fix(examples): redesign depsgraph-export as a controller cage beside its subdivided shell

README.md

@@ -440,15 +440,16 @@ semver on LTS builds (`"4.5.11 LTS"`), and that a Mesh reference dies at
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-<a href="examples/depsgraph-export/"><img src="examples/depsgraph-export/preview.webp" alt="Depsgraph-evaluated export: a teal base cube beside the smooth teal sphere of its subdivision-surface evaluated form - one shared material, two silhouettes - on a dark studio floor with a warm light pool behind" /></a>
+<a href="examples/depsgraph-export/"><img src="examples/depsgraph-export/preview.webp" alt="Depsgraph-evaluated export: the sparse control cage of a game controller drawn as orange wire and vertex beads over faint blue facets, beside the smooth subdivided cobalt controller with sticks, d-pad and colored face buttons that the OBJ export contains, on a dark studio floor with a warm light pool behind" /></a>
 </td>
 <td valign="middle">
 
 ### [depsgraph-export](examples/depsgraph-export/)
 
-A depsgraph-evaluated export — builds a cube with `SUBSURF`, measures the evaluated mesh via
-`evaluated_get().to_mesh()` / `to_mesh_clear()`, and asserts `wm.obj_export` ships the
-modifier-applied geometry (exported vertex count == evaluated > base).
+A depsgraph-evaluated export — builds a game controller whose shell is a 90-vertex quad cage
+under `SUBSURF`, measures every mesh via `evaluated_get().to_mesh()` / `to_mesh_clear()`,
+asserts the evaluated shell matches the Catmull-Clark closed form (1,410 vertices), and asserts
+`wm.obj_export` ships the modifier-applied geometry (exported vertex count == evaluated > base).
 
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docs/gallery/index.html

@@ -376,12 +376,12 @@ <h2><a href="gn-sdf-remesh/">gn-sdf-remesh</a></h2>
       </article>
       <article class="card" data-tags="depsgraph export">
         <a class="card-media" href="depsgraph-export/" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true">
-          <img src="assets/depsgraph-export-hero.webp" alt="A teal cube outlined by its twelve edges beside a faceted teal sphere covered in a dense pale wire grid, on a dark studio floor." loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
+          <img src="assets/depsgraph-export-hero.webp" alt="A game controller&#x27;s sparse control cage in orange wire and vertex beads beside the smooth subdivided cobalt controller with sticks and colored buttons, on a dark studio floor." loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
         </a>
         <div class="card-body">
           <h2><a href="depsgraph-export/">depsgraph-export</a></h2>
           <p class="teaches">The depsgraph lifetime contract — evaluated_get().to_mesh() paired with to_mesh_clear() — measured against an OBJ export of the same object.</p>
-          <p class="witnesses"><span class="tag">witnesses</span> Exports ship evaluated geometry: the exported vertex count equals the subsurf-applied count and is strictly greater than the base mesh.</p>
+          <p class="witnesses"><span class="tag">witnesses</span> Exports ship evaluated geometry: the controller shell subdivides to exactly its Catmull-Clark closed form, and the exported vertex count equals the subsurf-applied count, strictly greater than the base mesh.</p>
           <a class="card-link" href="depsgraph-export/">View example<span class="sr-only"> depsgraph-export</span> <span aria-hidden="true">&rarr;</span></a>
         </div>
       </article>

