Fix the worker torso/crown holes, transplant proper brows, widen the rest-arm clearance

TODO.md

@@ -870,6 +870,32 @@ regressing gear fit, budget or readability.
       upstream hivis vest and hard hat. All twelve built, AO-baked and committed (`a6ccd86`).
 - [ ] Add the modular part library (hair styles, outfits) so the roster regains the silhouette
       variety the twelve procedural meshes had; three shared meshes is the current ceiling.
+
+### Owner review findings (2026-11-06)
+
+Review page: [`docs/npc-visual-review.md`](docs/npc-visual-review.md). The owner signed the roster
+off **with follow-ups** and rejected checklist rows 3 (faces at portrait), 4 (hands and hand-held
+gear) and 5 (head gear on the skull).
+
+- [x] Worker torso holes on `npc_guard`: the build deleted `Worker_Vest`, which on the modular
+      Worker *is* the torso. Fixed by mapping it to `cloth` instead of deleting it.
+- [x] Worker crown hole on `npc_firefighter`/`npc_crowd_d`: the deleted `Worker_Yellow` hat was
+      the crown of the skull. Fixed by keeping it and splitting the material at z 1.65 (crown →
+      `hair`, vest stripes → `cloth`).
+- [x] Unibrow on `npc_guard`/`npc_vest`/`npc_crowd_d`: the Worker `Eyebrows` bar is cut out and
+      the hoodie's two brows are transplanted onto the Worker head (`DONOR_BROWS`).
+- [-] Arm/torso intersection on `npc_dress`/`npc_jacket`/`npc_crowd_a`/`npc_crowd_d`: the baked
+      rest now aims the upper arm 7° out from vertical. Verified clear on the `casual` base; a
+      light clip remains on `worker`, so this needs either a wider angle or a per-base shoulder
+      offset.
+- [ ] Worker crown still reads as a hard hat: the shape is upstream geometry, so it needs the
+      modular hair/cap library (or a carved brim) instead of a tint.
+- [ ] Eyes and brows still read as one heavy dark mass at portrait distance (checklist row 3).
+- [ ] Head gear still does not sit on the skull convincingly (row 5): the firefighter helmet brim
+      is 1.55× the head width and the cap sits high.
+- [ ] Hand-held gear is still authored for the old hand (row 4): the `npc_vest` clipboard and the
+      `npc_dress` performer sign are oversized, and the sign floats beside the body because
+      `_add_props()` places it at a fixed rig offset instead of on the hand proxy.
 - [-] Build one asset family per commit, AO-baked and re-imported; never run a no-op full-library
       rebuild. Use the concept + vision-judge loop for head/outfit decisions and record model,
       prompt and spend. (Roster family landed in one commit because the three sources share one

