Fix taxi griffin animation and improve mount texture loading

Use FlyForward/FlyIdle animations (IDs 158/159) for taxi mounts instead
of ground movement animations (Stand/Run). Add detailed mount texture
debug logging and improve fallback texture resolution for gryphon/wyvern
models with multiple skin slots.

src/core/application.cpp

@@ -4693,6 +4693,13 @@ void Application::processPendingMount() {
         }
         const auto* md = charRenderer->getModelData(modelId);
         if (md) {
+            LOG_INFO("Mount model textures: ", md->textures.size(), " slots, skin1='", dispData.skin1,
+                     "' skin2='", dispData.skin2, "' skin3='", dispData.skin3, "'");
+            for (size_t ti = 0; ti < md->textures.size(); ti++) {
+                LOG_INFO("  tex[", ti, "] type=", md->textures[ti].type,
+                         " filename='", md->textures[ti].filename, "'");
+            }
+
             int replaced = 0;
             for (size_t ti = 0; ti < md->textures.size(); ti++) {
                 const auto& tex = md->textures[ti];
@@ -4708,49 +4715,92 @@ void Application::processPendingMount() {
                     GLuint skinTex = charRenderer->loadTexture(texPath);
                     if (skinTex != 0) {
                         charRenderer->setModelTexture(modelId, static_cast<uint32_t>(ti), skinTex);
+                        LOG_INFO("  Applied skin texture slot ", ti, ": ", texPath);
                         replaced++;
+                    } else {
+                        LOG_WARNING("  Failed to load skin texture slot ", ti, ": ", texPath);
                     }
                 }
             }
-            // Some mounts (gryphon/wyvern) use empty model textures; force skin1 onto slot 0.
-            if (replaced == 0 && !dispData.skin1.empty() && !md->textures.empty()) {
-                std::string texPath = modelDir + dispData.skin1 + ".blp";
-                GLuint skinTex = charRenderer->loadTexture(texPath);
-                if (skinTex != 0) {
-                    charRenderer->setModelTexture(modelId, 0, skinTex);
-                    LOG_INFO("Forced mount skin1 texture on slot 0: ", texPath);
-                    replaced++;
-                }
-            } else if (replaced == 0 && !md->textures.empty() && !md->textures[0].filename.empty()) {
-                // Last-resort: use the model's first texture filename if it exists.
-                GLuint texId = charRenderer->loadTexture(md->textures[0].filename);
-                if (texId != 0) {
-                    charRenderer->setModelTexture(modelId, 0, texId);
-                    LOG_INFO("Forced mount model texture on slot 0: ", md->textures[0].filename);
-                    replaced++;
-                }
-            }
 
-            // Final taxi mount fallback for gryphon/wyvern models when display tables are sparse.
+            // Force skin textures onto type-0 (hardcoded) slots that have no filename
+            if (replaced == 0) {
+                for (size_t ti = 0; ti < md->textures.size(); ti++) {
+                    const auto& tex = md->textures[ti];
+                    if (tex.type == 0 && tex.filename.empty()) {
+                        // Empty hardcoded slot — try skin1 then skin2
+                        std::string texPath;
+                        if (!dispData.skin1.empty() && replaced == 0) {
+                            texPath = modelDir + dispData.skin1 + ".blp";
+                        } else if (!dispData.skin2.empty()) {
+                            texPath = modelDir + dispData.skin2 + ".blp";
+                        }
+                        if (!texPath.empty()) {
+                            GLuint skinTex = charRenderer->loadTexture(texPath);
+                            if (skinTex != 0) {
+                                charRenderer->setModelTexture(modelId, static_cast<uint32_t>(ti), skinTex);
+                                LOG_INFO("  Forced skin on empty hardcoded slot ", ti, ": ", texPath);
+                                replaced++;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            // If still no textures, try hardcoded model texture filenames
+            if (replaced == 0) {
+                for (size_t ti = 0; ti < md->textures.size(); ti++) {
+                    if (!md->textures[ti].filename.empty()) {
+                        GLuint texId = charRenderer->loadTexture(md->textures[ti].filename);
+                        if (texId != 0) {
+                            charRenderer->setModelTexture(modelId, static_cast<uint32_t>(ti), texId);
+                            LOG_INFO("  Used model embedded texture slot ", ti, ": ", md->textures[ti].filename);
+                            replaced++;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Final fallback for gryphon/wyvern: try well-known skin texture names
             if (replaced == 0 && !md->textures.empty()) {
                 std::string lowerMountPath = m2Path;
                 std::transform(lowerMountPath.begin(), lowerMountPath.end(), lowerMountPath.begin(),
                                [](unsigned char c) { return static_cast<char>(std::tolower(c)); });
-                if (lowerMountPath.find("creature\\gryphon\\gryphon.m2") != std::string::npos) {
+                if (lowerMountPath.find("gryphon") != std::string::npos) {
-                    GLuint texId = charRenderer->loadTexture("Creature\\Gryphon\\Gryphon.blp");
+                    const char* gryphonSkins[] = {
+                        "Creature\\Gryphon\\Gryphon_Skin.blp",
+                        "Creature\\Gryphon\\Gryphon_Skin01.blp",
+                        "Creature\\Gryphon\\GRYPHON_SKIN01.BLP",
+                        nullptr
+                    };
+                    for (const char** p = gryphonSkins; *p; ++p) {
+                        GLuint texId = charRenderer->loadTexture(*p);
                         if (texId != 0) {
                             charRenderer->setModelTexture(modelId, 0, texId);
-                        LOG_INFO("Forced canonical gryphon texture on slot 0");
+                            LOG_INFO("  Forced gryphon skin fallback: ", *p);
+                            replaced++;
+                            break;
                         }
-                } else if (lowerMountPath.find("creature\\wyvern\\wyvern.m2") != std::string::npos) {
+                    }
-                    GLuint texId = charRenderer->loadTexture("Creature\\Wyvern\\Wyvern.blp");
+                } else if (lowerMountPath.find("wyvern") != std::string::npos) {
+                    const char* wyvernSkins[] = {
+                        "Creature\\Wyvern\\Wyvern_Skin.blp",
+                        "Creature\\Wyvern\\Wyvern_Skin01.blp",
+                        nullptr
+                    };
+                    for (const char** p = wyvernSkins; *p; ++p) {
+                        GLuint texId = charRenderer->loadTexture(*p);
                         if (texId != 0) {
                             charRenderer->setModelTexture(modelId, 0, texId);
-                        LOG_INFO("Forced canonical wyvern texture on slot 0");
+                            LOG_INFO("  Forced wyvern skin fallback: ", *p);
+                            replaced++;
+                            break;
                         }
                     }
                 }
             }
+            LOG_INFO("Mount texture setup: ", replaced, " textures applied");
+        }
     }
 
