@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ Budget-conformance props. Not examples. Conventions: [`showcase/README.md`](show
   <a href="showcase/street-lantern/"><img src="showcase/street-lantern/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Street lantern: an iron post with aged brass collars, a knee brace tenoned into post and arm, and a muntined amber cage on a dark studio floor" /></a>
   <a href="showcase/treasure-chest/"><img src="showcase/treasure-chest/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Treasure chest: a slatted wooden chest with iron bands, corner brackets, and an open lid on a dark studio floor" /></a>
   <a href="showcase/terrain-scatter/"><img src="showcase/terrain-scatter/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Terrain scatter: a Geometry Nodes dirt hill tile with bevelled masonry rocks on a dark studio floor" /></a>
-  <a href="showcase/fence-kit/"><img src="showcase/fence-kit/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Fence kit: a grained timber post-and-rail section with pyramidal caps, a diagonal board brace, and iron shoes and bands on a dark studio floor" /></a>
+  <a href="showcase/fence-kit/"><img src="showcase/fence-kit/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Fence kit: a run of three weathered post-and-rail sections on a packed-earth strip, joined post to post at the 1.60 m tile pitch, with pyramidal caps, diagonal board braces, and iron bands" /></a>
   <a href="showcase/watchtower/"><img src="showcase/watchtower/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Watchtower: a grained timber lookout with X-braces, hatch ladder, a plank platform on deck girts, and a coursed shake roof on a dark studio floor" /></a>
   <a href="showcase/cart/"><img src="showcase/cart/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Cart: a two-wheel wooden cart with spoked wheels, slatted bed, and shafts on a dark studio floor" /></a>
   <a href="showcase/park-bench/"><img src="showcase/park-bench/preview.webp" width="24%" alt="Park bench: a wrought-iron bench whose round-bar legs curl into scrolled feet, with wooden slats and a reclined back, on a dark studio floor" /></a>
 
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@
     "grain-sacks": (r"^SacksLow$", None),
     "rope-bridge": (r"^BridgeLow$", None),
     "wheelbarrow": (r"^BarrowLow$", None),
+    # the hero shows a three-section run; the sheet judges the one asset
+    "fence-kit": (r"^FenceLow$", None),
+    "wooden-ladder": (r"^LadderLow$", None),
+    "terrain-scatter": (r"^TerrainLow$", None),
     "triangulate-tangents": (r"^Buckler(\.Rivets)?$", None),
     "car-mirror-symmetry": (r"^(CarBody|Wheel(Front|Rear)|Headlamp|Taillamp|Grille"
                             r"|DoorMirror|DoorHandle(Front|Rear))$", None),
 
@@ -17,6 +17,14 @@ rail and housed 12 mm into both posts. It clears the bottom rail at the left
 post and the top rail at the right one. Rails and kick tenon into the post
 volume.
 
+**Hero.** The still shows the kit doing its job: three linked duplicates of
+the one checked mesh at the 1.60 m pitch, so every joint in the picture is
+the tile fit the budgets assert — the paired posts meet band to band,
+`KIT_CLEAR` apart. The run stands in a render-only packed-earth strip, and
+the wood weathers in broad silver-grey patches (object-space noise) over
+the per-member tone and grain. The strip and the duplicates are staging;
+the asset sheet judges the single `FenceLow` section.
+
 It asserts **budget conformance** of the generated result. It does not
 witness an API contract. "It rendered without error" is not a check. This
 piece does not re-witness the `modular-kit-snap` snap contract.
 