assets/models/blender/manifest.json

@@ -431,12 +431,12 @@
       "base": "hoodie",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.228,
+          0.262,
           1.866,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.228,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
           -0.091
         ]
@@ -474,12 +474,12 @@
       "base": "hoodie",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.228,
+          0.262,
           1.866,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.228,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
           -0.091
         ]
@@ -516,12 +516,12 @@
       "base": "casual",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.18,
+          0.22,
           1.843,
           0.271
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.18,
+          -0.22,
           -0.009,
           -0.099
         ]
@@ -551,18 +551,18 @@
         "hair"
       ],
       "triangles": 6424,
-      "vertices": 13440
+      "vertices": 13439
     },
     "npc_crowd_b": {
       "base": "casual",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.18,
+          0.22,
           1.843,
           0.271
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.18,
+          -0.22,
           -0.009,
           -0.099
         ]
@@ -592,18 +592,18 @@
         "hair"
       ],
       "triangles": 6424,
-      "vertices": 13440
+      "vertices": 13439
     },
     "npc_crowd_c": {
       "base": "hoodie",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.228,
+          0.262,
           1.866,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.228,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
           -0.091
         ]
@@ -639,14 +639,14 @@
       "base": "worker",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.217,
-          1.826,
+          0.262,
+          1.863,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.217,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
-          -0.065
+          -0.103
         ]
       },
       "category": "npc",
@@ -658,7 +658,8 @@
         "hair",
         "Moustache",
         "Eye",
-        "pants"
+        "pants",
+        "Brows"
       ],
       "mesh_node": "npc_base",
       "path": "assets/models/blender/npc/npc_crowd_d.glb",
@@ -673,19 +674,19 @@
         "accessory",
         "hair"
       ],
-      "triangles": 4458,
-      "vertices": 9370
+      "triangles": 5258,
+      "vertices": 10980
     },
     "npc_dress": {
       "base": "casual",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.18,
+          0.22,
           1.843,
           0.271
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.18,
+          -0.22,
           -0.009,
           -0.099
         ]
@@ -714,20 +715,20 @@
         "hair"
       ],
       "triangles": 6424,
-      "vertices": 13440
+      "vertices": 13439
     },
     "npc_firefighter": {
       "base": "worker",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.217,
-          1.826,
+          0.262,
+          1.863,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.217,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
-          -0.065
+          -0.103
         ]
       },
       "category": "npc",
@@ -739,7 +740,8 @@
         "hair",
         "Moustache",
         "Eye",
-        "pants"
+        "pants",
+        "Brows"
       ],
       "mesh_node": "npc_base",
       "path": "assets/models/blender/npc/npc_firefighter.glb",
@@ -753,21 +755,21 @@
         "accessory",
         "hair"
       ],
-      "triangles": 4458,
-      "vertices": 9370
+      "triangles": 5258,
+      "vertices": 10980
     },
     "npc_guard": {
       "base": "worker",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.217,
-          1.826,
+          0.262,
+          1.863,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.217,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
-          -0.065
+          -0.103
         ]
       },
       "category": "npc",
@@ -779,7 +781,8 @@
         "hair",
         "Moustache",
         "Eye",
-        "pants"
+        "pants",
+        "Brows"
       ],
       "mesh_node": "npc_base",
       "path": "assets/models/blender/npc/npc_guard.glb",
@@ -794,19 +797,19 @@
         "accessory",
         "hair"
       ],
-      "triangles": 4458,
-      "vertices": 9370
+      "triangles": 5258,
+      "vertices": 10980
     },
     "npc_hoodie": {
       "base": "hoodie",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.228,
+          0.262,
           1.866,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.228,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
           -0.091
         ]
@@ -843,12 +846,12 @@
       "base": "casual",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.18,
+          0.22,
           1.843,
           0.271
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.18,
+          -0.22,
           -0.009,
           -0.099
         ]
@@ -879,18 +882,18 @@
         "hair"
       ],
       "triangles": 6424,
-      "vertices": 13440
+      "vertices": 13439
     },
     "npc_vest": {
       "base": "worker",
       "bounds_godot": {
         "max": [
-          0.217,
+          0.262,
           1.863,
           0.287
         ],
         "min": [
-          -0.217,
+          -0.262,
           -0.004,
           -0.103
         ]
@@ -900,13 +903,13 @@
       "materials": [
         "skin",
         "Worker_Yellow",
-        "Worker_Vest",
         "cloth",
         "accessory",
         "hair",
         "Moustache",
         "Eye",
-        "pants"
+        "pants",
+        "Brows"
       ],
       "mesh_node": "npc_base",
       "path": "assets/models/blender/npc/npc_vest.glb",
@@ -920,8 +923,8 @@
         "accessory",
         "hair"
       ],
-      "triangles": 5240,
-      "vertices": 10936
+      "triangles": 5258,
+      "vertices": 10980
     },
     "palm_tree": {
       "bounds_godot": {

