git:20261026.2124d50 to git:20261026.59eb682

16 added, 13 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: make-character

disable-model-invocation: true

description: Use to make a sleight cursor character.

---

# Make a sleight character

- A character is a folder of art with `character.json`, `sheet.webp`, `extra.webp`, `perch.webp` and `preview.png`. It trails

+ A character is a folder of art with `character.json`, `sheet.png` or WebP, extra and perch sheets and `preview.png`. It trails

sleight's ring, which always marks the exact point. sleight keeps its names and images out of the model's prompts.

Draw everything in code. Never trace, sample or generate the art with an image model, and never draw a real person,

a company's mascot or logo, or an existing character. Keep it a work buddy: age-neutral or clearly adult, modest

clothes, no romance, flirting, pleading, hearts or blown kisses.

## Steps

- 1. Use a sleight source checkout matching the installed release. If none is available, download that release's

- source from https://github.com/Land-o-Clusters/sleight. Use its `tools/characters/` generator in place.

- Create `character/` in the person's project for their own design and output. The generator needs macOS

- (`sips`), Node 22+ and `cwebp` 1.6.0.

+ 1. Use `tool/` beside this installed skill file. Call its absolute path TOOL in the commands below.

+ Create `character/` in the person's project for their design and output. The generator needs macOS `sips`

+ and Node 22+. Any installed `cwebp` version produces lossless WebP; without it, the sheets are PNG.

+ Both are character format v1. You don't need a source checkout or package install.

2. Ask what they want in one question: a style (`anime`, `pixel` or `paper`), a name, two or three colors and one

- personality line. Copy the closest design from the checkout's `tools/characters/cast/` to `character/<id>.mjs` (`tsugi` or `yori` for anime

+ personality line. Copy the closest design from `TOOL/cast/` to `character/<id>.mjs` (`tsugi` or `yori` for anime

people, `kit` for an anime creature, `bit` for pixel, `tab` for paper). The id is 1 to 48 of `a-z 0-9 -`.

3. Change the data before any code: `id`, `name`, `description`, `author`, `license` (MIT or CC0-1.0 for their own

art), palettes (`base`, `shade`, `light`, `line`), hair and outfit styles, `build` (proportions), `E` (motion:

1 bouncy, 0.6 calm) and `expr` (expression swaps such as `{ grin: 'smile2' }`).

- 4. Render with the checkout's `node tools/characters/build.mjs --design /path/to/character/<id>.mjs --out /path/to/character/output`.

- The output directory must be new. Read `output/<id>/preview.png` and the three WebP sheets at 96 by 104 pt

- per cell, on light and dark backgrounds. Fix what reads badly at the small size and render into a new output

- directory. Repeat until the face, silhouette and every state read.

- 5. For a part the styles lack (a hat, a tail, a prop), edit the checkout's builder in `tools/characters/styles/<style>.mjs`. To change a motion for

- every state, edit its clip in `tools/characters/lib/poses.mjs`. Keep cycles at or under 4000 ms and loop frames at 40 ms or more.

+ 4. Render with `node TOOL/build.mjs --design /path/to/character/<id>.mjs --out /path/to/character/output`.

+ The output directory must be new. Read `output/<id>/preview.png` and all six contact sheets in

+ `output/review/<id>/`: `sheet-light.png`, `sheet-dark.png`, `extra-light.png`, `extra-dark.png`,

+ `perch-light.png` and `perch-dark.png`. Each cell is 96 by 104 pixels, the default display size.

+ Review at 100% on both backgrounds. Fix the face, silhouette and any unclear state, then render into a new output directory.

+ 5. For a part the styles lack (a hat, a tail, a prop), copy the installed plugin folder into

+ `character/generator/`, preserving its layout. Point TOOL to that copy's `skills/make-character/tool/`.

+ Edit `TOOL/styles/<style>.mjs` for parts or `TOOL/lib/poses.mjs` for motions. Leave the installed plugin unchanged.

+ Keep cycles at or under 4000 ms and loop frames at 40 ms or more.

6. The run must print `19/19 states` and exit 0. Then tell the person to run these in their own terminal, because Claude's shell is

refused for both by design (only `cursor list`, `check` and `status` run there):

```sh

sleight-mcp cursor import ./character/output/<id>

sleight-mcp cursor style sprite <id>

```

Import shows the size, license and missing-animation table and asks to confirm. Don't run it, and don't use

`--yes` on their behalf.

7. After they import, run `sleight-mcp cursor check <id>` and report its table. A character with all 19 moves says so.

## Color and line rules

- Flat base, one hard shade (the part minus a copy shifted toward the upper-left light), and one highlight on named

shapes only, with no gradients.

- Inner lines 1.1 to 1.4 px in each part's dark color. The outline adds a 1.5 px ink rim, plus a 2.2 px soft light

rim so dark parts show on dark windows.

- - Warm `#ff7a3d` on the viewer's left and cool `#5b8dff` on the right match the ring. Every effect uses `tools/characters/lib/fx.mjs`.

+ - Warm `#ff7a3d` on the viewer's left and cool `#5b8dff` on the right match the ring. Every effect uses `TOOL/lib/fx.mjs`.

- Eyes at least 12 px tall in the 192 by 208 cell. Face in the upper half. Nothing on a cell edge.