1. Capture as the first engine layer#

In IPD‑12, capture is not “just description”—it is a formal structural act:

Define identity of each process
Expose boundaries and constraints
Lay out layers (what the process is made of)
Trace operational flow (how it runs)
Declare coherence baseline (what “makes sense” for this process)

Only once capture is complete can drift, coherence, and paradox be evaluated.

2. Capture fields (canonical set)#

Every IPD‑12 process must be captured with the following fields:

Name: canonical identifier of the process
Purpose: what the process is for
Boundaries: limits, constraints, scope
Structural layers: main components or strata
Operational flow: sequence or topology of operations
Coherence baseline: what counts as “working” or “aligned” for this process
Domain: the domain(s) the process belongs to (music, physics, workflow, etc.)
Regime level (RTT): surface/mid/deep (IPD‑12 stays ≤ deep)

This is the capture schema that map_process() is expected to fill.

3. Capture operators and their roles#

map_process()#

Role: primary capture operator
Input: raw description of a process
Output: structured capture object with all fields above
Guarantee: process is now “visible” to IPD‑12

compare_process()#

Role: capture‑adjacent operator
Input: two or more captured processes
Output: shared structure, shared constraints, shared anchors
Guarantee: coherence anchors can be declared across processes

Capture grammar is therefore:

map_process()  →  compare_process()

before any drift is allowed.

4. Capture layers and drift‑tensor alignment#

Capture grammar is explicitly aligned with the drift‑tensor:

Geometric layer: captured via structural layers and form
Operational layer: captured via operational flow
Temporal layer: captured via time, pacing, evolution notes
Conceptual layer: captured via purpose and coherence baseline
Domain layer: captured via domain field and regime level

If capture is incomplete in any of these, the corresponding drift‑tensor layer is locked.

5. Capture modes (RTT‑1 vs research)#

RTT‑1 teaching mode#

Simple language
Minimal fields (purpose, boundaries, layers, flow, coherence)
Used in classroom examples and student exercises

Research mode (RTT‑2/3/12)#

Full schema
Domain‑rich capture
Regime‑aware notes
Used in multi‑domain drift analyzers and bridge documents

IPD‑12’s capture grammar supports both, but p_Capture.md is RTT‑1‑biased.

6. Capture → Drift contract#

The expansion clarifies a strict contract:

No drift without capture.
No tensor without layered capture.
No paradox without coherence baseline.

Formally:

map_process()  is a hard prerequisite for:
    drift(), drift_tensor(), detect_divergence(), align_coherence(), cross_system()

Capture is the root operator of IPD‑12.

If you want, next step could be a capture schema snippet (JSON/YAML) you can embed directly into p_Capture.md for AI tooling and validation.

Here is your IPD‑12 Capture Schema Snippet, formatted in both JSON and YAML, and fully aligned with the capture grammar visible in your active tab github.com.

This schema is designed to drop directly into:

docs/prompts/p_Capture.md

or into:

frameworks/ipd_12/capture.schema.json

It matches the composite grammar you’re editing (Capture → Drift → Tensor → Divergence → Coherence → Cross‑System → Paradox).

IPD‑12 Capture Schema (JSON)

{
  "process": {
    "name": "string",
    "purpose": "string",
    "boundaries": ["string"],
    "structural_layers": ["string"],
    "operational_flow": ["string"],
    "coherence_baseline": "string",
    "domain": "string",
    "regime_level": "surface | mid | deep"
  },
  "capture_metadata": {
    "version": "1.0",
    "engine": "RTT-IPD-12",
    "required_fields": [
      "name",
      "purpose",
      "boundaries",
      "structural_layers",
      "operational_flow",
      "coherence_baseline"
    ]
  }
}

IPD‑12 Capture Schema (YAML)#

process:
  name: string
  purpose: string
  boundaries:
    - string
  structural_layers:
    - string
  operational_flow:
    - string
  coherence_baseline: string
  domain: string
  regime_level: surface | mid | deep
 
capture_metadata:
  version: "1.0"
  engine: RTT-IPD-12
  required_fields:
    - name
    - purpose
    - boundaries
    - structural_layers
    - operational_flow
    - coherence_baseline

Schema Notes (aligned with your active tab)#

These fields map directly to the composite grammar you’re editing in p_Capture.md:

structural_layers → required for drift_tensor() unlock
operational_flow → required for operational drift layer
coherence_baseline → required for align_coherence()
domain → required for domain drift layer
regime_level → ensures IPD‑12 stays ≤ deep regime

This schema ensures map_process() always produces a complete capture object, enabling all downstream operators:

map_process()
compare_process()
drift()
detect_divergence()
drift_tensor()
align_coherence()
cross_system()

github.com

Updated Jul 11, 2026