feat(vegas): keep live games in the ticker by default

display.vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker now defaults to true: through a live
game the marquee keeps running and the live scoreboard takes extra turns in
it -- its cards updating in place while they scroll -- instead of the ticker
giving way to the full-screen scoreboard.

The new default would reach nobody on its own: every existing config holds
an explicit false copied from the template (there was no control for it),
and the template merge only adds missing keys. ConfigManager therefore turns
a stored false on once, with a backup, and records live_in_ticker_migrated
so a false chosen afterwards stays. The marker is never in the template.

A "Keep live games in the ticker" checkbox under Vegas mode sets it. Tests
that pin the full-screen takeover now say live_in_ticker=false.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -406,6 +406,15 @@ read any of them:
   `render_vegas_strip()` and `render_vegas_timeline()` in
   `src/plugin_system/testing/vegas.py`; the join is now
   `render_pipeline.join_plugin_rows()`.
+- **Behaviour change: live games stay in the Vegas ticker by default.**
+  `display.vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker` now defaults to `true`: the marquee
+  keeps running through a live game, which takes extra turns in it, instead
+  of giving way to the full-screen scoreboard. Existing configs all held the
+  old `false`, copied from the template, so the first start turns it on once
+  (`ConfigManager._migrate_live_in_ticker_default`; the previous config is
+  kept as `config.json.backup` and `live_in_ticker_migrated` records that it
+  ran). To keep the full-screen scoreboard, untick the new **Keep live games
+  in the ticker** under Vegas mode; a `false` set after the migration stays.
 
 ### Scrolling
 

config/config.template.json

@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
         "plugin_rotation_order": [],
         "use_short_date_format": true,
         "vegas_scroll": {
-            "live_in_ticker": false,
+            "live_in_ticker": true,
             "live_weight": 3,
             "favorite_live_weight": 5,
             "enabled": false,

docs/ADVANCED_FEATURES.md

@@ -75,17 +75,31 @@ total. See the full list in
 
 ### Live Content in the Ticker
 
-By default, live content **preempts** Vegas mode: while any plugin reports
-live priority, the display controller refuses to run the ticker and shows
-that plugin's full-screen display instead. You get a big readable scoreboard,
-but the marquee stops entirely for the duration of the game.
+By default (since 3.8.0) live content **stays in the ticker** and takes
+**extra turns inside it**, and a scoreboard that supports live cards updates
+the score on a card already crossing the screen (`live_refresh`, "Update live
+content while it scrolls").
 
-Set `live_in_ticker` to keep the ticker running and let live content take
-**extra turns inside it** instead:
+To get the old behaviour back -- live content **preempts** Vegas mode: while
+any plugin reports live priority the ticker stops and that plugin's
+full-screen display is shown instead -- untick **Keep live games in the
+ticker** under Vegas mode, or set `live_in_ticker` to `false`:
+
+```json
+"vegas_scroll": {
+  "live_in_ticker": false
+}
+```
+
+Until 3.8.0 `false` was the default and every config held it, copied from
+the template. The first start on 3.8.0 turns it on once (a backup of the
+config is kept as `config.json.backup`, and `live_in_ticker_migrated` records
+that it ran); a `false` set after that is left alone.
+
+The weights below apply while live content is in the ticker:
 
 ```json
 "vegas_scroll": {
-  "live_in_ticker": true,
   "live_weight": 3,
   "favorite_live_weight": 5
 }

docs/CONFIG_REFERENCE.md

@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ Read by `src/vegas_mode/config.py` (`VegasScrollConfig.from_config`). See
 | `max_cycle_duration` | int, `240` |
 | `frame_based_scrolling` | bool, `true` — does not step or set a frame rate; motion is by elapsed time either way. When `true`, `scroll_speed` passes through a clamp of 0.1–5 px per `scroll_delay` (see next row) |
 | `scroll_delay` | float, `0.02` — not a frame period. Only used with `frame_based_scrolling`: the applied speed is `clamp(scroll_speed × scroll_delay, 0.1, 5) / scroll_delay` px/s, so at `0.02` speeds under 5 px/s run at 5, and at `0.001` nothing runs slower than 100 px/s |
-| `live_in_ticker` | bool, `false` — keep scrolling during live games instead of handing the display to a full-screen scoreboard |
+| `live_in_ticker` | bool, `true` — keep scrolling during live games instead of handing the display to a full-screen scoreboard. `false` was the default before 3.8.0; the first start on 3.8.0 turns a stored `false` on once and sets `live_in_ticker_migrated` |
 | `live_weight` | int, `3` (1–10) — slots per cycle for a plugin with live content |
 | `favorite_live_weight` | int, `5` (1–10) — slots per cycle when a plugin reports a favorite team is live |
 

docs/OFFSCREEN_RENDERING.md

@@ -336,6 +336,9 @@ to rebuild it twice, 1.7-3.8 ms each on a Pi 4). The `extend` row of
    work" table), and extensions no longer rebuilding the strip's PIL copy.
 3. **Live elements:** the plugin API, the records, the worker and in-place
    patches, with the sports scoreboards and the flight map adopting it.
+4. **Live games in the ticker by default:** `live_in_ticker` true, so a live
+   game's cards update in the marquee instead of the full-screen scoreboard
+   replacing it; existing configs are switched once (`ConfigManager`).
 
 `display.vegas_scroll.offscreen_prefetch` (default `true`) restores the
 deferred path when `false`, and `display.vegas_scroll.live_refresh` (default

docs/PLUGIN_API_REFERENCE.md

@@ -308,9 +308,9 @@ the core then falls back to its own live-content check — so a plugin whose
 weight calculation is broken still gets `live_weight` for a game that really
 is live, rather than being demoted to 1.
 
-Only consulted when the user has set `vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker`. With the
-default (`false`) live content preempts Vegas entirely and there is no ticker
-to be weighted within. See
+Only consulted while `vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker` is on (the default since
+3.8.0). With it off live content preempts Vegas entirely and there is no
+ticker to be weighted within. See
 [ADVANCED_FEATURES.md](ADVANCED_FEATURES.md#live-content-in-the-ticker).
 
 ### Vegas scroll hooks

src/config_manager.py

@@ -451,8 +451,10 @@ class ConfigManager:
                 template_config = json.load(f)
             
             # Check if migration is needed
-            if self._config_needs_migration(self.config, template_config):
-                self.logger.info("Config migration needed - adding new configuration items with defaults")
+            needs_merge = self._config_needs_migration(self.config, template_config)
+            if needs_merge or self._live_in_ticker_needs_migration():
+                if needs_merge:
+                    self.logger.info("Config migration needed - adding new configuration items with defaults")
                 
                 # Create backup of current config
                 backup_path = f"{self.config_path}.backup"
@@ -461,7 +463,9 @@ class ConfigManager:
                 self.logger.info(f"Created backup of current config at {os.path.abspath(backup_path)}")
                 
                 # Merge template defaults into current config
-                self._merge_template_defaults(self.config, template_config)
+                if needs_merge:
+                    self._merge_template_defaults(self.config, template_config)
+                self._migrate_live_in_ticker_default()
                 
                 # save_config_atomic strips the merged secrets back out and
                 # keeps the file's owner and mode.
@@ -482,6 +486,44 @@ class ConfigManager:
             self.logger.error(f"Error during config migration: {e}")
             # Don't raise - continue with current config
 
+    #: Set in display.vegas_scroll once _migrate_live_in_ticker_default() has
+    #: run. Never in the template: the template merge would add it first, and
+    #: the flip would then never run.
+    LIVE_IN_TICKER_MARKER = 'live_in_ticker_migrated'
+
+    def _vegas_scroll_section(self) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+        display = self.config.get('display')
