Raise character limits and document optional Blender MCP

docs/blender-assets.md

@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ captures in `docs/screenshots/`.
   doors, stair handrails and a dark sedan. Today's in-game props are primitive
   boxes, and the trees are cones.
 
+## Optional MCP
+
+Blender MCP can be used for interactive head/face/hand part exploration, but it
+is not required. The headless commands below remain the build and audit path;
+see [`blender-mcp.md`](blender-mcp.md) for installation, connection and safety.
+
 ## Running it
 
 ```bash
@@ -98,12 +104,12 @@ All eight use the `npc_base` contract, so each one can replace
   `Materials.npc_slot()` tints them the same way it tints `npc_base`. Cloth and
   pants repeat the weave 4× (`NPC_FABRIC_UV_SCALE`) and intentionally skip the
   per-character baked AO; skin, hair and fixed gear keep it.
-- budget ≤ **8,000 triangles and ≤ 8,000 glTF vertices** for the eight library
-  variants (vertex count after seam splits; `CHAR_MAX_TRIS`/`CHAR_MAX_VERTS` in
-  `tools/blender_assets.py`, raised from 6,000/5,000 on 2026-11-02). The frozen
-  `npc_base` fallback keeps its original 6,000/4,000 contract. The current range
-  is 4,482–5,474 triangles and 4,260–5,494 vertices, leaving room for the
-  remaining grip and clothing detail.
+- budget ≤ **16,000 triangles and ≤ 16,000 glTF vertices** per character (vertex count after
+  seam splits; `CHAR_MAX_TRIS`/`CHAR_MAX_VERTS` in `tools/blender_assets.py`). The 13 core bones
+  remain required; optional extra bones are allowed as long as the core rest positions and
+  `NpcAvatar` animation proxies are unchanged. The frozen low-poly `npc_base` fallback keeps its
+  compact geometry but is no longer capped at 6,000/4,000. The current range is 5,038–6,030
+  triangles and 4,756–5,902 vertices, leaving substantial head/hand headroom.
 
 Construction: the torso and limbs are one continuous Skin-modifier mesh,
 subdivided twice, decimated to 26 % with X symmetry, and cut at the waist, cuffs,
@@ -185,7 +191,7 @@ carry baked AO and the shared neutral material maps described above.
 
 - `python3 tools/blender_assets.py audit`: container, `POSITION`/`NORMAL`/
   `TEXCOORD_0`, UVs in [0, 1], no zero-area triangles (Godot warns about them
-  during LOD generation), budgets (library characters 8000/8000, base fallback 6000/4000, gear 1500, props 4000
+  during LOD generation), budgets (characters 16000/16000, gear 1500, props 4000
   triangles), grounding, and an editable `.blend`. For characters it also
   checks skinning, bones, slots, the `npc_base` mesh node and the height.
 - `tools/tests/test_blender_assets.py`: catalogue and contract consistency with