gig-line/TODO.md

TODO.md

Actionable task list for this project. This file is the single, central place for planned work, claims, and progress marks. Milestone goals, scope, and release gates are in ROADMAP.md.

Conventions

• Mark items open (- [ ]), active/in progress (- [A], deferred - [D]), or done (- [x]). Keep the marks accurate.
• A level-three (###) section being worked on carries - active - <sessionId> (and optionally the branch name) in its heading. Remove the suffix when you stop.
• When all steps in a version section are done: write a CHANGELOG.md entry, then remove the version section from this file.
• Release gate: a version is tagged only on the owner's explicit go-ahead once its release checks pass, not automatically when the checkboxes close.

0.2.0 — MPFB player body, third-person camera, basic animation (weeks 7–9)

Character setup

• Generate MPFB human base mesh; export baked materials and deform skeleton. Done in bootstrap: idle-pose 19 158-vert human with a 137-bone standard rig, Tools/mpfb_character_export.py (now --pose idle + warm make_diffuse).
• Import character into Unreal; validate skeleton, scale, and materials. Done: /Game/Test/Character — SkeletalMesh (138 bones), Skeleton, warm M_Character_Export material with baked T_Character_Diffuse.
• Promote the character asset into a reusable NPC prefab (visible body, collision capsule, idle pose) ready for pedestrians (0.5.0) once the third-person body lands. Done 2026-11-07: AGigLineNPCPerson (see the 0.1.0 Character-development item); 0.5.0 reuses it as the pedestrian base.
• Create basic idle/walk animation set.
• Verify animation plays correctly on the imported rig.

Camera and controls

• Add third-person camera following the player body.
• Add first/third-person toggle.
• Add camera collision to prevent clipping through geometry.
• Document any input changes.

Release checks

• Third-person traversal works end-to-end in the demo area.
• No blocking animation or rig defects.
• Performance target still met at 1440p.
• Tag v0.2.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.2.1 — Rig fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix skeletal/rigging defects reported after 0.2.0.
• Tag v0.2.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.2.2 — Skin and hair tuning (patch)

Patch tasks

• Tune skin shading and hair materials on the player character.
• Tag v0.2.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.2.3 — Camera clipping fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix remaining camera clipping cases in 0.2.x.
• Tag v0.2.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.3.0 — Chaos vehicle, enter/exit, closed driving route (weeks 10–13)

Vehicle production

• Model one vehicle in Blender with collision meshes; export to Unreal.
• Set up Chaos Vehicle with wheel and physics configuration.
• Implement enter/exit interaction.
• Build a closed driving route with boundaries.
• Tune basic handling to a drivable state.

Release checks

• Player can enter, drive the closed route, and exit without defects.
• No blocking vehicle collision or packaging defects.
• Performance target still met at 1440p.
• Tag v0.3.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.3.1 — Handling tuning (patch)

Patch tasks

• Refine vehicle handling feel based on 0.3.0 feedback.
• Tag v0.3.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.3.2 — Vehicle collision fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix vehicle collision defects (mesh/physics mismatches).
• Tag v0.3.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.3.3 — Input fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix vehicle/character input issues in 0.3.x.
• Tag v0.3.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.4.0 — Small connected neighborhood and map streaming (weeks 14–17)

World expansion

• Extend geo pipeline to a small connected neighborhood beyond the demo block.
• Produce modular buildings, sidewalks, and roads for the expanded area.
• Set up World Partition with streaming cells.
• Configure HLOD for distant buildings.
• Verify no seams or popping between streamed cells during traversal.

Release checks

• Continuous walking (and driving) across the expanded area works.
• Streaming does not introduce blocking defects.
• Performance target re-validated at 1440p with streaming active.
• Tag v0.4.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.4.1 — Seam fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix visible seams between streamed cells.
• Tag v0.4.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.4.2 — Streaming corrections (patch)

Patch tasks

• Correct streaming/loading issues found in 0.4.x.
• Tag v0.4.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.4.3 — HLOD tuning (patch)

Patch tasks

• Tune HLOD quality and distance settings.
• Tag v0.4.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.5.0 — Pedestrians, crosswalk behavior, ambient traffic (weeks 18–21)

Simulation

• Add pedestrian characters with navigation, using AGigLineNPCPerson (the reusable NPC prefab) as the base, driving it via AI/AutoPossessAI.
• Implement crosswalk behavior (pedestrians use the designated crossing).
• Add limited ambient traffic on the street network.
• Optimize simulation cost to stay within frame budget.

