Soft grab (Nimso): ease the object into the hand (or the hand to the hold) before the weld

Light props (<= 6 kg) fly to the palm, static world / heavy things pull the hand; position only,
~0.1 s, never a snap. Welds no longer freeze a hover gap. Spike: 1 kg cube from 6 cm -> 1.5 mm,
bar from 5 cm -> 1.2 cm (contact slop on a curved hold).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

scripts/RagdollSpike.cs

@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ public partial class RagdollSpike : Node3D
         _phases.Add(("jump: a tap from a real crouch beats a standing tap", Rest, t => TickJump(0.45f, 0.05f), 4.5f, () => FinishJump(2)));
         _phases.Add(("looks down past vertical while crouched (body doesn't flip around)", Rest, TickLookDown, 5f, FinishLookDown));
         _phases.Add(("stick crouch lowers the body and the view, and stands back up", Rest, TickStickCrouch, 6f, FinishStickCrouch));
+        _phases.Add(("soft grab: a 1 kg cube 6 cm off the palm is eased into the hand, then held", () => SetupSoftGrab(prop: true), TickSoftGrab, 3f, FinishSoftGrab));
+        _phases.Add(("soft grab: a bar 5 cm off the palm — the hand goes to it", () => SetupSoftGrab(prop: false), TickSoftGrab, 3f, FinishSoftGrab));
         _phases.Add(("standing on a seesaw tips it (body weight reaches movable ground)", SetupSeesaw, _ => { }, 3f, FinishSeesaw));
         _phases.Add(("playground: swing board hangs, seesaw on its pivot, big plank grabbable", SetupPlayground, _ => { }, 2f, FinishPlayground));
         _phases.Add(("walks up an 18° ramp", () => SetupRamp(18f), _ => _stickVelocity = new Vector3(0f, 0f, -1.2f), 4f, () => FinishRamp(true)));
@@ -782,6 +784,83 @@ public partial class RagdollSpike : Node3D
             && Mathf.Abs(_ragdoll.Pelvis.GlobalPosition.Y - _ragdoll.GroundY - _dropStand) < 0.05f;
     }
 
+    // ---------------------------------------------------------------- soft grab
+
+    private PhysicsBody3D _sgTarget;
+    private SoftGrab _sg;
+    private ConeTwistJoint3D _sgWeld;
+    private float _sgGapAtWeld, _sgMaxSpeed, _sgHeldGap, _sgWeldTime;
+    private bool _sgProp;
+
+    private void SetupSoftGrab(bool prop)
+    {
+        Rest();
+        _sgProp = prop;
+        _sg = null;
+        _sgWeld = null;
+        _sgGapAtWeld = _sgHeldGap = -1f;
+        _sgMaxSpeed = 0f;
+        _sgWeldTime = -1f;
+        _sgTarget = null;
+    }
+
+    // Right controller held still in front; at 1.5 s the target appears off the palm and grip is pressed.
+    private void TickSoftGrab(float dt)
+    {
+        _measureFrom = float.MaxValue;
+        if (!_ragdoll.Built || _needBuild)
+            return;
+        RigidBody3D hand = _ragdoll.Hand(1);
+        if (_sgTarget == null && _t >= 1.5f)
+        {
+            Vector3 n = SoftGrab.PalmNormal(hand, 1);
+            Vector3 surface = SoftGrab.PalmSurface(hand, 1);
+            if (_sgProp)
+            {
+                RigidBody3D cube = MakeBox(Vector3.One * 0.08f, 1f, surface + n * (0.06f + 0.04f));
+                cube.GravityScale = 0f;   // "floating" just for the setup instant; gravity back on at the weld
+                _sgTarget = cube;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                StaticBody3D bar = new() { CollisionMask = 29, Position = surface + n * (0.05f + 0.025f) };
+                bar.AddChild(new CollisionShape3D { Shape = new CylinderShape3D { Radius = 0.025f, Height = 1f } });
+                _stage.AddChild(bar);
+                _sgTarget = bar;
+            }
+            return;   // let the new body enter the space before querying it
+        }
+        if (_sgTarget == null)
+            return;
+        if (_sg == null && _sgWeld == null)
+            _sg = SoftGrab.Begin(hand, 1, _sgTarget);
+        if (_sg != null)
+        {
+            if (_sgTarget is RigidBody3D rb)
+                _sgMaxSpeed = Mathf.Max(_sgMaxSpeed, rb.LinearVelocity.Length());
+            _sgMaxSpeed = Mathf.Max(_sgMaxSpeed, hand.LinearVelocity.Length());
+            if (_sg.Step(dt))
+            {
+                _sgGapAtWeld = _sg.Gap;
+                _sgWeldTime = _t;
+                _sg = null;
+                _sgWeld = new ConeTwistJoint3D { Position = PropGrabber.PalmPoint(hand, 1), NodeA = hand.GetPath(), NodeB = _sgTarget.GetPath(), SwingSpan = 0f, TwistSpan = 0f, Bias = 0f, ExcludeNodesFromCollision = true };
+                _stage.AddChild(_sgWeld);
+                if (_sgTarget is RigidBody3D cube)
+                    cube.GravityScale = 1f;
+                _ragdoll.SetHeld(1, _sgTarget);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private bool FinishSoftGrab()
+    {
+        float held = _sgTarget == null ? -1f : (SoftGrab.PalmSurface(_ragdoll.Hand(1), 1) - _sgTarget.GlobalPosition).Length() - (_sgProp ? 0.04f : 0.025f);
+        GD.Print($"RAGDOLL:   soft grab ({(_sgProp ? "1 kg cube" : "static bar")}): welded after {(_sgWeldTime - 1.5f):F3} s with gap {_sgGapAtWeld:F4} m, fastest motion {_sgMaxSpeed:F2} m/s, held gap at the end {held:F3} m, snaps {NewSnaps}");
+        _ragdoll.SetHeld(1, null);
+        return _finite && NewSnaps == 0 && _sgWeldTime > 0f && _sgWeldTime - 1.5f < 0.25f && _sgGapAtWeld < (_sgProp ? 0.01f : 0.015f) && _sgMaxSpeed < 3.5f && held < 0.02f;
+    }
+
     // ---------------------------------------------------------------- jump
 
     private float _jumpStand, _jumpApex, _jumpEyeErr, _tapApex;