     mountModelId_ = modelId;
@@ -4790,7 +4840,15 @@ void Application::processPendingMount() {
     }
 
     renderer->setMounted(instanceId, mountDisplayId, heightOffset, m2Path);
-    charRenderer->playAnimation(instanceId, 0, true);
+
+    // For taxi mounts, start with flying animation; for ground mounts, start with stand
+    bool isTaxi = gameHandler && gameHandler->isOnTaxiFlight();
+    uint32_t startAnim = 0; // ANIM_STAND
+    if (isTaxi) {
+        if (charRenderer->hasAnimation(instanceId, 159)) startAnim = 159; // FlyForward
+        else if (charRenderer->hasAnimation(instanceId, 158)) startAnim = 158; // FlyIdle
+    }
+    charRenderer->playAnimation(instanceId, startAnim, true);
 
     LOG_INFO("processPendingMount: DONE displayId=", mountDisplayId, " model=", m2Path, " heightOffset=", heightOffset);
 }

src/rendering/renderer.cpp

@@ -948,6 +948,8 @@ void Renderer::updateCharacterAnimation() {
     constexpr uint32_t ANIM_SWIM_IDLE  = 41;  // Treading water (SwimIdle)
     constexpr uint32_t ANIM_SWIM       = 42;  // Swimming forward (Swim)
     constexpr uint32_t ANIM_MOUNT      = 91;  // Seated on mount
+    constexpr uint32_t ANIM_FLY_IDLE   = 158; // Flying mount idle/hover
+    constexpr uint32_t ANIM_FLY_FORWARD = 159; // Flying mount forward
 
     CharAnimState newState = charAnimState;
 
@@ -1019,6 +1021,25 @@ void Renderer::updateCharacterAnimation() {
             float curMountTime = 0, curMountDur = 0;
             bool haveMountState = characterRenderer->getAnimationState(mountInstanceId_, curMountAnim, curMountTime, curMountDur);
 
+            // Taxi flight: use flying animations instead of ground movement
+            if (taxiFlight_) {
+                // Prefer FlyForward, fall back to FlyIdle, then ANIM_RUN
+                if (characterRenderer->hasAnimation(mountInstanceId_, ANIM_FLY_FORWARD)) {
+                    mountAnimId = ANIM_FLY_FORWARD;
+                } else if (characterRenderer->hasAnimation(mountInstanceId_, ANIM_FLY_IDLE)) {
+                    mountAnimId = ANIM_FLY_IDLE;
+                } else {
+                    mountAnimId = ANIM_RUN;
+                }
+
+                if (!haveMountState || curMountAnim != mountAnimId) {
+                    characterRenderer->playAnimation(mountInstanceId_, mountAnimId, true);
+                }
+
+                // Skip all ground mount logic (jumps, fidgets, etc.)
+                goto taxi_mount_done;
+            }
+
             // Check for jump trigger - use cached per-mount animation IDs
             if (cameraController->isJumpKeyPressed() && grounded && mountAction_ == MountAction::None) {
                 if (moving && mountAnims_.jumpLoop > 0) {
@@ -1180,6 +1201,7 @@ void Renderer::updateCharacterAnimation() {
                 characterRenderer->playAnimation(mountInstanceId_, mountAnimId, loop);
             }
 
+            taxi_mount_done:
             // Rider bob: sinusoidal motion synced to mount's run animation (only used in fallback positioning)
             mountBob = 0.0f;
             if (moving && haveMountState && curMountDur > 1.0f) {