Refine onboarding review wizard steps

PlotLine.Tests/Program.cs

@@ -1275,7 +1275,8 @@ static void ScanReviewAliasesFeedStoryIntelligenceKnownCharacterContext()
             new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-maggie", Name = "Maggie", MentionCount = 8, QualityScore = 94, Category = "ProbableCharacter" },
             new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-margaret", Name = "Margaret", MentionCount = 3, QualityScore = 88, Category = "ProbableCharacter" },
             new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-mags", Name = "Mags", MentionCount = 2, QualityScore = 78, Category = "PossibleCharacter" },
-            new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-kevin", Name = "Kevin", MentionCount = 4, QualityScore = 90, Category = "ProbableCharacter" }
+            new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-kevin", Name = "Kevin", MentionCount = 4, QualityScore = 90, Category = "ProbableCharacter" },
+            new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-road", Name = "Road", MentionCount = 10, QualityScore = 15, Category = "Excluded" }
         ]
     };
     var review = new ManuscriptScanReviewDecision
@@ -1285,7 +1286,8 @@ static void ScanReviewAliasesFeedStoryIntelligenceKnownCharacterContext()
             new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-maggie", Include = true, Name = "Maggie", Category = "ProbableCharacter", ExistingCharacterID = 123 },
             new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-margaret", Include = true, Name = "Margaret", Category = "ProbableCharacter", AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey = "c-maggie" },
             new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-mags", Include = true, Name = "Mags", Category = "PossibleCharacter", AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey = "c-maggie" },
-            new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-kevin", Include = true, Name = "Kevin", Category = "ProbableCharacter" }
+            new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-kevin", Include = true, Name = "Kevin", Category = "ProbableCharacter" },
+            new() { TemporaryCharacterKey = "c-road", Include = true, Name = "Road", Category = "Excluded" }
         ]
     };
 
@@ -1300,6 +1302,7 @@ static void ScanReviewAliasesFeedStoryIntelligenceKnownCharacterContext()
     Assert(maggie.MentionCount == 13, $"Alias mention counts should accumulate, got {maggie.MentionCount}.");
     Assert(context.Any(item => item.CanonicalName == "Kevin"), "Other included canonical candidates should remain available.");
     Assert(!context.Any(item => item.CanonicalName == "Margaret"), "Alias candidates should not become separate canonical context records.");
+    Assert(!context.Any(item => item.CanonicalName == "Road"), "Excluded scan candidates should not guide Story Intelligence.");
 }
 
 static JsonSerializerOptions JsonOptions()

PlotLine/Controllers/OnboardingController.cs

@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ public sealed class OnboardingController(IOnboardingService onboarding, IOnboard
             }
 
             TempData["OnboardingReviewMessage"] = readyToImport
-                ? "Review saved. Next: prepare chapters and analyse manuscript."
+                ? "Review saved. Next: story and portrait context."
                 : continueToCharacters ? "Chapter and scene review saved. Next: review detected characters."
                 : continueCharacterReview || backCharacterReview ? "Character review choices saved."
                 : "Review choices saved.";
@@ -552,13 +552,63 @@ public sealed class OnboardingController(IOnboardingService onboarding, IOnboard
             if (readyToImport || continueCharacterReview || backCharacterReview)
             {
                 ViewData["ScanReviewStep"] = "characters";
-                ViewData["CharacterReviewPage"] = Math.Max(1, characterPage);
+                ViewData["CharacterReviewPage"] = readyToImport
+                    ? FirstInvalidCharacterPage(model)
+                    : Math.Max(1, characterPage);
             }
 
             return View("ScanReview", model);
         }
     }
 
+    private static int FirstInvalidCharacterPage(ManuscriptScanReviewViewModel model)
+    {
+        const int pageSize = 10;
+        var characters = model.CharacterCandidates
+            .Where(character => !string.Equals(character.Category, "Excluded", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            .OrderBy(character => character.ReviewName)
+            .ThenBy(character => character.Name)
+            .ToList();
+        var canonicalNames = characters
+            .Where(IsIncludedCanonicalCharacter)
+            .Select(character => character.ReviewName.Trim())
+            .Where(name => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(name))
+            .GroupBy(name => name, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+            .Where(group => group.Count() > 1)
+            .SelectMany(group => group)
+            .ToHashSet(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+        for (var index = 0; index < characters.Count; index++)
+        {
+            var character = characters[index];
+            if (character.Include && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(character.ReviewName))
+            {
+                return (index / pageSize) + 1;
+            }
+
+            if (IsIncludedCanonicalCharacter(character) && canonicalNames.Contains(character.ReviewName.Trim()))
+            {
+                return (index / pageSize) + 1;
+            }
+
+            if (character.Include && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(character.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey))
+            {
+                var target = characters.FirstOrDefault(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.TemporaryCharacterKey, character.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey, StringComparison.Ordinal));
+                if (target is null || !IsIncludedCanonicalCharacter(target))
+                {
+                    return (index / pageSize) + 1;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    private static bool IsIncludedCanonicalCharacter(ManuscriptScanReviewCharacterViewModel character)
+        => character.Include
+           && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(character.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey)
+           && !string.Equals(character.Category, "Excluded", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
     [HttpPost("welcome")]
     [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
     public async Task<IActionResult> Welcome()