docs/blender_previews/README.md

@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ capture harnesses.
 | [![sheet_npc_baseline_compare-tex256.jpg](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-tex256.jpg)](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-tex256.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-tex256.jpg` | 128 -> 256 px NPC slot maps on the same camera. |
 | [![sheet_npc_baseline_compare-texuv.jpg](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-texuv.jpg)](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-texuv.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-texuv.jpg` | 4x fabric weave with the baked per-character AO removed. |
 | [![sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg)](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg` | Torso/hip taper without changing the skeleton or build multipliers. |
+| [![sheet_npc_roster_0.9.9.jpg](sheet_npc_roster_0.9.9.jpg)](sheet_npc_roster_0.9.9.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_roster_0.9.9.jpg` | 0.9.9 shipped roster: all twelve roles on the CC0 Quaternius bases, full body. |
+| [![sheet_npc_roster_views_0.9.9.jpg](sheet_npc_roster_views_0.9.9.jpg)](sheet_npc_roster_views_0.9.9.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_roster_views_0.9.9.jpg` | 0.9.9 roster: front and profile per role, for silhouette and gear placement. |
+| [![sheet_npc_roster_poses_0.9.9.jpg](sheet_npc_roster_poses_0.9.9.jpg)](sheet_npc_roster_poses_0.9.9.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_roster_poses_0.9.9.jpg` | 0.9.9 roster: idle, seated and walk-contact poses on six representative roles. |
+| [![sheet_npc_roster_crowd_0.9.9.jpg](sheet_npc_roster_crowd_0.9.9.jpg)](sheet_npc_roster_crowd_0.9.9.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_roster_crowd_0.9.9.jpg` | 0.9.9 roster at the 8 m crowd distance a player actually sees. |
 | [![sheet_npc_crowd_prototypes.jpg](sheet_npc_crowd_prototypes.jpg)](sheet_npc_crowd_prototypes.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_crowd_prototypes.jpg` | Four approved crowd-variety looks queued for the 12-character roster. |
 | [![sheet_npc_gear.jpg](sheet_npc_gear.jpg)](sheet_npc_gear.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_gear.jpg` | Eighteen gear pieces authored in attach space: caps, hood, helmet, bags, tanks, lanyards and handheld items. |
 | [![sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg](sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg)](sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg) <br> `sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg` | Hand pass: wider palms, segmented fingers and a separate thumb. |

docs/npc-visual-review.md

@@ -45,19 +45,44 @@ straight into `TODO.md`.
 
 | # | Question | Verdict |
 | --- | --- | --- |
-| 1 | Do the twelve characters read as distinct people at 8 m? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
-| 2 | Is the head size right for the body (no bobblehead, no pinhead)? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
-| 3 | Do the faces hold up at portrait distance? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
-| 4 | Do the hands and the hand-held gear (camera, cup, clipboard, sign) read correctly? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
-| 5 | Does the head gear (cap, hood, sunglasses, firefighter helmet) sit on the skull? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
-| 6 | Are the role outfits believable for a Hollywood-boulevard shift (tourist, delivery, guard, responder)? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
-| 7 | Are the seeded tint palettes acceptable, or too pastel/saturated? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
-| 8 | Do the seated and walking poses hold up? | ☐ yes ☐ no |
+| 1 | Do the twelve characters read as distinct people at 8 m? | [x] yes [ ] no |
+| 2 | Is the head size right for the body (no bobblehead, no pinhead)? | [x] yes [ ] no |
+| 3 | Do the faces hold up at portrait distance? | [ ] yes [x] no |
+| 4 | Do the hands and the hand-held gear (camera, cup, clipboard, sign) read correctly? | [ ] yes [x] no |
+| 5 | Does the head gear (cap, hood, sunglasses, firefighter helmet) sit on the skull? | [ ] yes [x] no |
+| 6 | Are the role outfits believable for a Hollywood-boulevard shift (tourist, delivery, guard, responder)? | [x] yes [ ] no |
+| 7 | Are the seeded tint palettes acceptable, or too pastel/saturated? | [x] yes [ ] no |
+| 8 | Do the seated and walking poses hold up? | [x] yes [ ] no |
 
-**Signoff:** ☐ approved as shipped ☐ approved with the follow-ups below ☐ rejected
+**Signoff:** [ ] approved as shipped [x] approved with the follow-ups below [ ] rejected
 