@@ -590,9 +590,9 @@ def wood_material(name):
     nt.links.new(shift.outputs["Vector"], noise.inputs["Vector"])
     ramp = nt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeValToRGB")
     ramp.color_ramp.elements[0].position = 0.30
-    ramp.color_ramp.elements[0].color = (0.12, 0.052, 0.018, 1.0)
+    ramp.color_ramp.elements[0].color = (0.085, 0.052, 0.030, 1.0)
     ramp.color_ramp.elements[1].position = 0.72
-    ramp.color_ramp.elements[1].color = (0.38, 0.18, 0.065, 1.0)
+    ramp.color_ramp.elements[1].color = (0.30, 0.19, 0.105, 1.0)
     nt.links.new(noise.outputs["Fac"], ramp.inputs["Fac"])
     gain = nt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeMath")
     gain.operation = "MULTIPLY_ADD"
@@ -605,7 +605,23 @@ def wood_material(name):
     _sock(mix.inputs, "Factor_Float").default_value = 1.0
     nt.links.new(ramp.outputs["Color"], _sock(mix.inputs, "A_Color"))
     nt.links.new(gain.outputs["Value"], _sock(mix.inputs, "B_Color"))
-    nt.links.new(_sock(mix.outputs, "Result_Color"), bsdf.inputs["Base Color"])
+    # Weathering: outdoor timber silvers in broad patches, not uniformly.
+    # A coarse object-space noise pulls the grain toward weathered grey.
+    silver = nt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeTexNoise")
+    silver.inputs["Scale"].default_value = 2.4
+    silver.inputs["Detail"].default_value = 4.0
+    nt.links.new(coord.outputs["Object"], silver.inputs["Vector"])
+    patch = nt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeMapRange")
+    patch.inputs["From Min"].default_value = 0.42
+    patch.inputs["From Max"].default_value = 0.68
+    patch.inputs["To Max"].default_value = 0.55
+    nt.links.new(silver.outputs["Fac"], patch.inputs["Value"])
+    weather = nt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeMix")
+    weather.data_type = "RGBA"
+    _sock(weather.inputs, "B_Color").default_value = (0.20, 0.19, 0.17, 1.0)
+    nt.links.new(patch.outputs["Result"], _sock(weather.inputs, "Factor_Float"))
+    nt.links.new(_sock(mix.outputs, "Result_Color"), _sock(weather.inputs, "A_Color"))
+    nt.links.new(_sock(weather.outputs, "Result_Color"), bsdf.inputs["Base Color"])
     rough = nt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeMapRange")
     rough.inputs["To Min"].default_value = 0.72
     rough.inputs["To Max"].default_value = 0.52
@@ -1246,8 +1262,64 @@ def render_still(low, wood, tex, path, engine):
             ob.hide_render = True
             ob.hide_viewport = True
 
-    # Level on the floor: an X tilt sinks one face of the shoes.
-    low.rotation_euler.z = math.radians(-16.0)
+    # The hero is the kit doing its job: three sections at the tile pitch,
+    # linked duplicates of the one checked mesh, so every joint in the
+    # picture is the tile fit the check asserts (posts meet band to band,
+    # KIT_CLEAR apart). A run parent carries the yaw; level on the floor,
+    # since an X tilt sinks one face of the shoes.
+    run = bpy.data.objects.new("FenceRun", None)
+    scene.collection.objects.link(run)
+    run.rotation_euler.z = math.radians(-24.0)
+    sections = [low]
+    for i in (-1, 1):
+        dup = bpy.data.objects.new(f"{low.name}.Run{i:+d}", low.data)
+        scene.collection.objects.link(dup)
+        dup.location.x = i * TILE
+        sections.append(dup)
+    for ob in sections:
+        ob.parent = run
+
+    # A render-only packed-earth strip the run stands in: a low bevelled
+    # slab with a worn centre, so the sections read as installed, not as
+    # props parked on a studio floor. Not part of the asset or its budgets.
+    path_me = bpy.data.meshes.new("PathStrip")
+    bm = bmesh.new()
+    try:
+        bmesh.ops.create_cube(bm, size=1.0)
+        for v in bm.verts:
+            v.co.x *= TILE * 3 + 0.9
+            v.co.y *= 0.78
+            v.co.z = (v.co.z + 0.5) * 0.02 - 0.019
+        bmesh.ops.bevel(bm, geom=sorted(bm.edges, key=lambda e: e.index), offset=0.012,
+                        segments=2, affect="EDGES", profile=0.5, clamp_overlap=True)
+        bm.to_mesh(path_me)
+    finally:
+        bm.free()
+    for poly in path_me.polygons:
+        poly.use_smooth = True
+    pmat = bpy.data.materials.new("PackedEarth")
+    pmat.use_nodes = True
+    pnt = pmat.node_tree
+    pb = pnt.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
+    pnoise = pnt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeTexNoise")
+    pnoise.inputs["Scale"].default_value = 9.0
+    pnoise.inputs["Detail"].default_value = 8.0
+    pramp = pnt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeValToRGB")
+    pramp.color_ramp.elements[0].position = 0.35
+    pramp.color_ramp.elements[0].color = (0.035, 0.026, 0.018, 1.0)
+    pramp.color_ramp.elements[1].position = 0.70
+    pramp.color_ramp.elements[1].color = (0.11, 0.085, 0.055, 1.0)
+    pnt.links.new(pnoise.outputs["Fac"], pramp.inputs["Fac"])
+    pnt.links.new(pramp.outputs["Color"], pb.inputs["Base Color"])
+    pb.inputs["Roughness"].default_value = 0.92
+    pbump = pnt.nodes.new("ShaderNodeBump")
+    pbump.inputs["Strength"].default_value = 0.35
+    pnt.links.new(pnoise.outputs["Fac"], pbump.inputs["Height"])
+    pnt.links.new(pbump.outputs["Normal"], pb.inputs["Normal"])
+    path_me.materials.append(pmat)
+    strip = bpy.data.objects.new("PathStrip", path_me)
+    scene.collection.objects.link(strip)
+    strip.parent = run
 