Release checks

• Pedestrians and traffic behave without blocking defects.
• Performance target re-validated at 1440p.
• Tag v0.5.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.5.1 — Navigation fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix pedestrian navigation issues.
• Tag v0.5.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.5.2 — Crossing fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix crosswalk behavior defects.
• Tag v0.5.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.5.3 — Simulation optimization (patch)

Patch tasks

• Optimize pedestrian/traffic simulation cost.
• Tag v0.5.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.6.0 — Visual/audio pass and evening lighting preset (weeks 22–24)

Look and sound

• Create an evening lighting preset.
• Complete a visual polish pass across the neighborhood.
• Model the pavement between kerb and building line; today that strip is the terrain mesh, which reads as bare ground under the shopfronts (Screenshots/README.md). Carried over 2026-11-09.
• Add ambient audio (city ambience, traffic, basic SFX).
• Verify licenses for all added audio files.

Release checks

• Both day and evening presets render without defects.
• Audio plays without gaps or licensing issues.
• Performance target re-validated at 1440p.
• Tag v0.6.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.6.1 — Lighting fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix lighting defects in day/evening presets.
• Tag v0.6.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.6.2 — Material corrections (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix material errors found in 0.6.x.
• Tag v0.6.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.6.3 — Audio balancing (patch)

Patch tasks

• Balance audio levels across the scene.
• Tag v0.6.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.7.0 — Settings, control rebinding, save/load, accessibility (weeks 25–27)

Systems

• Build settings menu (graphics and audio options).
• Implement control rebinding with persistence.
• Implement save/load for player state.
• Add accessibility basics (e.g. FOV, subtitle, colorblind options as applicable).

Release checks

• Settings, rebinding, and save/load all persist across restarts.
• No blocking UI defects.
• Tag v0.7.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.7.1 — Save fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix save/load defects.
• Tag v0.7.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.7.2 — UI fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix UI issues in 0.7.x.
• Tag v0.7.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.7.3 — Input persistence fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix rebinding persistence issues.
• Tag v0.7.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.8.0 — Performance budgets and broader Linux hardware testing (weeks 28–30)

Performance

• Define performance budgets (frame time, VRAM) and document them.
• Profile the full neighborhood; fix budget violations.
• Test on broader Linux hardware and VRAM configurations; document results.
• Re-validate the 1440p quality preset with upscaling state recorded.

Release checks

• Performance budgets met on documented hardware matrix.
• No blocking compatibility defects.
• Tag v0.8.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.8.1 — VRAM reductions (patch)

Patch tasks

• Reduce VRAM usage where profiling shows excess.
• Tag v0.8.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.8.2 — Frame-time fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix frame-time spikes found in 0.8.x.
• Tag v0.8.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.8.3 — Compatibility fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix compatibility issues from the hardware testing matrix.
• Tag v0.8.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.9.0 — Realistic buildings (weeks 31–34)

Suggested blender skills: archviz (real-world scale, façade composition, elevation read), references (reference-image-match and visual-match checklists — every building is judged against its own photograph), procedural-modeling + geometry-nodes (the façades system: bay module, cornice and coping profiles, storefront types as reusable node groups), materials (measured albedo and roughness per surface type), texture-workflow (baked AO/curvature/normal, decals for painted lettering and signs), uv-workflow (texel density and modular UVs), lod-pipeline (LOD chain per building), collision-proxy (UCX proxies so detail geometry is not the collider), lookdev (screenshot comparison loop), camera-cinematography (reproducing each building's reference angle), asset-optimization + unreal-export (pre-export validation, ue_metric_v1), qa-review (the gate before every review shot).

