Raise character limits and document optional Blender MCP

TODO.md

@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ The MIT Blender skill pack lives locally at `.agents/skills/blender-skills/` (gi
 Goal: replace the sphere-and-primitive face and hand construction with a local, part-based
 development pipeline that can build, inspect and compare the **head/face** and **hands** separately
 before assembling them into the shipped character. Prioritise face readability at portrait
-distance, then hand silhouette and gear contact. Preserve the `npc_base` contract, the 13-bone rig,
-five tint slots, 8,000/8,000 character cap and Compatibility/Web path.
+distance, then hand silhouette and gear contact. Preserve the `npc_base` contract, the 13 core-bone rig (optional extra bones allowed),
+five tint slots, 16,000/16,000 character cap, optional extra bones beyond the required 13, and the Compatibility/Web path.
 
 *Skill route: `character-artist`, `retopology`, `sculpting`, `rigging`, `uv-workflow`,
 `texture-workflow`, `materials`, `lookdev`, `asset-optimization`, `qa-review`.*
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ the rest of §C remains the broad review checklist.
       UV layout and the exact locations of eye/mouth/finger geometry.
 - [ ] Define measurable acceptance: face front/three-quarter/profile at 1.5 m and 1.85 m; hands
       open and gripping at 0.8 m; silhouette, eye/mouth readability, ear/nose/jaw planes, finger
-      separation and gear contact. Keep the 8,000/8,000 cap; no contract or renderer change.
+      separation and gear contact. Keep the 16,000/16,000 cap; optional extra bones are allowed, but the required 13 core bones and rest positions must not move.
 - [ ] Confirm the identity boundary: `npc_base.blend` is the frozen fallback and must not absorb
       prototype detail unless a separate contract decision approves it.
 - [ ] Choose a local working-set layout: `tmp/npc-parts/<variant>/` (gitignored) for part `.blend`
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ the rest of §C remains the broad review checklist.
 - [ ] Add tests for deterministic part assembly, contract output (mesh root, bones, slots, budgets)
       and the non-Blender failure path. Verify one assembled prototype with `audit`/`fit`/`inspect`
       before touching production variants.
+- [x] Consider optional Blender MCP for interactive part exploration and document setup/safety.
+      (`docs/blender-mcp.md` covers addon/client setup, Pi `pi mcp add`, flatpak networking,
+      viewport/`bpy` workflow and the rule that headless audit/fit remains authoritative; MCP is
+      not a build/CI/runtime dependency.)
 - [ ] Document the commands, working-set paths and “part source is not a shipped asset” rule in
       `docs/asset-tooling.md`, `docs/blender-assets.md` and
       `.agents/skills/gig-line-blender-asset-contract/references/verification.md`.
@@ -84,8 +88,9 @@ the rest of §C remains the broad review checklist.
 - [ ] Build separate left/right hand parts with a connected palm, four multi-segment fingers, a
       thumb, knuckles and rounded tips. Support an open palm and a relaxed grip; preserve the
       current `HAND_ITEM_FORWARD` behaviour for phone/cup/clipboard/camera/flashlight/wand/radio.
-- [ ] Decide finger articulation explicitly: the 13-bone contract has no finger bones, so keep the
-      open/relaxed-palm approach unless an ADR approves extra bones and the budget/weight path.
+- [ ] Decide finger articulation explicitly: the current rig has no finger bones, so keep the
+      open/relaxed-palm approach unless an ADR approves optional finger bones and the
+      budget/weight path.
 - [ ] Verify all hand gear at 0.8 m (contact, clipping, direction) and capture open/grip hand
       close-ups for the review sheet.
 - [ ] Roll the approved hands into all 12 variants only after the one-variant hand sheet passes.
@@ -93,7 +98,8 @@ the rest of §C remains the broad review checklist.
 ### 5. Assembly and rollout
 
 - [ ] Integrate the approved parts into `build_character` with deterministic joins, weights, UVs and
-      AO. The final output remains one `npc_base` skinned mesh under the existing 13-bone armature;
+      AO. The final output remains one `npc_base` skinned mesh under the existing 13-core armature;
+      optional extra bones are allowed but the core rest positions stay fixed;
       no second rig, no material-slot rename.
 - [ ] Keep the MakeHuman body prototype consumable with the same approved head/hands; do not let it
       grow a second face/hand implementation while the part pipeline is being proven.
@@ -148,11 +154,11 @@ an active track; ADR-0015 (CC0 / CC-BY with attribution) still governs every int
 ### Intake and adaptation
 
