Per scratch/d397_fs/HANDOFF-D397.md: the stale-RENDERTILE hypothesis is
REFUTED (D161 already routes CI + G_TT_NONE to the I8 import; the GE_TEXI
logs show palfmt=0 on all 299 row strips), so the D397 block added to
import_texture had no effect (12px frame diff) and is removed.
The finding's true state: data path proven clean (byte-exact I8 uploads
vs the ground-truth PGM); MSAA/mips/noise/quant/cache ruled out.
Leading cause H1 = the file-select custom-CC LERP feeding ENV_ALPHA 0x14
as a 20/255 mix factor (black texels render ~0.92x prim = the measured
27/28/17 census); the N64 RDP 5-bit coefficient scaling (gmain.s / PD
CC engine) is the open root-cause question. H2 = possible separate
row-strip-geometry comb. GE_D397SH probe stays in-tree until the root
cause lands. findings table + tail section + CSV corrected.
James Dansereau
65875ad45b