     floor_me = bpy.data.meshes.new("Floor")
     bm = bmesh.new()
@@ -1291,12 +1363,12 @@ def light(name, loc, energy, size, col, rot):
     light("Wedge", (2.4, 4.2, 4.1), 640.0, 5.5, (1.0, 0.70, 0.40), (-70, 0, 198))
 
     cam_data = bpy.data.cameras.new("Cam")
-    cam_data.lens = 50.0
+    cam_data.lens = 45.0
     cam = bpy.data.objects.new("Cam", cam_data)
-    cam.location = (2.50, -3.46, 1.95)
+    cam.location = (1.30, -5.60, 1.70)
     scene.collection.objects.link(cam)
     aim = bpy.data.objects.new("Aim", None)
-    aim.location = (0.0, 0.0, 0.58)
+    aim.location = (0.42, -0.18, 0.55)
     scene.collection.objects.link(aim)
     con = cam.constraints.new("TRACK_TO")
     con.target = aim
@@ -1324,7 +1396,7 @@ def light(name, loc, energy, size, col, rot):
     scene.view_settings.view_transform = "Standard"
 
     fcode = gallery_framing.check_framing(
-        scene, cam, hero=[low], elements=[low], stage=[floor, wall],
+        scene, cam, hero=sections, elements=sections, stage=[floor, wall, strip],
     )
     if fcode:
         return fcode
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
       "name": "fence-kit",
       "dir": "showcase/fence-kit",
       "teaches": "A procedural post-and-rail fence section that fits its 1.60 m tile, with one-shell iron bands and a board brace housed in both posts, through UVs, bake, LOD, collider, and Unity glTF, asserting recomputed budgets rather than an API contract.",
-      "alt": "A section of grained timber post-and-rail fence with a diagonal board brace across the rails and dark iron bands and shoes on both posts.",
+      "alt": "A run of three weathered post-and-rail fence sections on a packed-earth strip, joined post to post at the tile pitch, each with a diagonal board brace and dark iron bands.",
       "witnessesFix": "Recomputed: 1012 tris, two materials with 116 metal and 390 wood faces, UVs in 0..1 with zero AABB overlap, outer AABB 1.596×0.134×1.232 m inside the 1.60 m tile, grounded zmin, 2 iron shoes, brace housed 12 mm in both posts and bearing 2 mm on the middle rail, rail-to-post gap 0.93 mm, rail span 1.362 m, LOD ratios in band (5.2 COLLAPSE leaner on LOD2), convex collider 24 tris, hygiene all zero, non-empty glTF. --skip-decimate exits 9; --stray-vert 15; --lift-z/--short-shoes 16; --short-brace 17; --gap-rails 18; --long-rails 19; --float-brace 20; --wide-tile 21.",
       "hero": "docs/gallery/assets/fence-kit-hero.webp",
       "preview": "showcase/fence-kit/preview.webp",