fixes

Assets/Darkmatter/Code/Core/Contracts/Features/Coloring/IColoringController.cs

@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ public interface IColoringController
     void PaintRegion(string regionId, Color color);
     IReadOnlyDictionary<string, Color> GetCurrentColors();
     UniTask PlayCompletionAnimationAsync(CancellationToken ct);
+
+    // True while the completion celebration is on screen (the real drawing is hidden).
+    // Capture must skip these frames so it never grabs the animation instead of the art.
+    bool IsPlayingCompletionAnimation { get; }
+
     bool HasNonAuthoredColors { get; }
     void ResetAll();
     void Clear();

Assets/Darkmatter/Code/Core/Data/Static/Features/ShapeBuilder/ShapeBuilderConfig.cs

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Core.Data.Static.Features.ShapeBuilder
 
         [Header("Drag")]
         [SerializeField, Range(1f, 2f)] private float dragScale = 1.15f;
+        [SerializeField, Range(0f, 1f)] private float dragAlpha = 0.7f;
 
         [Header("Preview easing")]
         [SerializeField] private AnimationCurve previewCurve = AnimationCurve.EaseInOut(0, 0, 1, 1);
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Core.Data.Static.Features.ShapeBuilder
         public float SnapDuration        => snapDuration;
         public float ReturnDuration      => returnDuration;
         public float DragScale           => dragScale;
+        public float DragAlpha           => dragAlpha;
         public AnimationCurve PreviewCurve => previewCurve;
 
         public Vector2 DragSizeDelta(ShapeSO shape) =>

Assets/Darkmatter/Code/Features/Capture/Systems/CaptureSystem.cs

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using System.Threading;
 using Cysharp.Threading.Tasks;
 using Darkmatter.Core.Contracts.Features.Capture;
+using Darkmatter.Core.Contracts.Features.Coloring;
 using Darkmatter.Core.Contracts.Features.DrawingCatalog;
 using Darkmatter.Core.Contracts.Features.GameplayFlow;
 using Darkmatter.Core.Contracts.Features.Progression;
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.Capture
         private readonly CaptureConfig _config;
         private readonly IProgressionSystem _progression;
         private readonly IDrawingTemplateCatalog _catalog;
+        private readonly IColoringController _coloring;
 
         public CaptureSystem(
             ICaptureService captureService,
@@ -29,7 +31,8 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.Capture
             IEventBus bus,
             CaptureConfig config,
             IProgressionSystem progression,
-            IDrawingTemplateCatalog catalog)
+            IDrawingTemplateCatalog catalog,
+            IColoringController coloring)
         {
             _captureService = captureService;
             _galleryService = galleryService;
@@ -38,10 +41,16 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.Capture
             _config = config;
             _progression = progression;
             _catalog = catalog;
+            _coloring = coloring;
         }
 
         public async UniTask<byte[]> CapturePngAsync(bool saveToGallery = false, CancellationToken ct = default)
         {
+            // The completion celebration hides the real drawing and shows an animation object
+            // under PaperRoot. Capturing then would grab the animation, not the art, so skip.
+            // A null result keeps the existing thumbnail and skips the gallery write (both no-op on null).
+            if (_coloring.IsPlayingCompletionAnimation) return null;
+
             var png = await _captureService.CapturePngAsync(_refs.PaperRoot.gameObject, _config.CaptureScale, ct);
             if (!saveToGallery || png == null || png.Length == 0) return png;
 

Assets/Darkmatter/Code/Features/Coloring/Systems/ColoringController.cs

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public class ColoringController : IColoringController, IDisposable
     private GameObject _colorButtonPrefab;
     private GameObject _completionAnimationInstance;
     private CompletionAnimationView _completionAnimationView;
+    private bool _isPlayingCompletionAnimation;
     private readonly List<ColorRegionView> _regions = new();
     private readonly List<ColorButton> _buttons = new();
     private readonly Dictionary<string, Color> _authoredColors = new();
@@ -88,17 +89,21 @@ public class ColoringController : IColoringController, IDisposable
         return snapshot;
     }
 
+    public bool IsPlayingCompletionAnimation => _isPlayingCompletionAnimation;
+
     public async UniTask PlayCompletionAnimationAsync(CancellationToken ct)
     {
         if (_completionAnimationInstance == null || _completionAnimationView == null) return;
         if (_colorInstance != null) _colorInstance.SetActive(false);
         _completionAnimationInstance.SetActive(true);
+        _isPlayingCompletionAnimation = true;
         try
         {
             await _completionAnimationView.PlayAsync(ct);
         }
         finally
         {
+            _isPlayingCompletionAnimation = false;
             if (_completionAnimationInstance != null)
                 _completionAnimationInstance.SetActive(false);
         }
@@ -133,6 +138,7 @@ public class ColoringController : IColoringController, IDisposable
     public void Clear()
     {
         _history.Drop();
+        _isPlayingCompletionAnimation = false;
 
         foreach (var button in _buttons)
             if (button != null)