+        vegas = display.get('vegas_scroll') if isinstance(display, dict) else None
+        return vegas if isinstance(vegas, dict) else None
+
+    def _live_in_ticker_needs_migration(self) -> bool:
+        vegas = self._vegas_scroll_section()
+        return vegas is not None and not vegas.get(self.LIVE_IN_TICKER_MARKER)
+
+    def _migrate_live_in_ticker_default(self) -> None:
+        """Turn on live_in_ticker for a config that only ever had the old default. Once.
+
+        LEDMatrix 3.8.0 makes ``display.vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker`` true:
+        live games stay in the Vegas ticker, their cards updating while they
+        scroll, instead of the ticker giving way to the full-screen
+        scoreboard. Every existing config holds an explicit ``false`` copied
+        from the template -- there was no control for it -- and the template
+        merge only adds missing keys, so the new default would reach nobody.
+        This rewrites that ``false`` once and marks the config, so a
+        ``false`` chosen afterwards (the Vegas checkbox, or by hand) stays.
+        """
+        vegas = self._vegas_scroll_section()
+        if vegas is None or vegas.get(self.LIVE_IN_TICKER_MARKER):
+            return
+        vegas[self.LIVE_IN_TICKER_MARKER] = True
+        if vegas.get('live_in_ticker') is False:
+            vegas['live_in_ticker'] = True
+            self.logger.info(
+                "Vegas mode now keeps live games in the ticker (the new default): "
+                "display.vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker turned on, once. Untick "
+                "\"Keep live games in the ticker\" under Vegas mode for the "
+                "full-screen scoreboard.")
+
     def _config_needs_migration(self, current_config: Dict[str, Any], template_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
         """Check if config needs migration by comparing with template."""
         return self._has_new_keys(current_config, template_config)

src/display_controller.py

@@ -2206,7 +2206,7 @@ class DisplayController:
         """Whether live content should stay in the ticker instead of preempting it."""
         coordinator = self.vegas_coordinator
         config = getattr(coordinator, 'vegas_config', None)
-        return bool(getattr(config, 'live_in_ticker', False))
+        return bool(getattr(config, 'live_in_ticker', True))
 
     def _check_live_priority(self, advance=False):
         """Return the live-priority mode to display, or None if nothing is live.

src/vegas_mode/config.py

@@ -180,10 +180,13 @@ class VegasModeConfig:
 
     # --- Live content in the ticker -------------------------------------
     #
-    # By default a live game preempts Vegas entirely: the display controller
-    # refuses to run the ticker while any plugin reports live priority, and you
-    # get the full-screen scoreboard instead. Set live_in_ticker to keep the
-    # marquee running and let live content take extra turns within it.
+    # By default live content stays in the marquee and takes extra turns
+    # within it, its cards updating while they scroll (live elements, below).
+    # With live_in_ticker false a live game preempts Vegas entirely: the
+    # display controller refuses to run the ticker while any plugin reports
+    # live priority, and you get the full-screen scoreboard instead. (False
+    # was the default until 3.8.0; ConfigManager turns it on once for configs
+    # that still hold the old default.)
     #
     # The rotation is otherwise a strict round robin -- every plugin appears
     # exactly once per cycle -- so with a dozen plugins enabled a live score
@@ -193,7 +196,7 @@ class VegasModeConfig:
     # Weights are per plugin, not per game: a scoreboard showing four live
     # games still occupies one slot at a time, and rotates its own games within
     # that slot using its own favorite_live_boost.
-    live_in_ticker: bool = False
+    live_in_ticker: bool = True
 
     # Slots per cycle for a plugin reporting live content. 1 disables the boost
     # and restores the plain round robin.

test/test_api_v3_partial_main_save.py

@@ -134,6 +134,20 @@ class TestJsonPartialSaves:
         assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.get_json()
         assert saved['config']['display']['vegas_scroll']['live_refresh'] is True
 
+    def test_live_games_can_be_kept_in_the_ticker_or_not(self, api_v3_client, saved):
+        resp = _post_json(api_v3_client, {'vegas_live_in_ticker': False})
+        assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.get_json()
+        assert saved['config']['display']['vegas_scroll']['live_in_ticker'] is False
+        # An unticked box is absent from a submitted form: that is false too.
+        resp = _post_json(api_v3_client, {'__form_section': 'display',
+                                          'vegas_scroll_speed': '50',
+                                          'vegas_live_in_ticker': 'on'})
+        assert saved['config']['display']['vegas_scroll']['live_in_ticker'] is True
+        resp = _post_json(api_v3_client, {'__form_section': 'display',
+                                          'vegas_scroll_speed': '50'})
+        assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.get_json()
+        assert saved['config']['display']['vegas_scroll']['live_in_ticker'] is False
+
     def test_double_sided_axis_only_keeps_enabled(self, api_v3_client, saved):
         resp = _post_json(api_v3_client, {'double_sided_axis': 'horizontal'})
         assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.get_json()

test/test_config_live_in_ticker_migration.py

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+"""live_in_ticker's new default reaches existing installs, once (src/config_manager.py).
+
+3.8.0 makes display.vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker true. Every existing config
+holds an explicit false copied from the template, which the template merge
+never touches (it only adds missing keys), so ConfigManager turns that false
+on once and marks the config. A false chosen after that -- the new checkbox,
+or by hand -- must stay false.
+"""
+
+import json
+import os
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
+
+from src.config_manager import ConfigManager  # noqa: E402
+
+REPO = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+MARKER = ConfigManager.LIVE_IN_TICKER_MARKER
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def files(tmp_path):
+    template = {"display": {"brightness": 90,
+                            "vegas_scroll": {"enabled": False, "live_in_ticker": True}}}
+    paths = {name: tmp_path / f"{name}.json" for name in ("config", "secrets", "template")}
+    paths["template"].write_text(json.dumps(template))
+    paths["secrets"].write_text("{}")
+    return paths
+
+
+def _load(files, config):
+    files["config"].write_text(json.dumps(config))
+    manager = ConfigManager(config_path=str(files["config"]),
+                            secrets_path=str(files["secrets"]))
+    manager.template_path = str(files["template"])
+    manager.load_config()
+    return manager, json.loads(files["config"].read_text())
+
+
+def _vegas(saved):
+    return saved["display"]["vegas_scroll"]
+
+
+def test_the_old_default_is_turned_on_once_and_marked(files):
+    old = {"display": {"brightness": 90,
+                       "vegas_scroll": {"enabled": True, "live_in_ticker": False}}}
+    manager, saved = _load(files, old)
+    assert _vegas(saved)["live_in_ticker"] is True
+    assert _vegas(saved)[MARKER] is True
+    assert _vegas(manager.config)["live_in_ticker"] is True
+    # The config as it was is kept beside it.
+    backup = json.loads(Path(f"{files['config']}.backup").read_text())
+    assert _vegas(backup)["live_in_ticker"] is False
+
+
+def test_false_chosen_after_the_migration_stays_false(files):
+    chosen = {"display": {"brightness": 90,
+                          "vegas_scroll": {"enabled": True, "live_in_ticker": False,
+                                           MARKER: True}}}
+    _manager, saved = _load(files, chosen)
+    assert _vegas(saved)["live_in_ticker"] is False
+
+
+def test_a_marked_config_is_not_written_again(files):
+    marked = {"display": {"brightness": 90,
+                          "vegas_scroll": {"enabled": True, "live_in_ticker": True,
+                                           MARKER: True}}}
+    files["config"].write_text(json.dumps(marked))
+    before = files["config"].stat().st_mtime_ns
+    manager = ConfigManager(config_path=str(files["config"]),
+                            secrets_path=str(files["secrets"]))
+    manager.template_path = str(files["template"])
+    manager.load_config()
+    assert files["config"].stat().st_mtime_ns == before
+    assert not Path(f"{files['config']}.backup").exists()
+
+
+def test_a_config_without_vegas_settings_gets_the_new_default(files):
+    _manager, saved = _load(files, {"display": {"brightness": 90}})
+    assert _vegas(saved)["live_in_ticker"] is True
+    assert _vegas(saved)[MARKER] is True
+
+
+def test_true_already_is_only_marked(files):
+    on = {"display": {"brightness": 90,
+                      "vegas_scroll": {"enabled": True, "live_in_ticker": True}}}
+    _manager, saved = _load(files, on)
+    assert _vegas(saved)["live_in_ticker"] is True and _vegas(saved)[MARKER] is True
+
+
+def test_a_second_load_keeps_a_false_set_in_between(files):
+    old = {"display": {"brightness": 90,
+                       "vegas_scroll": {"enabled": True, "live_in_ticker": False}}}
+    _manager, saved = _load(files, old)
+    _vegas(saved)["live_in_ticker"] = False             # the checkbox, unticked
+    _manager, saved = _load(files, saved)
+    assert _vegas(saved)["live_in_ticker"] is False
+
+
+def test_the_shipped_template_has_the_new_default_and_never_the_marker():
+    template = json.loads((REPO / "config" / "config.template.json").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    vegas = template["display"]["vegas_scroll"]
+    assert vegas["live_in_ticker"] is True
+    assert MARKER not in vegas

test/test_vegas_coordinator_config.py

@@ -67,10 +67,13 @@ class TestConfigWhileStopped:
 
 
 class TestLivePriorityThrottle:
+    """The full-screen takeover's live scan: live_in_ticker off, no longer the default."""
+
     def test_scan_runs_at_most_once_per_interval(self, monkeypatch):
         now = [1000.0]
         monkeypatch.setattr(coordinator_module.time, 'monotonic', lambda: now[0])
         c = _coordinator()
+        c.vegas_config.live_in_ticker = False
         c._live_priority_check = MagicMock(return_value=None)
 
         for _ in range(10):
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ class TestLivePriorityThrottle:
     def test_live_content_still_pauses_vegas(self, monkeypatch):
         monkeypatch.setattr(coordinator_module.time, 'monotonic', lambda: 1000.0)
         c = _coordinator()
+        c.vegas_config.live_in_ticker = False
         c._live_priority_check = MagicMock(return_value='nfl_live')
         c.pause = MagicMock()
         assert c.run_frame() is False

test/test_vegas_coordinator_iteration.py