Façade system

• Extend the module kit beyond one order. Art Deco, neoclassical and streamline-moderne variants on the shared 4.96 m bay: alternate window proportions, spandrel and transom bands, and the way each order terminates at the roof.
• Build a profile library for cornices, copings, string courses, sills and storefront surrounds, so a building is assembled from named profiles rather than ad-hoc boxes.
• Storefront types: recessed entry, bulkhead and kickplate, mullion spacing, transom, awning/canopy brackets, and grille/shutter variants.
• Signage and lettering as decals. Painted wall lettering, blade signs and fascia panels become texture and decal work with a documented projection; 0.1.6 proved that lettering built as geometry plates cannot resolve at review distance.
• Document the system in Art/blender/README.md and the arc42 building block view.

Per-building models

Each building needs its own reference set; where none exists the blockout stays and the item says so.

• Hero façade (6840): raise to this pass's detail level — capitals and fluting, window rhythm behind the colonnade, parapet motto band and medallions.
• Hero façade (6840), entrance: doors at street level left and right of the central bay, as the photographs show, and correct positioning of the central-bay elements (column bases, entrance stairs, set-back entrance, door frames, banners and signage). Nothing may stand in front of the façade that blocks it — no awning, no temporary structure. Carried over from Screenshots/README.md, 2026-11-09.
• El Capitan Theatre (6838): marquee, blade sign, entrance and the theatre's own elevation from its 18-frame set.
• 6800 Lee Drug and 6806–6820: second pass on the 0.1.6 trim. Moved here from that patch because geometry cannot close them: wall lettering as a decal (a plate at 0.10 m still vanishes at 40 m), a moulded parapet profile instead of a two-tier box, richer corner-tower stepping, and the portrait panels reworked as textures rather than framed plates.
• Photography gap — 6822 Budget (deferred out of 0.1.6, blocked): no photograph exists; the single-storey 6.0 × 5.5 m volume cannot be read from the neighbour shot, so it stays a bare blockout until references are acquired. Record the sources checked in Geo/. Also re-shoot 6806–6820 and 6800 from the south sidewalk: the only reference is one oblique with a bus across Lee Drug's shopfront and a car across 6806's.
• 6902, 6922 and the remaining south frontage.
• North side: TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussaud's façades from their reference sets.
• Reconcile every modelled height against Geo/tools/block_height_report.py and record the source per building.

Materials, UVs and performance

• Measured material library, including the hero's stone, which currently renders pale because it is a procedural graph and a generated texture set rather than a measured surface: stucco, painted render, ashlar, brick, terrazzo, glazing, bronze and steel trim, with albedo and roughness taken from the photographs rather than guessed; one Unreal material instance per surface type.
• Texel-density rule per building class, applied through modular UVs; lightmap UVs where required.
• LOD chain and collision proxies per building: UCX proxies for blocking volume, detail geometry non-colliding.
• Re-validate the 60 FPS floor at 1440p once the detail lands, and record the cost of the pass.

Release checks

• Every building with a photograph has a review shot measured against it, with silhouette and proportion deltas recorded in Screenshots/README.md.
• No building carries an unverified façade; blockouts without references are listed as such in TODO.md.
• Every building has a collision proxy and at least one LOD.
• No surface left on a placeholder material.
• THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md covers every photographic reference used in this pass.
• Performance target still met at 1440p.
• Tag v0.9.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.10.0 — Feature freeze, public beta, license and build audit (weeks 35–38)

Freeze and audit

• Freeze features; document the freeze in CHANGELOG.md.
• Produce a public beta build for testers.
• Complete license audit: THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md, all MPFB assets, textures, animations, vehicles, audio.
• Review Epic distribution requirements before publishing.
• Verify a fresh checkout builds and packages reproducibly.

Release checks

• Beta feedback triaged; blockers logged for 0.10.x.
• Tag v0.10.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.10.1 — Blocker fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix blockers reported during the public beta.
• Tag v0.10.1 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.10.2 — Regression fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Fix regressions introduced by 0.9.x fixes.
• Tag v0.10.2 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

0.10.3 — Documentation fixes (patch)

Patch tasks

• Update all Docs/ for accuracy before 1.0.0.
• Tag v0.10.3 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.

1.0.0 — Stable neighborhood-scale walking/driving release (weeks 35–40)

Final release

• Complete final acceptance sweep across all 0.x features.
• Confirm the stable, agreed game scope is met (neighborhood-scale walking and driving).
• Final build, documentation, and licensing verification.
• Tag v1.0.0 and write CHANGELOG.md entry; then remove this section.