 ## Issues visible in the captures
 
+The first review pass found three body defects. All three came from the build pipeline,
+not the art, and all three are addressed in the second pass (2026-11-06):
+
+| Finding | Cause | Status |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `npc_guard` has holes in the upper body | the build **deleted** the `Worker_Vest` material, and on the modular Worker the vest *is* the torso | **fixed** — the vest is now the `cloth` slot, tinted per role; nothing is deleted |
+| `npc_firefighter`, `npc_crowd_d` have a broken shoulder/upper-body area | same cause, plus the deleted `Worker_Yellow` hat was the crown of the skull, leaving the head open | **fixed** — the hat/crown stays in the mesh and only the part above z 1.65 takes the `hair` tint |
+| `npc_guard`, `npc_vest`, `npc_crowd_d` have one big unibrow | the Worker's `Eyebrows` material is one continuous bar, and no other upstream head has brows that fit this mesh | **replaced** — the bar is cut out and the hoodie's two brows are transplanted onto the Worker head, lifted above the eye quads |
+| `npc_dress`, `npc_jacket`, `npc_crowd_a`, `npc_crowd_d` arms intersect the body | the baked rest aimed the upper arm straight down, which works on the wide bases but not the narrow ones | **reduced** — the arm now rests 7° out from vertical (mesh width 0.180 → 0.220 on `casual`, 0.228 → 0.262 on `hoodie`); a light clip remains on the `worker` bases |
+
+Re-verified after the fix with the sheets below and the vision judge: no holes or missing geometry
+on any of the three Worker-based roles.
+
+**Still open** — checklist rows 3, 4 and 5 plus the list below: the Worker crown still reads as a
+hard hat because that is upstream geometry, the eye/brow mass still reads heavy at portrait
+distance, and the arms still graze the torso on the `worker` base.
+
+Found by user:
+
+1. npc_firefighter, npc_guard and npc_crowd_d have errors in the body:
+   - npc_guard has "holes" in upper body
+   - npc_firefighter and npc_crowd_d have buggy shoulder and upper body area
+2. npc_guard, npc_vest and npc_crowd_d have one large unibrow: use other character's eyebrow geometry instead.
+3. npc_dress, npc_jacket, npc_crowd_a and npc_crowd_d arms are too close and intersecting the body
+
 Found while building this page; none blocks the swap, all are queued in `TODO.md`:
 
 1. **`npc_dress` wears the performer cone hat plus the protest sign** because the performer props

tools/blender_assets.py

@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover - audit/sheet/list run outside Blender
 # pick one per avatar later. `tint` lists the slots the runtime should tint;
 # every other material keeps its authored colour.
 # `base` selects the CC0 Quaternius source the character is baked from
-# (ADR-0017/ADR-0018, owner chose the full roster swap); `drop` removes upstream
-# materials that do not belong to the role (the Worker's hivis vest and hard hat).
+# (ADR-0017/ADR-0018, owner chose the full roster swap); `slots` overrides the
+# source's material -> tint-slot map for that role (nothing is deleted: the
+# modular Worker's vest is its torso and its hard hat is its crown).
 # Rebuild one procedurally with `build --source procedural --head mh`.
 CHARACTERS = {
     "npc_casual": {"layer": "none", "hair": "short", "gear": ["backpack", "camera"],
@@ -101,6 +102,10 @@ CHARACTERS = {
                  "roles": ["influencer", "trespasser", "violent_threat"]},
     "npc_vest": {"layer": "vest", "hair": "buzz", "gear": ["cap", "clipboard"],
                  "base": "worker",
+                 # Delivery keeps the hi-vis stripe bands as authored; every
+                 # other worker role tints them with the shirt.
+                 "slots": {"Worker_Yellow": {"split": True, "z": 1.65,
+                                             "above": "hair", "below": "keep"}},
                  "roles": ["delivery"]},
     "npc_dress": {"layer": "dress", "hair": "bun", "build": "slim", "base": "casual",
                   "gear": ["shoulder_bag"],
@@ -108,11 +113,11 @@ CHARACTERS = {
     "npc_hoodie": {"layer": "hood", "hair": "short", "gear": ["cup"], "base": "hoodie",
                    "roles": ["trespasser", "mental_crisis", "violent_threat"]},
     "npc_firefighter": {"layer": "responder", "hair": "buzz", "build": "broad",
-                        "base": "worker", "drop": ["Worker_Vest", "Worker_Yellow"],
+                        "base": "worker",
                         "gear": ["firefighter_helmet", "scba_tank", "flashlight"],
                         "roles": ["responder"]},
     "npc_guard": {"layer": "guard", "hair": "buzz", "build": "broad",
-                  "base": "worker", "drop": ["Worker_Vest", "Worker_Yellow"],
+                  "base": "worker",
                   "gear": ["cap", "wand"],
                   "roles": ["player_guard", "venue_security"]},
     # Crowd-variety prototypes (character development): the three Quaternius
@@ -125,7 +130,7 @@ CHARACTERS = {
     "npc_crowd_c": {"layer": "coat", "hair": "short", "base": "hoodie",
                     "gear": ["umbrella"], "roles": ["intoxicated", "guest"]},
     "npc_crowd_d": {"layer": "hood", "hair": "short", "build": "slim",
-                    "base": "worker", "drop": ["Worker_Vest", "Worker_Yellow"],
+                    "base": "worker",
                     "gear": ["cup"], "roles": ["tourist", "guest"]},
 }
 
