Import page updates.

PlotLine/Controllers/ImportsController.cs

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ public sealed class ImportsController(IImportService imports) : Controller
     public async Task<IActionResult> Preview(ImportIndexViewModel model)
     {
         model = await imports.PreviewAsync(model);
+        ModelState.Clear();
         return View("Index", model);
     }
 
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ public sealed class ImportsController(IImportService imports) : Controller
         model.Preview ??= (await imports.PreviewAsync(model)).Preview;
         model.StatusMessage = result.Message;
         model.TechnicalDetail = result.TechnicalDetail;
+        ModelState.Clear();
         return View("Index", model);
     }
 

PlotLine/Data/ImportRepository.cs

@@ -97,9 +97,8 @@ public sealed class ImportRepository(ISqlConnectionFactory connectionFactory) :
                         EyeColour = (string?)null,
                         DefaultDescription = CombineText(
                             character.Description,
-                            MetadataLine("Role", character.Role),
-                            MetadataLine("Importance", character.Importance?.ToString()),
                             character.Notes,
+                            CharacterImportMetadata(character),
                             ImportMarker)
                     },
                     transaction,
@@ -659,6 +658,12 @@ public sealed class ImportRepository(ISqlConnectionFactory connectionFactory) :
             MetadataLine("Package description", package.Description)) ?? ImportMarker;
     }
 
+    private static string? CharacterImportMetadata(ImportCharacterDto character)
+    {
+        var role = NormalizeCharacterRole(character.Role, character.Importance);
+        return role is null ? null : $"Imported character classification: {role}";
+    }
+
     private static IReadOnlyList<string> GetSkippedOptionalFields(PlotLineImportPackage package)
     {
         var skipped = new List<string>();
@@ -964,9 +969,14 @@ public sealed class ImportRepository(ISqlConnectionFactory connectionFactory) :
 
         var roleName = normalized.Equals("POV", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
             ? "POV Character"
-            : normalized.Equals("Present", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            : normalized.Contains("protagonist", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                || normalized.Contains("main", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                || normalized.Contains("major", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                || normalized.Contains("lead", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                || normalized.Equals("Present", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
                 ? "Main Participant"
                 : normalized.Equals("Supporting", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                    || normalized.Contains("secondary", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
                     ? "Supporting Participant"
                     : normalized.Equals("Mentioned", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
                         ? "Mentioned Only"
@@ -1049,6 +1059,44 @@ public sealed class ImportRepository(ISqlConnectionFactory connectionFactory) :
             : lookupIds.ThreadEventTypeIds.Values.First();
     }
 
+    private static string? NormalizeCharacterRole(string? role, int? importance)
+    {
+        var normalized = Clean(role).ToLowerInvariant();
+        if (normalized.Contains("protagonist", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            || normalized.Contains("main", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            || normalized.Contains("major", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            || normalized.Contains("lead", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            || normalized.Contains("antagonist", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            return "Major";
+        }
+
+        if (normalized.Contains("minor", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            || normalized.Contains("background", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            || normalized.Contains("cameo", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            return "Minor";
+        }
+
+        if (normalized.Contains("support", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            || normalized.Contains("secondary", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            return "Supporting";
+        }
+
+        if (importance >= 8)
+        {
+            return "Major";
+        }
+
+        if (importance >= 5)
+        {
+            return "Supporting";
+        }
+
+        return importance.HasValue ? "Minor" : null;
+    }
+
     private static int ResolveSceneDependencyTypeId(ImportLookupIds lookupIds, string? dependencyType)
     {
         var normalized = Clean(dependencyType);