@@ -58,11 +58,16 @@ def test_an_iteration_does_not_poll_every_plugin_for_its_mode(caplog):
 
 
 def _live_coordinator(live):
-    """A coordinator running the real run_frame(), with a switchable live check."""
+    """A coordinator running the real run_frame(), with a switchable live check.
+
+    live_in_ticker off: these pin the full-screen takeover, which is no longer
+    the default.
+    """
     coord = _coordinator({})
     del coord.run_frame  # the real one: it is what refuses frames while paused
     coord.vegas_config = VegasModeConfig.from_config({'display': {'vegas_scroll': {
-        'enabled': True, 'max_cycle_duration': 0, 'continuous_scroll': True}}})
+        'enabled': True, 'max_cycle_duration': 0, 'continuous_scroll': True,
+        'live_in_ticker': False}}})
     coord.render_pipeline.has_deferred.return_value = False
     coord.render_pipeline.needs_extension.return_value = False
     coord.render_pipeline.render_frame.return_value = True

test/test_vegas_live_weighting.py

@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ live content did not appear in it at all, because the display controller
 refused to run the ticker while anything was live. With a dozen plugins
 enabled that left a live score either absent or minutes stale.
 
-Two things change, both off by default. `live_in_ticker` keeps the marquee
-running instead of yielding to a full-screen takeover, and the rotation is
-expanded by Smooth Weighted Round-Robin so a weighted plugin gets several
-slots per cycle, spaced through it rather than clumped.
+Two things change. `live_in_ticker` keeps the marquee running instead of
+yielding to a full-screen takeover (on by default since 3.8.0), and the
+rotation is expanded by Smooth Weighted Round-Robin so a weighted plugin gets
+several slots per cycle, spaced through it rather than clumped.
 
 Weights are per plugin, not per game: a scoreboard showing four live games
 still occupies one slot at a time and rotates its own games within it.
@@ -288,9 +288,9 @@ class TestTheSchedule:
 
 
 class TestConfigParsing:
-    def test_defaults_preserve_todays_behaviour(self):
+    def test_live_games_stay_in_the_ticker_by_default(self):
         cfg = VegasModeConfig.from_config({})
-        assert cfg.live_in_ticker is False
+        assert cfg.live_in_ticker is True
         assert cfg.live_weight == 3 and cfg.favorite_live_weight == 5
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("given,expected", [(0, 1), (-4, 1), (99, 10), (4, 4)])

web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/config.py

@@ -802,7 +802,8 @@ def save_main_config():
                        'vegas_intra_plugin_gap', 'vegas_render_width_pct',
                        'vegas_min_content_separation', 'vegas_min_cut_gap',
                        'vegas_continuous_scroll', 'vegas_extend_threshold_screens',
-                       'vegas_smooth_scroll', 'vegas_overflow_mode', 'vegas_live_refresh']
+                       'vegas_smooth_scroll', 'vegas_overflow_mode', 'vegas_live_refresh',
+                       'vegas_live_in_ticker']
 
         if any(k in data for k in vegas_fields):
             if 'display' not in current_config:
@@ -823,6 +824,7 @@ def save_main_config():
             _set_checkbox(vegas_config, 'continuous_scroll', 'vegas_continuous_scroll')
             _set_checkbox(vegas_config, 'smooth_scroll', 'vegas_smooth_scroll')
             _set_checkbox(vegas_config, 'live_refresh', 'vegas_live_refresh')
+            _set_checkbox(vegas_config, 'live_in_ticker', 'vegas_live_in_ticker')
 
             # max_plugin_width_ratio is the one fractional setting, so it is
             # handled outside the integer loop below.

web_interface/templates/v3/partials/display.html

@@ -579,6 +579,18 @@
                         </label>
                     </div>
 
+                    <div class="form-group mb-4" id="setting-display-vegas_live_in_ticker" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.live_in_ticker">
+                        <label class="flex items-center">
+                            <input type="checkbox"
+                                   id="vegas_live_in_ticker"
+                                   name="vegas_live_in_ticker"
+                                   {% if main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('live_in_ticker', True) %}checked{% endif %}
+                                   class="form-checkbox">
+                            <span class="ml-2 text-sm text-gray-700">Keep live games in the ticker{{ ui.help_tip('While a game is live, keep the ticker running and give the live scoreboard extra turns in it (Live Weight). Default: on.
+With this off a live game takes over the whole display with the full-screen scoreboard until it ends, and the ticker stops.', 'Live Games') }}</span>
+                        </label>
+                    </div>
+
                     <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4 mb-4">
                         <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_extend_threshold_screens" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.extend_threshold_screens">
                             <label for="vegas_extend_threshold_screens" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Extend When (screens left){{ ui.help_tip('How much unscrolled content triggers loading the next group, measured in screen widths (1.0–10.0).\nDefault: 2. Higher loads earlier and leaves more slack, at the cost of holding more content in memory. Only applies when Continuous Scroll is on.', 'Extend Threshold') }}</label>