1 animation workbench operator guide
forgejo-actions edited this page 2026-07-11 12:38:13 +00:00

Animation Workbench Operator Guide

Purpose

The animation workbench is the author-facing control surface for player, NPC, mob, and gameplay animation coverage. It combines catalog indexing, profile diagnostics, scenario proof, fixture export, live comparison, and cross-mode parity into one workflow.

How It Works

The workbench prepares source rows from animation profiles, mob presentation data, NPC definitions, and gameplay wiring. Compact mode keeps common checks close to preview, while workspace mode exposes the deeper index, diagnostics, fixture, and parity tools.

Scenario proof and fixture export turn visual expectations into durable regression assets. Cross-mode parity compares preview behavior against gameplay wiring so an animation can be valid in the asset profile but still flagged if runtime actions cannot reach it.

Steps

Start from profile diagnostics, then inspect missing action keys, presentation variants, or gameplay wiring gaps. Use scenario proof before accepting a new action family or important state transition. Export fixtures when the expected behavior should become a regression guard.

Use import generation for mechanical catalog additions, but review generated entries before saving. Variant edits should stay tied to the source profile or presentation record that owns the behavior.

Expected Outputs

A successful pass produces a clean diagnostic view, accepted scenario proof for the changed behavior, updated fixtures when the contract changed, and matching preview/gameplay wiring for the relevant action keys.

Invariants

Action keys, effect overrides, outfit variants, and mob presentation states must resolve through the same source index. Prepared indexes should be refreshed after catalog edits. Fixture output should change only when the intended animation contract changes.

Common Mistakes

Common mistakes include accepting a profile-only animation without gameplay wiring, exporting fixtures from stale source rows, generating imports without reviewing variants, or ignoring cross-mode parity differences.

Recovery Paths

Stale rows usually mean the prepared index was built before the latest catalog change. Missing action diagnostics point to profile data or gameplay wiring. Fixture drift means either the visual contract changed or a previous proof was captured from inconsistent source data.