Adopt the realism pass and refresh screenshots/docs

- add the v2 runtime picks: per-phase skyline panoramas, brick, sidewalk pavers, dry/wet asphalt, awning canvas, and their normal maps - add the realism tooling and evidence: tools/scene_concepts.py, capture_realism.gd, concept frames, reports/sheets, and tests - retune phase lighting/fog/exposure, add sun yaw, brighten the night glow, add the flashlight beam mesh, and rebuild the planter/tree assets - regenerate all eleven staged screenshots from the current build; compare is 11 good / 0 bad - finish the visual-alignment closeout in DONE/TODO, update architecture, blender-assets, PLAN, and ignore rules (editable Blender sources untracked) - keep the judge retry and document the verified default judge model Verification: headless 227/227; Python tooling 86/86; check_screenshots 11/11.
Move the body-camera overlay below the shift status
2026-11-01 17:03:05 +01:00 · 2026-11-01 16:51:19 +01:00 · 2026-11-01 16:50:27 +01:00 · 2026-11-01 16:49:43 +01:00 · 2026-11-01 16:46:25 +01:00 · 2026-11-01 16:45:05 +01:00
295 changed files with 12520 additions and 562 deletions
@@ -84,19 +84,19 @@ jobs:
          # NOTE: on Linux, makensis uses -D defines (the /D form is Windows-only
          # and is rejected as a script path), and it resolves relative paths
          # against the script directory — pass absolute paths from the workspace.
-          cp assets/textures/icon.ico packaging/windows/step-line.ico
+          cp assets/textures/icon.ico packaging/windows/gig-line.ico
          makensis \
            -DVERSION="$VERSION" \
-            -DARTIFACT="$PWD/build/step-line-windows-$VERSION.exe" \
-            -DICON="$PWD/packaging/windows/step-line.ico" \
-            -DOUT="$PWD/build/step-line-setup-$VERSION.exe" \
-            packaging/windows/step-line.nsi
+            -DARTIFACT="$PWD/build/gig-line-windows-$VERSION.exe" \
+            -DICON="$PWD/packaging/windows/gig-line.ico" \
+            -DOUT="$PWD/build/gig-line-setup-$VERSION.exe" \
+            packaging/windows/gig-line.nsi

      - name: Verify Windows installer contents
        run: |
          VERSION="$(sed -n 's/.*config\/version="\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p' project.godot)"
-          ls -la build/step-line-setup-$VERSION.exe
-          7z l build/step-line-setup-$VERSION.exe | grep -E "step-line.exe|uninstall.exe"
+          ls -la build/gig-line-setup-$VERSION.exe
+          7z l build/gig-line-setup-$VERSION.exe | grep -E "gig-line.exe|uninstall.exe"

      - name: Package Linux AppImage
        run: |
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ jobs:
        if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
-          name: step-line-build
+          name: gig-line-build
          path: build/*
          if-no-files-found: error

@@ -43,4 +43,33 @@ user://
 .gitea/logs/
 build/

-.env
+.env
+
+# AI / asset-development outputs (regenerated by the tools; not shipped in the game)
+assets/models/concepts/
+assets/models/npc/*.blend1
+assets/textures/npc/ai/
+assets/textures/ai/*
+!assets/textures/ai/game_ready/
+# Godot extracts embedded glTF textures next to the source on import
+assets/models/generated/npc_base_*_albedo.png
+assets/models/generated/npc_base_*_normal.png
+
+# Local AppImage extraction
+squashfs-root/
+# Blender asset library: per-asset Cycles renders are local review output (the
+# committed review artefacts are docs/blender_previews/sheet_*.jpg), and Godot
+# extracts the GLB-embedded textures next to the models on import.
+docs/blender_previews/*.png
+assets/models/blender/**/*.png
+!assets/models/blender/**/*_ao.png
+assets/models/blender_src/*.blend1
+# Editable Blender sources are developer-only; keep the .gdignore marker tracked.
+assets/models/blender_src/*.blend
+# Realism pass (tools/scene_concepts.py): the candidate pool and per-run captures
+# stay local; the validated picks are tracked under game_ready/v2/picks/ (ADR-0014),
+# and each run commits its report.{json,md} + sheet.jpg. Concept references are
+# committed in docs/screens/concepts/.
+assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/*
+!assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/
+docs/screens/realism/**/*.png
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ All planned implementation work must be represented in `TODO.md`.
 - Use checkbox items for each concrete task.
 - Keep tasks small enough to complete and review independently.
 - Add new tasks when discoveries expand the scope.
+- When starting a task, claim it for the agent workflow by changing `[ ]` to `[-]`. Keep it `[-]`
+  while implementation or verification is in progress; only change it to `[x]` after the work and
+  relevant checks are finished. If work is abandoned or blocked, leave a clear note and return the
+  item to `[ ]` (or add a follow-up task).
 - Mark a task complete only after the implementation and relevant verification are finished.
 - If any verification check fails, do not mark the task complete. Fix the failure, or if it cannot be fixed, add a follow-up task to `TODO.md`, record the failure in `MEMORY.md`, and report it in the handoff summary.
 - Do not use prose status updates as a substitute for checkboxes.
@@ -52,7 +56,7 @@ Recommended format:
 ## Core Gameplay

 - [ ] Add player movement controls.
- [ ] Implement NPC approach behavior.
+- [-] Implement NPC approach behavior. (claimed; implementation/verification in progress)
 - [x] Define escalation levels.

 ## Documentation
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ Completed task sections moved from `TODO.md`. Sections are moved only when every
      applied on phase change and shift start.
 - [x] Street lamps: poles with emissive bulbs + OmniLights on the sidewalk;
      `WorldBuilder.set_night_mode` switches bulbs/lights on at night.
- [x] Marquee signage: emissive “STEP LINE” strips + Label3D above the entrance.
+- [x] Marquee signage: emissive “GIG LINE” strips + Label3D above the entrance.
 - [x] Street dressing: crosswalk stripes, planters, and low-poly trees.
 - [x] NPC visual variety: per-seed height/brightness variation (deterministic LCG).
 - [x] Denser routine traffic (tourists/performers/influencers/trespassers).
@@ -211,21 +211,21 @@ Completed task sections moved from `TODO.md`. Sections are moved only when every
 - [x] Export presets: `binary_format/embed_pck=true` on all platforms — every binary is now
      self-contained (all game data in one file; `.pck` no longer shipped).
 - [x] App icon: `assets/textures/icon.png` (1024) + multi-size `icon.ico`, copied to
-      `packaging/windows/step-line.ico` and `packaging/linux/step-line.png` via the generator.
- [x] NSIS script `packaging/windows/step-line.nsi` (installs `Step Line.exe`, uninstaller,
+      `packaging/windows/gig-line.ico` and `packaging/linux/gig-line.png` via the generator.
+- [x] NSIS script `packaging/windows/gig-line.nsi` (installs `Gig Line.exe`, uninstaller,
      shortcuts, registry entry; `makensis /DVERSION=… /DARTIFACT=…`).
- [x] AppImage: `packaging/linux/step-line.desktop`, `AppRun`, appdata.xml, and
+- [x] AppImage: `packaging/linux/gig-line.desktop`, `AppRun`, appdata.xml, and
      `build_appimage.sh` (appimagetool, `APPIMAGE_EXTRACT_AND_RUN=1`).
- [x] Local end-to-end: rebuilt embedded exports and produced `step-line-0.2.0-x86_64.AppImage`,
+- [x] Local end-to-end: rebuilt embedded exports and produced `gig-line-0.2.0-x86_64.AppImage`,
      ran it headless (0 script errors).
 - [x] CI: NSIS + AppImage steps added to `.gitea/workflows/build.yml` build job; publish glob
-      already uploads `build/step-line-*<ver>*` (covers setup/AppImage names).
- [x] CI run 1110 verified end-to-end (v0.2.1): NSIS installer `step-line-setup-0.2.1.exe`
-      built, `7z l` shows `step-line.exe` + `uninstall.exe`, AppImage built (33.9 MB),
+      already uploads `build/gig-line-*<ver>*` (covers setup/AppImage names).
+- [x] CI run 1110 verified end-to-end (v0.2.1): NSIS installer `gig-line-setup-0.2.1.exe`
+      built, `7z l` shows `gig-line.exe` + `uninstall.exe`, AppImage built (33.9 MB),
      release `v0.2.1` published, `Job succeeded`.
  - Gotchas fixed on the way: makensis needs `-D` defines (not `/D`) and absolute paths
    (it resolves relatives against the script dir); installed exe must be space-free
-    (`step-line.exe`); icon.ico must use classic BMP entries (ImageMagick; PIL emits
+    (`gig-line.exe`); icon.ico must use classic BMP entries (ImageMagick; PIL emits
    PNG-compressed ICOs NSIS rejects).

 ## 🎮 Assets & detailed graphics pass (textures, rigs, UI feedback)
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ Completed task sections moved from `TODO.md`. Sections are moved only when every
      seamless concrete, asphalt, awning, skyline, vignette, HUD icons, access-card art — all
      ≤1024px and power-of-two; imported under `assets/textures/`.
 - [x] Environment: textured facade + glass door, concrete sidewalk, asphalt street, striped
-      awning with “STEP LINE”, generated skyline backdrop planes, soft sun shadows.
+      awning with “GIG LINE”, generated skyline backdrop planes, soft sun shadows.
 - [x] NPCs: humanoid rig (torso/head/limbs) with archetype props (camera, delivery box, hat,
      sign, backpack), procedural walk bob, head-turns-toward-guard cue.
 - [x] UI/feedback: inspection artifact cards, mode icons (flashlight/door/wand), escalation
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ Completed 2026-10-31 (working tree). Headless **88/88**; `src/test/smoke_session
      offset and the spawn `y`, and verify eye height while walking the steps.
 - [x] Steps and the landing are visual-only (no collider). The guard walks through them; add
      simple step colliders or restage the landing so it does not intersect the walk path.
- [x] Marquee text (`STEP LINE`) is tiny from the sidewalk. Scale the Label3D up.
+- [x] Marquee text (`GIG LINE`) is tiny from the sidewalk. Scale the Label3D up.
 - [x] Focus circle and name tag are small at 2–3 m. Consider a larger circle / font after a
      real playtest.
 - [x] NPC crowd cap (`MAX_LIVE_NPCS`) silently drops routine traffic at 16. Add a short
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ produces a 63 MB static bundle and it serves locally with HTTP 200s for html/was

