fix: [VISITOR] Distinguish visitor mode from operator mode in the Nexus UI (closes #710)

app.js

@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ let chatOpen = true;
 let loadProgress = 0;
 let performanceTier = 'high';
 
+// ═══ UI MODE (VISITOR / OPERATOR) ═══
+let uiMode = 'visitor'; // 'visitor' | 'operator'
+
 // ═══ HERMES WS STATE ═══
 let hermesWs = null;
 let wsReconnectTimer = null;
@@ -1867,6 +1870,9 @@ function setupControls() {
     if (e.key.toLowerCase() === 'v' && document.activeElement !== document.getElementById('chat-input')) {
       cycleNavMode();
     }
+    if (e.key.toLowerCase() === 'o' && document.activeElement !== document.getElementById('chat-input')) {
+      toggleUIMode();
+    }
     if (e.key.toLowerCase() === 'f' && activePortal && !portalOverlayActive) {
       activatePortal(activePortal);
     }
@@ -1964,18 +1970,9 @@ function setupControls() {
   });
   document.getElementById('chat-send').addEventListener('click', () => sendChatMessage());
   
-  // Add MemPalace mining button
+  // Add MemPalace mining button (operator-only)
   document.querySelector('.chat-quick-actions').innerHTML += `
-    <button class="quick-action-btn" onclick="mineMemPalaceContent()">Mine Chat</button>
-    <div id="mem-palace-stats" class="mem-palace-stats">
-      <div>Compression: <span id="compression-ratio">--</span>x</div>
-      <div>Docs: <span id="docs-mined">0</span></div>
-      <div>AAAK: <span id="aaak-size">0B</span></div>
-      <div>Compression: <span id="compression-ratio">--</span>x</div>
-      <div>Docs: <span id="docs-mined">0</span></div>
-      <div>AAAK: <span id="aaak-size">0B</span></div>
-      <div class="mem-palace-logs" style="margin-top:4px; font-size:10px; color:#4af0c0;">Logs: <span id="mem-logs">0</span></div>
-    </div>
+    <button class="quick-action-btn operator-only" onclick="mineMemPalaceContent()">Mine Chat</button>
   `;
   
   // Chat quick actions
@@ -2006,6 +2003,53 @@ function setupControls() {
   
   document.getElementById('atlas-toggle-btn').addEventListener('click', openPortalAtlas);
   document.getElementById('atlas-close-btn').addEventListener('click', closePortalAtlas);
+
+  // ═══ VISITOR / OPERATOR MODE TOGGLE ═══
+  // Restore saved mode from localStorage
+  const savedMode = localStorage.getItem('nexus-ui-mode');
+  if (savedMode === 'operator') {
+    uiMode = 'operator';
+  }
+  applyUIMode();
+
+  // Create and append mode toggle button to the HUD controls area
+  const modeBtn = document.createElement('button');
+  modeBtn.id = 'mode-toggle-btn';
+  modeBtn.className = 'mode-toggle-btn';
+  modeBtn.setAttribute('data-mode', uiMode);
+  modeBtn.innerHTML = modeToggleLabel();
+  modeBtn.title = uiMode === 'visitor' ? 'Switch to Operator mode' : 'Switch to Visitor mode';
+  modeBtn.addEventListener('click', toggleUIMode);
+
+  const hudEl = document.getElementById('hud');
+  if (hudEl) hudEl.appendChild(modeBtn);
+}
+
+function toggleUIMode() {
+  uiMode = uiMode === 'visitor' ? 'operator' : 'visitor';
+  localStorage.setItem('nexus-ui-mode', uiMode);
+  applyUIMode();
+
+  // Update button
+  const btn = document.getElementById('mode-toggle-btn');
+  if (btn) {
+    btn.setAttribute('data-mode', uiMode);
+    btn.innerHTML = modeToggleLabel();
+    btn.title = uiMode === 'visitor' ? 'Switch to Operator mode' : 'Switch to Visitor mode';
+  }
+
+  addChatMessage('system', `Mode: ${uiMode.toUpperCase()}. ${uiMode === 'operator' ? 'Operator panels enabled.' : 'Visitor view. Clean and focused.'}`);
+}
+
+function modeToggleLabel() {
+  if (uiMode === 'visitor') {
+    return '<span class="mode-icon">👁</span> VISITOR';
+  }
+  return '<span class="mode-icon">⚙</span> OPERATOR';
+}
+
+function applyUIMode() {
+  document.body.classList.toggle('visitor-mode', uiMode === 'visitor');
 }
 
