Character portrait scene planner

Skill ThanhNguyxnOrg/blendops/skills/character-portrait-scene-planner

AI-native Blender workflow and skill pack for non-Blender users, built around official Blender MCP, Claude Blender Connector, and Blender CLI.

Install

npx -y skills add ThanhNguyxnOrg/blendops --skill character-portrait-scene-planner

Assembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.

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Plan a character-portrait scene (subject, pose, expression, wardrobe, framing, lighting, background) before any modeling or render attempt.

SKILL.md

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character-portrait-scene-planner

Purpose

Translate a character-portrait intent (a single character in a hero / editorial / mood frame) into a structured scene plan that downstream quality / runtime / handoff skills validate. Distinct from product-hero-scene-planner (which targets manufactured products).

Quick start

pin subject identity (real / stylized / archetype) + age + body type + role
pin pose + expression + gaze
pin wardrobe + props
pin framing + camera + lens
pin lighting + background + mood
emit a structured plan + handoff to quality checkers

When to use

intent is explicitly a character / person / creature portrait
before any modeling or scene file is built
when the consumer is editorial / brand / catalog / cinematic

When not to use

product hero scenes (use product-hero-scene-planner)
environment establishing shots (use environment-establishing-shot-planner)
interior arch viz (use interior-architectural-scene-planner)
multi-character ensemble (this skill is single-subject)

Trigger phrases

"portrait of"
"character looking at the camera"
"headshot"
"hero shot of [person / mascot / creature]"

Prerequisites / readiness

brief from intent-to-3d-brief-writer is locked
character identity + style is known
target aspect + use case is known

Input schema

Required inputs

Input	Why it is required
Subject identity	Determines proportions / rig / asset strategy
Pose + expression + gaze	Drives camera and lighting decisions
Framing intent	Close-up / medium / wide
Aspect ratio	Required for composition rules

Optional inputs

Input	Use
Reference images	Calibrate proportions / style
Wardrobe / prop list	Adds asset rows
Existing rig / model	Reuse instead of re-build

Assumptions to confirm

Single subject only.
Camera is locked unless animation called out.
Style is consistent across subject + wardrobe + background.

Output schema

Primary output

A structured character portrait plan with sections: Subject, Pose / expression / gaze, Wardrobe + props, Camera / framing / lens, Lighting, Background, Mood, Style notes.

Secondary output

asset list flagged for blender-asset-discovery-planner
next-skill handoff list (composition / lighting / quality checkers)
explicit Not Run / Not Produced labels

Evidence / caveat output

Runtime status: Not Run | Attempted | Produced | Verified | Failed | Blocked / Not Run
Artifact status: Not Run | Not Produced | Produced | Verified | Failed
Evidence used: <links, paths, logs, or "none">
Limitations: <known gaps>

Required laws

../../laws/evidence-before-done.md
../../laws/non-blender-user-language.md
../../laws/no-arbitrary-python-interface.md
../../laws/official-runtime-only.md

Official runtime boundary

Planning skill — does not run Blender, model, or render. Output is a textual plan downstream quality and runtime skills validate against. If brief is unclear, hand off to intent-to-3d-brief-writer.

Operating procedure

Read brief; confirm subject identity + framing intent.
Fill subject section (age / body type / archetype / style).
Fill pose / expression / gaze (one decision per row).
Fill wardrobe + props.
Fill camera + framing + lens (per references/portrait-framing-rules.md).
Fill lighting plan (key + fill + rim, HDRI presence).
Fill background + mood.
List assets needed; flag for asset discovery.
Emit handoff to quality / lighting / composition checkers.

Decision tree

Subject is identifiable real person?
  → Add Warn for likeness rights + reference image needed
Pose unclear?
  → Hand off to intent-to-3d-brief-writer
Framing close-up but lens 18mm?
  → Warn (likely distortion); propose 50–85mm
Background detailed but framing tight close-up?
  → Warn (background mostly out of frame; simplify)

Playbooks

Playbook A: Hero close-up (16:9 web)

50–85mm equivalent; eyes on upper third; key + soft fill; rim for separation; simple gradient or studio HDRI background.

Playbook B: Editorial 9:16 mobile

24–35mm; subject head + upper body; environmental story background; mixed warm + cool lighting.

Playbook C: Stylized character mascot

Style-specific; flat or simplified background; key + bounce; consistent stylization across face + wardrobe.

Mode handling

Text-only mode

Pure plan; mark Artifact status: Not Run.

Runtime-ready mode

Plan plus runtime path attribution; do not upgrade to Verified without rendered evidence.

Blocked runtime mode

Plan only; flag what cannot be confirmed.

Validation checklist

Pass / Warn / Fail rubric

Verdict	Criteria
Pass	All sections filled; no "TBD"; framing rules respected; assets flagged.
Warn	One section ambiguous (e.g. mood line missing); assets list partial.
Fail	Subject identity unclear; framing impossible (15mm + tight close-up); no lighting plan.

Failure handling

Brief unclear → intent-to-3d-brief-writer.
Style inconsistent → flag and ask user to lock style.
Likeness rights unknown → Warn until confirmed.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Response
Real person reference but no rights	Pause; require rights confirmation.
Stylization clashes with wardrobe	Re-lock style early; cheaper than later.
Lighting + background fight subject	Re-balance per `lighting-quality-checker` rules.

Best practices

Lock style early; revisions are cheap pre-modeling.
Pair pose decisions with camera decisions in one row.
Always flag assets for blender-asset-discovery-planner before committing modeling work.

Good examples

"Subject: stylized 30s tech founder, neutral build. Pose: 3/4 toward camera, slight smile, gaze direct. Wardrobe: dark turtleneck. Camera: 85mm equivalent, eye-line upper third, 16:9. Lighting: soft key 250W + fill 50W + rim 100W; HDRI 0.7 studio. Background: gradient gray. Mood: confident editorial."

Bad examples

"Person looking at camera." — no proportions, lighting, or framing.
"Verified ready" — no rendered evidence.

User-facing response template

Subject: <identity / age / body / archetype>
Pose / expression / gaze: <three lines>
Wardrobe + props: <list>
Camera / framing / lens: <aspect> | <focal length> | <distance> | <eye-line>
Lighting: <key> | <fill> | <rim> | <HDRI>
Background: <type + tone>
Mood + style notes: <line>

Assets to discover: <list>
Limitations: <gaps>
Next: blender-asset-discovery-planner / composition-quality-checker / lighting-quality-checker

Anti-patterns

Performing modeling decisions inside this skill.
Inventing likeness without rights confirmation.
Skipping mood / style notes.
Mixing multi-character or environment scope.

Cross-skill handoff

Brief writer → ../intent-to-3d-brief-writer/SKILL.md
Asset discovery → ../blender-asset-discovery-planner/SKILL.md
Composition validation → ../composition-quality-checker/SKILL.md
Lighting validation → ../lighting-quality-checker/SKILL.md
Material validation → ../material-quality-checker/SKILL.md
Quality readiness → ../blender-scene-quality-checker/SKILL.md

Non-goals

Model the character.
Animate the character.
Render.
Run Blender.

References

references/portrait-framing-rules.md
references/portrait-lighting-patterns.md
references/style-consistency-rules.md
../../docs/skill-system.md