 - [x] Add a `Web` preset to `export_presets.cfg` using `variant/thread_support=false` so the
      build runs on plain static hosting without COOP/COEP headers.
- [x] Export to `build/web/` and package `build/step-line-web-<version>.zip` from
+- [x] Export to `build/web/` and package `build/gig-line-web-<version>.zip` from
      `tools/build_releases.sh` (zip or Python fallback).
 - [x] Publish the web zip with the desktop artifacts (`tools/publish_release.sh`).
 - [x] Cover the preset, the non-threaded choice, and the release wiring in
@@ -734,3 +734,396 @@ Completed 2026-11-01 (v0.4.0). Headless **187/187**, Python tooling **53/53**, t
      remove collision; a unit test covers the fallback body, shape, width, and navigation obstacle.
 - [x] Tests: placement validation and its failure modes, variant determinism/range, colliders on
      every placed prop (including obstacle presence), and the fallback collider path.
+
+## Prop Pipeline Checks
+
+Completed 2026-11-01. Python tooling **56/56**, headless **188/188**, prop gallery **match**
+(0.90) in the vision judge, `compare` **10 good / 0 bad**.
+
+- [x] `audit_glb()` now decodes positions/UVs/indices and enforces the art budget
+      (`MAX_TRIANGLES = 400`, `MAX_VERTICES = 600`), rejects degenerate triangles, UVs outside
+      `[0, 1]`, a prop that floats above or sinks below the ground (`min y ~= 0`), and the
+      single-material/atlas contract. The newspaper box sat 3 cm high; its catalogue parts moved
+      down so it rests on y = 0.
+- [x] Added `capture_prop_gallery.gd`: renders all six props on a studio backdrop (two rows on a
+      display platform) to `docs/screenshots/10-prop-gallery.png`, with a `prop_gallery`
+      catalogue entry and AI mockup, so `compare`/`judge` cover close-range prop art.
+- [x] Confirmed instances share the imported atlas material (headless test) and documented the
+      triangle/vertex budget in the pipeline docstring.
+- [x] README lists the gallery capture command and image; the pipeline docstring and audit docs
+      describe the budget checks.
+
+## Better NPC Characters
+
+Completed 2026-11-01 (v0.5.0). Headless suite **208/208**; NPC budget smoke reports 16 avatars,
+534 meshes, ~6.9 ms average frame time; PLAN-verb, crowd, emergency, and timeline smokes pass.
+
+- [x] Replaced the rigid capsules with an articulated rig: hip -> thigh -> knee -> shin -> shoe and
+      shoulder -> upper arm -> elbow -> forearm -> hand, with knee/elbow pivots driven by the walk
+      cycle and the seated pose.
+- [x] Layered clothing (`layer_for`): jacket, hi-vis vest, coat, and dress over the base outfit,
+      with role-appropriate defaults and deterministic colourways.
+- [x] Extended accessories and hand items: bag, umbrella, phone, camera, clipboard, cup, plus the
+      existing cap/hood/backpack/sunglasses/lanyard. Hand items attach to the right hand socket.
+- [x] Face and hair variety: ears, brows, mouth, five hair silhouettes (long, bun, beard, bald,
+      short), height range, and deterministic per-seed appearance.
+- [x] Added idle behaviour layers (`idle_style_for`): breathing, weight shift, look-around, phone,
+      clipboard, and crossed arms; escalation gestures raise both hands (L3+) or point (L2), and
+      noticed NPCs turn their head toward the guard.
+- [x] Walk cycle now swings hips/shoulders, bends knees and elbows, and uses a faster, longer
+      stride when fleeing.
+- [x] Door queue staging: GameManager sorts waiting guests and assigns spaced `queue_slot_for`
+      offsets, so one person is at the door and the rest wait behind without overlapping.
+- [x] Reaction readability: a billboarded symbol above the head (`!!` panic, `?!` watching, `!`
+      blocked, `?` warned) updates from the reaction/escalation state.
+- [x] Three LOD tiers with hysteresis: full detail, simplified (props/shadows off), and a
+      billboard impostor; `apply_lod` is tested for the swap.
+- [x] Re-measured the live-NPC budget with the full rig (16 avatars, 534 meshes) and added
+      `smoke_npc_budget.gd`, which fails above the documented 50 ms frame budget.
+- [x] Tests: deterministic layers/hand items/hair, role layers, queue slot spacing, LOD
+      thresholds/hysteresis, reaction labels, articulated pivots, mesh budget, and the
+      walk-to-idle animation transition.
+
+## Better Player Movement
+
+Completed 2026-11-01 (v0.5.0). Windowed `smoke_movement.gd` passes; headless tests cover surface
+lookup, constants, gamepad bindings, and settings persistence.
+
+- [x] Split acceleration and braking (`accel` 22, `decel` 30 m/s²) so stopping is snappier than
+      starting, and fixed the inverted forward axis found while staging the movement smoke: W now
+      walks toward the camera's forward vector instead of moonwalking.
+- [x] Step-up assist (0.32 m) climbs kerbs and the entrance steps, with wall sliding left to
+      `move_and_slide`; the smoke walks the guard from the sidewalk onto the landing.
+- [x] Camera feel: speed-scaled head bob, a landing dip, and a precision-walk FOV change, all
+      gated by the new "Head bob and camera motion" setting; a motion-sickness toggle persists.
+- [x] Precision walk shows a HUD chip and plays a short tick when it engages, in addition to the
+      slower speed.
+- [x] Surface-aware footsteps (concrete/asphalt/stone) synced to stride distance, plus a landing
+      cue; both have observable counters for tests.
+- [x] Gamepad support: left-stick movement, right-stick look with deadzone, A/B/X/Y face buttons,
+      LB slow, RB wand; bindings are added at runtime and the control legend swaps to gamepad
+      hints when a pad event is seen.
+- [x] Moved the remaining hard-coded gameplay keys (Q/F/G/L/B/V, Tab cycle) onto named InputMap
+      actions, and the panel allow/deny keys onto movement actions.
+- [x] Key/button remapping in the settings panel: click a binding, press a key or pad button,
+      persisted as `input_bindings` through `Save`; `InputBindings.apply` rewrites only key/button
+      events and leaves mouse and gamepad axes alone.
+- [x] Added invert-Y and head-bob settings (with save/load round-trip tests) alongside the
+      existing look sensitivity.
+- [x] Tests: surface lookup, step/stride/precision constants, gamepad binding presence and
+      deadzone, remap descriptor/apply/labels, and settings persistence for camera and bindings.
+- [x] Added `smoke_movement.gd` (windowed) and `11-precision-walk.png` with a movement catalogue
+      entry, AI mockup, and compare coverage.
+
+## NPC Facing During Movement
+
+Completed 2026-11-01 (post-v0.5.0, pre-v0.6.0). Headless suite **209/209**.
+
+- [x] Root cause: `NpcAvatar` used Godot's `look_at()`, which aims the node's **-Z** axis at
+      the target, but the procedural rig's face (eyes, brows, mouth, focus disc) and every
+      Blender-authored successor face **+Z**. Every walking NPC therefore showed its face
+      toward the side it was leaving.
+- [x] Added the pure `NpcAvatar.yaw_towards(direction)` helper (+Z forward, tested at +Z/+X/-Z
+      and an arbitrary direction), and replaced `look_at()` in the navigation and direct-move
+      paths plus the reaction-face turn.
+- [x] Corrected the head-turn offsets to use the same +Z convention (`basis.z` instead of
+      `-basis.z`), so noticed NPCs still look at the guard with the fixed facing.
+- [x] Added `test_yaw_faces_the_movement_direction`; recaptured the targeting screenshot to
+      confirm NPCs now show their back only when walking away.
+
+## Blender Asset Library Integration
+
+Completed 2026-11-01 (v0.6.0 work). Headless **222/222**, Python **68/68**, all windowed/headless
+smokes pass, `compare` **11 good / 0 bad**. AO/ORM baking remains in Phase 4.
+
+- [x] Committed the audited library (8 characters, 18 gear, 20 props), generator, `.blend`
+      sources, manifest, review sheets, and integration notes.
+- [x] `NpcAvatar` selects a character variant by role/seed (`npc_casual`, `npc_jacket`,
+      `npc_coat`, `npc_vest`, `npc_dress`, `npc_hoodie`, `npc_firefighter`) with `npc_base` and
+      the procedural rig as fallbacks; the choice is recorded in `character_model`.
+- [x] Only the five contract slots (`skin`, `cloth`, `pants`, `accessory`, `hair`) are tinted;
+      fixed detail materials keep their authored colour. `npc_vest` keeps its fixed hi-vis vest,
+      and firefighter/guard use dark uniform tints.
+- [x] Library gear replaces the procedural accessories and hand items at the documented
+      `head` / `back` / `chest` / `hand` attach points (cap, hood, helmet, backpack, SCBA tank,
+      lanyard, phone, cup, clipboard, umbrella, camera, sign, flashlight, wand, radio), with the
+      primitive path retained as fallback.
+- [x] `WorldBuilder` loads the Blender replacements (`bollard`, `bench`, `trash_bin`,
+      `planter_box`, `newspaper_box`, `fire_hydrant`, `street_lamp`, `street_tree`,
+      `traffic_cone`) and places the new dressing (`palm_tree`, `round_planter`, `a_frame_sign`,
+      `crowd_barrier`, `stanchion`, `security_podium`, `handrail`,
+      `double_door`, `marquee`, `sedan`, `wall_lantern`) with colliders/avoidance and placement
+      validation.
+- [x] Library emissive surfaces (lamp bulbs, marquee bulbs/sign face, wall lanterns, door LED,
+      sedan lights) are collected and driven by `set_night_mode()`.
+- [x] Added a library triangle counter and 60k triangle budget check; the current set is
+      ~27,986 triangles. NPC budget smoke: 16 avatars = 112 meshes at ~6.9 ms.
+- [x] Recaptured the README/catalogue screenshots (including the prop gallery from the library
+      models) and fixed the marquee text placement.
+
+## Environment and Lighting Lift
+
+Completed 2026-11-01 (v0.6.0). Headless **222/222**, Python **69/69**, all smokes pass,
+`compare` **11 good / 0 bad**.
+
+- [x] Baked per-asset AO maps for the full Blender library with `tools/bake_ao.py` (Cycles,
+      256×256, stored next to each GLB as `<name>_ao.png`); Godot wires the red channel into
+      `StandardMaterial3D.ao_texture` for character slots, gear and props.
+- [x] Regenerated brick, concrete and asphalt at 1024² through `asset_pipeline.py`, derived
+      tangent normal maps with `tools/make_normal_maps.py`, and wired them into
+      `SurfaceMaterials.textured()` while keeping the existing UV scales.
+- [x] Evaluated Forward+: it boots on the desktop Vulkan driver, but the renderer is a
+      project-wide setting and the Web build must stay on GL Compatibility. Decision: keep
+      Compatibility for v0.6.0; a desktop-only preset needs a separate project/override and is
+      deferred.
+- [x] Recaptured `docs/screenshots/` and ran `compare` + `judge`; no regressions.
+- [x] Fixed the library marquee text/face alignment and added the library AO/triangle tests.
+
+## v0.6.0 Release
+
+Completed 2026-11-01. `config/version` = `0.6.0`; ADR-0013 marked Accepted; CI published six
+artifacts (Linux, Windows, macOS, NSIS installer, AppImage, Web) for tag `v0.6.0`.
+
+- [x] Bumped the version and synchronised README/architecture/blender-assets/plan docs.
+- [x] Headless **222/222**, Python **69/69**, all smokes, `compare` **11 good / 0 bad**.
+- [x] Release verified: `https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases/tag/v0.6.0`.
+
+## Runtime Image Path Migration
+
+Completed 2026-11-01. Historical note: the screen-design references originally lived only in
+`docs/screens/designs/`; they were promoted to the runtime root `assets/images/ui/` under
+ADR-0014. `docs/screens/designs/` remains a reference-only snapshot; `tools/screen_designs.py`
+now reads and writes `assets/images/ui/`.
+
+## Realistic Backgrounds, Textures and Scene References
+
+Completed 2026-11-01 (part of the v0.6.x realism pass). The flat box skyline was replaced by
+per-phase AI panoramas, the surface tiles by higher-detail v2 picks with normal maps, and the
+lighting/exposure was retuned against AI concept frames. Evidence:
+`docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-adopt/` (`report.md`, `sheet.jpg`), `screen_designs.py compare`
+**11 good / 0 bad**; headless **227/227**, Python **86/86**, all smokes.
+
+### Realistic backgrounds, textures and scene references
+
+Goal: replace the outdated flat skyline backdrop (`assets/textures/skyline.png`, black boxes
+with dot windows) and the flat-looking surface tiles with AI-generated, more realistic
+backgrounds and textures. Add a larger set of example 3D scene images as art direction, and
+measure the in-game result against that target with the screenshot tools. Plan:
+[`PLAN.md` → Visual Quality Direction → Realism pass](PLAN.md#realism-pass).
+
+**Rule for every step: never overwrite an existing image.** New outputs get new paths. When a
+path is taken, the tools pick the next free `-vN` suffix. Raw AI output stays on disk under
+`assets/textures/ai/v2/raw/` (gitignored like the other raw AI folders). Processed game-ready
+candidates go to `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/`, a local pool where only the validated picks
+are tracked (ADR-0014). Scene references go to `docs/screens/concepts/`, and trial captures and
+reports to `docs/screens/realism/<run>/`.
+
+#### Step 1 — Tooling (`tools/scene_concepts.py`)
+
+- [x] Add a catalogue of prompts in three groups: `scene` (16:9 example 3D game frames),
+      `backdrop` (4:1 skyline panoramas with transparent sky), and `texture` (seamless PBR
+      surface tiles). Each entry has a name, prompt, role and target path.
+- [x] `generate [--group] [--only] [--variants N]`: call the OpenRouter image API through
+      `generate_textures.generate_image` (key from the repo `.env`), save raw output, and never
+      overwrite (`next_free_path`). Print every file written.
+- [x] `process`: turn raw backdrops into 2048×512 RGBA strips that tile horizontally (edge
+      crossfade, sky made fully transparent, hard alpha for the alpha-scissor material). Turn raw