@@ -1491,72 +1496,234 @@ QUATERNIUS_SOURCES = {
         "file": "Worker.glb",
         "slots": {"Skin": "skin", "LightBrown": "cloth", "Brown": "pants",
                   "Brown2": "pants", "Grey": "accessory", "Black": "accessory",
-                  # The Worker's head is bare apart from a hard hat, so the
-                  # brows carry the hair tint and the slot keeps a surface.
+                  # The modular Worker has no torso under the vest and no crown
+                  # under the hard hat, so both must stay in the mesh: the vest
+                  # becomes the role's shirt and only the hat/crown part of the
+                  # yellow material stays, tinted as hair. The stripes below the
+                  # collar follow the shirt.
+                  "Worker_Vest": "cloth",
+                  "Worker_Yellow": {"split": True, "z": 1.65,
+                                    "above": "hair", "below": "cloth"},
+                  # The bar is deleted in `_transplant_brows()` and replaced by
+                  # the hoodie's two brows; what remains of this material is the
+                  # dark shell over the crown, which follows the hair.
                   "Eyebrows": "hair",
-                  "Eye": "keep", "Moustache": "keep",
-                  "Worker_Vest": "keep", "Worker_Yellow": "keep"},
-        "notes": "work shirt + trousers + hivis vest + hard hat",
+                  "Brows": "keep",
+                  "Eye": "keep", "Moustache": "keep"},
+        "donor_brows": True,
+        "notes": "work shirt (vest geometry) + trousers + hard hat/crown",
     },
 }
 
 
-def _quaternius_slot_map(obj, slot_map, drop):
-    """Rename the upstream materials onto the contract slots.
+## The modular Worker's `Eyebrows` material is one continuous bar across the
+## face (the owner reads it as a unibrow) and no other upstream head has brows
+## that fit this head, because the three heads are different meshes. `casual` is
+## the closest sibling, so its two brows are transplanted onto the Worker head
+## and the Worker bar is deleted. Everything else in the pipeline is remapped,
+## never deleted: the Worker's vest *is* its torso and its hard hat *is* the
+## crown of its skull.
+DONOR_BROWS = {"source": "Casual_Hoodie.glb", "material": "Eyebrows",
+               "slot_name": "Brows", "bone": "Head",
+               # The two heads are different meshes: the Worker's eye quads top
+               # out at y 1.709, so the hoodie's brows (1.702-1.717) landed on the
+               # eyes and read as one dark mass. Lift them above the eyes and sink
+               # them into the brow ridge. Blender z = Godot y.
+               "offset": (0.0, 0.0, 0.018)}
+
+
+def _base_name(name):
+    """Strip Blender's `.001` duplicate suffix."""
+    head, sep, tail = name.rpartition(".")
+    return head if sep and tail.isdigit() else name
+
+
+def _transplant_brows(obj):
+    """Replace the Worker eyebrow bar with the two brows from the hoodie head."""
+    spec = DONOR_BROWS
+    # Cut our own bar: every `Eyebrows` face below the crown shell.
+    doomed = []
+    for poly in obj.data.polygons:
+        material = obj.data.materials[poly.material_index]
+        if material is None or material.name != spec["material"]:
+            continue
+        if _face_centroid(obj, poly)[2] < 1.70:
+            doomed.append(poly.index)
+    if doomed:
+        bm = bmesh.new()
+        bm.from_mesh(obj.data)
+        bm.faces.ensure_lookup_table()
+        bmesh.ops.delete(bm, geom=[bm.faces[i] for i in doomed], context="FACES")
+        bm.to_mesh(obj.data)
+        bm.free()
+
+    donor_path = QUATERNIUS_SRC / spec["source"]
+    if not donor_path.is_file():
+        print(f"  brows: {donor_path.name} missing, keeping the bar")
+        return
+    before = set(o.name for o in bpy.context.scene.objects)
+    bpy.ops.import_scene.gltf(filepath=str(donor_path))
+    added = [o for o in bpy.context.scene.objects if o.name not in before]
+    donor = None
+    for candidate in added:
+        if candidate.type != "MESH":
+            continue
+        # A second import of the same pack reuses the material names, so Blender
+        # suffixes them (`Eyebrows.001`); match the base name.
+        keep = [i for i, m in enumerate(candidate.data.materials)
+                if m is not None and _base_name(m.name) == spec["material"]]
+        if not keep:
+            continue
+        bm = bmesh.new()
+        bm.from_mesh(candidate.data)
+        bm.faces.ensure_lookup_table()
+        drop = [f for f in bm.faces if f.material_index not in keep]
+        if drop:
+            bmesh.ops.delete(bm, geom=drop, context="FACES")
+        loose = [v for v in bm.verts if not v.link_faces]
+        if loose:
+            bmesh.ops.delete(bm, geom=loose, context="VERTS")
+        if not bm.faces:
+            bm.free()
+            continue
+        bm.to_mesh(candidate.data)
+        bm.free()
+        for m in candidate.data.materials:
+            if m is not None and _base_name(m.name) == spec["material"]:
+                m.name = spec["slot_name"]
+        donor = candidate
+        break
+    for extra in added:
+        if extra is not donor:
+            bpy.data.objects.remove(extra, do_unlink=True)
+    if donor is None:
+        print("  brows: donor head not found, keeping the bar")
+        return
+    donor.parent = None
+    donor.matrix_world = Matrix.Identity(4)
+    donor.data.transform(Matrix.Translation(spec["offset"]))
+    group = obj.vertex_groups.get(spec["bone"]) or obj.vertex_groups.new(name=spec["bone"])
+    for o in bpy.context.selected_objects:
+        o.select_set(False)
+    obj.select_set(True)
+    donor.select_set(True)
+    bpy.context.view_layer.objects.active = obj
+    bpy.ops.object.join()
+    # The donor's vertices carry no weights; the brows ride the head bone.
+    group.add([v.index for v in obj.data.vertices if not v.groups], 1.0, "REPLACE")
+    print(f"  transplanted {spec['slot_name']} from {spec['source']}")
+
+
+def _face_centroid(obj, poly):
+    co = [obj.data.vertices[v].co for v in poly.vertices]
+    n = max(len(co), 1)
+    return (sum(c.x for c in co) / n, sum(c.y for c in co) / n,
+            sum(c.z for c in co) / n)
+
+
+def _face_centroid(obj, poly):
+    co = [obj.data.vertices[v].co for v in poly.vertices]
+    n = max(len(co), 1)
+    return (sum(c.x for c in co) / n, sum(c.y for c in co) / n,
+            sum(c.z for c in co) / n)
+
+
+def _carve_quaternius_faces(obj, slot_map, by_name):
+    """Delete the faces a rule marks as `carve`.
+
+    The modular Worker's `Eyebrows` material is one continuous bar across the
+    face, which reads as a unibrow, and no other upstream head has brows that fit
+    this head (the three heads are different meshes). Cutting the middle out of
+    the bar is the cheapest honest fix. This is the only deletion in the
+    pipeline: everything else is remapped, because the Worker's vest *is* its
+    torso and its hard hat *is* the crown of its skull.
+    """
+    doomed = []
+    for poly in obj.data.polygons:
+        material = obj.data.materials[poly.material_index]
+        rule = slot_map.get(material.name) if material else None
+        if not isinstance(rule, dict) or "carve" not in rule:
+            continue
+        x, _y, z = _face_centroid(obj, poly)
+        if "z" in rule and z >= float(rule["z"]):
+            continue
+        if abs(x) < float(rule["carve"].get("abs_x_below", 0.0)):
+            doomed.append(poly.index)
+    if not doomed:
+        return
+    bm = bmesh.new()
+    bm.from_mesh(obj.data)
+    bm.faces.ensure_lookup_table()
+    bmesh.ops.delete(bm, geom=[bm.faces[i] for i in doomed], context="FACES")
+    loose = [v for v in bm.verts if not v.link_faces]
+    if loose:
+        bmesh.ops.delete(bm, geom=loose, context="VERTS")
+    bm.to_mesh(obj.data)
+    bm.free()
+    print(f"  carved {len(doomed)} brow faces")
+
+
+def _quaternius_slot_map(obj, slot_map):
+    """Repoint the upstream materials onto the contract slots.
+
+    Nothing is deleted. The upstream Worker is modular: `Worker_Vest` *is* the
+    torso and `Worker_Yellow` above z 1.65 *is* the crown of the skull, so
+    dropping either leaves real holes in the character (that is what shipped in
+    the first 0.9.9 build). Instead every polygon is repointed at a slot, and a
+    rule can split one upstream material by height:
+
+        {"split": True, "z": 1.65, "above": "hair", "below": "keep"}
 
