diff --git a/src/features/editScene/systems/CharacterSlotSystem.cpp b/src/features/editScene/systems/CharacterSlotSystem.cpp
index 0a1b954..c8c3f8d 100644
--- a/src/features/editScene/systems/CharacterSlotSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/features/editScene/systems/CharacterSlotSystem.cpp
@@ -231,13 +231,21 @@ Ogre::String CharacterSlotSystem::resolveMesh(
 	const Ogre::String &slot, const SlotSelection &sel,
 	int outfitLevel)
 {
-	if (!sel.explicitMesh.empty())
+	if (!sel.explicitMesh.empty()) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] resolveMesh(" + age + "," + sex + 
+			"," + slot + ") -> explicit: " + sel.explicitMesh);
 		return sel.explicitMesh;
+	}
 
 	if (!s_catalogLoaded || !s_bodyParts.contains(age) ||
 	    !s_bodyParts[age].contains(sex) ||
-	    !s_bodyParts[age][sex].contains(slot))
+	    !s_bodyParts[age][sex].contains(slot)) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] resolveMesh(" + age + "," + sex + 
+			"," + slot + ") -> catalog miss");
 		return "";
+	}
 
 	const auto &slotEntries = s_bodyParts[age][sex][slot];
 
@@ -245,37 +253,55 @@ Ogre::String CharacterSlotSystem::resolveMesh(
 	if (outfitLevel >= 2 && sel.layer2Mesh != "none" &&
 	    !sel.layer2Mesh.empty()) {
 		for (const auto &entry : slotEntries) {
-			if (entry.value("mesh", "") == sel.layer2Mesh)
+			if (entry.value("mesh", "") == sel.layer2Mesh) {
+				Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+					"[CharacterSlotSystem] resolveMesh(" + age + "," + sex +
+					"," + slot + ") -> layer2: " + sel.layer2Mesh);
 				return sel.layer2Mesh;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	if (outfitLevel >= 1 && sel.layer1Mesh != "none" &&
 	    !sel.layer1Mesh.empty()) {
 		for (const auto &entry : slotEntries) {
-			if (entry.value("mesh", "") == sel.layer1Mesh)
+			if (entry.value("mesh", "") == sel.layer1Mesh) {
+				Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+					"[CharacterSlotSystem] resolveMesh(" + age + "," + sex +
+					"," + slot + ") -> layer1: " + sel.layer1Mesh);
 				return sel.layer1Mesh;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* Fallback to layer 0 (nude base) — prefer canonical base mesh */
-	Ogre::String canonicalBase = sex + "_" + slot + ".mesh";
-	Ogre::String firstLayer0;
+	/* Fallback to layer 0 (nude base) — prefer shortest name
+	 * (base mesh name is shortest, combined meshes add suffixes) */
+	Ogre::String bestLayer0;
 	for (const auto &entry : slotEntries) {
 		if (entry.value("layer", 0) == 0) {
 			Ogre::String mesh = entry["mesh"].get<Ogre::String>();
-			if (mesh == canonicalBase)
-				return mesh;
-			if (firstLayer0.empty())
-				firstLayer0 = mesh;
+			if (bestLayer0.empty() || mesh.length() < bestLayer0.length())
+				bestLayer0 = mesh;
 		}
 	}
-	if (!firstLayer0.empty())
-		return firstLayer0;
+	if (!bestLayer0.empty()) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] resolveMesh(" + age + "," + sex +
+			"," + slot + ") -> layer0base: " + bestLayer0);
+		return bestLayer0;
+	}
 
 	/* Last resort: first available entry */
-	if (!slotEntries.empty())
-		return slotEntries[0]["mesh"].get<Ogre::String>();
+	if (!slotEntries.empty()) {
+		Ogre::String mesh = slotEntries[0]["mesh"].get<Ogre::String>();
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] resolveMesh(" + age + "," + sex +
+			"," + slot + ") -> lastResort: " + mesh);
+		return mesh;
+	}
 
+	Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+		"[CharacterSlotSystem] resolveMesh(" + age + "," + sex +
+		"," + slot + ") -> empty fallback");
 	return "";
 }
 
@@ -291,10 +317,20 @@ void CharacterSlotSystem::update()
 			total++;
 			if (cs.dirty) {
 				dirtyCount++;
+				Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+					"[CharacterSlotSystem] update: entity " +
+					Ogre::StringConverter::toString(e.id()) +
+					" is dirty, rebuilding");
 				buildCharacter(e, cs);
 				cs.dirty = false;
 			}
 		});
+	if (dirtyCount > 0) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] update: total=" +
+			Ogre::StringConverter::toString(total) + " dirty=" +
+			Ogre::StringConverter::toString(dirtyCount));
+	}
 }
 
 static const nlohmann::json *findCatalogEntry(
@@ -341,6 +377,13 @@ static void ensureMeshPoseAnimation(const Ogre::String &meshName)
 void CharacterSlotSystem::buildCharacter(flecs::entity e,
 						 CharacterSlotsComponent &cs)
 {
+	Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+		"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: age=" + cs.age +
+		" sex=" + cs.sex + " outfitLevel=" + 
+		Ogre::StringConverter::toString(cs.outfitLevel) +
+		" slots=" + Ogre::StringConverter::toString(
+			(size_t)cs.slotSelections.size()));
+
 	destroyCharacterParts(e);
 
 	/* Migrate old slots map to slotSelections if needed */
@@ -361,12 +404,18 @@ void CharacterSlotSystem::buildCharacter(flecs::entity e,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!e.has<TransformComponent>())
+	if (!e.has<TransformComponent>()) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: no TransformComponent");
 		return;
+	}
 
 	auto &transform = e.get_mut<TransformComponent>();
-	if (!transform.node)
+	if (!transform.node) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: no transform node");
 		return;
+	}
 
 	/* Determine master slot (face preferred, else first non-empty) */
 	Ogre::String masterSlot;
@@ -390,6 +439,9 @@ void CharacterSlotSystem::buildCharacter(flecs::entity e,
 	}
 
 	if (masterSlot.empty()) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: masterSlot EMPTY — "
+			"no valid mesh for any slot");
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -397,8 +449,16 @@ void CharacterSlotSystem::buildCharacter(flecs::entity e,
 					      cs.slotSelections[masterSlot],
 					      cs.outfitLevel);
 
-	if (masterMesh.empty())
+	if (masterMesh.empty()) {
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: masterMesh empty for " +
+			masterSlot);
 		return;
+	}
+
+	Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+		"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: masterSlot=" + masterSlot +
+		" masterMesh=" + masterMesh);
 
 	/* Pre-create pose animation on mesh so entity knows about it */
 	ensureMeshPoseAnimation(masterMesh);
@@ -412,6 +472,12 @@ void CharacterSlotSystem::buildCharacter(flecs::entity e,
 		m_entities[e.id()].parts[masterSlot] = masterEnt;
 		cs.masterEntity = masterEnt;
 
+		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: created master entity " +
+			masterMesh + " (submeshes=" +
+			Ogre::StringConverter::toString(meshPtr->getNumSubMeshes()) +
+			")");
+
 		/* Setup pose animation for shape keys */
 		const nlohmann::json *entry = findCatalogEntry(
 			cs.age, cs.sex, masterSlot, masterMesh);
@@ -422,7 +488,7 @@ void CharacterSlotSystem::buildCharacter(flecs::entity e,
 			e.get_mut<AnimationTreeComponent>().dirty = true;
 	} catch (const Ogre::Exception &ex) {
 		Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
-			"CharacterSlotSystem: Failed to load master mesh '" +
+			"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: FAILED to load master mesh '" +
 			masterMesh + "': " + ex.getDescription());
 		return;
 	}
@@ -453,11 +519,17 @@ void CharacterSlotSystem::buildCharacter(flecs::entity e,
 			applyShapeKeys(e, partEnt, entry);
 		} catch (const Ogre::Exception &ex) {
 			Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
-				"CharacterSlotSystem: Failed to load part '" +
+				"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: FAILED to load part '" +
 				slot + "' mesh '" + mesh +
 				"': " + ex.getDescription());
 		}
 	}
+
+	Ogre::LogManager::getSingleton().logMessage(
+		"[CharacterSlotSystem] buildCharacter: DONE for entity " +
+		Ogre::StringConverter::toString(e.id()) +
+		" parts=" + Ogre::StringConverter::toString(
+			(size_t)m_entities[e.id()].parts.size()));
 }
 
 void CharacterSlotSystem::applyShapeKeys(flecs::entity e,