+      textures into seamless 1024² tiles (`asset_pipeline.make_seamless`) plus a normal map
+      (`make_normal_maps.normal_map`). Skip outputs that already exist.
+- [x] `audit`: run `asset_pipeline.audit_image` on the processed candidates (`backdrop` /
+      `tile` roles) and fail on any bad result.
+- [x] `realism`: for each trial capture, report the Pillow detail metrics (edge density,
+      contrast, colour spread, saturation) next to the matching concept image. Optionally ask a
+      vision model (`google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite`) for 0–10 realism scores (lighting,
+      materials, texture detail, backdrop, overall) with concrete fixes. Write a new JSON +
+      Markdown report per run.
+- [x] Unit tests (`tools/test_scene_concepts.py`): catalogue shape, the no-overwrite path
+      picker, backdrop/tile processing on synthetic images, metrics, and the judge payload/parse
+      (offline, no network).
+
+#### Step 2 — Example 3D scene images
+
+- [x] Generate 3D-game-style example frames for every venue and time of day: Hollywood entrance
+      (morning, golden hour, rainy night), boulevard skyline view (day, dusk), Joke Shop alley
+      (evening, close-up of the door), studio stage door (night arrival), sidewalk material
+      close-up, entrance steps and podium, crowd-control barrier line, and a responder arrival
+      wide shot.
+- [x] Review the set and record the visual targets each frame sets (sky, haze, material detail,
+      backdrop depth) in the report.
+
+#### Step 3 — Backgrounds (replace the outdated skyline)
+
+- [x] Generate skyline panoramas for day, dusk and night (lit windows): Hollywood/Los Angeles
+      mid-rise blocks, palm silhouettes, the hills on the horizon, a transparent sky, and a
+      straight-on view, in several variants each.
+- [x] Process them into `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/skyline_{day,dusk,night}*.png`,
+      seamless horizontally for the 3× UV repeat around the backdrop ring. Strips are 2048×1024
+      (2:1, one UV repeat of the 400×60 m ring is about 133×60 m). 12 candidates, 11 audit
+      clean; `skyline_day-v3` misses the seam limit by 0.6. Variants 1–2 contain garbled
+      "Hollywood" lettering, so the prompt now forbids signs. Picks: `skyline_day-v4`,
+      `skyline_dusk-v3`, `skyline_night-v4`.
+
+#### Step 4 — Textures
+
+- [x] Generate higher-detail seamless tiles: red brick facade, granite/limestone facade
+      (studio), sidewalk concrete pavers with joints, asphalt with aggregate, wet night asphalt,
+      stone steps, striped awning canvas, and stucco wall.
+- [x] Process them into 1024² game-ready tiles plus normal maps in
+      `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/` and audit them (16 tiles + 16 normals, all good). The
+      `awning_canvas` seam crossfade smears the stripes at the tile edge; it needs a
+      stripe-aligned crop.
+
+#### Step 5 — In-game trial captures (no game-code change)
+
+- [x] Add `src/test/capture_realism.gd`. It boots the Hollywood venue, captures a fixed shot
+      list (entrance day, boulevard/skyline day, boulevard night), and can swap textures at
+      runtime from `--swap=OLD=NEW` / `--tint=` / `--normal=` user arguments (the first version used
+      `--skyline=`/`--brick=`/… flags; `--swap` is path-based and also covers night stages). The
+      swap finds materials by their original texture path, so baseline and candidate frames use
+      the same camera. Writes to the `--out=` directory.
+- [x] Capture the baseline (current assets) and the candidate set (v2 skyline + textures), and
+      copy them into `docs/screens/realism/<run>/{baseline,candidate}/`.
+
+#### Step 6 — Compare against the realistic target
+
+- [x] Run `scene_concepts.py realism` on baseline and candidate. Record the metric deltas and the
+      vision scores, and note which candidate textures/backdrops win. Run
+      `docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-v2/` (`report-v2.md`, `sheet.jpg`) gives these mean
+      judge scores: backdrop 2.6 → 3.6 (v2 day + night skyline) → **4.0** (v2 day + dusk
+      skyline for the Evening phase), texture detail 1.2 → 1.6–1.75, overall 1.6 → 2.0. Single
+      scores swing by ±1–2 between runs, so read them as trends. The `characters` score
+      moved from 3.0 to 1.0 with identical NPCs, which shows the noise.
+- [x] Note the remaining realism gaps (sky/fog, lighting, building geometry, NPC fidelity) as
+      follow-up tasks below.
+
+#### Step 6b — Follow-ups from the 2026-11-01 realism report
+
+- [x] Fix sidewalk overexposure: lowered the day sun (0.78→0.62), exposure (0.8→0.6) and ambient
+      (0.42→0.22), and darkened the sidewalk/street albedo tints. The like-for-like ground
+      luminance in `docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-adopt/` went from 173/162/132 to 95/92/73
+      (concept targets 78/100/100). The entrance shot stays ~20 % brighter than the concept: a
+      residual, tracked in the follow-ups below.
+- [x] Make the Evening/Late phases darker and lit by practical lights (marquee, lamps,
+      windows), and add wet-asphalt roughness at night, as in the rain-night concept. Evening is
+      now dusk (`sun 0.3→0.12`, `exposure 0.95→0.72`, dark violet sky), Late is near-dark, and
+      `WorldBuilder.set_phase()` swaps the street to the wet asphalt map in Late.
+- [x] Choose the skyline per phase (day → `skyline_day`, Evening → `skyline_dusk`, Late →
+      `skyline_night`) and stop the scene fog from bleaching it. The backdrop is now a
+      `fog_disabled` shader, because Godot 4.3 has no `fog_enabled` on `StandardMaterial3D`. The
+      first dusk panorama was a red floodlit skyline that clashed with the Evening sky, so a
+      calmer prompt produced `skyline_dusk-v5` (blue-grey towers, lit windows).
+- [x] Raise the backdrop plane (60 m → 90 m) and use 2 UV repeats so the skyline is a band with
+      proportions near the 2:1 panorama, not a thin strip at the horizon.
+- [x] Add facade depth (plinth, string courses, cornice, brick pilasters, window glazing bars)
+      and replace the blob trees and shrubs with denser foliage meshes: `_shrub()` now builds
+      many small flat-shaded clumps plus outer clumps that break the silhouette
+      (`street_tree` 1472→2592 tris), with fresh AO maps for `street_tree`, `planter_box` and
+      `round_planter`.
+- [x] Re-cut `awning_canvas` so its stripes align at the tile edge: `stripe_period()` measures the
+      repeat and `align_stripes()` resamples to a whole number of periods (edge crossfade smeared
+      the stripes before). `audit_striped_tile()` checks the wrap step against the harshest
+      interior step instead of the flat edge-difference rule.
+- [x] Capture shots from the Joke Shop and the studio too: `capture_realism.gd` now runs five
+      stages (day, evening, late, joke_shop, studio) with 9 shots and a `--stages=` subset. The
+      venues share the Hollywood geometry, so those two compare lighting, not layout.
+
+#### Step 7 — Adopt the winners
+
+- [x] Track the validated picks in place (ADR-0014). `.gitignore` now ignores the candidate pool
+      and un-ignores `game_ready/v2/picks/`, where `scene_concepts.py promote` copies the eight
+      validated candidates under stable names (`skyline_{day,dusk,night}`, `brick_facade`,
+      `sidewalk_pavers`, `asphalt`, `asphalt_wet`, `awning_canvas`) plus normal maps.
+- [x] Point `WorldBuilder` at the chosen v2 skylines (separate day/dusk/night textures through
+      the new `set_phase()`), and retune the tints per phase.
+- [x] Switch `materials.gd` / `world_builder.gd` surface preloads to the chosen v2 tiles + normal
+      maps, keeping the current UV scales (`Materials.asphalt()` gained a `wet` variant). Updated
+      `test_materials.gd` (pick paths, wet vs dry) and `test_world.gd` (shader backdrop, panorama
+      per phase, wet street).
+- [x] Regenerate `docs/screenshots/` with `capture_screenshots.gd` (11/11), then run
+      `screen_designs.py compare` (**11 good / 0 bad**) and `judge` (5 match, 2 review, 4 diff —
+      the diffs are HUD/mockup layout gaps from the "Visual alignment" section, not realism
+      regressions; the default flash-lite judge model is currently failing with a provider 400, so
+      the run used `--model google/gemini-2.5-flash`). `scene_concepts.py realism` on
+      `docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-adopt/` (3 judge repeats per shot) gives a like-for-like
+      improvement on every sub-score: overall 0.8→1.0, lighting 0.8→1.0, materials 0.8→1.0,
+      texture 0.8→1.0, backdrop 0.6→1.6, and the Pillow metric gap 0.444→0.348.
+- [x] Update `README.md` (tool usage + gallery), `MEMORY.md` and `docs/architecture.md`.
+
+## Visual Alignment — UI Paths and Art Loader
+
+Completed 2026-11-01.
+
+
+### Storage restructure
+
+- [x] Decide the canonical runtime image root (`assets/images/` for UI/scene art): recorded in
+      `MEMORY.md` and [ADR-0014](docs/adr/0014-runtime-image-root.md).
+- [x] Move the reference mockups from `docs/screens/designs/` into the runtime root (keep `docs/screens/designs/` as a docs-only copy or replace it with the new path).
+- [x] Document one convention for game vs reference vs development images across `assets/textures/`, `assets/images/`, `assets/models/generated/`, `docs/screenshots/`, and `docs/screens/designs/` (in `docs/architecture.md`, ADR-0014).
+- [x] Re-run `godot --headless --path . --import` to regenerate `.import` sidecars after any move.
+- [x] Confirm `.gitignore` still excludes development-only outputs (concepts, Blender sources, raw AI fabrics) under the new layout; Blender `.blend` sources are now untracked and ignored.
+
+
+### Documentation path updates
+
+- [x] Update `README.md` paths (screen-designs section, confirmed-assets links, the `assets/images/scenes` resize example).
+- [x] Update `docs/architecture.md`, `PLAN.md`, and ADR references: docs/screens/designs/ is now explicitly the reference-only snapshot; runtime art lives in assets/images/ (ADR-0014).
+- [x] Update `tools/screen_designs.py` docstrings and mark the old paths in `DONE.md` as historical.
+
+
+### Code path updates
+
+- [x] Point `tools/screen_designs.py generate` at the new design output path and keep `compare`/`judge` reading the right locations.
+- [x] Update GDScript `preload()` paths if game textures move (no runtime material/model textures moved; UI art added under assets/images/).
+- [x] Update capture output directories if captures relocate (none did; QA captures stay in docs/screenshots/).
+
+
+### Load proposed interfaces + scene art from disk
+
+- [x] Add a central UI/scene art loader (e.g. `src/game/ui/art.gd`) that loads the mockup-derived images from the new runtime root, with a procedural fallback when a file is missing.
+- [x] Wire the start menu and venue selection screen to use the `start_menu` scene art.
+- [x] Wire the pause overlay to `pause_overlay` scene art (backdrop + opaque panel cover).
+- [x] Wire the settings panel to `settings_panel` art.
+- [x] Wire the shift-review screen to `shift_review` art (backdrop + opaque panel cover).
+- [x] Wire the wand popup to `wand_screening` art.
+- [x] Style the radial menu and finish the remaining HUD chrome against their reference images.
+
+
+### Verify against the mockups
+
+- [x] Regenerate the staged captures and run `screen_designs.py compare` (11 good, 0 bad; verified in a clean HEAD worktree).
+- [x] Run `screen_designs.py judge` and clear every `diff` verdict (7 match, 4 review, 0 diff).
+- [x] Add the capture + compare step as a repeatable smoke so drift is caught early (`tools/check_screenshots.sh`).
+
+
+## Fix mouse movement bug
+
+- [x] Investigate why mouse input is not being captured or processed correctly in the game window (fixed: `_start_shift()` now calls `_refresh_freeze()`).
+
+
+## Improve in-game pop-ups
+
+- [x] Improve the visual appearance of in-game pop-ups (start/pause/settings/review/radio/wand/inspection art, buttons, palette, icons, text).
+
+## Visual Alignment With Rendered Mockups
+
+Completed 2026-11-01. Every screen with an AI reference now loads or matches its mockup: the
+runtime image root (ADR-0014), the UI/scene art loader, the menus/panels/HUD, and — last — the
+scene lighting, fog and post-processing, which had been held until the realism pass landed.
+`screen_designs.py compare` **11 good / 0 bad**; judge on the two scene shots: `01-venue-overview`
+**match** (0.90), `05-late-night-avenue` **review** (0.10), 0 diff. Lighting: morning sun 34°
+elevation with a phase `sun_yaw`, warm day haze (`fog_color` 0.87/0.83/0.76, density 0.0034,
+energy 0.5), stronger night glow, street albedo 0.62. Remaining differences (camera height,
+marquee text, hand-authored tree shapes) are content, not grading.
+
+### Visual alignment with rendered mockups
+
+#### Align in-game visuals
+
+- [x] Make the venue selection screen match the `start_menu` mockup (layout, palette, background).
+- [x] Make the HUD match the `targeting_npc` / `escalation_hud` mockups (focus ring, escalation meter, log, hints).
+- [x] Align the pause, settings, and shift-review panels to their mockups.
+- [x] Align the radio and wand panels to their mockups.
+- [x] Align the body-camera timeline to its mockup.
+- [x] Align scene lighting, fog, and post-processing for `venue_overview` and `late_night_avenue`: lowered the morning sun to 34° (`sun_yaw` is now a phase value), warmed and thickened the day haze, raised the night glow, and brightened the street albedo. `judge` moved `01-venue-overview` to **match** (0.90) and `05-late-night-avenue` from diff to **review** (0.10); `compare` stays 11 good / 0 bad.
+- [x] Fix the body-camera REC/clock overlay overlapping the shift/rep/crowd status in the top-right HUD.
@@ -4,6 +4,20 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o

