diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c5b859a..848343f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ Semantic Versioning.
separate thumb instead of flat bars.
- Character noses gained ala wings and a smaller bridge/tip, the mouth is a
rounded slot, and the ears have a darker inner concha.
+- Hand-held items now sit forward in the open palm instead of being partly
+ buried inside the hand.
### Fixed
diff --git a/MEMORY.md b/MEMORY.md
index 00769f6..1272df4 100644
--- a/MEMORY.md
+++ b/MEMORY.md
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
0.150→0.146, chest 0.170→0.168, upper chest 0.172→0.170. This is a subtle shirt taper, not a
skeleton change; all proportions pass and `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg` records it.
Max character is 4,754 tris / 4,584 verts.
+- **NPC hand-item forward offset (0.9.4, 2026-11-02):** `NpcAvatar.HAND_ITEM_FORWARD =
+ Vector3(0,0,0.04)` is added in `_attach_gear()` for every `GEAR_ATTACH` hand item after the
+ head/chest offsets. Hand gear is authored around the wrist proxy; without this, phone,
+ flashlight, cup and clipboard were partly inside the palm. Fingers are still open, so true
+ curl/thumb contact and umbrella/sign grips stay open. Comparison:
+ `sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg`; regression assertions cover camera and flashlight positions.
- **NPC headgear clearance (0.9.4, 2026-11-02):** after the face-detail pass, the 96
final-context frames confirm the cap, firefighter helmet, hood and sunglasses clear the refined
brow/eyes; `blender_assets.py fit` stays clean, so no gear was rebuilt. The broad helmet brim is
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 387cd5a..efeb192 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -126,9 +126,11 @@ and equipment fit.
- [x] Refine hands and fingers enough to read at conversation distance without exceeding the
character triangle budget. (Wider palm, two-segment bent fingers with rounded tips, separate
thumb; optional `--view=hand` capture and `sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`.)
-- [ ] Fix grip alignment for phone, cup, clipboard, camera, sign, flashlight, wand and radio
- against the new palm/finger geometry. (Several props still occlude the palm or float beside
- it in the hand capture.)
+- [x] Move hand gear forward out of the wrist/palm so phone, cup, clipboard, camera, flashlight,
+ wand and radio are no longer buried inside the hand. (`HAND_ITEM_FORWARD`, 4 cm; new capture
+ sheet `sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg` and regression assertions.)
+- [ ] Add finger curl/thumb contact for the hand items and judge the umbrella/sign grips against the
+ new palm/finger geometry.
- [ ] Audit shoes/boots for silhouette, grounding and contact with the floor; preserve the
responder and firefighter footwear language.
- [ ] Improve clothing layer transitions at collars, cuffs, plackets, waistbands, pockets, badges
diff --git a/docs/blender_previews/README.md b/docs/blender_previews/README.md
index 6aa4b84..4daf974 100644
--- a/docs/blender_previews/README.md
+++ b/docs/blender_previews/README.md
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ Committed contact sheets and local Blender renders for the character, gear and p
| 
| [`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg`](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg) |
| 
| [`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg`](sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg) |
| 
| [`sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`](sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg) |
+| 
| [`sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg`](sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg) |
| 
| [`sheet_npc_gear.jpg`](sheet_npc_gear.jpg) |
| 
| [`sheet_props.jpg`](sheet_props.jpg) |
| 
| [`shoulder_bag.png`](shoulder_bag.png) |
diff --git a/docs/blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg b/docs/blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c49a4ef
Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg differ
diff --git a/docs/development-status.md b/docs/development-status.md
index fddb669..189226d 100644
--- a/docs/development-status.md
+++ b/docs/development-status.md
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ Implemented so far:
- NPC mesh budget (0.9.4 work): the eight library variants now have an 8,000-triangle / 8,000-glTF-vertex cap (up from 6,000/5,000); the `npc_base` fallback remains 6,000/4,000. Current characters measure 4,226–5,218 triangles and 4,119–5,240 vertices.
- NPC face-detail pass (0.9.4 work): ala wings and a smaller nose bridge/tip, one rounded mouth slot, and a darker ear concha; all eight rebuilt. The comparison is `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg`.
- NPC headgear clearance (0.9.4 work): the 96-frame final-context review after the face-detail pass confirms the cap, firefighter helmet, hood and sunglasses clear the refined brow and eyes; no gear rebuild was needed.
+- NPC hand-item grip (0.9.4 work): runtime `HAND_ITEM_FORWARD` moves every hand gear 4 cm forward from the wrist proxy, so phone, cup, clipboard, camera, flashlight, wand and radio sit in the open palm instead of partly inside it. Finger curl/thumb contact remains open; the comparison is `sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg`.
- NPC hand pass (0.9.4 work): wider, shallower palms; four two-segment bent fingers with rounded tips and a separate bent thumb; optional `--view=hand` capture at 0.80 m. The hand comparison is `sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`; item grip offsets remain open.
- NPC proportion audit (0.9.4 work): `tools/npc_proportions.py` measures all eight GLBs against a stylized height/head/shoulder/hip/torso/leg/arm/foot guide. All variants pass; the head and broad-build silhouettes are the nearest upper bounds. Results are in [`npc-proportion-audit.md`](npc-proportion-audit.md).
- NPC P1 portrait fixes (0.9.4 work): tourists now hide their photo-pose camera bag outside `photo`/`film` poses, removing the duplicate-backpack silhouette; the backpack gear was rebuilt with flattened, forward chest straps and a fresh AO map. The before/after sheet is [`blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-p1.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-p1.jpg); the face and remaining clothing/hand work stay open.
diff --git a/docs/npc-visual-review.md b/docs/npc-visual-review.md
index 2dc39e4..d7a3a2b 100644
--- a/docs/npc-visual-review.md
+++ b/docs/npc-visual-review.md
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ Comparison sheets:
[`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-body.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-body.jpg)
the latest [`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg),
the face-detail pass [`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg),
-and the conversation-distance hand pass
-[`sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg).
