capture

name	capture
description	Use when inventorying conversation state into durable artifacts, routing shovel-ready items toward exec, or deep-processing a brain dump.
skill_type	workflow
category	lifecycle
output_template	hud
triggers	["capture","dump"]

/capture - Shape to Plan

Inventory conversation state, write durable artifacts, and route each entity to its next lifecycle owner. /dump is capture --deep.

Work Link

Lifecycle lane: Shape -> Plan Entity movement: memory -> captured | proposed | blocked Workstream: resolve active workstream before writing capture artifacts Upstream: conversation, /dump, /work Downstream: /prior-art, /propose, /exec Router: /work HUD: end with 🧬 {ws} ⚡{exec_count} 📥{capture_count} ⏸️{paused_count} ✅{done_count} | 🚦{gate}={score} | ⏭️ {next} | 🔁{loop_state}

Canon Write Gate

If the user asks "what would you edit", "show me", "audit", "plan", "pass2", "recommend", or "how would you", do not mutate canon files. Render the ledger and proposed changes only. Write artifacts only when the user explicitly asks to apply, edit, patch, emit, or create a durable capture.

Protocol

steps:
  - id: inventory
    action: Inventory ideas, decisions, follow-ups, artifacts, blockers, promises, and proof/QA risks.
    validation: "Every item has a topic and provisional lifecycle state."
    on_failure: "If the thread is too large, bucket by topic and continue."

  - id: classify
    action: Compile user/source prose into agent-operational intent, state, and route.
    validation: "Each item has compiled_intent, route_state, and next_route."
    on_failure: "Unknown state stays in memory and becomes the first output bucket."

  - id: prior_art_probe
    action: For non-trivial items, search existing work before creating new files.
    validation: "Existing home found, or 'no prior art found' is stated."
    on_failure: "Route to /prior-art before proposing new artifacts."

  - id: seed_qa_contract
    action: For non-trivial items, create a QA seed before route advancement.
    validation: "Runtime, agentic, promotion, cleanup, fallback, or boundary-risk items name proof_required, highest_risk_claim, scenario_classes, and owner-local placement."
    on_failure: "Keep the item captured and route to /interview or /propose before /exec."

  - id: write_artifacts
    action: Save in-memory items to the selected workstream or .lev/pm route.
    validation: "No writable item remains only in conversation memory."
    on_failure: "List only the unwritten items under In Memory with blocker."

  - id: score_fidelity
    action: Score captured fidelity before advancement.
    validation: "fidelity >= 0.8 for /propose or /exec routing."
    on_failure: "Re-capture at higher zoom or route to /interview."

  - id: reconcile_capture_ledger
    action: Build the lifecycle ledger before routing or final output.
    validation: "Every item has intent_id, compiled_intent, current_location, artifact_ref, route_state, fidelity, next_route, and blocker."
    on_failure: "Do not advance routes. Show unresolved ledger rows under In Memory or Blocked."

  - id: show_delta
    action: Show the full ledger table plus in-memory, blocked, and crystallizing buckets.
    validation: "The user can see what is truly on disk, what remains only in memory, and what changed this turn."
    on_failure: "Rewrite output as the shared <capture-results> ledger."

Routes

Item	Route
Constraint, invariant, gate, policy	DNA-backed task via /propose
Brief/document-artifact framing	/brief -> /interview --auto -> .lev/pm/designs/ then /propose
Design-grade framing	/interview --auto -> .lev/pm/designs/ then /propose
Runtime, agentic, promotion, cleanup, fallback, or boundary-risk item	/interview or /propose with qa_seed
Execution-ready task with verifier and write scope	/exec
Provenance or duplicate check needed	/prior-art
Ambiguous intent or boundary	/interview
Workstream identity missing	/ws

Deep Mode

/capture --deep and /dump add a convergence loop:

deep_capture:
  repeat_until: "all writable items have stored fidelity >= in-memory fidelity"
  loop:
    - inventory by topic
    - prior-art per topic
    - write or update durable route
    - score fidelity
    - enrich weak captures
  circuit_breaker: "3 iterations without fidelity improvement"

Fidelity Gate

fidelity = 0.30*detail_preservation
         + 0.25*relationship_preservation
         + 0.20*source_attribution
         + 0.15*neighbor_context
         + 0.10*actionability

fidelity >= 0.8 can advance to /propose or /exec; lower scores stay in capture, prior-art, or interview.