 ## Decisions

+- The visual-alignment path/loader/verification work is complete and recorded in `DONE.md`;
+  the only open visual task is scene lighting/fog, held until the current realism pass lands.
+- Editable Blender sources under `assets/models/blender_src/` are gitignored and untracked
+  (46 `.blend` files removed from the index on 2026-11-01); the `.gdignore` marker stays tracked.
+- `screen_designs.py judge` default `google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite` worked on 2026-11-01
+  (7 match / 4 review / 0 diff); `--model` remains available.
+
+- Graphics v0.6.0 plan (2026-11-01): NPCs move to Blender-authored skinned meshes
+  (`docs/plan-graphics-v0.6.md`, ADR-0013). `tools/npc_pipeline.py` builds
+  `assets/models/generated/npc_base.glb`; `NpcAvatar` keeps the procedural `_build_body()`
+  fallback. Preserve `Rig/Head`, the limb node names, and the seed-deterministic
+  `outfit_for`/`layer_for`/`hand_item_for` helpers. Blender = flatpak 5.2.0 LTS, sandbox cwd
+  `/app/blender` → absolute paths for `--python`. CI stays offline (committed assets).
+
 - Engine: Godot 4.3 stable (official editor build, `~/.local/bin/godot`). The system's preinstalled `godot-runner` (4.7.2, Fedora) cannot load projects from arbitrary paths because it was compiled without path overrides; use the official editor binary instead.
 - Language: GDScript. All cross-file references use explicit `preload()` constants (not `class_name` globals) so scripts compile in headless `--script` runs without the editor's class cache.
 - Test framework deviation: the project uses a custom minimal headless test runner (`src/test/test_runner.gd`) instead of GUT, because GUT needs the editor plugin. CI runs it with `--headless`.
@@ -13,8 +27,100 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
 - Shift length is the scenario's `shift_duration_s` (900 s in all three venues). Tests and the screenshot tool override elapsed time; they do not change the default.
 - RNG: NPC reactions and event scheduling are seedable for deterministic tests.

+- **Blender invocation (v0.6.0):** `flatpak run org.blender.Blender --background --python
+  /run/media/system/DATA/Documents/06-games/security-game/tools/npc_pipeline.py -- build`.
+  The flatpak cannot read `/tmp`; use absolute repo paths. `assets/models/npc/.gdignore` is
+  required, otherwise Godot's editor tries to import the committed `.blend` and hangs during
+  `--import` (also add `.gdignore` to local build/squashfs folders when scanning is slow).
+- **Skinned NPC integration (v0.6.0):** `NpcAvatar._build_skinned_body()` loads
+  `npc_base.glb` and keeps `_build_body()` as fallback (`use_skinned_model=false` in tests).
+  Bone pose rotation is the **absolute local orientation**, not an offset from rest: compose with
+  `get_bone_rest(i).basis` or the whole body snaps to a broken pose. Proxies named Hip/Knee/
+  Shoulder/Elbow/Hand + Head marker preserve the old animation math; `Rig/Head` is the marker.
+  Five material slots are tinted via `SurfaceMaterials.npc_slot()`; keep `_rig.scale` uniform on
+  the skinned path. Budget: 16 avatars = **144 meshes**, ~6.9 ms headless.
+- **NPC facing (fixed after v0.5.0):** the avatar's visual front is **+Z** (procedural eyes
+  and the Blender model's face). Godot `look_at()` aims **-Z**, which made every NPC walk
+  backwards. Use `NpcAvatar.yaw_towards(dir)` and set `rotation.y`; do not call `look_at()` on
+  avatars. Head-turn offsets use `+basis.z` for the same reason. Covered by
+  `test_yaw_faces_the_movement_direction`.
+
+- **Image root (ADR-0014, 2026-11-01):** `assets/images/` is the runtime root for composed
+  interface/scene art (`ui/`, `scenes/`); tiled PBR textures stay under `assets/textures/`;
+  `docs/screens/designs/` and `docs/screens/concepts/` stay reference-only; QA captures stay in
+  `docs/screenshots/`. When a mockup becomes runtime art, copy/process it into `assets/images/`
+  with a new name (no overwrites) and keep a fallback in code.
+  **Mockup copies:** 21 design references live in `assets/images/ui/`; `docs/screens/designs/`
+  remains the reference-only copy. `tools/screen_designs.py` reads/writes the runtime root.
+
 ## Handoff (read this first)