PlotLine/Services/CoreServices.cs

@@ -1349,7 +1349,11 @@ public sealed class TimelineService(
                 characterGroup => characterGroup.GroupBy(x => x.SceneID).ToDictionary(sceneGroup => sceneGroup.Key, sceneGroup => sceneGroup.ToList()));
 
         return characters
-            .OrderBy(x => x.CharacterName)
+            // Character has no global category/importance column. Timeline grouping uses lane order:
+            // the first six lanes render as "Major characters", so imported classification metadata
+            // and strong scene roles should sort likely main characters ahead of supporting cast.
+            .OrderByDescending(character => CharacterLanePriority(character, appearancesByCharacterAndScene.TryGetValue(character.CharacterID, out var sceneAppearances) ? sceneAppearances.Values.SelectMany(x => x) : []))
+            .ThenBy(x => x.CharacterName)
             .Select(character =>
             {
                 appearancesByCharacterAndScene.TryGetValue(character.CharacterID, out var sceneAppearances);
@@ -1366,6 +1370,43 @@ public sealed class TimelineService(
                 };
             }).ToList();
     }
+
+    private static int CharacterLanePriority(Character character, IEnumerable<SceneCharacter> appearances)
+    {
+        var description = character.DefaultDescription ?? string.Empty;
+        var priority = 0;
+
+        if (description.Contains("Imported character classification: Major", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            priority += 1_000;
+        }
+        else if (description.Contains("Imported character classification: Supporting", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            priority += 400;
+        }
+        else if (description.Contains("Imported character classification: Minor", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+        {
+            priority -= 100;
+        }
+
+        foreach (var appearance in appearances)
+        {
+            if (string.Equals(appearance.RoleInSceneTypeName, "POV Character", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                priority += 80;
+            }
+            else if (string.Equals(appearance.RoleInSceneTypeName, "Main Participant", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                priority += 35;
+            }
+            else if (string.Equals(appearance.RoleInSceneTypeName, "Supporting Participant", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                priority += 10;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return priority;
+    }
 }
 
 public sealed class PlotService(IProjectRepository projects, IBookRepository books, IPlotRepository plots) : IPlotService

PlotLine/Services/ImportServices.cs

@@ -769,6 +769,11 @@ public sealed class ImportService(IImportRepository imports, ILogger<ImportServi
 
     private static void ValidateCharacters(PlotLineImportPackage package, ImportValidationResult result)
     {
+        if (package.Characters.Any(character => character.Importance.HasValue || !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(character.Role)))
+        {
+            result.Warnings.Add("Character importance is not stored in a dedicated character field; the importer uses role/importance for timeline grouping where supported and preserves a clean classification note.");
+        }
+
         foreach (var group in package.Characters
             .Where(x => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(x.Name))
             .GroupBy(x => x.Name.Trim(), StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
@@ -1341,6 +1346,13 @@ public sealed class ImportService(IImportRepository imports, ILogger<ImportServi
 
     private static async Task<string> ReadJsonTextAsync(ImportIndexViewModel model)
     {
+        if (model.JsonFile is { Length: > 0 }
+            && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(model.JsonText)
+            && !string.Equals(model.JsonText.Trim(), ImportIndexViewModel.SampleJson.Trim(), StringComparison.Ordinal))
+        {
+            return model.JsonText;
+        }
+
         if (model.JsonFile is { Length: > 0 })
         {
             using var reader = new StreamReader(model.JsonFile.OpenReadStream(), Encoding.UTF8, detectEncodingFromByteOrderMarks: true);

PlotLine/ViewModels/ImportViewModels.cs

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public sealed class ImportIndexViewModel
         }
       },
       "characters": [
-        { "name": "Mara", "displayName": "Mara Vale", "shortName": "Mara", "role": "Protagonist", "importance": 10, "description": "Courier drawn into the hidden city.", "notes": "Primary POV for book one." },
+        { "name": "Mara", "displayName": "Mara Vale", "shortName": "Mara", "role": "Main protagonist", "importance": 10, "description": "Courier drawn into the hidden city.", "notes": "Primary POV for book one." },
         { "name": "Ilen", "displayName": "Ilen Or", "shortName": "Ilen", "role": "Guide", "importance": 8, "description": "Watchman with partial knowledge of the old routes.", "notes": "Carries secrets into book two." },
         { "name": "Sera", "displayName": "Sera Quill", "shortName": "Sera", "role": "Antagonist", "importance": 7, "description": "Rival mapmaker.", "notes": "Opposes the expedition." },
         { "name": "Tovin", "displayName": "Tovin Reed", "shortName": "Tovin", "role": "Supporting", "importance": 5, "description": "Mechanic and signal reader.", "notes": "Useful for technical scenes." }

