff showing identical, changed, onlyA, and onlyB fields. Use it to compare snapshots, branches against their origin, or templates before choosing one.

The Reuse Philosophy

1. Recall is a creative act. Finding and reusing a great idea should be as natural as composing a new one.
2. Divergence, not duplication. Branches and templates produce starting points, not clones.
3. Lineage matters. Snapshot-to-branch relationships are preserved. You can always trace how music evolved.
4. Lightweight bookmarking. Mark freely, organize loosely. Don’t overthink taxonomy.
5. Comparison is underrated. Seeing exactly what changed is the fastest way to evaluate creative decisions.