From ea4a38a472e40af4ab2c9d2953603b86d0056be2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Nick Beckley <nick@spotorno.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:45:26 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Added scene inspector rwork document

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 create mode 100644 PlotLine/Docs/Features/PlotDirector-Phase17-SceneInspectorV2-Redesign.md

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+# PlotDirector Phase 17 - Scene Inspector V2 Redesign
+
+**Status:** Planned
+**Phase:** 17
+**Author:** Nick Beckley / PlotDirector
+**Date:** June 2026
+
+## Overview
+
+The original Scene Inspector has evolved over time into a very large shared CRUD surface containing numerous independent workflows.
+
+Although functionally rich, the current implementation has several significant usability and maintenance issues:
+
+- Extremely long scrolling experience.
+- Intimidating for new users.
+- Large initial data load.
+- Numerous independent forms on a single page.
+- Extensive full-page postback behaviour.
+- Difficult to maintain.
+- Difficult to extend safely.
+- Shared between Scene Edit and Timeline despite very different interaction models.
+
+The purpose of Phase 17 is to redesign the Scene Inspector into a modern, summary-first workspace with focused editing experiences.
+
+## Existing Inspector Problems
+
+- Effectively a very large CRUD page.
+- Contains many unrelated editing experiences simultaneously.
+- Loads large amounts of data regardless of what the user actually needs.
+- Forces users to scroll extensively.
+- Frequently reloads the entire page.
+- Re-collapses sections after save.
+- Performs poorly in development.
+- Increasingly difficult to maintain.
+
+A previous migration-in-place attempt was abandoned because:
+
+- Duplicate controls caused confusion.
+- Legacy and V2 controls became mixed.
+- Load times became unacceptable.
+- Page complexity increased rather than decreased.
+- Maintenance became significantly harder.
+
+## Design Principles
+
+### Summary First
+
+The first view shown to the user should answer:
+
+- What is this scene?
+- Why does it matter?
+- Who is involved?
+- What happens here?
+- Are there any problems?
+
+### Focused Editing
+
+Read summary → choose something to edit → edit only that thing → save → return to summary.
+
+### On-Demand Loading
+
+Editors load only when requested.
+
+### Separate Hosts
+
+Scene Edit and Timeline use different interaction models and therefore require separate host partials.
+
+## Architecture
+
+### Scene Edit Host
+
+`_SceneInspectorEditPage.cshtml`
+
+Responsibilities:
+
+- Full-width Scene Edit experience.
+- Summary cards.
+- Focused editor overlay.
+- Summary scrolling.
+- Editor lifecycle.
+
+### Timeline Host
+
+`_SceneInspectorTimeline.cshtml`
+
+Responsibilities:
+
+- Timeline flyout experience.
+- Summary cards.
+- Focused editor overlay.
+- Flyout lifecycle.
+
+## Shared Summary Components
+
+- `_SceneInspectorHealthStrip.cshtml`
+- `_SceneOverviewCard.cshtml`
+- `_SceneStoryCard.cshtml`
+- `_ScenePeopleCard.cshtml`
+- `_SceneWorldCard.cshtml`
+- `_SceneWriterCard.cshtml`
+- `_SceneContinuityCard.cshtml`
+
+## Scene Edit Layout
+
+The Scene Edit page should become a full-width workspace similar to the Timeline page.
+
+## Unified Editor Behaviour
+
+Summary visible → user clicks Manage → focused editor covers summary → save/cancel → summary visible again.
+
+Rules:
+
+- No Bootstrap modals.
+- No nested flyouts.
+- No second drawer.
+- No scrolling to hidden sections.
+- No inserting editors above summaries.
+
+## Editor Overlay
+
+Both hosts should include:
+
+`.scene-inspector-editor-overlay`
+
+Responsibilities:
+
+- Load editor partials.
+- Animate open/close.
+- Provide independent scrolling.
+- Host Save and Cancel actions.
+
+## Default Summary Content
+
+### Health Strip
+
+- Revision status
+- POV
+- Word count
+- Character count
+- Asset count
+- Location count
+- Warning count
+
+### Overview Card
+
+Displays:
+
+- Scene title
+- Chapter and scene number
+- Revision status
+- POV character
+- Scene type
+- Date/time
+- Primary location
+- Synopsis
+
+Action:
+
+- Manage scene details
+
+### Story Card
+
+Displays:
+
+- Purpose
+- Outcome
+- Plot thread summary
+- Metrics
+
+Actions:
+
+- Manage purpose
+- Manage metrics
+- Manage threads
+
+### People Card
+
+Displays:
+
+- Characters present
+- POV indicator
+- Character count
+- Knowledge change count
+- Relationship change count
+
+Actions:
+
+- Manage characters
+- Manage knowledge
+- Manage relationships
+
+### World Card
+
+Displays:
+
+- Locations
+- Assets
+- Custody summary
+
+Actions:
+
+- Manage locations
+- Manage assets
+- Manage custody
+
+### Writer Card
+
+Displays:
+
+- Notes count
+- Checklist completion
+- Attachment count
+
+Actions:
+
+- Manage notes
+- Manage checklist
+- Manage attachments
+
+### Continuity Card
+
+Displays:
+
+- Warning count
+- Continuity health summary
+
+Action:
+
+- Review warnings
+
+## Data Loading Strategy
+
+Initial V2 load should retrieve only summary information.
+
+Editor datasets should be loaded lazily.
+
+## Legacy Inspector Strategy
+
+The original inspector should be archived as reference only.
+
+It must not be rendered inside V2.
+
+## Existing Functional Areas
+
+- Scene Core
+- Word Companion Suggestions
+- Notes
+- Characters
+- Character Attributes
+- Character Knowledge
+- Relationships
+- Plot Threads
+- Story Assets
+- Asset Locations
+- Occupancy
+- Asset Custody
+- Writer Workflow
+- Checklist
+- Attachments
+- Continuity Warnings
+- Scene Dependencies
+- Move / Reorder
+
+## Proposed Migration Order
+
+### Phase 17A
+Create V2 shell only.
+
+### Phase 17B
+Scene Core.
+
+### Phase 17C
+People.
+
+### Phase 17D
+World.
+
+### Phase 17E
+Writer tools.
+
+### Phase 17F
+Story structure.
+
+### Phase 17G
+Knowledge and relationships.
+
+### Phase 17H
+Continuity and warning actions.
+
+### Phase 17Z
+Retire legacy implementation.
+
+## Success Criteria
+
+- Legacy inspector is no longer rendered.
+- Initial load is significantly faster.
+- No giant scrolling CRUD page exists.
+- Editing occurs through focused editors.
+- Timeline and Scene Edit share common concepts.
+- Timeline remains responsive.
+- Scene Edit uses full workspace width.
+- All legacy functionality has been migrated.
+- Legacy implementation can be retired safely.