# Character Transparent Slices Review V1

## Status

- Review status: not accepted by user.
- Generation status: completed first five-slice batch.
- Prompt/spec source: `visual-system/characters/character-transparent-slices-prompt-v1.md`.
- Main identity source: accepted v2 character anchor board and `character-identity-lock.md`.
- User rejection reason: the generated slices no longer look like the accepted v2 character anchor.
- Next gated action: repair one slice at a time, starting from identity-critical front full body, before any style-anchor or five-shot work uses transparent character assets.

## Generated Assets

Final alpha PNG slices:

| Slice | Final file | Source chroma file |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Front full body | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-front-v1.png` | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-front-v1-chroma-src.png` |
| Side full body | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-side-v1.png` | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-side-v1-chroma-src.png` |
| Back full body | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-back-v1.png` | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-back-v1-chroma-src.png` |
| Walking side | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-walk-side-v1.png` | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-walk-side-v1-chroma-src.png` |
| Walking back | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-walk-back-v1.png` | `visual-system/characters/character-slice-walk-back-v1-chroma-src.png` |

Preview board:

- `visual-system/characters/character-transparent-slices-preview-v1.png`

## Execution Mode

`gpt-image-2` Skill mode check:

```json
{
  "mode": "B-or-C",
  "recommendation": "host-or-advisor",
  "garden_mode_enabled": false,
  "has_api_key": false,
  "base_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
  "model": "gpt-image-2",
  "env_flag_value": "(unset)"
}
```

Execution interpretation:

- Garden local generation was not enabled.
- Host image generation was used as Mode B.
- Each slice was generated separately.
- The built-in image tool does not expose a direct output-path argument; generated defaults were copied into the project.
- The built-in image tool also does not expose native transparent-background control, so each asset was generated on a flat green chroma-key background and converted locally to alpha PNG.

## Generation Source Mapping

Default host-generated source files were copied as follows:

| Slice | Default source file |
| --- | --- |
| Front | `C:\Users\wangq\.codex\generated_images\019ef2f7-e630-7303-a0e8-e5e7a86912fc\ig_0cdcfc2a4d6685cc016a3a33d85a548191ace8cb7e4caa0623.png` |
| Side | `C:\Users\wangq\.codex\generated_images\019ef2f7-e630-7303-a0e8-e5e7a86912fc\ig_0cdcfc2a4d6685cc016a3a341539308191833e4f10d980865e.png` |
| Back | `C:\Users\wangq\.codex\generated_images\019ef2f7-e630-7303-a0e8-e5e7a86912fc\ig_0cdcfc2a4d6685cc016a3a34912710819196953af31c806bb2.png` |
| Walk side | `C:\Users\wangq\.codex\generated_images\019ef2f7-e630-7303-a0e8-e5e7a86912fc\ig_0cdcfc2a4d6685cc016a3a34c91b3c819182e18394180e4000.png` |
| Walk back | `C:\Users\wangq\.codex\generated_images\019ef2f7-e630-7303-a0e8-e5e7a86912fc\ig_0cdcfc2a4d6685cc016a3a3503e1d481918e8786806eb9a450.png` |

## Transparency Validation

Local alpha conversion used:

```text
C:\Users\wangq\.codex\skills\.system\imagegen\scripts\remove_chroma_key.py
```

Python environment:

```text
C:\Users\wangq\.cache\codex-runtimes\codex-primary-runtime\dependencies\python\python.exe
```

Validation result:

| File | Mode | Size | Transparent pixels | Partial pixels | Corner alpha |
| --- | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | --- |
| `character-slice-front-v1.png` | RGBA | 864x1821 | 959873 | 9220 | `[0, 0, 0, 0]` |
| `character-slice-side-v1.png` | RGBA | 864x1821 | 1041950 | 8430 | `[0, 0, 0, 0]` |
| `character-slice-back-v1.png` | RGBA | 864x1821 | 983848 | 8599 | `[0, 0, 0, 0]` |
| `character-slice-walk-side-v1.png` | RGBA | 1024x1536 | 1195863 | 7495 | `[0, 0, 0, 0]` |
| `character-slice-walk-back-v1.png` | RGBA | 864x1821 | 1044861 | 8060 | `[0, 0, 0, 0]` |

Validation interpretation:

- All five final files have an alpha channel.
- All four corners are fully transparent.
- Partial alpha pixels exist around edges, which is expected from soft matte extraction.

## Visual Review

Local preview file:

```text
visual-system/characters/character-transparent-slices-preview-v1.png
```

Observed strengths:

- All five figures are full body and fully inside the canvas.
- The long dark coat, backpack, old boots, longer hair, glasses, and fuller beard system remains coherent enough for this first slice batch.
- The walking side pose is upright and does not repeat the rejected v1 hunched walking issue.
- The walking back pose reads as continuing forward rather than collapsed.
- Back-view identity is usable: backpack, long coat, hair outline, and boot stride are clear.

Observed risks:

- These were generated by host prompt-only Mode B. The local v2 anchor image and source photo were not attached as binary image inputs to the image tool.
- Therefore, same-person fidelity is based on the approved textual identity lock plus generated-context continuity, not on a strict image-reference pipeline.
- The front / side / back likeness is coherent at the character-system level, but should still be treated as a candidate set, not a final locked production asset set.
- The side standing slice has a naturally forward profile and heavy coat; it should be checked by the user against the "not hunched" requirement.

## Checklist

| Check | Result | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Five requested slices exist | Pass | Front, side, back, walk-side, walk-back generated. |
| Final files are alpha PNG | Pass | RGBA mode; transparent corners confirmed. |
| Full body inside canvas | Pass | No obvious crop in local preview. |
| Same character system | Pass with note | Coherent coat / backpack / boots / hair / beard system; not strict binary-reference identity. |
| Walking side posture | Pass | Upright chest and straighter spine; not the rejected v1 hunch. |
| Walking back posture | Pass | Continues forward without collapsed shoulders. |
| Back-view recognition | Pass | Backpack, coat, hair outline, and boots are stable. |
| Avoid fashion / hero drift | Pass | Practical road-worn silhouette, not fashion editorial. |
| Transparency edge quality | Pass with note | Soft alpha edge present; user should inspect at final compositing scale. |

## Recommendation

Do not use this slice set for production prompts.

Treat it as a failed identity-preservation test:

1. Keep the files as failed-trial evidence.
2. Do not delete them unless explicitly requested.
3. Do not promote this transparent-slice workflow into reusable rules.
4. Repair the slice workflow before generating more character execution assets.

Root cause assessment:

- The host tool produced five separate prompt-only generations.
- The accepted v2 anchor and source photo were recorded as references, but were not attached as strict binary image inputs.
- Therefore the model regenerated a similar "road traveler type" instead of preserving the accepted v2 person.

Required process change:

- Transparent character slices must be repaired one at a time.
- The next attempt should be reference-bound or crop-derived from the accepted v2 board, not independent text-only generation.
- The first repaired slice should be `front`, because face / hair / beard / glasses identity drift is easiest to judge there.