+- **Status + active passes (2026-11-01, moved from `TODO.md`):** v0.6.0 shipped — the Blender
+  character/gear/prop library is integrated, AO maps are baked and wired, and the environment
+  textures are lifted to 1024² with normal maps (see `DONE.md`). Headless **227/227**, Python
+  **86**; the scheduled presentation pass is complete and the realism pass is adopted
+  (per-phase skyline panoramas, v2 surface tiles, retuned lighting). Active in `TODO.md`:
+  - **Visual alignment with rendered mockups:** the AI references in `docs/screens/designs/`
+    define the intended look of every screen. The pass reorganizes generated-image storage,
+    loads the proposed UI/scene art at runtime (`src/game/ui/art.gd`, `assets/images/`), and
+    aligns the selection screens, HUD, and scene visuals with those mockups — verified with
+    `screen_designs.py compare` + `judge`.
+  - **Realism pass** (plan: `PLAN.md` → Visual Quality Direction → Realism pass): replace the
+    flat skyline backdrop and the flat surface tiles with AI-generated realistic backgrounds
+    and textures, add example 3D scene frames as art direction, and measure with the
+    screenshot tools. Rule: never overwrite an existing image — new outputs get new paths
+    (`next_free_path` -vN suffix). Raw → `assets/textures/ai/v2/raw/` (gitignored); candidates
+    → `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/` (gitignored pool, only validated picks tracked,
+    ADR-0014); scene refs → `docs/screens/concepts/`; trials → `docs/screens/realism/<run>/`.
+    Realism report 2026-11-01-v2 mean judge scores: backdrop 2.6 → 3.6 (v2 day + night
+    skyline) → **4.0** (v2 day + dusk skyline for the Evening phase); texture detail 1.2 →
+    1.6–1.75; overall 1.6 → 2.0. Scores swing ±1–2 between runs (trend only); the
+    `characters` score moved 3.0 → 1.0 with identical NPCs, showing the noise.
+
+- **Phase 2 — AI texturing (this agent, DONE 2026-11-01).** Phase 1 assets were
+  already in the tree (untracked) and are preserved. Generated six seamless AI
+  clothing albedos into `assets/textures/npc/ai/{shirt,trousers,jacket,vest,
+  coat,dress}.png` (512×512, `--role tile`, gpt-5-image-mini; audit 6 good).
+  **Gotcha:** `asset_pipeline.py generate` defaults to `GEN_SIZE=2048`, which
+  gpt-5-image-mini rejects (HTTP 400); pass `--request-size 1024` for 1:1 roles.
+  `generate --role tile` already applies `make_seamless`, so a separate
+  `seamless` pass is redundant. Added to `tools/npc_pipeline.py`: `prepare`
+  (layers AI shirt→cloth, trousers→pants albedos at 128px) and `palette`
+  (writes `assets/textures/npc/palette.json` via `model_pipeline.dominant_colors`).
+  `write_slot_textures()` now skips the albedo for slots with an AI override
+  (normal/ORM stay procedural). Blender `build` re-run: GLB audit ok, 1204 tris /
+  2488 verts, AI albedo embedded for cloth+pants. **Do not commit yet** — Phase 1
+  files are uncommitted; coordinate the commit with the Phase 1/3 agents.
+  **Import concurrency:** a parallel agent is running
+  `timeout 300 godot --headless --editor --quit --path .` and then checks
+  `assets/models/generated/npc_base.glb.import` — treat that as the canonical
+  import. My own `godot --headless --path . --import` hung with no output past
+  the engine banner (two Godot instances contended on `.godot`); I killed the
+  orphan (PID 2482934). Do not run a second import while that `--editor --quit`
+  is active.
+  Next: Phase 3 (`NpcAvatar._load_model` + slot tinting) consumes
+  `palette.json` and the GLB; Phase 2's capture/judge item is blocked on that.
+
+- **Git hygiene + tooling (2026-11-01):** dev asset folders are now gitignored
+  and untracked: `assets/models/concepts/`, `assets/models/npc/` (Blender
+  sources), `assets/textures/npc/ai/` (raw AI fabrics), and the raw
+  `assets/textures/ai/*` outputs (only `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/` stays).
+  Kept in the repo: `assets/textures/npc/*_{albedo,normal,orm}.png` +
+  `palette.json`, `assets/models/generated/*` (props + npc_base.glb), and the
+  authored `assets/textures/*` set. `tools/asset_pipeline.py generate` gained
+  `--variants N` — generates N alternatives saved as `<stem>-1..N.png` (N=1
+  keeps the unsuffixed path). Python tooling tests still pass (exit 0).
+
+- **Screenshots + docs (2026-11-01):** regenerated the eleven README captures
+  (`capture_screenshots.gd` + `capture_prop_gallery.gd`) — ten changed, the
+  prop gallery is byte-identical (props unchanged). README gained an NPC
+  character-model subsection, a "Confirmed game assets" section (linked
+  `game_ready` textures, generated models, NPC maps), and refreshed
+  dev-status / not-yet lines; `docs/architecture.md` Level 2 now lists
+  `npc_pipeline.py` + `asset_pipeline.py` and the confirmed-asset locations.
+  **Foreign, left uncommitted:** a TODO section "Bug Fix NPCs walking backwards"
+  from another agent — do not touch or commit it.
+
 - Repo: `/run/media/system/DATA/Documents/06-games/security-game` (also reachable at
  `/var/home/zwitschi/Documents/06-games/security-game`). Godot: `~/.local/bin/godot` (4.3.stable).
  Tests: `godot --headless --path . --script res://src/test/test_runner.gd` → **177/177**.
@@ -29,7 +135,7 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
  aim-free selection with wheel cycling and Shift precision walk (ADR-0011/0012), and a **Web**
  export target. `export_presets.cfg` gains a `Web` preset with `variant/thread_support=false`
  (static hosting, no COOP/COEP); `tools/build_releases.sh` exports `build/web/` and zips it to
-  `build/step-line-web-<ver>.zip`, and `publish_release.sh` uploads it. Covered by
+  `build/gig-line-web-<ver>.zip`, and `publish_release.sh` uploads it. Covered by
  `src/test/tests/test_web_export.gd`.
 - **Prop atlas (v0.3.1):** `model_pipeline.atlas_for()` builds a per-prop power-of-two PNG with
  one 8×8 cell per palette role, plus a metallic/roughness atlas (G=roughness, B=metallic). The
@@ -52,7 +158,79 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
  flat plane, so avoidance (not a baked mesh) routes guests around props. Placements live in
  `PROP_PLACEMENTS` with `placement_problems()` validation; variants come from `variant_for(index)`.
  `smoke_props.gd` must be windowed because the guard reads captured-mouse input.
- **Presentation pass remaining (TODO):** NPC characters and player movement. Grounding facts: the
+- **Realism pass (2026-11-01, completed + adopted):** `tools/scene_concepts.py`
+  (`list`/`generate`/`process`/`promote`/`audit`/`realism`) never overwrites an image
+  (`next_free_path` adds `-vN`; `process` skips existing unless `--new`; `promote` keeps an
+  existing pick). Raw AI output: `assets/textures/ai/v2/raw/` (gitignored). Candidate pool:
+  `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/` (gitignored) and the **tracked runtime assets** are
+  `.../v2/picks/{skyline_day,skyline_dusk,skyline_night,brick_facade,sidewalk_pavers,asphalt,
+  asphalt_wet,awning_canvas}.png` (+ `_normal`). Concepts `docs/screens/concepts/` (committed,
+  `.gdignore`, targets in its README). Runs `docs/screens/realism/<run>/` (PNG captures
+  gitignored; `report.{json,md}` + `sheet.jpg` committed).
+  `src/test/capture_realism.gd` runs five stages (day 0 s / evening 620 s / late 760 s /
+  joke_shop 700 s / studio 700 s; `--stages=` subset) and swaps textures by the material's
+  *original* albedo path. **Gotcha:** in the SceneTree script, do not overwrite `_phase` after
+  `_begin_stage()` sets `done`, or the run loops forever between stage/shoot (`_queue` empty).
+  **Gotcha:** `elapsed_s = 620` is *Evening* (dusk), 700+ is Late. Godot 4.3
+  `StandardMaterial3D` has no `fog_enabled`; the skyline is a `ShaderMaterial` with
+  `render_mode unshaded, cull_disabled, fog_disabled` + `ALPHA_SCISSOR_THRESHOLD` so the
+  panorama's own haze shows. Backdrop plane is 90 m tall with 2 UV repeats (~200×90 m per
+  repeat, near the 2:1 panorama aspect). Legacy `assets/textures/skyline.png` is no longer
+  loaded but stays on disk for the `test_world` asset check.
+  **Phase look:** day sun 0.62 / exposure 0.6 / ambient 0.22; evening sun 0.12 / exposure
+  0.72 / dark violet sky; late exposure 0.95 / ambient 0.10 with the wet asphalt street and a
+  bright skyline tint (1.5) so the night windows read. Stripes: `stripe_period()` (detrended
+  autocorrelation) + `align_stripes()` (resample to whole periods) replace the edge crossfade
+  for `awning_canvas`; `audit_striped_tile()` compares the wrap step with the harshest interior
+  step.
+  **Judge:** `google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite` currently answers HTTP 400 "API key not valid" for
+  this key, so runs use `--model google/gemini-2.5-flash`; scores are noisy (±1–2), so
+  `realism --repeats 3` averages and `summarize()` reports a like-for-like mean over the shots
+  every set captured. Final: overall 0.8→1.0, backdrop 0.6→1.6, metric gap 0.444→0.348.
+  `screen_designs.py judge` gained one retry for the same transient 400.
+- **Blender asset library (v0.6.0, integrated 2026-11-01):**
+  `tools/blender_assets.py` (`build`/`render` in Blender; `audit`/`sheet`/`list` stdlib) writes
+  `assets/models/blender/{npc,npc_gear,props}/*.glb`, `manifest.json` (integration source of
+  truth), sources in `assets/models/blender_src/` (`.gdignore`d), and review sheets
+  `docs/blender_previews/sheet_*.jpg` (per-asset PNG renders are gitignored). 8 characters, 18
+  gear, 20 props; notes in `docs/blender-assets.md`. Characters are drop-in for `npc_base`
+  (same mesh node name, bones at the same rest positions, five tint slots) and stay under the
+  6000/4000 budget only because of body decimation (0.36) + `smart_project` at 80°: glTF vertex
+  count includes UV-seam splits, so extra beveled detail quickly breaks 4000.
+  **Gotchas:** `bisect_plane` and thin bevels leave zero-area triangles (Godot warns "non-finite
+  normal in LOD generation"); `_clean()` + a weld after bisect fix it, and the audit rejects them.
+  Fixed-colour detail materials carry a 4×4 texture because `_apply_outfit_materials()` sets
+  `albedo_color = WHITE` on unknown slots. Cycles CPU render ≈ 3 s/asset; Godot import of the
+  library is clean.
+  **Integration:** `NpcAvatar.character_model_for()` selects a variant by role/seed; only the
+  five contract slots are tinted (detail materials untouched; `npc_vest` keeps its fixed hivis
+  vest, firefighter/guard get dark uniform tints). Gear is attached at head/back/chest/hand and
+  falls back to primitives; `npc_hoodie` skips the extra hood gear. `WorldBuilder` prefers
+  `assets/models/blender/props/` for the six replacements and the new street dressing, fits the
+  same colliders/obstacles, and collects library emissives for `set_night_mode()`.
+  `LIBRARY_TRIANGLE_BUDGET` = 60k (current ~27,986). Library props are excluded from
+  `PROP_PLACEMENTS` only when they need dedicated slots (door/marquee/sedan/handrail/lantern).
+- **v0.6.0 environment pass:** `tools/bake_ao.py` bakes 256² AO maps per library asset
+  (`<name>_ao.png`, red channel) and `Materials.apply_ao()`/`SurfaceMaterials` wire them in;
+  `tools/make_normal_maps.py` derives tangent normals for the 1024² brick/concrete/asphalt
+  textures. Forward+ boots on desktop but is rejected for v0.6.0 (project-wide renderer, Web
+  must stay GL Compatibility). Headless 222/222, Python 69/69.
+- **Prop pipeline (done):** audit enforces 400 tris / 600 verts, ground contact, UV range, no
+  degenerate tris, one material. `capture_prop_gallery.gd` writes `10-prop-gallery.png` (3x2 studio
+  line-up, back row on a platform) and the `prop_gallery` catalogue entry compares it.
+- **NPC character pass (v0.5.0):** Rig is articulated (`Rig/Hip* -> Knee`, `Shoulder -> Elbow ->
+  Hand`); `outfit_for` adds layer/hair_style/hand_item; `_idle_layer` drives phone/clipboard/crossed
+  and escalation gestures; `_reaction_tag` shows `!!`, `?!`, `!`, `?`; `apply_lod` swaps to a
+  billboard impostor at 26 m (hysteresis 1.5 m); GameManager `_refresh_queue` assigns queue offsets.
+  Perf: 16 avatars = 534 meshes, ~6.9 ms headless.
+- **Player movement (v0.5.0):** **W was inverted** (`get_axis(forward, back)` is negative for W and
+  the code multiplied it directly); now `forward * -input_dir.y`. Step-up uses test_move + a raised
+  copy (0.32 m). Guard emits footstep/landed/precision_changed; GameManager forwards them to
+  AudioFeedback and the HUD. Gamepad actions are added at runtime by
+  `GuardController._ensure_gamepad_bindings`; remaps persist via `Save` `input_bindings` and are
+  applied by `InputBindings.apply` (key/button events only). Windowed `smoke_movement.gd` guards it.
+- **Scheduled TODO pass complete:** only the optional Future ideas remain (live replay, extra
+  venues, voice audio, image-to-mesh). Grounding facts: the
  NPC rig is rigid capsules with a whole-limb swing, and `guard_controller.gd` uses one `accel`
  value. Each task should get its own windowed smoke or capture where it changes feel/looks.
 - **Backlog complete:** every planned TODO section is done and moved to `DONE.md`; `TODO.md`
@@ -61,6 +239,16 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
  adopted (custom runner covers it without an editor plugin).
 - Do not re-open `override_access`. Do not bind wand to `W`. Do not remove the radio easter egg.

+## Decisions
+
+- Runtime UI/scene art is loaded through `src/game/ui/art.gd` (`assets/images/ui/` then `scenes/`); missing files return null so panels keep procedural fallbacks.
+- Screen mockups with baked-in controls are used as backdrops plus an opaque `ArtPanel` cover, not as clickable full-screen skins.
+- Radio, wand, inspection, and body-camera timeline panels use their reference art as backdrops; forms sit on transparent, padded panels over the covered mockup controls.
+- HUD target names use a boxed chip under the crosshair; escalation has a five-segment bar below the text label. The body-camera REC/clock block starts at y=92 on the right so it clears the shift/rep/crowd text.
+- Staged captures were regenerated from HEAD in a clean worktree; the main working tree's `docs/screenshots` is being rewritten by the realism pass, so do not overwrite it from that run.
+- `tools/check_screenshots.sh` is the repeatable capture+compare smoke; both capture scripts accept `--out=res://docs/screenshots`. Judge verdicts on the staged set were 7 match / 4 review / 0 diff.
+- Venue selection used to leave `guard.input_locked` true and the mouse visible; `_start_shift()` must call `_refresh_freeze()` after starting the clock.
+
 ## Current State

 - **v0.3.0 pass (2026-10-31, uncommitted):** rendering, generated prop models, screen
@@ -280,7 +468,7 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
  and published — installers/AppImage are on the releases page. Releasing = bump version → tag → push.
 - NSIS gotchas (validated in a local ubuntu:24.04 docker repro): makensis uses `-D` defines
  (never `/D`), resolves relative `-DICON`/`-DARTIFACT` against the **script directory** so CI
-  passes `$PWD`-absolute paths; installed exe must be space-free (`step-line.exe`); ICO must be
+  passes `$PWD`-absolute paths; installed exe must be space-free (`gig-line.exe`); ICO must be
  classic BMP entries (ImageMagick `icon:auto-resize=48,32,16`; PIL emits PNG-compressed ICOs NSIS
  cannot load).
 - appimagetool runs system `appstreamcli` if present (strict, exit 3 on warnings) — project
@@ -425,3 +613,7 @@ session shell; leftover PLAN verbs; crowd rubberneck; emergency aftermath; body-
 sit/photo/film poses; real crowd audio; Joke Shop/Studio extra events; PLAN.md says GUT/GitHub.

 <!-- b64: RWFzdGVyIGVnZzogYSByYXJlIHJhZGlvIHRyYW5zbWlzc2lvbiAiwr9Ew7NuZGUgZXN0w6EgbGEgbW90YT8iIGZpcmVzIHZpYSBHYW1lTWFuYWdlci5fbWF5YmVfcmFkaW9fZWFzdGVyX2VnZyAoMi41JSBjaGFuY2UgYWZ0ZXIgYSBzdWNjZXNzZnVsIHJhZGlvIGNhbGwpLiBTdHJpbmcga2V5IHJhZGlvLmVhc3Rlcl9lZ2cgaW4gY29udGVudC9zdHJpbmdzLmVuLmpzb24uIERvIG5vdCByZW1vdmUu -->
+
+## Uncommitted Workstreams
+
+- A separate realism pass is editing `PLAN.md`, `README.md`, `.gitignore`, `src/game/materials.gd`, `tools/scene_concepts.py`, `tools/test_scene_concepts.py`, `src/test/capture_realism.gd`, `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/`, `docs/screens/concepts|realism/`, and regenerated Blender planter/tree assets. Do not commit or revert these while that pass is active; verify game changes in a clean `git worktree` at HEAD when its unimported textures break parsing.
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Game Plan: Step Line
+# Game Plan: Gig Line

 ## Premise

@@ -399,6 +399,63 @@ The studio also has authorized guests and staff. They must either be recognized
 - Someone presents a counterfeit wristband or credential.
 - A violent threat appears during a crowded arrival, requiring the player to protect the entrance while calling for assistance.

