# Art Bible Workflow

Use this workflow to create or maintain `design/art/art-bible.md`, the visual
source of truth for the project. Work section by section. The user remains the
decision maker; the skill supplies professional framing, agent drafts, and
document maintenance.

## Phase 0: Context Check

1. Parse an optional `--review full|lean|solo` argument.
2. If no review argument is provided, read `production/review-mode.txt`.
3. If no review mode is configured, default to `lean`.
4. Read `design/gdd/game-concept.md`.
   - If it does not exist, stop and tell the user to run `$brainstorm` first.
   - Do not create an art bible without a concept document.
5. Extract the concept context:
   - game title
   - elevator pitch
   - core fantasy
   - design pillars
   - Visual Identity Anchor
   - target platform
6. Read `docs/technical-preferences.md` if it exists.
   - Extract engine, language, platform, rendering constraints, input targets,
     and performance budgets.
   - If it is missing, continue with conservative placeholders and mention that
     `$setup-engine` can fill technical constraints later.
7. If an engine is configured, read `docs/engine-reference/<engine>/VERSION.md`
   when Section 8 needs version-specific asset or rendering constraints.

## Target Document

- Primary output: `design/art/art-bible.md`
- Template source: `../../references/studio-docs/templates/art-bible.md`
- First write may create `design/art/` and a skeleton with the 9 section
  headings.
- Skeleton creation is allowed, but section body text must be written or
  replaced only after user approval.

## Codex Structured Input

Use Codex `request_user_input` for bounded decisions. Follow these limits:

- Ask 1-3 short questions per call.
- Use 2-5 mutually exclusive options per question.
- Keep `header` to 12 or fewer characters.
- Use `id` in `snake_case`.
- Keep option labels to 1-5 words.
- Add `(Recommended)` to the recommended option when there is one.
- Use normal conversation for open-ended reference lists and write approvals.

## Retrofit Mode

If `design/art/art-bible.md` already exists, inspect the 9 sections before
asking new questions.

Classify each section:

- `Complete`: meaningful project-specific text exists.
- `Empty`: heading exists with no useful body.
- `Placeholder`: body contains TBD, TODO, bracket placeholders, or generic
  template copy.

Default behavior:

- Resume missing work by filling only `Empty` or `Placeholder` sections.
- Do not rewrite `Complete` sections.
- Revise a complete section only when the user explicitly names that section or
  asks for a targeted update.
- Preserve unrelated content, status notes, and earlier approved decisions.

## Phase 1: Framing

Ask the scope with `request_user_input`:

- `Full Bible (Recommended)`: author all 9 sections.
- `Visual Core`: author Sections 1-4 only.
- `Asset Standards`: author Section 8 only.
- `Resume Missing`: fill only Empty or Placeholder sections.

Then ask for reference titles, images, URLs, or art influences in normal
conversation. This is intentionally free-form because reference quality matters
more than preset categories.

If the concept includes a Visual Identity Anchor, state that it is the
foundation for the art bible. Treat it as a constraint unless the user says to
change direction.

## Section Authoring Protocol

For every selected section:

1. Ask one focused question about the section's decision.
2. Offer clear options with tradeoffs when the choice is bounded.
3. Use the relevant Codex subagent workflow to draft the section.
4. Present the draft or a compact summary to the user.
5. Ask: `May I write section <section name> to design/art/art-bible.md?`
6. After approval, write that section immediately and preserve other sections.
7. If the user asks for revision, revise the draft and ask again before writing.

Do not batch-write the full art bible without per-section confirmation.

## Sections And Agent Routing

### Section 1: Visual Identity Statement

Purpose: define the one-line visual rule, the primary visual promise, and the
non-negotiable art direction constraint.

Use `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow.

### Section 2: Mood & Atmosphere

Purpose: define emotional targets, lighting attitude, density, pacing, and what
the player should feel when looking at the game.

Use `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow.

### Section 3: Shape Language

Purpose: define silhouettes, geometric or organic bias, proportion rules, visual
rhythm, and readability priorities.

Use `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow.

### Section 4: Color System

Purpose: define palette direction, color meanings, contrast rules, state colors,
and accessibility constraints.

Use `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow.

### Section 5: Character Design Direction

Purpose: define character silhouette, costume/material language, facial or body
expressiveness, animation attitude, and player/NPC distinction.

Use `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow.

### Section 6: Environment Design Language

Purpose: define world materials, environmental motifs, navigational readability,
scale cues, and progression of spaces.

Use `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow.

### Section 7: UI/HUD Visual Direction

Purpose: define interface mood, hierarchy, screen density, typography direction,
icon language, input readability, and accessibility expectations.

Use `art-director` and `ux-designer` in parallel through Codex subagent workflow.
If their recommendations conflict, summarize the conflict and ask the user to
choose before writing.

### Section 8: Asset Standards

Purpose: define asset naming, file formats, resolution or mesh budgets,
animation/VFX constraints, shader/material constraints, and handoff rules.

Use `art-director` and `technical-artist` in parallel through Codex subagent
workflow. Technical constraints must come from `docs/technical-preferences.md`
and, when available, `docs/engine-reference/<engine>/VERSION.md` plus relevant
engine reference notes.

If technical preferences are missing, write conservative placeholder constraints
and mark them as needing refresh after `$setup-engine`.

### Section 9: Reference Direction

Purpose: list references by purpose, specify what to borrow, specify what not to
copy, and define visual anti-references.

Use `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow.

## AD-ART-BIBLE Sign-Off

After the selected scope is complete, handle `AD-ART-BIBLE` based on review
mode:

- `full`: spawn `art-director` through Codex subagent workflow and ask it to run
  `AD-ART-BIBLE` using the gate criteria in
  `references/studio-docs/director-gates.md`.
- `lean`: skip and output `AD-ART-BIBLE skipped - Lean mode`.
- `solo`: skip and output `AD-ART-BIBLE skipped - Solo mode`.

Pass this context to the sign-off:

- `design/art/art-bible.md`
- `design/gdd/game-concept.md`
- Visual Identity Anchor
- pillars and core fantasy
- platform and performance constraints from `docs/technical-preferences.md`, if
  configured

Record the result in the art bible status header:

- `APPROVED [date]`
- `CONCERNS accepted [date]`
- `REVISED [date]`

If the sign-off returns concerns, show them to the user and ask whether to revise
the named sections or accept the concerns as known risk.

## Close

Finish with a short status summary:

- sections completed this run
- sections still missing, if any
- status of `AD-ART-BIBLE`
- output path: `design/art/art-bible.md`

Recommend only currently available next steps:

- `$setup-engine` if engine or performance constraints are not configured.
- `Stop here` if the user wants to pause after establishing visual direction.

Verdict: COMPLETE