PlotLine/Services/OnboardingStoryIntelligenceService.cs

@@ -67,9 +67,7 @@ public sealed class OnboardingStoryIntelligenceService(
         var existingBatch = await batchStore.GetLatestForPreviewAsync(userId, preview.PreviewID);
         var missingTextCount = included.Count(chapter => string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(chapter.Preview.ChapterText));
         var primaryCharacterCount = preview.CharacterCandidates.Count(candidate => !string.Equals(candidate.Category, "Excluded", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
-        var excludedCharacterCount = preview.CharacterCandidates.Count(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "Excluded", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
+        var characterPageCount = Math.Max(1, (int)Math.Ceiling(primaryCharacterCount / 10d));
-        var characterPageCount = Math.Max(1, (int)Math.Ceiling(primaryCharacterCount / 10d))
-            + (excludedCharacterCount > 0 ? (int)Math.Ceiling(excludedCharacterCount / 10d) : 0);
         var totalWizardSteps = 7 + characterPageCount + 2;
         return new StoryIntelligenceOverviewViewModel
         {

PlotLine/Views/Onboarding/ScanReview.cshtml

@@ -10,37 +10,47 @@
     var relationshipTitles = Model.CharacterCandidates
         .Where(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "RelationshipTitle", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
         .ToList();
-    var excludedCharacters = Model.CharacterCandidates
-        .Where(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "Excluded", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
-        .ToList();
     var primaryCharacters = probableCharacters
         .Concat(possibleCharacters)
         .Concat(relationshipTitles)
+        .OrderBy(candidate => candidate.ReviewName)
+        .ThenBy(candidate => candidate.Name)
         .ToList();
-    var detectedAliasTargets = Model.CharacterCandidates
+    var detectedAliasTargets = primaryCharacters
-        .Where(candidate => !string.Equals(candidate.Category, "Excluded", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
         .OrderBy(candidate => candidate.ReviewName)
         .ToList();
     var visibleCharacterCount = probableCharacters.Count + possibleCharacters.Count + relationshipTitles.Count;
     var isCharacterStep = string.Equals(ViewData["ScanReviewStep"] as string, "characters", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
     const int characterPageSize = 10;
     var primaryCharacterPageCount = Math.Max(1, (int)Math.Ceiling(primaryCharacters.Count / (double)characterPageSize));
-    var excludedCharacterPageCount = excludedCharacters.Any()
+    var characterReviewPageCount = primaryCharacterPageCount;
-        ? (int)Math.Ceiling(excludedCharacters.Count / (double)characterPageSize)
-        : 0;
-    var characterReviewPageCount = primaryCharacterPageCount + excludedCharacterPageCount;
     var requestedCharacterPage = ViewData["CharacterReviewPage"] is int requestedPage ? requestedPage : 1;
     var characterPage = Math.Clamp(requestedCharacterPage, 1, characterReviewPageCount);
-    var isExcludedCharacterPage = excludedCharacterPageCount > 0 && characterPage > primaryCharacterPageCount;
+    var currentCharacters = primaryCharacters.Skip((characterPage - 1) * characterPageSize).Take(characterPageSize).ToList();
-    var excludedPageIndex = isExcludedCharacterPage ? characterPage - primaryCharacterPageCount : 0;
-    var currentCharacters = isExcludedCharacterPage
-        ? excludedCharacters.Skip((excludedPageIndex - 1) * characterPageSize).Take(characterPageSize).ToList()
-        : primaryCharacters.Skip((characterPage - 1) * characterPageSize).Take(characterPageSize).ToList();
     var currentStep = isCharacterStep ? 7 + characterPage : 7;
     var totalSteps = 7 + characterReviewPageCount + 2;
-    var characterPageTitle = isExcludedCharacterPage
+    var characterPageTitle = $"Review Characters {characterPage} of {primaryCharacterPageCount}";
-        ? "Review Excluded Characters"
+    var duplicateCanonicalNames = primaryCharacters
-        : $"Review Characters {characterPage} of {primaryCharacterPageCount}";
+        .Where(candidate => candidate.Include && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(candidate.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey))
+        .Select(candidate => candidate.ReviewName.Trim())
+        .Where(name => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(name))
+        .GroupBy(name => name, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+        .Where(group => group.Count() > 1)
+        .Select(group => group.Key)
+        .ToHashSet(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+    var includedPrimaryKeys = primaryCharacters
+        .Where(candidate => candidate.Include && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(candidate.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey))
+        .Select(candidate => candidate.TemporaryCharacterKey)
+        .ToHashSet(StringComparer.Ordinal);
+    var invalidCharacterKeys = primaryCharacters
+        .Where(candidate =>
+            (candidate.Include && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(candidate.ReviewName))
+            || (candidate.Include && string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(candidate.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey) && duplicateCanonicalNames.Contains(candidate.ReviewName.Trim()))
+            || (candidate.Include
+                && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(candidate.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey)
+                && !includedPrimaryKeys.Contains(candidate.AliasTargetTemporaryCharacterKey)))
+        .Select(candidate => candidate.TemporaryCharacterKey)
+        .ToHashSet(StringComparer.Ordinal);
 }
 