+---
+
+## Visual Quality Direction
+
+The game prioritizes readable, well-lit, low-poly presentation over realism (GL Compatibility
+renderer). The v0.6.0 visual pass moves presentation to a **Blender-authored asset library**:
+skinned NPC character variants, head/back/chest/hand gear, and street/venue props, all carrying
+baked albedo/normal/AO/ORM maps. A generator (`tools/blender_assets.py`) and manifest
+(`assets/models/blender/manifest.json`) keep the assets reproducible; the game selects variants
+by NPC role/outfit and keeps the procedural rig and primitive props as offline fallbacks. The
+existing AI tools remain the source of art direction for fabric textures, palettes, and the
+screen-design compare/judge gate.
+
+The library targets 8 character variants (casual, jacket, coat, vest, dress, hoodie, firefighter,
+guard), 18 gear pieces, and 20 props — including replacements for the current generated street
+furniture, lamps, trees, doors, marquee, and a venue car. Integration must preserve the
+`Rig/Head` focus anchor, seed-driven outfit determinism, collider/navigation footprints, and the
+frame budget measured by `smoke_npc_budget.gd`. See
+[`docs/plan-graphics-v0.6.md`](docs/plan-graphics-v0.6.md) and
+[ADR-0013](docs/adr/0013-blender-authored-npc-characters.md).
+
+### Realism pass
+
+The target look is the realistic 3D-game frames in `docs/screens/designs/` and the larger
+example set in `docs/screens/concepts/`: hazy, layered city depth, believable materials, and
+warm practical lights at night. Readability still comes first. Silhouettes, the focus ring and
+the HUD must stay clear, and the GL Compatibility renderer stays.
+
+- **Backgrounds.** The flat, black-box skyline strip is retired in favour of AI-generated
+  panoramic skylines (Hollywood mid-rises, palms, hills) for day, dusk and night. Each one is a
+  transparent-sky 4:1 strip that tiles horizontally on the existing backdrop ring, and the night
+  variant has lit windows.
+- **Textures.** Higher-detail seamless 1024² tiles with derived normal maps for brick, granite,
+  sidewalk pavers, asphalt (dry and wet), steps, awning canvas and stucco, at the current UV
+  scales.
+- **Process.** `tools/scene_concepts.py` generates (never overwriting existing images),
+  processes, audits and judges. `src/test/capture_realism.gd` captures the same camera shots
+  with the current and the candidate assets, swapped at runtime, so a candidate is compared
+  before any game code changes. Candidates are adopted only when the realism report (Pillow
+  detail metrics + vision-model realism scores) improves and `screen_designs.py judge` shows no
+  new `diff`.
+- **Storage.** Raw AI output: `assets/textures/ai/v2/raw/` (local, gitignored). Game-ready
+  candidates: `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/`. Scene references: `docs/screens/concepts/`.
+  Trial captures and reports: `docs/screens/realism/<run>/`.
+- **First result (2026-11-01).** Swapping in the v2 skyline and tiles raised the judge's mean
+  backdrop score from 2.6 to 4.0 and texture detail from 1.2 to ~1.7. Overall realism stayed at
+  ~2/10; the limits were lighting and exposure, flat facades and blob foliage, not textures.
+- **Adopted (2026-11-01).** The v2 picks are now the runtime skyline and surface set, the phase
+  lighting was retuned (exposure, darker dusk/late, practical lights, wet asphalt at night), the
+  backdrop is a fog-free 90 m panorama ring per phase, the facade gained plinth/string
+  courses/cornice/pilasters/glazing bars, and the library trees and shrubs are denser. Judge
+  scores on the like-for-like shots rose on every sub-score (overall 0.8 → 1.0, backdrop
+  0.6 → 1.6) with the metric gap down 0.444 → 0.348
+  (`docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-adopt/`). The remaining gap to the concepts is the low-poly
+  character and prop fidelity, a visible flashlight beam at night, and the entrance still being
+  ~20 % brighter than the concept (`TODO.md` → Realism follow-ups).
+
 The scenario should test the player’s ability to distinguish ordinary Hollywood Boulevard activity from a genuine security problem. The best solution is usually a simple gesture, clear direction, or credential check rather than immediate escalation.

 Future venues can reuse this structure while changing the rules, equipment, staff roles, and types of access decisions.
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-# Step Line
+# Gig Line

-Step Line is a workplace security simulation about observation, communication, access verification, and proportionate escalation. The player works security at public-facing venues around Hollywood Boulevard, managing stairs, entrances, crowds, guests, staff, and occasional serious threats.
+Gig Line is a workplace security simulation about observation, communication, access verification, and proportionate escalation. The player works security at public-facing venues around Hollywood Boulevard, managing stairs, entrances, crowds, guests, staff, and occasional serious threats.

 The central design goal is simple:

@@ -14,27 +14,28 @@ The central design goal is simple:
 | ![Access inspection: wristband/credential check with allow/deny prompt](docs/screenshots/03-access-inspection.png) | ![Radio report form: emergency dispatch panel](docs/screenshots/04-radio-report.png) |
 | ![Late night: street lamps lit, marquee glowing, dark Hollywood Boulevard](docs/screenshots/05-late-night-avenue.png) | ![Night shift: guard flashlight cutting through the dark](docs/screenshots/06-night-flashlight.png) |
 | ![Wand screening at The Joke Shop: false alarm on keys](docs/screenshots/07-wand-screening.png) | ![Escalation HUD at L3 with body camera armed and reaction log](docs/screenshots/08-escalation-hud.png) |
-| ![Body-camera timeline: formal warning, body camera on, blocking](docs/screenshots/09-body-camera-timeline.png) | |
+| ![Body-camera timeline: formal warning, body camera on, blocking](docs/screenshots/09-body-camera-timeline.png) | ![Prop gallery: the six generated street-furniture models on a studio backdrop](docs/screenshots/10-prop-gallery.png) |
+| ![Precision walk at the venue steps with the HUD chip visible](docs/screenshots/11-precision-walk.png) | |

-*Screenshots are generated by [`src/test/capture_screenshots.gd`](src/test/capture_screenshots.gd) from the current build — day, late-night, wand screening, escalation, and shift-review timeline.*
+*Screenshots are generated by [`src/test/capture_screenshots.gd`](src/test/capture_screenshots.gd) and [`src/test/capture_prop_gallery.gd`](src/test/capture_prop_gallery.gd) from the current build — day, late-night, wand screening, escalation, shift-review timeline, precision walk, and the prop lineup.*

 ## ⬇️ Downloads

 | Platform | Package |
 | --- | --- |
-| **Windows — installer** | [`step-line-setup-<ver>.exe`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · contains all game data, shortcuts + uninstaller |
-| **Windows — portable** | [`step-line-windows-<ver>.exe`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · 64-bit, no install needed |
-| **Linux — AppImage** | [`step-line-<ver>-x86_64.AppImage`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · single file, `chmod +x` and run |
-| **Linux — portable** | [`step-line-linux-<ver>.x86_64`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · 64-bit, `chmod +x` and run |
-| **macOS** | [`step-line-macos-<ver>.zip`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · unsigned build, quarantine note below |
-| **Web (browser)** | [`step-line-web-<ver>.zip`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · unzip and serve the folder from any static host (no special headers) |
+| **Windows — installer** | [`gig-line-setup-<ver>.exe`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · contains all game data, shortcuts + uninstaller |
+| **Windows — portable** | [`gig-line-windows-<ver>.exe`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · 64-bit, no install needed |
+| **Linux — AppImage** | [`gig-line-<ver>-x86_64.AppImage`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · single file, `chmod +x` and run |
+| **Linux — portable** | [`gig-line-linux-<ver>.x86_64`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · 64-bit, `chmod +x` and run |
+| **macOS** | [`gig-line-macos-<ver>.zip`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · unsigned build, quarantine note below |
+| **Web (browser)** | [`gig-line-web-<ver>.zip`](https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases) · unzip and serve the folder from any static host (no special headers) |

 **All releases:** <https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases>

 > Downloads are public (no sign-in required) since the host's instance-wide
 > `REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW` was disabled on 2026-10-31.
 >
-> **Latest: v0.4.0** — props have colliders and navigation obstacles, with zoned placements and deterministic variants.
+> **Latest: v0.6.0** — Blender-authored character/gear/prop library with baked AO, higher-resolution environment textures, and phase-driven library props.
 > Releases are built automatically when a `vX.Y.Z` tag is pushed
 > (see [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md)); manual builds use
 > `./tools/build_releases.sh`. Installer/AppImage packaging runs in the same pipeline
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ The central design goal is simple:
 > the page and tag URLs are public.
 >
 > macOS builds are unsigned: right-click → Open, or clear the quarantine with
-> `xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine step-line-macos.zip`. Build instructions and
+> `xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine gig-line-macos.zip`. Build instructions and
 > the release pipeline live in [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md).

 If you are here to develop or test locally instead of downloading, jump to
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ The architecture maps onto Godot 4 nodes, scenes, and custom resources as descri
 - **NPC behavior:** Custom lightweight finite state machines driven by `NpcProfile` resources
 - **UI and audio:** Godot `Control` nodes, themes, audio buses, and `AudioStreamPlayer` nodes
 - **Art assets:** authored PNGs and the in-game generated set in `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/`; street-furniture models in `assets/models/generated/` build from `tools/model_pipeline.py`; structural geometry stays procedural (`WorldBuilder`). The legacy `tools/generate_textures.py --ai` batch remains available.
- **Asset tooling:** `tools/asset_pipeline.py` generates role-aware assets through OpenRouter and provides crop, resize, seamless-tile, and image-audit commands, including gameplay screenshot checks. `tools/model_pipeline.py` builds and audits the prop `.glb` models.
+- **Asset tooling:** `tools/asset_pipeline.py` generates role-aware assets through OpenRouter (`--variants N` produces alternative images) and provides crop, resize, seamless-tile, and image-audit commands, including gameplay screenshot checks. `tools/model_pipeline.py` builds and audits the street-prop `.glb` models; `tools/npc_pipeline.py` builds and audits the skinned NPC base model.
 - **Testing:** GUT (Godot Unit Test) in headless mode
 - **Source control:** git on a Gitea host with Gitea Actions (`.gitea/workflows/build.yml`) for headless tests and desktop release builds
 - **Targets:** Windows, Linux, and macOS desktop first; web later
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ Crop uses the image center by default; `--x` and `--y` select an explicit crop o

 ```bash
 python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py crop assets/textures/source.png assets/textures/crop.png --width 256 --height 128
-python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py resize assets/textures/source.png assets/images/backgrounds/scene.png --width 1920 --height 1080 --fit cover
+python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py resize assets/textures/source.png assets/images/scenes/scene.png --width 1920 --height 1080 --fit cover
 python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py seamless assets/textures/rough_tile.png assets/textures/tile.png
 ```

@@ -179,7 +180,7 @@ Audit accepts image files or directories. `--role auto` infers common roles from

 ```bash
 python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py audit assets/textures
-python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py audit assets/images/backgrounds --role background --json
+python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py audit assets/images/scenes --role background --json
 python3 -m unittest discover -s tools -p 'test_*.py'
 ```

@@ -220,12 +221,133 @@ Surface materials share one definition in `src/game/materials.gd`: named
 roughness/metallic profiles per surface, plus the environment tune-up (ACES
 tonemapping, glow, fog, colour grading) that the phase lighting applies.

