Build Rigged Game Assets

Build Rigged Game Assets

Build one truthful actor package from source reference through gameplay and catalog proof.

Establish the contract first

Inspect repository truth before generating or editing files:

• Locate the source image/model, runtime loader, skeleton conventions, action API, equipment system, collision system, catalog schema, review routes, budgets, and tests.
• Classify the actor as character or monster.
• Classify delivery as catalog-only, review-only, or runtime. Do not call an asset implemented until gameplay loads it.
• Preserve immutable source artifacts separately from optimized runtime files.
• Decide target formats before using a credit-bearing generator.

Copy the matching template from assets/, fill it in, and keep it beside the implementation or in the project’s asset metadata location:

• character-asset-manifest.template.json
• monster-asset-manifest.template.json

Run scripts/validate_asset_manifest.py <manifest> before building. Re-run with --root <repo> for shipped-file checks and --require-verified only after every acceptance check has actually passed.

Read references/requirements.md before creating the model, rig, actions, equipment, sockets, or collision data. Read references/catalog-and-testing.md when adding the catalog card, inspector, moveset route, telemetry, or release tests.

Build the common actor package

1. Preserve the source.
   • Record reference images, source tasks, imported files, licenses, generator/model, and material provenance.
   • Never overwrite the high-detail source with the runtime optimization.
2. Produce the main model.
   • Normalize scale, Y-up, forward axis, pivot, ground contact, materials, textures, and triangle budget.
   • Ground from feet or authored contact sockets, never a weapon tip, cloth tail, shadow, or VFX.
   • Remove isolated triangles, non-manifold fragments, duplicate surfaces, hidden generator debris, and unused nodes.
3. Build one stable rig.
   • Name root, hips/center mass, head, limbs, feet, and attachment sockets explicitly.
   • Keep at most four normalized skin influences per vertex unless the engine contract says otherwise.
   • Preserve a deterministic bind pose, finite transforms, positive usable scale, and compatible skeleton identity across every clip.
4. Build the action library.
   • Give every clip a stable id, semantic role, loop policy, root-motion policy, duration, contact events, and source.
   • Prefer animation-only GLBs for separate clips. They must not smuggle duplicate meshes, materials, or textures.
   • Make non-looping actions restartable and return to the intended locomotion/idle state.
5. Build runtime integration.
   • Use one asset-specific loader/factory with disposal for geometry, materials, textures, mixers, events, observers, renderers, and animation frames.
   • Publish source, model, rig, socket, action, equipment, collider, triangle, material, and status metadata.
   • Keep a truthful rollback path when replacing a shipped runtime asset.

Apply the character profile

Treat the main model as the persistent body/base layer. Do not fuse swappable equipment into it.

• Declare every canonical slot: headgear, vestment, gloves, leggings, boots, main hand, offhand, and back/ranged.
• Mark unsupported slots explicitly instead of silently omitting them.
• Store supported swords, shields, bows, helmets, armor, and accessories as separate assets or independently addressable roots.
• Bind equipment to named sockets. Declare active and stowed sockets when an item changes state.
• Toggling a slot off must leave no floating trim, grip, one-triangle shards, duplicate baked weapon, or incidental gameplay prop.
• When the source contains no body beneath occluded equipment, create a fitted rig-following underlayer and record that limitation. Do not invent invisible anatomy claims.
• Require the character action roles idle, walk, run, primary-attack, hit, dodge, and death. Add block/ward, charged attack, cast, bow aim/shoot, jump, interaction, or class actions when gameplay exposes them.
• Keep equipment visibility independent from action selection unless the action deliberately changes active/stowed state.