 <section class="onboarding-shell" aria-labelledby="scan-review-title">
@@ -79,7 +89,7 @@
             </div>
             <div>
                 <span>Characters</span>
-                <strong>@Model.SelectedCharacterCount / @Model.CharacterCandidateCount</strong>
+                <strong>@Model.SelectedCharacterCount / @visibleCharacterCount</strong>
             </div>
             <div>
                 <span>Words</span>
@@ -114,7 +124,7 @@
                         }
                         @foreach (var chapter in Model.Chapters)
                         {
-                            <details class="onboarding-review-chapter" open>
+                            <details class="onboarding-review-chapter">
                                 <summary>
                                     <span>Chapter @chapter.ChapterNumber</span>
                                     <strong>@chapter.ReviewTitle</strong>
@@ -187,9 +197,7 @@
                     <div>
                         <h2>@characterPageTitle</h2>
                         <p>
-                            @(isExcludedCharacterPage
+                            Character candidates page @characterPage of @primaryCharacterPageCount.
-                                ? $"Excluded candidates page {excludedPageIndex} of {excludedCharacterPageCount}."
-                                : $"Character candidates page {characterPage} of {primaryCharacterPageCount}.")
                         </p>
                     </div>
                     <strong>@currentCharacters.Count character@(currentCharacters.Count == 1 ? string.Empty : "s") on this step</strong>
@@ -200,10 +208,6 @@
                         <span>Primary candidates</span>
                         <strong>@visibleCharacterCount.ToString("N0")</strong>
                     </div>
-                    <div>
-                        <span>Excluded</span>
-                        <strong>@excludedCharacters.Count.ToString("N0")</strong>
-                    </div>
                     <div>
                         <span>Wizard pages</span>
                         <strong>@characterReviewPageCount.ToString("N0")</strong>
@@ -211,19 +215,22 @@
                 </div>
 
                 @{
-                    var allCharacters = Model.CharacterCandidates.ToList();
+                    var allCharacters = primaryCharacters.ToList();
                 }
                 @if (!currentCharacters.Any())
                 {
                     <p class="onboarding-empty-state">No character candidates were found for this step.</p>
                 }
+                @if (invalidCharacterKeys.Any(key => currentCharacters.Any(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.TemporaryCharacterKey, key, StringComparison.Ordinal))))
+                {
+                    <p class="onboarding-empty-state onboarding-empty-state--error">The item that needs attention is highlighted below.</p>
+                }
                 <div class="onboarding-character-groups">
                     @foreach (var group in new[]
                     {
                         new { Title = "Probable characters", Candidates = currentCharacters.Where(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "ProbableCharacter", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)).ToList() },
                         new { Title = "Possible characters", Candidates = currentCharacters.Where(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "PossibleCharacter", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)).ToList() },
-                        new { Title = "Relationship titles", Candidates = currentCharacters.Where(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "RelationshipTitle", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)).ToList() },
+                        new { Title = "Relationship titles", Candidates = currentCharacters.Where(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "RelationshipTitle", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)).ToList() }
-                        new { Title = "Excluded candidates", Candidates = currentCharacters.Where(candidate => string.Equals(candidate.Category, "Excluded", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)).ToList() }
                     })
                     {
                         if (!group.Candidates.Any())
@@ -237,7 +244,7 @@
                                 @foreach (var candidate in group.Candidates)
                                 {
                                     var currentCharacterIndex = allCharacters.FindIndex(item => string.Equals(item.TemporaryCharacterKey, candidate.TemporaryCharacterKey, StringComparison.Ordinal));
-                                    <li>
+                                    <li class="@(invalidCharacterKeys.Contains(candidate.TemporaryCharacterKey) ? "is-invalid" : string.Empty)">
                                         <input type="hidden" name="Characters[@currentCharacterIndex].TemporaryCharacterKey" value="@candidate.TemporaryCharacterKey" />
                                         <input type="hidden" name="Characters[@currentCharacterIndex].Category" value="@candidate.Category" />
                                         <label class="onboarding-review-toggle">