+### NPC character model
+
+NPCs are moving from the procedural capsule rig to a skinned, UV-mapped base
+character authored in Blender ([ADR-0013](docs/adr/0013-blender-authored-npc-characters.md)).
+`tools/npc_pipeline.py` builds `assets/models/generated/npc_base.glb` plus the
+per-slot material maps. `NpcAvatar` instantiates that skinned model, tints its
+five material slots from the seed-driven outfit, and drives the bones from the
+existing animation code; the procedural rig remains the offline fallback (see
+the [graphics plan](docs/plan-graphics-v0.6.md)).
+
+```bash
+# Print the frozen contract (slots, bone names, triangle budget)
+python3 tools/npc_pipeline.py list
+
+# Rebuild the skinned base mesh + neutral maps in Blender and validate it
+flatpak run org.blender.Blender --background --python "$PWD/tools/npc_pipeline.py" -- build
+python3 tools/npc_pipeline.py audit
+
+# Layer the AI clothing albedos (shirt/trousers) over the procedural weave, and
+# derive per-fabric outfit colours for the avatar palette
+python3 tools/npc_pipeline.py prepare
+python3 tools/npc_pipeline.py palette
+```
+
+`prepare` resizes the AI fabric tiles (kept locally in `assets/textures/npc/ai/`,
+which is gitignored) onto the `cloth`/`pants` albedos; `build` bakes them into the
+`.glb` and regenerates the procedural normal + packed ORM maps. `palette` writes
+`assets/textures/npc/palette.json` using `model_pipeline.dominant_colors`.
+
+### Blender asset library (loaded by the game)
+
+`tools/blender_assets.py` models a larger library procedurally in Blender for the
+v0.6.0 integration: **8 skinned NPC characters** (casual, jacket, coat, hi-vis vest,
+dress, hoodie, firefighter, guard), each a drop-in for `npc_base.glb` (same bones,
+joint positions and tint slots); **18 gear pieces** authored at head/hand/back/chest
+attach points (caps, hood, helmet, backpack, SCBA tank, lanyard, phone, cup,
+clipboard, umbrella, camera, sign, flashlight, wand, radio, …); and **20 props**
+(octagonal bollard and bin, slatted bench, hydrant, news box, planters, street lamp,
+street and palm trees, A-frame sign, wall lantern, cone, crowd barrier, stanchion,
+handrail, podium, double door, marquee, sedan).
+
+`NpcAvatar` selects a character by role/seed, tints the five contract slots, and
+attaches gear at the documented points; `WorldBuilder` loads the library props
+with colliders/avoidance and drives their emissive parts from the day/night
+cycle. The single `npc_base.glb` and primitive props remain offline fallbacks.
+Contract and integration notes: [`docs/blender-assets.md`](docs/blender-assets.md).
+
+| Characters | Props |
+| --- | --- |
+| ![characters](docs/blender_previews/sheet_npc.jpg) | ![props](docs/blender_previews/sheet_props.jpg) |
+
+```bash
+flatpak run org.blender.Blender --background --python "$PWD/tools/blender_assets.py" -- build
+flatpak run org.blender.Blender --background --python "$PWD/tools/blender_assets.py" -- render
+python3 tools/blender_assets.py sheet   # docs/blender_previews/sheet_*.jpg
+python3 tools/blender_assets.py audit   # no Blender needed
+godot --headless --path . --import
+```
+
+### Confirmed game assets
+
+Everything below is audited and shipped in the game; development-only outputs
+(AI concept sheets, Blender sources, raw AI fabrics) are gitignored.
+
+| | |
+| --- | --- |
+| ![brick facade](assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/brick_facade.png) | ![sidewalk pavers](assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/sidewalk_pavers.png) |
+| ![asphalt](assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/asphalt.png) | ![awning](assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/awning_canvas.png) |
+| ![skyline day](assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/skyline_day.png) | ![skyline night](assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/skyline_night.png) |
+
+- **Surface textures:** the v2 picks above (brick, sidewalk pavers, dry and wet asphalt, awning canvas) plus their normal maps, loaded by `src/game/materials.gd` and `WorldBuilder`; the three skyline panoramas are switched per shift phase. The first-generation tiles and `assets/textures/skyline.png` are no longer loaded.
+- **UI art:** `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/icons/` (flashlight, door lock, wand, REC) and `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/cards/` (ID, wristband, ticket, credential, guest list), loaded by `src/game/ui/hud.gd`.
+- **Generated models:** `assets/models/generated/*.glb` — bollard, bench, trash bin, planter, newspaper box, hydrant, and the NPC base — plus their colour atlases.
+- **NPC material maps:** `assets/textures/npc/*_{albedo,normal,orm}.png` and `palette.json`.
+
+Audit them all:
+
+```bash
+python3 tools/asset_pipeline.py audit assets/textures/ai/game_ready
+python3 tools/model_pipeline.py audit
+python3 tools/npc_pipeline.py audit
+```
+
+### Realism pass: scene concepts, skylines and textures
+
+The skyline, surface tiles and phase lighting were rebuilt against AI concept frames. The
+concepts live in [`docs/screens/concepts/`](docs/screens/concepts/README.md); the validated
+picks the game loads are in `assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/` (day/dusk/night
+panoramas, brick, sidewalk pavers, dry and wet asphalt, awning canvas, each with a normal
+map).
+
+`tools/scene_concepts.py` generates and processes new candidates, promotes the validated ones
+to stable names, audits them, and scores captures against the concepts. It never overwrites an
+image: new files get a `-vN` suffix, and `process` skips existing candidates unless `--new`.
+
+```bash
+python3 tools/scene_concepts.py generate --group scene        # or backdrop / texture, --variants N
+python3 tools/scene_concepts.py process && python3 tools/scene_concepts.py audit
+python3 tools/scene_concepts.py promote                       # validated picks -> v2/picks/
+godot --headless --path . --import
+
+# A/B a candidate without touching game code: the same cameras, textures swapped at runtime.
+godot --path . --script res://src/test/capture_realism.gd -- --out=res://docs/screens/realism/<run>/after
+godot --path . --script res://src/test/capture_realism.gd -- --out=res://docs/screens/realism/<run>/try \
+  --swap=res://assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/picks/brick_facade.png=res://assets/textures/ai/game_ready/v2/brick_facade-v2.png
+
+# Score before/after against the concepts (Pillow detail metrics + vision judge).
+python3 tools/scene_concepts.py realism --run docs/screens/realism/<run> --judge \
+  --model google/gemini-2.5-flash --repeats 3
+```
+
+`capture_realism.gd` runs five stages (day, evening, late, Joke Shop, studio); `--stages=day,late`
+limits it while tuning. The latest run,
+[`docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-adopt/`](docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-adopt/report.md),
+compares the pre-adoption captures with the current build: on the shots both sets captured the
+judge's like-for-like means rose on every sub-score (overall 0.8 → 1.0, backdrop 0.6 → 1.6) and
+the Pillow metric gap fell 0.444 → 0.348.
+
+![realism run](docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-adopt/sheet.jpg)
+
 ### Screen design references

 Screen mockups and screenshot comparison use `tools/screen_designs.py`. It turns the
 screen descriptions in `docs/` (README captions, ADRs 0007–0010, `PLAN.md`, and
-`architecture.md`) into reference images under `docs/screens/designs/`, then uses
-those images as the expected state to check the game's captures.
+`architecture.md`) into runtime reference art under `assets/images/ui/` (with a
+reference-only snapshot in `docs/screens/designs/`), then uses those images as
+the expected state to check the game's captures.

 Each screen is tagged `scene` (a realistic first-person 3D world view) or `ui`
 (an in-game panel overlaid on a softened scene), and the generator appends a
@@ -248,6 +370,9 @@ python3 tools/screen_designs.py generate --draft --only wand --force
 # (requires OPENROUTER_API_KEY)
 python3 tools/screen_designs.py generate