 - [x] `adapt` path added to `tools/blender_assets.py` (`adapt --file <in> --out <out>
-      [--target-tris 8000]`): imports the GLB, applies transforms, grounds the feet, welds seam
-      splits and decimates to the budget, then exports. The five tint slots + 13-bone rig stay a
-      manual step (recorded in the command doc).
+      [--target-tris 16000]`): imports the GLB, applies transforms, grounds the feet, welds seam
+      splits and decimates to the budget, then exports. The five tint slots + 13-core rig
+      (optional extra bones allowed) stay a manual step (recorded in the command doc).
 - [x] `audit` stays the final gate; `test_adapt_requires_blender` covers the non-Blender error
-      path (161/161 Python).
+      path (162/162 Python).
 - [x] Adapter commands + go/no-go documented in `docs/asset-tooling.md` §Intake adaptation.
 
 ### MPFB / MakeHuman body pipeline
@@ -163,18 +169,18 @@ an active track; ADR-0015 (CC0 / CC-BY with attribution) still governs every int
       x ±0.53 / y 0–1.82 / z −0.12…+0.35, one neutral material, UVs present, unskinned. The
       body (no rig) is the input for the rigging step; the script + mesh stay in `tmp/` (CC0, not
       committed).
-- [x] Rig strategy decided (owner): **retarget the body to the 13-bone contract**.
+- [x] Rig strategy decided (owner): **retarget the body to the 13-core contract; optional extra bones are allowed**.
       `tmp/npc-research/makehuman_retarget.py` rotates the A-pose arms down (−38°/+38°), scales the
       arms 1.63× to the contract 0.70 m length, welds the split vertices, smooth-shades, adds the
       contract armature + `_auto_weights`, paints the five slot regions (hair/cloth/pants/accessory/
-      skin) and exports `makehuman_retargeted.glb`. **Contract passes:** 6,444 / 8,000 tris,
-      7,726 / 8,000 verts, 14 bones (13 + Hips), skinned, arm-down, grounded, five slots, no issues.
+      skin) and exports `makehuman_retargeted.glb`. **Contract passes:** 6,444 / 16,000 tris,
+      7,726 / 16,000 verts, 14 bones (13 + Hips), skinned, arm-down, grounded, five slots, no issues.
       Vision-reviewed: arms hang down and the silhouette + slot regions read, but the 1.63× arm warp
       distorts the deltoid/shoulder (spiky/warped), the decimated hands are blocky, and the slot
       boundaries are rough — these are the refinement steps below.
 - [x] Head/hands/feet swap (`makehuman_final.py`): cut the decimated MakeHuman head/hands/feet and
       joined the project's `_face`/`_hair`/`_hands_and_shoes`, then re-weighted/re-UV'd. Contract
-      passes: 6,407 / 8,000 tris, 6,651 / 8,000 verts, 14 bones, skinned, five slots, no issues.
+      passes: 6,407 / 16,000 tris, 6,651 / 16,000 verts, 14 bones, skinned, five slots, no issues.
       Vision-reviewed: the head now reads as a realistic face, the hands as detailed fingers and
       the shoes as attached. Remaining (manual retopology): a 1.63× arm-scale warp still distorts
       the deltoid/shoulder, stray hand blobs linger at the hips, shirt/shirt seams are rough, and
@@ -299,9 +305,11 @@ licence-free zone only.
 - [x] Hands/grip review: the hands ARE detailed — `tools/blender_assets.py._hands_and_shoes()`
       builds a wider shallower palm, four two-segment bent fingers with rounded tips and a thumb;
       gear contact is the open palm plus the `HAND_ITEM_FORWARD` (0.04 m) offset. Decision: **keep
-      the open palm + forward offset; a finger-curl rig stays out of scope** — there are no finger
-      bones in the 13-bone contract, so a curl rig is a contract decision, not a modelling tidy-up.
-      Recorded as ranked gap #6 (accept; revisit only if face work opens the budget).
+      the open palm + forward offset; a finger-curl rig stays out of scope** — the current rig has
+      no finger bones, so a curl rig is a contract decision, not a modelling tidy-up. Optional
+      extra finger bones are now allowed by the cap/contract extension, but require an ADR and
+      weight/budget verification. Recorded as ranked gap #6 (accept; revisit only if face work
+      opens the budget).
 - [x] Weights/pose evidence captured and vision-reviewed, and the P1s fixed: wrist/hand
       detachment (wrist + hand now 100% `Hand`, hand raised, sleeve cuff follows the hand),
       hip/thigh collapse + knee pinch (thigh/shin rigid with a short knee blend). Vision-verified: