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Author a Mesh Model Test Case

Scope

Section titled “Scope”

Scaffold an asset-generation test case for a static meshed model: a model composites a continuous signed-distance field of CSG primitives and meshes it with the mc, sn, or dc binary, one recorded operation at a time. Read Authoring a Mesh Model Test Case for the full procedure; Voxel cases is the authoritative schema.

For a rigged, animated mesh see Author a Mesh Animation Test Case. For discrete cube voxels see Author a Voxel Model Test Case.

Layout

Section titled “Layout”

A version lives at test-cases/asset-generation/<difficulty>/<slug>/<version>/. A version with runs recorded against it is frozen; revise a case by adding a new version.

test-cases/asset-generation/<difficulty>/<slug>/<version>/
  test-case.toml   # manifest: type, asset_kind, voxel, tool, output
  variants/        # one standalone TOML file per variant
  prompt.hbs       # rendered into the harness instruction; not seeded
  changelog.md     # required per-version entry; not seeded
  description.md   # site blurb; not seeded
  specs/brief.md   # what to sculpt and how the tool behaves; seeded

A run seeds the brief, <binary>.config.json, an empty action log, and a blank preview, with the meshing binary on PATH. Its --help is the operation contract. The case declares no [[reference]] and carries no target model.

Steps

Section titled “Steps”
  1. Pick a catalog slug and the subject to sculpt. It should read clearly at the volume size from silhouette and palette alone and be achievable by compositing CSG primitives with add-*, subtract-*, --blend, and mirror.
  2. Pick the algorithm for the surface you want. It fixes both asset_kind and [tool].binary: mc for a low-poly faceted surface, sn for a smooth watertight one, dc for crisp sharp edges. Only dc exposes the per-primitive --sharp tag that preserves a primitive’s edges and corners. The algorithm is a property of the whole version rather than a variant axis.
  3. Write specs/brief.md: the subject, silhouette, orientation, the exact opaque #rrggbb palette, the volume, and which extractor meshes the field. State the extractor’s behavior factually and leave the look to the model. Keep the brief self-contained.
  4. Write prompt.hbs. It renders in strict mode against {{variant.*}}, {{#each specs}}, {{workspace}}, {{time_limit_hours}}, and {{voxel.*}}. Point the model at the binary’s --help and require a render before finishing so the mesh is emitted.
  5. Write test-case.toml: metadata (name, difficulty, tags including 3d, mesh, and the algorithm), the required changelog, type = "asset-generation", asset_kind ("mc-model", "sn-model", or "dc-model"), and the variants list. It is a root key, so it precedes the first table header, and the first entry is the default variant.
  6. Declare [voxel] for the field bounds. It replaces [canvas], which resolution rejects on a meshed case.
  7. Declare [tool] with the meshing binary and a preview such as model.png, and [output] with an actions log. Both name single files; the {part} token is rejected on a static case. Core emits the extracted mesh.glb on render, so the manifest never names it.
  8. Declare the single overall [[domain]] a human rates the model under. The model is judged as a whole against its brief on that one rating, so the case declares no [[review_item]] checklist, no [model] rig, no [[reference]], no [build], and no [[check]].

The Aegis Bastion walking fortress is the worked example, authored once per algorithm as aegis-mc, aegis-sn, and aegis-dc. Read the one matching your surface.

Validate

Section titled “Validate”

Run these for every variant.

Terminal window
npm run lint:specs
tcab prompt --test-case <slug> --version <version> --variant <variant>
tcab seed   --test-case <slug> --version <version> --variant <variant>

prompt catches strict-mode template and manifest errors. seed writes the seeded repository under tmp/, where you confirm the seeded set is self-contained. After editing, force a re-ingest so a backend-driven run picks up the change; see Running the Local Service Stack.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”