 function sendChatMessage(overrideText = null) {

index.html

@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@
   <!-- Controls hint + nav mode -->
   <div class="hud-controls">
     <span>WASD</span> move &nbsp; <span>Mouse</span> look &nbsp; <span>Enter</span> chat &nbsp;
-    <span>V</span> mode: <span id="nav-mode-label">WALK</span>
+    <span>V</span> nav: <span id="nav-mode-label">WALK</span> &nbsp;
+    <span>O</span> toggle mode &nbsp;
     <span id="nav-mode-hint" class="nav-mode-hint"></span>
     &nbsp; <span class="ws-hud-status">HERMES: <span id="ws-status-dot" class="chat-status-dot"></span></span>
   </div>

style.css

@@ -1580,3 +1580,84 @@ canvas#nexus-canvas {
   text-transform: uppercase;
 }
 
+/* === VISITOR / OPERATOR MODE TOGGLE === */
+.mode-toggle-btn {
+  position: absolute;
+  bottom: var(--space-3);
+  right: var(--space-3);
+  pointer-events: auto;
+  background: rgba(10, 15, 40, 0.7);
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-primary);
+  color: var(--color-primary);
+  padding: 6px 14px;
+  font-family: var(--font-display);
+  font-size: 10px;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  letter-spacing: 0.12em;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 8px;
+  backdrop-filter: blur(5px);
+  transition: all var(--transition-ui);
+  z-index: 20;
+}
+
+.mode-toggle-btn:hover {
+  background: var(--color-primary);
+  color: var(--color-bg);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 15px var(--color-primary);
+}
+
+.mode-toggle-btn .mode-icon {
+  font-size: 14px;
+}
+
+.mode-toggle-btn[data-mode="operator"] {
+  border-color: var(--color-gold);
+  color: var(--color-gold);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 8px rgba(255, 215, 0, 0.15);
+}
+
+.mode-toggle-btn[data-mode="operator"]:hover {
+  background: var(--color-gold);
+  color: var(--color-bg);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 15px var(--color-gold);
+}
+
+/* Visitor mode: hide operator-only surfaces */
+body.visitor-mode .gofai-hud,
+body.visitor-mode .hud-agent-log,
+body.visitor-mode .hud-debug,
+body.visitor-mode .bannerlord-hud,
+body.visitor-mode #mem-palace-status,
+body.visitor-mode #mem-palace-controls,
+body.visitor-mode #mempalace-results,
+body.visitor-mode .mem-palace-ui,
+body.visitor-mode .mem-palace-stats,
+body.visitor-mode .ws-hud-status,
+body.visitor-mode .chat-quick-actions .operator-only,
+body.visitor-mode .nexus-footer {
+  display: none !important;
+}
+
+/* Visitor mode: simplify controls hint */
+body.visitor-mode .hud-controls {
+  font-size: var(--text-xs);
+  opacity: 0.6;
+}
+
+/* Visitor mode: cleaner chat */
+body.visitor-mode .chat-panel {
+  width: 320px;
+  max-height: 300px;
+}
+
+/* Operator badge in operator mode */
+body:not(.visitor-mode) .hud-controls::after {
+  content: '  OPERATOR';
+  color: var(--color-gold);
+  font-weight: 700;
+  letter-spacing: 0.1em;
+}
+