Engram Overlay v1.5.3

2026-08-18 - v1.5.3: Reliable Character Source Selection

Patch release. New or untouched installations use the Engram sprite grid by default. Existing
users who selected a custom image or animation directory keep that last choice during upgrade.

Highlights

• Character source mode is now authoritative. Switching to sprite grid no longer leaves a
  stale single-image or animation path in control of the rendered character.
• Legacy custom character choices survive upgrades. Pre-1.5 user configuration that contains
  a custom PNG or frame directory but no source_mode is migrated to static or sequence.
  An explicit modern source_mode is never overwritten.
• Single images stay geometrically stable by default. Idle and click VFX remain available,
  while the old squash/stretch and vertical motion can be restored with the legacy-motion option.
• Bundled character assets now have one canonical layout: static, sequences, sets, and
  reactions. Narrow compatibility aliases keep historical bundled paths working safely.

Validation

• Full Python suite: 377 tests passed.
• Isolated Windows Tk runtime: stale static/sequence paths switched correctly to sprite grid;
  custom static geometry and VFX, legacy motion opt-in, and sequence animation all passed.
• Fresh frozen build: embedding check, overlay smoke check, dashboard render, and HTTP health passed.
• Installer: EngramOverlay_1.5.3_x64-setup.exe (419,464,551 bytes).
• SHA-256: 1A1A9F5158AD5B8C026002EA24348286AC88A19DB14FEB625AD968A800414B57.

Upgrade Notes

• Keep the existing overlay.user.yaml to preserve the last custom character image or directory.
• Users who never customized the legacy engram character receive the new sprite-grid default.
• The installer does not replace explicit static, sequence, or sprite_grid selections.