Lifecycle Ledger Contract

The lifecycle ledger is the core visibility primitive at lifecycle trigger points. /capture, /capture --deep, and /dump all render the same table before claiming route advancement.

Field	Meaning
intent_id	Stable row id for this lifecycle turn
topic	Short label for the source material
compiled_intent	Agent-operational interpretation, not raw user prose
current_location	disk, memory, both, external, or unknown
artifact_ref	Path or durable id; none if only in memory
route_state	in_memory, captured, proposed, execution_ready, blocked, done, or rejected
fidelity	Preservation score plus reason if below 0.8
next_route	/interview, /prior-art, /propose, /exec, /close, or none
blocker	null or the reason this row cannot advance

No route can advance if a row has current_location: memory without a blocker or planned destination. This prevents hidden in-chat state from being mistaken for durable work.

Durable Artifact

Write capture reports near the workstream:

path: .lev/pm/workstreams/<ws-id>/captures/YYYYMMDD-capture-sweep.yaml
schema:
  date: YYYY-MM-DD
  workstream: <ws-id>
  ledger:
    - intent_id: "<stable row id>"
      topic: "<summary>"
      compiled_intent: "<agent-operational interpretation>"
      current_location: disk | memory | both | external | unknown
      artifact_ref: "<path, durable id, or none>"
      route_state: in_memory | captured | proposed | execution_ready | blocked | done | rejected
      fidelity: 0.0
      next_route: "<skill/path/none>"
      blocker: "<reason or null>"
  items:
    - topic: "<summary>"
      stage: captured | proposed | blocked | executing | rejected
      fidelity: 0.0
      route: "<path or skill>"
      priority: P0 | P1 | P2 | P3
      unblocks: []
      qa_seed:
        proof_required: true | false
        proof_gate_state: needs_proof_design | needs_proof_gates | needs_runtime_qa | needs_quality_review | needs_close_verdict | proof_blocked | none
        highest_risk_claim: "<claim or null>"
        scenario_classes: []
        owner_local_test_placement: "<module path or null>"
        shared_testing_boundary: "core/testing is a library/evaluator source, not the home for module-specific tests"

Markdown capture reports are projections only when useful.

Output

## /capture results

Ledger

ID	Topic	Compiled Intent	Current Location	Artifact	Route State	Fidelity	Next Route	Blocker
{intent_id}	{topic}	{compiled_intent}	{current_location}	{artifact_ref}	{route_state}	{fidelity_pct}	{next_route}	{blocker}

In Memory

{items_that_could_not_be_written}

Blocked

{blocked_items}

Crystallizing

{transitioning_items}

Stats

• Total inventoried: {n}
• In memory captured: {n}
• Transitioning: {n}
• Blocked: {n}
• Ledger rows: {n}

Red Flags

• "I'll show the list first and save after approval."
• "This follow-up is obvious enough to leave in chat."
• "Done items should be listed again."
• "Prior art can wait until proposal."
• "The table is optional because I wrote the artifact."
• "A routed item can stay only in chat memory."
• "Copying user prose is the same as compiling intent."
• "What would you edit means patch it now."

Related

• /work routes lifecycle lanes.
• /dump is a focused alias for /capture --deep.
• /brief turns conversation context into a lifecycle artifact via /interview --auto.
• /prior-art finds existing homes.
• /propose turns captured/aligned items into task DNA.
• /exec runs shovel-ready items.