edicate · a-baran-orhan · Aug 19, 2026
diff --git a/.changeset/harden-avatar-selection.md b/.changeset/harden-avatar-selection.md
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 "posecode-embed": minor
 ---
 
-Add an optional avatar selector separate from humanoid rig topology, safely hot-swap document-selected characters with procedural fallback, and add hosted avatar defaults.
+Add an optional avatar selector separate from humanoid rig topology, safely hot-swap document-selected characters with procedural fallback, and support host-provided avatar maps.
 
 Keep the renderer peer range compatible with the parser's additive language/IR update.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -821,8 +821,8 @@ The renderer also includes a zero-asset procedural figure and accepts compatible
 
 ### Multiple character appearances (`avatar avatar1` / `avatar2` / `avatar3`)
 
-All built-in characters use the same `rig humanoid` skeleton topology. An
-optional `avatar` directive selects appearance without redefining that rig (see
+All avatar selectors use the same `rig humanoid` skeleton topology. An optional
+`avatar` directive selects appearance without redefining that rig (see
 [`spec/SPEC.md`](spec/SPEC.md)). Pass `characterUrls` (selector → GLB URL map)
 to `createViewer` instead of a single `characterUrl`; `ir.avatar` is used when
 present and `ir.rig` supplies the default selector otherwise. Switching
@@ -831,8 +831,10 @@ selector with no entry in the map (or any load failure) falls back to the
 procedural figure. See
 [`packages/posecode-render/README.md`](packages/posecode-render/README.md#usage)
 for the option, and `packages/posecode-embed`'s `character` attribute docs for
-the same behavior in the web component (absent by default; set an explicit URL
-to pin one character regardless of `avatar`).
+the same behavior in the web component. The built-in map currently serves XBot
+for `humanoid` and `avatar1`; `avatar2` and `avatar3` intentionally use the
+procedural fallback until assets with documented redistribution rights are
+provided. Set an explicit URL to pin one character regardless of `avatar`.
 
 ### Bringing your own character rig
 
@@ -860,6 +862,10 @@ export a character in T-pose with "skin with skeleton," then convert
 FBX → GLB (e.g. with Blender's glTF exporter or `FBX2glTF`). Bone names come
 out Mixamo-compatible automatically.
 
+Before publishing or committing a character, verify that its license permits
+redistribution of the asset itself. Compatibility with a Mixamo rig does not
+by itself grant redistribution rights.
+
 The bone map and retarget/calibration logic live in
 [`packages/posecode-render/src/character.ts`](packages/posecode-render/src/character.ts).
 Supporting a different naming convention (e.g. VRM humanoid bones) means

diff --git a/packages/posecode-embed/README.md b/packages/posecode-embed/README.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ definePosecodePlayer(); // idempotent
 | `controls` | `true` | Show the play/pause bar. |
 | `autorotate` | `true` | Slowly orbit the camera when idle. |
 | `speed` | `1` | Playback multiplier (`0.1`–`4`). |
-| `character` | *(document-driven)* | Realistic figure. Absent: optional `avatar avatar1|avatar2|avatar3` selects a hosted appearance; documents without it use the humanoid XBot default. Set to a GLB URL to pin one character regardless of `avatar`, or `off` for the procedural mannequin. Load failures fall back to the mannequin. |
+| `character` | *(document-driven)* | Realistic figure. Absent: the humanoid default and `avatar1` use hosted XBot; unmapped selectors such as `avatar2`/`avatar3` use the procedural mannequin until the host supplies licensed assets. Set to a GLB URL to pin one character regardless of `avatar`, or `off` for the procedural mannequin. Load failures also fall back to the mannequin. |
 | `playground` | `https://posecode.org/play` | Base URL for the "Edit ↗" link. |
 
 Boolean attributes accept `false` / `0` / `no` / `off` to turn them off, so

diff --git a/packages/posecode-embed/src/options.ts b/packages/posecode-embed/src/options.ts
@@ -31,20 +31,19 @@ export interface PlayerOptions {
   /**
    * Document selector (`avatar` when present, otherwise `rig`) → GLB URL,
    * applied when `characterUrl` is unset and the character isn't disabled.
-   * Defaults to the hosted character choices and the humanoid default.
+   * The built-in map only contains assets with documented provenance;
+   * selectors absent from it use the renderer's procedural fallback.
    */
   characterUrls: Record<string, string>;
 }
 
 /** The character the hosted playground uses, served from the same origin. */
 export const DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URL = "https://posecode.org/models/xbot.glb";
 
-/** Hosted character per built-in selector. Avatar1 intentionally reuses XBot. */
+/** Hosted characters with documented provenance. Avatar1 intentionally reuses XBot. */
 export const DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URLS: Record<string, string> = {
   humanoid: DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URL,
   avatar1: DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URL,
-  avatar2: "https://posecode.org/models/avatar2.glb",
-  avatar3: "https://posecode.org/models/avatar3.glb",
 };
 
 export const DEFAULT_OPTIONS: PlayerOptions = {

diff --git a/packages/posecode-embed/test/options.test.ts b/packages/posecode-embed/test/options.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ describe("parseOptions", () => {
     expect(DEFAULT_OPTIONS.characterUrls).toBe(DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URLS);
     expect(DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URLS.humanoid).toBe(DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URL);
     expect(DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URLS.avatar1).toBe(DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URL);
+    expect(DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URLS.avatar2).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(DEFAULT_CHARACTER_URLS.avatar3).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
   it("pins an explicit character URL and disables document-driven selection", () => {

diff --git a/packages/posecode-render/README.md b/packages/posecode-render/README.md
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ const viewer = createViewer(canvas, {
   // characterUrls: {
   //   humanoid: "https://posecode.org/models/xbot.glb",
   //   avatar1: "https://posecode.org/models/xbot.glb",
-  //   avatar2: "https://posecode.org/models/avatar2.glb",
-  //   avatar3: "https://posecode.org/models/avatar3.glb",
+  //   avatar2: "https://assets.example.com/licensed-avatar2.glb",
+  //   avatar3: "https://assets.example.com/licensed-avatar3.glb",
   // },
 });
 

diff --git a/playground/public/models/avatar2.glb b/playground/public/models/avatar2.glb
diff --git a/playground/public/models/avatar3.glb b/playground/public/models/avatar3.glb
diff --git a/playground/src/main.ts b/playground/src/main.ts
@@ -47,14 +47,13 @@ type InteractiveViewer = Viewer & {
 const DEFAULT_PRESET =
   PRESETS.find((p) => p.id === "superhero-landing") ?? PRESETS[0]!;
 
-// Character appearance is independent of skeleton topology. Documents without
-// an `avatar` directive use the humanoid default; avatar1 deliberately reuses
-// XBot instead of committing a duplicate binary.
-const CHARACTER_URLS: Record<AvatarName | "humanoid", string> = {
+// Character appearance is independent of skeleton topology. Only assets with
+// documented redistribution provenance are mapped here. Documents without an
+// `avatar` directive use the humanoid default; avatar1 deliberately reuses
+// XBot, while unmapped selectors fall back to the procedural figure.
+const CHARACTER_URLS: Partial<Record<AvatarName | "humanoid", string>> = {
   humanoid: "/models/xbot.glb",
   avatar1: "/models/xbot.glb",
-  avatar2: "/models/avatar2.glb",
-  avatar3: "/models/avatar3.glb",
 };
 import { renderWarnings } from "./warnings.js";
 import llmPrompt from "../../spec/llm-authoring.md?raw";