Protected Parts & Manual Takeover Boundaries: Preventing Collateral Damage
When an edit plan touches a part marked as "Do Not Modify," should the system silently skip that step or halt and escalate to `manual_required`?
The worst regression in multi-round 3D iteration is fixing Part A while accidentally breaking already-approved Part B. VECTOR enforces strict **Protected Parts** and an honest **`manual_required`** state machine: if an operation targets or globally impacts any protected part, execution halts cleanly rather than running a partial, corrupted edit.
The method: three small steps
Three guardrails govern safe 3D execution: 1. **Zero Partial Execution**: if a protected part is targeted or affected by a global op, block the entire plan and transition to `manual_required`; 2. **Honest Capability Boundaries**: complex generative geometry additions/sculpting escalate directly to human modelers with clear reasons; 3. **Post-Edit Protected Part Audit**: verify that every protected part’s count, vertex hash, and material remain 100% intact.
Lock approved Protected Part IDs explicitly in the EditPlan
Add signed-off structural nodes, badges, or load-bearing walls to the `protectedParts` array as strict invariants.
Block direct hits or global operations that affect protected parts
If any step targets a protected part—or runs a global mesh decimation that would alter protected vertices—abort execution before mutating the asset.
Transition to `manual_required` with an auditable handoff reason
Persist the exact conflict or out-of-scope geometry request so a human modeler can take over seamlessly with full context.
In the Protected Parts Guardrail sandbox below, test how the system intercepts collateral edits and routes complex requests to `manual_required`.
Protected Parts Collision Guard & Manual Takeover Simulator
In Tatami Room (3acfc61e), `part_tatami_floor` and `part_tokonoma_scroll` are locked as Protected Parts. Incoming command: "Run a global 60% decimation across the whole room and sculpt new 3D relief onto the scroll."
Switch to the recommended VECTOR controlled pipeline option to resolve topology, UV, or QA gate errors.
Always prefer an honest `manual_required` escalation over silent partial execution or collateral damage to locked, client-approved parts.
Run it in the VECTOR 3D workbench or Blender pipeline
- Open a matching reference asset in the VECTOR 3D workbench or your Blender + AI pipeline.
- Copy the task sheet below, let AI generate an inspectable checklist or EditPlan first, and confirm before running mesh or material operations.
How should the system respond when an `EditPlan` requests a global whole-model decimation on an asset that contains two Protected Parts?
Explanations, cases, and exercises are authored by Reallier. Links provide further learning. The workplace activity and people are fictional.