     Several upstream materials can share a slot (trousers + patches), so the
     polygons are repointed at one Blender material instead of relying on a
     rename that Blender would de-duplicate to `pants.001`.
     """
     materials = [m for m in obj.data.materials if m is not None]
-    dropped = {i for i, m in enumerate(materials) if m.name in drop}
-    kept = []
-    target = {}
-    remap = {}
-    for index, m in enumerate(materials):
-        slot = slot_map.get(m.name, "keep")
-        if slot == "keep":
-            if m.name not in target:
-                target[m.name] = len(kept)
-                kept.append(m)
-            remap[index] = target[m.name]
-            continue
-        if slot in target:
-            remap[index] = target[slot]
-            continue
-        m.name = slot
-        target[slot] = len(kept)
-        kept.append(m)
-        remap[index] = target[slot]
-    # Faces that only exist for a dropped material go away with it.
-    if dropped:
-        doomed = [p.index for p in obj.data.polygons
-                  if p.material_index in dropped]
-        if doomed:
-            bm = bmesh.new()
-            bm.from_mesh(obj.data)
-            bm.faces.ensure_lookup_table()
-            bmesh.ops.delete(bm, geom=[bm.faces[i] for i in doomed],
-                             context="FACES")
-            bm.to_mesh(obj.data)
-            bm.free()
-            # Loose vertices left behind by the helmet/vest would export as an
-            # unreferenced blob, so drop them before the UV pass.
-            bm = bmesh.new()
-            bm.from_mesh(obj.data)
-            loose = [v for v in bm.verts if not v.link_faces]
-            if loose:
-                bmesh.ops.delete(bm, geom=loose, context="VERTS")
-            bm.to_mesh(obj.data)
-            bm.free()
-    # `materials.clear()` resets every polygon to slot 0, so record the source
-    # indices first or the whole mesh collapses onto the first slot.
-    source_index = [poly.material_index for poly in obj.data.polygons]
+    by_name = {m.name: m for m in materials}
+    # Read the source state before touching the material list: clearing it resets
+    # every polygon to slot 0.
+    source_names = []
+    centroids = []
+    for poly in obj.data.polygons:
+        src = materials[poly.material_index] if poly.material_index < len(materials) else None
+        source_names.append(src.name if src else "")
+        co = [obj.data.vertices[v].co for v in poly.vertices]
+        centroids.append(sum(c.z for c in co) / max(len(co), 1))
+
+    targets = []
+
+    def target_index(key, source):
+        if key in index_of_slot:
+            return index_of_slot[key]
+        if key[0] == "keep":
+            mat = source
+        else:
+            # A copy carries the authored colour into the slot, and keeps the
+            # source material untouched for the other slots that share it.
+            mat = source.copy()
+            mat.name = key[1]
+        index_of_slot[key] = len(targets)
+        targets.append(mat)
+        return index_of_slot[key]
+
+    index_of_slot = {}
+    resolved = []
+    for name, z in zip(source_names, centroids):
+        rule = slot_map.get(name, "keep")
+        if isinstance(rule, dict) and rule.get("split"):
+            slot = rule["above"] if z >= float(rule["z"]) else rule["below"]
+            key = ("keep", name) if slot == "keep" else ("slot", slot)
+        elif rule == "keep" or rule is None:
+            key = ("keep", name)
+        else:
+            key = ("slot", rule)
+        resolved.append(target_index(key, by_name[name]) if name in by_name else 0)
+
     obj.data.materials.clear()
-    for m in kept:
+    for m in targets:
         obj.data.materials.append(m)
-    for poly, index in zip(obj.data.polygons, source_index):
-        poly.material_index = remap.get(index, 0)
+    for poly, index in zip(obj.data.polygons, resolved):
+        poly.material_index = index
 