PlotLine/Views/Onboarding/StoryIntelligence.cshtml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 @model StoryIntelligenceOverviewViewModel
 @{
-    ViewData["Title"] = "Analyse manuscript";
+    ViewData["Title"] = "Story and portrait context";
 }
 
 <section class="onboarding-shell" aria-labelledby="story-intelligence-title">
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
         <partial name="_OnboardingJourneyHeader" model="@(new OnboardingJourneyHeaderViewModel { CurrentStep = Model.WizardCurrentStep, TotalSteps = Model.WizardTotalSteps })" />
         <div class="onboarding-copy">
             <p class="eyebrow">Step @Model.WizardCurrentStep of @Model.WizardTotalSteps</p>
-            <h1 id="story-intelligence-title">Analyse Manuscript</h1>
+            <h1 id="story-intelligence-title">Story and Portrait Context</h1>
-            <p>Set the analysis context, then PlotDirector will read the approved chapters and prepare scenes, characters, locations, assets, relationships and knowledge for review.</p>
+            <p>Set the context choices for this manuscript before the analysis starts.</p>
         </div>
 
         @if (TempData["OnboardingStoryIntelligenceError"] is string error)
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
             <form asp-action="StartStoryIntelligence" method="post" class="onboarding-analysis-setup">
                 <div class="onboarding-analysis-setup__header">
                     <div>
-                        <p class="eyebrow">Analysis setup</p>
+                        <p class="eyebrow">Pre-analysis setup</p>
-                        <h2>Story and portrait context</h2>
+                        <h2>Context choices</h2>
                         <p>Explicit manuscript evidence always wins. These choices guide unresolved generated portraits and broad story context.</p>
                     </div>
                     <strong>Required before analysis</strong>
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@
 
                 <div class="onboarding-actions">
                     <a class="btn btn-outline-secondary" asp-action="ScanReview" asp-route-previewId="@Model.PreviewID">Back to scan review</a>
-                    <button class="btn btn-primary" type="submit" disabled="@(!Model.CanStart)">Analyse manuscript</button>
+                    <button class="btn btn-primary" type="submit" disabled="@(!Model.CanStart)">Save context and analyse manuscript</button>
                 </div>
             </form>
 

PlotLine/Views/Onboarding/_OnboardingJourneyHeader.cshtml

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
         new("Connect Word", 6),
         new("Review Chapters", 7),
         new("Review Characters", 8),
-        new("Analyse Manuscript", 9),
+        new("Story Context", 9),
         new("Complete", 10)
     ];
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
             steps.Add(new HeaderStep($"Characters {index}", 7 + index));
         }
 
-        steps.Add(new HeaderStep("Analyse Manuscript", totalSteps - 1));
+        steps.Add(new HeaderStep("Story Context", totalSteps - 1));
         steps.Add(new HeaderStep("Complete", totalSteps));
         return steps;
     }

PlotLine/wwwroot/css/onboarding.css

@@ -530,6 +530,12 @@
   background: rgba(255, 255, 255, .55);
 }
 
+.onboarding-empty-state--error {
+  border-color: rgba(176, 54, 54, .38);
+  color: #8f2f2f;
+  background: rgba(176, 54, 54, .08);
+}
+
 .onboarding-review-chapters {
   display: grid;
   gap: .85rem;
@@ -574,6 +580,12 @@
   background: rgba(255, 255, 255, .64);
 }
 
+.onboarding-character-candidates li.is-invalid {
+  border-color: rgba(176, 54, 54, .48);
+  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgba(176, 54, 54, .16);
+  background: rgba(176, 54, 54, .06);
+}
+
 .onboarding-review-chapter li {
   display: grid;
   gap: .45rem;