**Planning maze generation and animation**

I’m working on a maze with cell walls and a backtracking approach. I’ll implement the A* algorithm for the cell graph, allowing for visual elements where the frontier exploration is animated in colors like cyan and blue, while visited paths are purple and final paths gold. I also want a clear UI legend and metrics. It’s important to manage canvas dimensions accurately and ensure a smooth animation experience. Let's see how I can streamline the generation and solving processes!**Optimizing A* pathfinding and animation**

I’m considering how to manage the A* process while recording visits and snapshots. I want to visually represent the visited and open sets during each step and compute these as expanded nodes with newly discovered ones. I’m planning to use the Manhattan heuristic and have BFS as an option. I also need to think about features like pause and resume for the animation, as well as adjusting canvas sizing based on activity and maintaining the correct aspect ratio. Let's nail down those dimensions!**Creating UI Layouts**

I’m thinking about different compact sizes: 21x14, 31x20, 41x27, and 51x34. I want them to fit nicely in the UI with the top mast, control toolbar, and a status chip on the canvas. I should consider side stats and a guide too. It's important to avoid oversized text, so I’ll keep that in mind as I create the layouts. Overall, I want everything to flow smoothly and look neat!