Assets/Darkmatter/Code/Features/GameplayFlow/Systems/GameplayFlowController.cs

@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.GameplayFlow.Systems
 
         public async UniTask NextAsync(CancellationToken ct)
         {
+            // Drop any debounced autosave so it can't fire during/after the completion
+            // animation and capture the animation (or an empty paper) into the thumbnail.
+            _autosaveCts?.Cancel();
+            _autosaveCts?.Dispose();
+            _autosaveCts = null;
+
             await SaveCurrentAsync(ct);
             _refs.Confetti.Play();
             _sfx.Play(SfxId.FireWorkLaunch);

Assets/Darkmatter/Code/Features/ShapeBuilder/UI/ShapePiece.cs

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
         private Vector2 _origAnchorMax;
         private Vector2 _origPivot;
         private bool _origPreserveAspect;
+        private Vector3 _homeScale = Vector3.one;
 
         // Per-drag state
         private RectTransform _rt;
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
         private Vector2 _trayPosInDragRoot;
         private Vector2 _dragSizeDelta;
         private Vector3 _dragLocalScale;
+        private float _dragOrigAlpha;
+        private Tween _dragScaleTween;
         private Sequence _previewSeq;
         private Sequence _snapSettle;
         private bool _locked;
@@ -68,6 +71,14 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
             if (image != null) image.color = color;
         }
 
+        private void SetAlpha(float a)
+        {
+            if (image == null) return;
+            var c = image.color;
+            c.a = a;
+            image.color = c;
+        }
+
         public void Setup(
             ShapeSO shape,
             SlotMarker[] candidateSlots,
@@ -95,6 +106,7 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
             _origAnchorMax = RectTransform.anchorMax;
             _origPivot = RectTransform.pivot;
             _origPreserveAspect = image != null && image.preserveAspect;
+            _homeScale = RectTransform.localScale;
 
             image.sprite = shape.Sprite;
             ApplyTrayPose();
@@ -104,6 +116,10 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
         {
             if (_locked) return;
 
+            // Kill any tweens still running on this piece (e.g. a return/preview from a
+            // re-grab mid-animation) so the new drag starts from a clean, known pose.
+            Tween.StopAll(onTarget: RectTransform);
+
             if (_dragRoot != null && RectTransform.parent != _dragRoot)
             {
                 RectTransform.SetParent(_dragRoot, worldPositionStays: true);
@@ -114,11 +130,20 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
             _eventCam   = e.pressEventCamera;
             _trayPosInDragRoot = RectTransform.anchoredPosition;
             _dragSizeDelta = RectTransform.sizeDelta;
-            _dragLocalScale = RectTransform.localScale;
+            // Use the canonical resting scale, not the live value, so a re-grab mid-tween
+            // can't bake a drifted scale into the drag base.
+            _dragLocalScale = _homeScale;
+            RectTransform.localScale = _homeScale;
             _grabOffset = RectTransform.anchoredPosition - ScreenToLocal(e.position);
             _inPreview  = false;
 
-            Tween.LocalScale(RectTransform, _dragLocalScale * _cfg.DragScale, _cfg.SnapDuration, Ease.OutQuad);
+            if (image != null)
+            {
+                _dragOrigAlpha = image.color.a;
+                SetAlpha(_cfg.DragAlpha);
+            }
+
+            _dragScaleTween = Tween.Scale(RectTransform, _dragLocalScale * _cfg.DragScale, _cfg.SnapDuration, Ease.OutQuad);
         }
 
         public void OnDrag(PointerEventData e)
@@ -156,6 +181,12 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
         {
             if (_locked) return;
 
+            // Stop the begin-drag scale-up so it can't fight the return/snap pose.
+            // Leave _previewSeq alive — the snap path lets it settle.
+            if (_dragScaleTween.isAlive) _dragScaleTween.Stop();
+
+            SetAlpha(_dragOrigAlpha);
+
             var target = FindSlotUnder(e.position);
             if (target != null)
             {
@@ -184,6 +215,7 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
 
         private void AnimatePreviewPose(bool toSlot)
         {
+            if (_dragScaleTween.isAlive) _dragScaleTween.Stop();
             if (_previewSeq.isAlive) _previewSeq.Stop();
 
             if (toSlot && _activeSlot != null)
@@ -361,6 +393,7 @@ namespace Darkmatter.Features.ShapeBuilder.UI
         {
             RectTransform.sizeDelta     = _traySize;
             RectTransform.localRotation = Quaternion.identity;
+            RectTransform.localScale    = _homeScale;
         }
 
         private Vector2 ScreenToLocal(Vector2 screenPos)