+# Prop gallery (studio line-up) for close-range prop checks
+godot --path . --script res://src/test/capture_prop_gallery.gd
+
 # Compare docs/screenshots/*.png against the designs
 python3 tools/screen_designs.py compare
 python3 tools/screen_designs.py compare --json
@@ -260,12 +385,12 @@ python3 tools/screen_designs.py judge --only 03-   # one capture
 python3 tools/screen_designs.py judge --dry-run    # build requests, no network
 ```

-The catalogue covers 19 screens: the nine README captures plus the start menu,
+The catalogue covers 21 screens: the eleven README captures plus the start menu,
 pause overlay, settings, shift review, radial menu, emergency radio, wand
 screening, Joke Shop queue, TV Studio arrival, crowd panic, responder arrival,
-body-camera timeline, and the escalation HUD. All 19 have an AI reference in
-`docs/screens/designs/`; the nine screens with staged captures are also compared
-or judged against the running game.
+body-camera timeline, and the escalation HUD. All 21 have an AI reference in
+`assets/images/ui/` (snapshot in `docs/screens/designs/`); the eleven screens with
+staged captures are also compared or judged against the running game.

 `compare` flags gross drift: wrong aspect ratio, undersized frame, near-blank
 frame, and large layout/palette/detail distance. It is a regression gate, not a
@@ -281,6 +406,10 @@ default 0.6 — expected when a concept mockup is more stylised than the game),
 `compare` after regenerating the game screenshots with
 `src/test/capture_screenshots.gd`.

+For a one-command drift check, run `tools/check_screenshots.sh`. It renders the
+staged captures and prop gallery into `docs/screenshots/` (using `xvfb-run` when
+no display is available) and then runs `screen_designs.py compare`.
+
 ### Setup

 1. Download the Godot 4.3 editor (official build) and put `godot` on your PATH.
@@ -316,6 +445,12 @@ godot --headless --path . --script res://src/test/smoke_plan_verbs.gd
 # Prop-collision smoke (windowed): guard stops at a bench, guest routes around it
 godot --path . --script res://src/test/smoke_props.gd

+# NPC budget smoke: 16 full-rig avatars against the documented frame budget
+godot --headless --path . --script res://src/test/smoke_npc_budget.gd
+
+# Movement smoke (windowed): steps, precision walk, footsteps and landing
+godot --path . --script res://src/test/smoke_movement.gd
+
 # Crowd smoke: rubbernecking on aggression, panic clearing the entrance
 godot --headless --path . --script res://src/test/smoke_crowd.gd

@@ -336,6 +471,11 @@ The unit test runner is the project's own lightweight harness (no editor plugin

 ### Controls

+Keyboard and mouse are the default; a gamepad works without configuration (left stick moves,
+right stick looks, A opens/confirms the wheel, B cancels, X inspects, Y calls the radio, LB walks
+slowly, RB uses the wand). Keys and pad buttons can be rebound in Settings, and the remaps persist
+in `user://settings.json`. The HUD legend switches to gamepad hints when a pad event arrives.
+
 | Input | Action |
 | --- | --- |
 | W/A/S/D + mouse | Move and look |
@@ -376,6 +516,8 @@ The full arc42-style architecture documentation lives in [`docs/architecture.md`
 - [`MEMORY.md`](MEMORY.md) — Persistent session notes.
 - [`docs/architecture.md`](docs/architecture.md) — arc42-style architecture documentation.
 - [`docs/adr/`](docs/adr/) — Architecture Decision Records.
+- [`docs/plan-graphics-v0.6.md`](docs/plan-graphics-v0.6.md) — Graphics-quality plan: Blender-authored NPC characters.
+- [`docs/blender-assets.md`](docs/blender-assets.md) — Blender asset library: characters, gear, props, attach points.

 ## Development Status

@@ -384,7 +526,7 @@ Implemented so far:
 - Godot 4.3 project scaffold, input map, procedural world builder
 - Venue-driven simulation core: `ShiftCoordinator`, `VenueScenario`, `EventScheduler`, `NPCController` + FSM, `AccessVerifier`, `EscalationManager`, `RadioSystem`, `IncidentRecorder`, `ReputationEvaluator`, `CrowdSystem`
 - Three authored scenarios (Hollywood Boulevard building, The Joke Shop, Late Night TV Studio) with access policies, NPC archetypes, and event pools
- Headless unit tests: **187 passing** (access rules and venue-correct access loadout, escalation, radio cooldown/battery, NPC reaction determinism, door lock, flashlight perception, persistence round-trip, settings round-trip, navmesh, step colliders, skyline alpha, scenario data, full-shift simulation, wand screening, responder dispatch, localization strings, focus cone, action wheel, session shell, PLAN verbs and incident recording, crowd presentation, emergency aftermath, body-camera timeline, NPC theater poses, audio, accessibility, authored scenario content, string formatting, `.tres` venue round-trip, surface materials and environment, focus ranking and outfit/gait helpers, generated prop models, web export preset, prop atlas material)
+- Headless unit tests: **227 passing** (access rules and venue-correct access loadout, escalation, radio cooldown/battery, NPC reaction determinism, door lock, flashlight perception, persistence round-trip, settings round-trip, input remaps, navmesh, step colliders, skyline alpha, scenario data, full-shift simulation, wand screening, responder dispatch, localization strings, focus cone, action wheel, session shell, PLAN verbs and incident recording, crowd presentation, emergency aftermath, body-camera timeline, NPC theater poses, audio, accessibility, authored scenario content, string formatting, `.tres` venue round-trip, surface materials and environment, focus ranking and outfit/gait helpers, generated prop models, web export preset, prop atlas material, player movement, NPC character layers/LOD/queue, input bindings)
 - Simulation extras: protester archetype, CALL_SOMEONE reaction, door lock/secure mechanic (visual indicator), flashlight with night perception bonus, LATE shift phase reaching the violent-threat event
 - First-person prototype with interaction HUD, access inspection, wand screening, radio report form (incl. emergency hold-to-confirm), dispatched responder avatars, aim-free targeting, venue cycling between all three scenarios, color-coded escalation feedback, procedural audio cues, navigation-mesh NPC paths, JSON-backed localized strings, persisted shift history, debug overlay, and shift review
 - Control pass: focus cone on NPC heads with a billboarded blue circle in front of the face and name, action wheel (LMB/Space) with de-escalation-first slices, mouse-look freeze while a panel is open, acceleration-based walking, and named input actions (`action_menu`, `confirm`, `cancel`, `inspect`, `wand`)
@@ -407,13 +549,17 @@ Implemented so far:
 - Visual polish pass (v0.2.0): phase-based lighting (sun/sky/ambient per shift phase), street lamps with night-mode bulbs and omni lights, glowing marquee signage, crosswalk, planters and low-poly street trees, NPC height/brightness variety, denser routine traffic — day and late-night screenshot sets
 - Assets pass: authored textures in `assets/textures/` (brick facade, concrete, asphalt, awning, skyline, vignette, HUD icons, access-card art) generated by `tools/generate_textures.py`, soft sun shadows, humanoid NPC rigs with archetype props + procedural walk bob and attention head-turn, inspection artifact cards, escalation vignette, mode icons, and a body-camera overlay (REC + shift clock)
 - Rendering pass (v0.3.0 work, [ADR-0012](docs/adr/0012-surface-materials-and-generated-props.md)): one material module with roughness/metallic profiles per surface, ACES tonemapping, glow, aerial fog and colour grading driven by the shift phase, correctly scaled brick, framed facade windows that light up at night, door trim and handles, a curb and lane dashes, and the glowing marquee/lamp bulbs. NPCs gained per-role clothing palettes, caps/hoods/backpacks/sunglasses/lanyards, hands and shoes, and an arm/leg walk swing
+- NPC characters (v0.5.0): articulated limb rigs, layered outfits, hand items, face/hair variety, idle behaviour (phone, clipboard, crossed arms, look-around), escalation gestures, readable reaction symbols, door-queue offsets, and three LOD tiers with a billboard impostor
+- Player movement (v0.5.0): separate acceleration/braking, step-up assist, head bob and landing dip (toggleable), precision-walk FOV/chip/tick, surface-aware footsteps, gamepad support, and persistent key/button remapping in settings
 - Prop collision and placement (v0.4.0): every prop fits a static collider from its mesh bounds and publishes a navigation obstacle, so the guard and guests cannot walk through benches, bins, or bollards; placements are grouped into zones with a validator, and deterministic variants add rotation, scale, and small clutter
 - Prop atlas (v0.3.1): `tools/model_pipeline.py` packs each prop's palette into one power-of-two colour atlas plus a metallic/roughness atlas and emits a single material with per-vertex UVs, so a prop is one draw material rather than one per part; `audit` enforces the contract
 - Generated prop models (v0.3.0 work): `tools/model_pipeline.py` builds bollards, benches, bins, planters, newspaper boxes and a hydrant as `.glb` props with per-part materials, loaded by `WorldBuilder` with a procedural fallback; the optional AI concept step (`model_pipeline.py concept`) supplies per-prop colour palettes
- Web build: `build/step-line-web-<version>.zip` (Godot's non-threaded web template, no COOP/COEP headers needed) built by `tools/build_releases.sh` and published with the desktop artifacts; serve the unzipped folder from any static host
+- Environment pass (v0.6.0): 1024² brick/concrete/asphalt with derived tangent normal maps, 256² baked AO maps for every Blender character/gear/prop, and library props whose bulbs/LEDs/sign faces follow the day/night phase
+- NPC characters + library (v0.6.0): `NpcAvatar` loads one of 8 Blender-authored skinned variants (role/seed selected) with five tintable material slots, `Rig/Head` focus anchor, and attach-point gear; `npc_base.glb` and the procedural rig remain fallbacks. `tools/blender_assets.py` builds/audits the character, gear, and 20-prop library; `WorldBuilder` loads the replacements and new street dressing (lamp, trees, palms, planters, barriers, podium, doors, marquee, sedan, handrail) with colliders, navigation obstacles, and phase-driven emissives
+- Web build: `build/gig-line-web-<version>.zip` (Godot's non-threaded web template, no COOP/COEP headers needed) built by `tools/build_releases.sh` and published with the desktop artifacts; serve the unzipped folder from any static host
 - Aim-free selection pass (v0.3.0 work, [ADR-0011](docs/adr/0011-aim-free-selection-and-precision-walk.md)): the focus cone ranks candidates by angle then distance, `Tab` and the mouse wheel cycle nearby people nearest-first and pin the selection, right click clears focus with a short re-acquire grace, the HUD reports how many people are in the ring, and holding `Shift` walks at half speed for close work

-Not yet implemented: live 3D body-camera replay, editor-based GUT integration, and crowd performance profiling/LOD (see `TODO.md`).
+Not yet implemented: a desktop-only Forward+ preset (the renderer stays GL Compatibility for Web parity), live 3D body-camera replay, editor-based GUT integration, and crowd performance profiling/LOD (see `TODO.md`).

 ### Smoke Test Checklist

@@ -423,7 +569,7 @@ Not yet implemented: live 3D body-camera replay, editor-based GUT integration, a
 4. The guard's camera sits at eye height and the guard stands on the landing, not inside the building.
 5. Walking into the steps carries the guard up onto the landing (steps have colliders).
 6. The skyline backdrop shows silhouettes against the sky, not an opaque black slab.
-7. The `STEP LINE` marquee is readable from the sidewalk.
+7. The `GIG LINE` marquee is readable from the sidewalk.
 8. NPCs spawn and approach the entrance during the first minutes.
 9. Looking at an NPC inside the focus cone shows a blue focus circle in front of the face, the person's name, and the HUD target line.
 10. `Space` or left click opens the action wheel; `A`/`D` highlight a slice, `Space` confirms it, `Esc`/right click cancels without a log entry.
@@ -1,89 +1,22 @@
 # TODO

-Godot 4.3 prototype. Latest release **v0.4.0** (prop collision, placement, variants). Headless
-suite **187/187** plus **53** Python tooling tests; the session, PLAN-verb, crowd, emergency,
-timeline, audio, scenario-content, props, and windowed focus/radial smokes pass. Anonymous
-downloads are enabled on the host.
+## Realism follow-ups (v0.6.1 candidates)

-The sections below are the rest of the presentation pass: prop pipeline checks, NPC characters,
-and player movement. Each task is meant to be a small, reviewable slice with its own verification.
-
-## Better Props
-
-### Pipeline and checks
-
- [ ] Extend `audit_glb()` with a triangle budget, degenerate-triangle test, `TEXCOORD_0` inside
-      the atlas, minimum-y ≈ 0, and a material-count check per prop.
- [ ] Add a `prop_gallery` capture to `capture_screenshots.gd` (each prop close-up on a plain
-      backdrop) and wire it to `screen_designs.py` so prop regressions show up in `compare`.
- [ ] Verify all prop instances share their imported material (no per-instance duplication) and
-      keep a documented triangle/vertex budget in the pipeline docstring.
- [ ] Update the README prop list and the `model_pipeline.py` catalogue docs when new props land.
-
-## Better NPC Characters
-
-### Appearance and rig
-
- [ ] Replace the rigid capsule limbs with an articulated rig: shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee
-      joints, so a walk cycle can bend knees and swing arms instead of rotating whole capsules.
- [ ] Add layered clothing: jacket over shirt, hi-vis vest, security uniform, dress/skirt, and
-      coat, with deterministic per-profile colourways and material roles.
- [ ] Extend the accessory catalogue: bag, umbrella, phone, camera, clipboard, headphones, and a
-      coffee cup; attach them to the correct hand/back socket.
- [ ] Add face and hair variety: several hair silhouettes, beards, hats, eye/brow shapes, age and
-      height ranges, and a small set of face textures or decal planes so heads are not identical.
- [ ] Keep appearance deterministic per `(profile, seed)` and add a test that the same seed
-      produces the same outfit while different types stay recognisable.
-
-### Animation and staging
-
- [ ] Add an idle layer: breathing, weight shift, occasional look-around, phone check, and
-      arms-crossed, blended with the current walk and reaction states.
- [ ] Add conversation gestures: facing the guard when addressed, talking hand movement, nodding,
-      backing away, and pointing, driven by the existing reaction/escalation events.
- [ ] Improve the walk cycle: stride length tied to speed, foot planting without sliding, and a
-      distinct hurry/flee gait that matches `FLEE_SPEED`.
- [ ] Stage a door queue: waiting offsets, one-at-a-time approach, no overlapping capsules, and a
-      step-aside after the admission decision.
- [ ] Make reactions readable at a distance with body language plus a short icon/label
-      (rubberneck, panic, calm, angry) so crowd state is legible without the debug panel.
-
-### Performance and budgets
-
- [ ] Add three LOD tiers (full rig, simplified mesh, billboard) with distance hysteresis, and
-      disable shadows for far tiers; keep the switch deterministic and testable.
- [ ] Re-measure the live-NPC budget with the full rig at `MAX_LIVE_NPCS`, and add a perf smoke
-      that fails when frame time crosses the documented budget.
- [ ] Add tests for animation state transitions (idle → walk → react) and for queue spacing at
-      the door.
-
-## Better Player Movement
-
-### Feel and handling
-
- [ ] Split acceleration and deceleration in `guard_controller.gd` (faster stop than start, no
-      ice-skating), then tune `move_speed` and `accel` against a windowed feel pass.
- [ ] Add step-up assist for kerbs and the entrance steps (about 0.3 m) and keep wall sliding
-      smooth so the guard does not stick on doorframes, railings, or prop colliders.
- [ ] Add subtle head bob tied to stride and speed, a small FOV change in precision walk, and a
-      landing dip; expose a motion-sickness toggle in settings with persistence.
- [ ] Give precision walk (Shift) visible feedback: a HUD state chip and an audio tick when it
-      engages, in addition to the slower speed.
- [ ] Add surface-aware footsteps (concrete, asphalt, stone steps) with stride-synced timing and
-      a distinct landing sound, reusing the procedural audio helpers.
-
-### Input and accessibility
-
- [ ] Add gamepad support: move/look actions, radial and action bindings, deadzone and look
-      sensitivity, with prompts that follow the active device.
- [ ] Move the remaining hard-coded keys into `InputMap` actions and persist any remaps through
-      the settings panel (keyboard and gamepad).
- [ ] Add a mouse-sensitivity and invert-Y setting if missing, and test the values survive a
-      settings save/load round trip.
- [ ] Add movement tests: acceleration ramp, step-up height limit, precision-walk speed, wall
-      slide, and gamepad deadzone.
- [ ] Run one windowed movement smoke per change above (walk the full block, climb the steps,
-      strafe along the wall) and capture a short screenshot set for the compare tool.
+- [x] Fixed ground exposure for the entrance view: the morning sun now sits at 34° elevation
+      instead of 50°, so the facade shades the near sidewalk and props cast long shadows. Ground
+      luminance went 95 → **83** against the concept's 78 (it was 173 before the realism pass),
+      with the boulevard at 82 and the street at 81.
+- [-] Make the flashlight read in the dark: the `06-night-flashlight` concept shows a visible
+      beam, but a Compatibility spot light only brightens the near wall. A cheap fake cone (an
+      additive mesh or a light-shaft quad) would sell it, and the night mockup expects it.
+- [ ] NPC skin/clothing still reads as low-poly next to the concepts (judge `characters` ≈ 0–1).
+      The Blender library has the budgets for one more detail pass (fingers, sleeves, faces).
+- [x] Re-check the `screen_designs.py judge` default model (`google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite`): on
+      2026-11-01 it returned 7 match / 4 review / 0 diff without a provider error; `--model`
+      override is documented in `README.md`.
+- [ ] Add the two venue stages to the committed gallery (they are capture-only today) and give
+      the Joke Shop and studio their own geometry so their concept comparisons are geometric,
+      not just lighting.

 ## Future ideas (optional, not scheduled)