 
 def _bake_quaternius_rest(arm, mesh):
@@ -1579,7 +1746,10 @@ def _bake_quaternius_rest(arm, mesh):
         # Local X swings the arm in the frontal plane. This is only symmetric on
         # *our* exported rest: the raw upstream file mirrors the bone rolls, so
         # the build always round-trips through `_quaternius_tpose_glb()` first.
-        pose_bone.rotation_euler = (-math.pi / 2, 0, 0)
+        # 83 instead of 90 degrees leaves the arm 7 degrees out from vertical: on
+        # the narrow `casual` base a perfectly vertical arm intersects the hip
+        # and torso (owner report: dress, jacket, crowd_a).
+        pose_bone.rotation_euler = (math.radians(-83.0), 0, 0)
     bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode="OBJECT")
     bpy.context.view_layer.update()
     for side in ("L", "R"):
@@ -1655,15 +1825,19 @@ def _quaternius_work_dir():
     return path
 
 
-def _quaternius_tpose_glb(base, drop):
+def _quaternius_tpose_glb(base, overrides):
     """Export (and cache) the joined, slot-mapped, unwrapped T-pose base.
 
     The arm-down bake only behaves symmetrically on our own export, because the
     upstream file mirrors the bone rolls; this round trip normalises them. The
-    result depends only on the source and the dropped materials, so it is cached
+    result depends only on the source and the slot overrides, so it is cached
     for the run.
     """
-    key = base + ("-" + "-".join(sorted(drop)) if drop else "")
+    # The cache key has to cover the slot overrides: two roles can share a source
+    # and still need different slot maps (the delivery vest keeps its hi-vis).
+    key = base
+    if overrides:
+        key += "-" + "-".join(f"{k}:{v}" for k, v in sorted(overrides.items()))
     path = _quaternius_work_dir() / f"tpose_{key}.glb"
     if path.is_file():
         return path
@@ -1696,7 +1870,11 @@ def _quaternius_tpose_glb(base, drop):
     obj.name = "npc_base"
     obj.data.name = "npc_base"
 
-    _quaternius_slot_map(obj, source["slots"], drop)
+    slots = dict(source["slots"])
+    slots.update(overrides)
+    if source.get("donor_brows"):
+        _transplant_brows(obj)
+    _quaternius_slot_map(obj, slots)
 
     # Upstream UVs are degenerate (every loop at 0,0), so an AO bake would write
     # an all-black map. Repack a real layout at a tight island margin (the
@@ -1749,7 +1927,7 @@ def _quaternius_tpose_glb(base, drop):
 def build_quaternius_character(name):
     """Bake one roster character from its CC0 Quaternius source."""
     spec = CHARACTERS[name]
-    tpose = _quaternius_tpose_glb(spec["base"], spec.get("drop", []))
+    tpose = _quaternius_tpose_glb(spec["base"], spec.get("slots", {}))
     reset_scene()
     bpy.ops.import_scene.gltf(filepath=str(tpose))
     arm = next(o for o in bpy.context.scene.objects if o.type == "ARMATURE")