majiayu000 Visual Validation Skill
Use when: Assessing visual polish, validating game appearance, or claiming visual work is complete
Required for: Phase 8+ visual work, UI polish, asset integration
The Rule
Visual quality can ONLY be assessed from actual rendered game screenshots. Never from asset files alone.
Why This Matters
Real Example (2026-01-28)
All sprite assets were marked "production quality" but screenshots revealed:
- Grass texture used dithering (violates style guide)
- Scylla Cove and Sacred Grove looked identical
- Locations lacked atmospheric differentiation
The assets were fine. The rendered game had problems.
Required Screenshot Sources
✅ VALID Sources
| Method | How | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Papershot | Press F12 in-game | Manual capture during testing |
| Levelshot | Godot Editor → Levelshot tab | Batch capture multiple scenes |
| MCP Runtime | execute_editor_script with viewport capture |
Automated testing |
| Exported Build | Screenshot of actual exported .exe/.apk | Final validation |
❌ INVALID Sources
| Source | Why Invalid |
|---|---|
| Asset files (.png, .tscn) | Don't show in-game appearance |
| Godot Editor screenshots | Shows IDE chrome, not game |
| Sprite previews | No context, no lighting |
| Code analysis | Can't judge visual composition |
Required Screenshots by Phase
Phase 8: Visual Polish
Must capture:
- World scene (overview)
- World scene (close-up with player)
- Scylla Cove
- Sacred Grove
- House interior
- Dialogue UI active
- Inventory open
- Minigame (any)
Phase 9: Export Testing
Must capture:
- Main menu (from exported build)
- Gameplay (from exported build)
- All locations (from exported build)
Validation Checklist
Before claiming visual work complete:
- All required screenshots captured
- Screenshots show rendered game (not editor)
- File sizes differ (identical files = bug)
- Content matches filename
- Locations visually distinct
- No style guide violations visible
Common Bugs
| Bug | Check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate images | ls -la temp/screenshots/ - check file sizes |
Verify scene loading, fix transitions |
| Black screenshots | Image is solid black | Check lighting, camera position |
| Wrong scene | world.png shows menu | Verify scene path in capture code |
| Editor chrome | Shows Godot IDE | Use --headless or game build |
Quick Capture Commands
Papershot (In-Game)
Run game → Press F12 → Check temp/screenshots/
MCP Runtime
npx -y godot-mcp-cli execute_editor_script \
--script "get_viewport().get_texture().get_image().save_png('res://temp/screenshots/capture.png')"
Levelshot (Editor)
Godot Editor → Levelshot tab → Select scenes → Capture All
Visual Development Targets
Before doing visual work, study the targets:
📁 docs/reference/visual_targets/
| Image | Shows | Key Takeaways |
|---|---|---|
harvest_moon_full_map.png |
World scene target | Warm grass, organic paths, detailed buildings |
harvest_moon_crops.jpg |
Farm area target | Textured soil, clear crops, natural layout |
stardew_valley_building.jpg |
Building target | Architectural detail, vegetation integration |
Current vs Target:
- ❌ Current: Dithered grass, gray box paths, plain buildings
- ✅ Target: Natural variation, organic edges, detailed architecture
See: docs/reference/visual_targets/README.md for full comparison
Full Documentation
See: docs/agent-instructions/VISUAL_VALIDATION_REQUIREMENTS.md