examples/depsgraph-export/README.md

@@ -2,15 +2,32 @@
 
 A runnable example that proves **modifiers actually ship in exports** and demonstrates the
 [`depsgraph-and-evaluated-data`](../../skills/depsgraph-and-evaluated-data/SKILL.md) lifetime
-contract. It builds a cube with a SUBSURF modifier, measures the evaluated mesh via
-`evaluated_get().to_mesh()` (paired with `to_mesh_clear()`), exports through `wm.obj_export`,
-and asserts the exported vertex count equals the **evaluated** (modifier-applied) count and is
-strictly greater than the base mesh.
+contract. It builds a game controller whose shell is a sparse quad control cage (90 vertices)
+under a level-2 `SUBSURF` modifier, with the sticks, d-pad, face buttons and bumpers modeled
+as ordinary parts parented to it. It measures every mesh via `evaluated_get().to_mesh()`
+(each paired with `to_mesh_clear()`), exports the scene through `wm.obj_export`, and asserts:
+
+- the evaluated shell has exactly the vertex count the Catmull-Clark closed form predicts
+  from the cage's own topology — per level `V' = V + E + F`, `E' = 2E + S`, `F' = S`
+  (S = face corners) — which for this cage (V=90, E=176, F=88, S=352) is **1,410**;
+- the exported OBJ vertex count equals the summed **evaluated** counts of every mesh
+  (3,666), not the summed base counts (2,346).
 
 **What it witnesses:** the `evaluated_get` → `to_mesh` → `to_mesh_clear` contract, and that
 `wm.obj_export` writes the depsgraph-evaluated geometry (so modifiers are baked into the
 export) rather than the unmodified base mesh.
 
+## The render
+
+Left: the shell datablock as the `.blend` stores it — its 90-vertex control cage drawn as
+orange wire with a bead on every vertex, over faint blue facets. Right: the same object as the
+depsgraph evaluates it and the OBJ contains it — the smooth subdivided cobalt controller with
+its controls. If the export shipped the base mesh, the right-hand piece would be the blocky
+cage on the left.
+
+Both pieces lean toward the camera on low satin display stands (render-only, added after the
+check and export have run).
+
 ## Run
 
 ```bash
@@ -20,7 +37,7 @@ blender --background --python depsgraph_export.py --
 # Falsifier: apply_modifiers=False. Must exit non-zero (export ≠ evaluated).
 blender --background --python depsgraph_export.py -- --unevaluated
 
-# Also render a still of base vs evaluated (EEVEE on a GPU host; cycles on GPU-less hosts):
+# Also render a still of cage vs evaluated (EEVEE on a GPU host; cycles on GPU-less hosts):
 blender --background --python depsgraph_export.py -- --output depsgraph.png
 blender --background --python depsgraph_export.py -- --output depsgraph.png --engine cycles
 
@@ -31,24 +48,27 @@ blender --background --python depsgraph_export.py -- --obj exported.obj
 ## Exit codes
 
 Per-script sequential checks. `9` is a valid check code; there is no rule
-against it. `10` is the shared framing helper.
+against it. `10` and `11` are the shared framing and asset-quality helpers.
 
 | Code | Meaning |
 | --- | --- |
 | 0 | Success |
 | 1 | Uncaught exception (FATAL wrapper) |
 | 2 | argparse / usage |
-| 3 | Evaluated mesh did not apply the modifier |
+| 3 | Evaluated shell did not apply the modifier (evaluated count not above the cage) |
 | 4 | No OBJ written |
 | 5 | Export vert count ≠ evaluated (`--unevaluated` lands here) |
 | 6 | `--output` produced no file |
+| 7 | Evaluated shell count ≠ Catmull-Clark closed form |
 | 10 | Gallery framing violation |
+| 11 | Asset-quality floor violation (render path only) |
 
 `--obj` is a path selector, not a falsifier.
 
 The `blender-smoke` workflow runs the check on Blender 5.2 LTS and 4.5 LTS
 (5.1 on the weekly cron, the `needs-5.1` PR label, or manual dispatch).
 Smoke does not pass `--output`, `--obj`, or `--unevaluated`.
 
-
-The `--output` render path additionally measures framing against the Layer 1 band via `examples/gallery_framing.py` (exit 10 on violation) before writing the still.
+The `--output` render path additionally measures framing against the Layer 1 band via
+`examples/gallery_framing.py` (exit 10) and the asset-quality floors on the shipped
+controller via `examples/gallery_asset_quality.py` (exit 11) before writing the still.