+the conversation-distance hand pass
+[`sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg), and the
+forward-grip pass [`sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg).
## What was captured
@@ -156,12 +157,14 @@ The refit backpack measures 380 triangles / 406 vertices.
### P2 — fix after the first P1 pass
-4. **Hands: first pass fixed 2026-11-02; grip alignment still open.** The palm
- is wider and shallower, and each finger is now a two-segment bent tube with a
- rounded tip and a separate bent thumb. The hand capture shows a readable
- four-finger hand instead of flat bars. The camera, phone, cup, clipboard and
- sign still need their attach offsets checked: several props occlude the palm
- or read as floating beside it.
+4. **Hands: geometry and forward offset fixed 2026-11-02; finger curl still
+ open.** The palm is wider and shallower, and each finger is now a
+ two-segment bent tube with a rounded tip and a separate bent thumb. Hand gear
+ is authored around the wrist proxy, so the runtime now moves every hand item
+ `HAND_ITEM_FORWARD` (4 cm) into the open palm; the phone, flashlight, camera,
+ cup and clipboard are no longer buried inside the hand. The fingers are still
+ open, so a true wrap/thumb contact and the umbrella/sign grips remain to be
+ judged.
5. **Clothing detail is tile-driven and transitional seams are visible.** The
fabric pattern repeats strongly on the casual, coat and dress variants, and
collar/cuff/waist edges are abrupt. This is more visible than the shoe/hem
@@ -210,14 +213,16 @@ The committed runs are
and [`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face.jpg).
The transition pass is [`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg).
The face-detail pass is [`sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg).
-The hand pass is [`sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg).
+The hand pass is [`sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg);
+the forward-grip pass is
+[`sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg`](blender_previews/sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg).
Keep the baseline sheet as the before artifact and add a new comparison sheet
rather than replacing it.
## Next implementation order
-1. Fix hand-item grip offsets (phone, cup, clipboard, camera, sign, flashlight,
- wand and radio) against the new palm/finger geometry.
+1. Add finger curl/thumb contact for the hand items and judge the umbrella/sign
+ grips; the forward offset is already in place.
2. Add the remaining body-shape variation between variants and re-measure the
LOD/impostor silhouettes.
3. Audit hems and footwear in walk/sit/block poses.
diff --git a/src/game/npc_avatar.gd b/src/game/npc_avatar.gd
index 7825e78..7b72328 100644
--- a/src/game/npc_avatar.gd
+++ b/src/game/npc_avatar.gd
@@ -179,6 +179,11 @@ const GEAR_OFFSETS := {
"lanyard": Vector3(0, 0, 0.04),
"firefighter_helmet": Vector3(0, 0.03, 0),
}
+## Hand gear is authored around the wrist proxy. The palm sits ~4 cm in front
+## of that origin, so without this offset the first phone/flashlight versions
+## were partly buried inside the hand. Keep the grip axis and move the whole
+## item forward into the open palm.
+const HAND_ITEM_FORWARD := Vector3(0, 0, 0.04)
const GEAR_ATTACH := {
"cap": "head", "beanie": "head", "hood": "head", "sunglasses": "head",
"firefighter_helmet": "head",
@@ -746,6 +751,8 @@ func _attach_gear(gear_name: String) -> bool:
return false
if GEAR_OFFSETS.has(gear_name):
node.position += GEAR_OFFSETS[gear_name]
+ if str(GEAR_ATTACH[gear_name]) == "hand":
+ node.position += HAND_ITEM_FORWARD
_detail_nodes.append(node)
var ao := Materials.load_ao(BLENDER_GEAR_DIR + gear_name + "_ao.png")
for child in node.find_children("*", "MeshInstance3D", true, false):
diff --git a/src/test/tests/test_npc_character.gd b/src/test/tests/test_npc_character.gd
index 68bdf37..ed45a54 100644
--- a/src/test/tests/test_npc_character.gd
+++ b/src/test/tests/test_npc_character.gd
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ func test_library_gear_attaches_to_the_contract_points() -> bool:
var b := TestUtils.check(camera != null and camera.get_parent() is Node3D
and camera.get_parent().name == "Hand",
"hand gear attaches under the hand proxy")
+ var f := TestUtils.check(camera != null
+ and camera.position.z >= NpcAvatar.HAND_ITEM_FORWARD.z - 0.001,
+ "hand gear sits forward of the wrist proxy instead of inside the palm")
tourist.free()
var responder := _avatar(Rules.NpcType.RESPONDER, 12)
var helmet := responder.find_child("Gear_firefighter_helmet", true, false) as Node3D
@@ -213,10 +216,13 @@ func test_library_gear_attaches_to_the_contract_points() -> bool:
"firefighter helmet attaches to Rig/Head")
var d := TestUtils.check(tank != null and flashlight != null,
"responder gets SCBA tank and flashlight")
+ var g := TestUtils.check(flashlight != null
+ and flashlight.position.z >= NpcAvatar.HAND_ITEM_FORWARD.z - 0.001,
+ "flashlight uses the same forward grip offset")
var e2 := TestUtils.check(helmet != null and helmet.position.y > 0.02,
"the firefighter helmet clears the brow")
responder.free()
- return a and b and c and d and e and e2
+ return a and b and c and d and e and e2 and f and g
## Horizontal bounds of a gear GLB in its attach-node space. The head/back
## contract is measured against the Blender fit report (head width 0.315 m,