PlotLine/Views/Imports/Index.cshtml

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
                 <label asp-for="JsonFile" class="form-label">Upload JSON file</label>
                 <input asp-for="JsonFile" class="form-control" type="file" accept=".json,application/json" />
                 <div class="form-text">Uploading a file replaces the pasted text for this preview.</div>
+                <div class="form-text" data-upload-status></div>
             </div>
             <div class="col-12">
                 <label asp-for="JsonText" class="form-label">JSON package</label>
@@ -139,7 +140,8 @@
 
         <div class="button-row mb-3">
             <form asp-action="ValidationReport" method="post">
-                <input asp-for="JsonText" type="hidden" />
+                @* Carry forward the active textarea JSON for secondary forms. The visible textarea is authoritative. *@
+                <input name="JsonText" type="hidden" value="@Model.JsonText" data-json-carry-forward />
                 <button class="btn btn-outline-secondary btn-sm" type="submit">Download validation report</button>
             </form>
         </div>
@@ -347,7 +349,8 @@
                 }
 
                 <form asp-action="Import" method="post" class="import-confirm-form">
-                    <input asp-for="JsonText" type="hidden" />
+                    @* Carry forward the active textarea JSON for dry run/import. The visible textarea is authoritative. *@
+                    <input name="JsonText" type="hidden" value="@Model.JsonText" data-json-carry-forward />
                     @if (preview.Validation.Warnings.Any())
                     {
                         <div class="form-check import-duplicate-confirm">
@@ -387,10 +390,49 @@
             const button = document.querySelector("[data-copy-sample]");
             const textarea = document.querySelector("#JsonText");
             const sample = document.querySelector("#importSampleJson");
-            if (!button || !textarea || !sample) return;
+            const fileInput = document.querySelector("#JsonFile");
-            button.addEventListener("click", () => {
+            const uploadStatus = document.querySelector("[data-upload-status]");
-                textarea.value = JSON.parse(sample.textContent);
+            const syncHiddenJson = () => {
-                textarea.focus();
+                document.querySelectorAll("[data-json-carry-forward]").forEach((input) => {
+                    input.value = textarea?.value || "";
+                });
+            };
+
+            if (button && textarea && sample) {
+                button.addEventListener("click", () => {
+                    textarea.value = JSON.parse(sample.textContent);
+                    syncHiddenJson();
+                    if (uploadStatus) uploadStatus.textContent = "Sample JSON loaded into the package textarea.";
+                    textarea.focus();
+                });
+            }
+
+            fileInput?.addEventListener("change", () => {
+                const file = fileInput.files && fileInput.files[0];
+                if (!file || !textarea) return;
+
+                if (file.size === 0) {
+                    if (uploadStatus) uploadStatus.textContent = `${file.name} is empty. Choose a JSON file with content.`;
+                    fileInput.value = "";
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                const reader = new FileReader();
+                reader.onload = () => {
+                    textarea.value = reader.result || "";
+                    syncHiddenJson();
+                    if (uploadStatus) uploadStatus.textContent = `Loaded JSON from ${file.name}.`;
+                };
+                reader.onerror = () => {
+                    if (uploadStatus) uploadStatus.textContent = `Could not read ${file.name}. Try choosing the file again.`;
+                    fileInput.value = "";
+                };
+                reader.readAsText(file, "UTF-8");
+            });
+
+            textarea?.addEventListener("input", syncHiddenJson);
+            document.querySelectorAll("form").forEach((form) => {
+                form.addEventListener("submit", syncHiddenJson);
             });
         })();
     </script>

PlotLine/wwwroot/css/site.css

@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ td.text-end {
 
 .import-panel,
 .import-preview-section {
-  max-width: 1180px;
+  max-width: none;
 }
 
 .import-json-input {