CASTIUM Release v1.2.1 Patch Notes

Release Date: September 27, 2026
Installer Package: CastiumSetup-v1.2.1.msi

What's New in v1.2.1

🚀 High-Performance SQLite Library Engine

• Ultra-Fast Local SQLite Database (~/.castium/library.db): Transitioned library persistence and querying to a dedicated SQLite engine (Microsoft.Data.Sqlite) optimized for broadcasting and massive audio libraries (100,000+ tracks).
• Broadcast-Tuned SQLite PRAGMAs:
  • PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;: Write-Ahead Logging enables non-blocking concurrent reads while background indexing writes occur.
  • PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL;: Maximum write throughput for batch operations without risk of corruption in WAL mode.
  • PRAGMA cache_size = -64000;: 64 MB in-memory page cache for sub-millisecond table queries and search.
  • PRAGMA mmap_size = 268435456;: 256 MB memory-mapped I/O for direct virtual memory disk access.
  • PRAGMA temp_store = MEMORY;: In-memory temporary tables and sorting buffers.
• High-Performance Schema & Indexes: Unique index on file_path with B-tree indexes on directory_path, artist, title, and format.

📁 Subfolder Explorer & Dual View Mode

• "All Songs" vs. "Subfolder View" Switcher: Studio Library & Playlist Manager now provides a top segmented toggle between flat "All Songs" view and interactive "Subfolder View".
• Interactive Directory Tree: Expanding the 📁 icon on any folder card renders an interactive subfolder hierarchy with live direct and cumulative track counters.
• Subfolder Filtering & Breadcrumbs: Selecting a folder or subfolder immediately filters the track table to that directory, with an "Include Subfolders" recursive toggle.
• 1-Click "+ Enqueue Folder": Instantly queues all tracks from any subfolder or album directly into the active broadcast channel.

⚡ Non-Blocking Background Scanning & Differential Caching

• Detached Background Thread Execution: Scanning is elevated to a singleton background service (ILibraryIndexService). DJs can close the library modal, control playback, talk on the microphone, adjust channel audio, and monitor live listeners while 100,000+ tracks index in the background.
• O(1) Differential Cache Verification: Before reading files on disk, the scanner pre-fetches a lightweight in-memory timestamp/size lookup. Unchanged files are verified in \(\mathcal{O}(1)\) time with zero audio decoders or COM readers opened (re-indexing 20,000+ files completes in ~1–2 seconds).
• Dual Progress Monitoring:
  • Dashboard Header Pill: Compact Indexing: X / Y status pill with an instant cancel button ✕.
  • Studio Library Banner: Real-time progress bar, track counter, and current filename.

🔄 Automatic Detection & Legacy Library Migration

• Zero-Setup Startup Detection: On launch, if the SQLite library is fresh/empty, Castium automatically detects and imports legacy files in the background:
  • Saved Playlists (~/.castium/playlists): Existing .json and .m3u / .m3u8 playlists are parsed and bulk-inserted into SQLite in milliseconds without re-decoding audio.
  • Configured Music Folders (~/.castium/music_folders.json): Previously configured music folders are automatically detected and scheduled for background indexing.
  • iTunes / Apple Music Library: Automatically checks %USERPROFILE%\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music Library.xml and imports track metadata.
  • M3U / M3U8 Importer: Support for importing external .m3u and .m3u8 playlists with #EXTINF metadata tags.

🎛️ Broadcast-Grade Local Player, Playlist Switcher & Request Management

• Instant Playlist Switcher Dropdown: The Console Player card now houses a top-level playlist switcher that queries all .m3u, .m3u8, and .json playlists from ~/.castium/playlists on the fly. Switch entire station playlists or active queues with zero interruption.
• Instant Song Request Switcher & Live Search:
  • Integrated "Requests & Song Switcher" tab with sub-second title/artist search across the active playlist.
  • 1-Click [ ⏭ Play Next ] (Queue Request): Instantly cues any listener request to play directly next in rotation (CurrentIndex + 1) and decorates it with a glowing amber [REQUEST] badge.
  • 1-Click [ ⚡ Fade Now ] (Take Request Live): Immediately initiates an equal-power crossfade transition directly into the requested track.
• On-Air [ ⚡ FADE NEXT ] Auto-Transition:
  • Added a dedicated broadcast radio auto-fade button to the transport. Seamlessly triggers a constant-power sin/cos crossfade curve into the next song without waiting for the track to run out or abruptly cutting audio.
• Broadcast Countdown Clocks:
  • Dual time displays show elapsed playback time alongside a broadcast countdown (-MM:SS), allowing DJs to time voice-overs and intros with precision.
• Song Fading & Crossfade Engine:
  • Integrated drawer with live configuration for crossfade duration (1.0s–10.0s), fade-in duration (0.5s–5.0s), and fade-out duration (0.5s–5.0s).

🖥️ Dynamic Multi-Column Console & Ultra Widescreen Display Support

• Expandable Console Columns (2 to N Columns): Broadcasters on ultra widescreen monitors (21:9, 32:9, multi-monitor setups) can now add as many dashboard columns as desired, or scale down to 2 columns for compact displays.
• Dynamic Column Stepper & Header Controls:
  • Quick column stepper (− Remove Column, active count indicator, + Add Column) in the Console Columns settings panel.
  • Direct ✕ remove column button on each column header.
  • Card Safety & Migration: Removing a column automatically migrates any hosted cards into the adjacent surviving column so no cards are ever lost.
  • Hard lower boundary of 2 columns enforced.
• Instant Ultrawide Presets:
  • 2 Dual: Streamlined 2-column layout for standard laptops or vertical monitors.
  • 3 Studio (2-1-1) / 3 Equal (1-1-1): Classic broadcast layout configurations.
  • 4 Ultrawide: Tailored for 21:9 ultrawide screens (e.g., 3440×1440).
  • 5 Panoramic: Enhanced panoramic layout for wide multi-monitor or 3840×1600 setups.
  • 6 Super Ultrawide: Full spanning layout for 32:9 super ultrawides (e.g., 5120×1440).
• Fluid Grid Sizing & Drag-and-Drop Synchronization:
  • CSS Grid dynamically adjusts to repeat(N, minmax(280px, 1fr)) with max-width: 100% when column count \(\ge 4\), unlocking full panoramic canvas real estate without clipping.
  • SortableJS is dynamically synchronized across all active column containers (col-0 through col-(N-1)), enabling smooth drag-and-drop card reorganization across any number of columns.
• Custom Column Naming & Labels: Broadcasters can customize and rename any column (e.g., "Main Decks", "Mic & Audio Ingest", "Audience Chat & Requests", "Master Out") by clicking directly on the column header title or ✎ pencil icon inline, or typing in the Custom Column Names inputs in the console column settings drawer. Custom column names are automatically saved and restored in CastiumProfile.ColumnNames.
• Profile Persistence: Dynamic column configurations, custom column titles, and multi-column card allocations are serialized directly to ~/.castium/profile.json (MultiColumnCards, ColumnCount, and ColumnNames) with complete backward compatibility for existing 3-column profiles.

🧪 Automated Testing & Reliability

• Added comprehensive test coverage in LibraryDatabaseServiceTests.cs and AudioDuckingMixerTests.cs.
• All 188 automated unit tests passing with 0 errors and 0 warnings.