- [~] Encoder mode information now uses a frame-owned reference grid over its contiguous allocation, matching current libaom's `mi_grid_base` and `mi_alloc` ownership without per-block tail copies. Signed relative neighbor lookup, 4x4-unit addressing, and mutable selected skip syntax have focused contracts; complete mode decision still remains.
- [~] Final block decisions now use contiguous value storage with palette and prediction syntax inline. Macroblock edge and neighbor state is reused by the entropy-coding operation instead of allocating one managed object per final block; directional deltas retain their signed range, while complete mode decision still remains.
- [~] Finalized transform coefficients and packed EOB/type state now use raster-ordered, per-superblock plane segments matching current libaom's coefficient-pool geometry. One ImageSharp allocator owner replaces libaom's separate coefficient, EOB, and entropy-context allocations while preserving the full 1024 luma and 256-per-chroma 4x4 state capacity of a 128x128 4:2:0 superblock; the forward transform and mode-decision stages still need to populate this owner.
- [~] Tile partition writing now follows current libaom's recursive `write_modes_sb` preorder traversal and `update_ext_partition_context` edge updates directly. The obsolete SVT-derived global geometry catalog and its unimplemented lookup are removed; transform geometry is derived in libaom's bounded 64x64 residual order from the selected block transform size, frame-edge and segmentation syntax use mode-information units, and 128x128 CDEF units use libaom's 0-to-3 indexing and first-block strength ownership. Partition analysis and selected-transform syntax still need to populate and encode these retained decisions.
- [~] Tile partition writing now follows current libaom's recursive `write_modes_sb` preorder traversal and `update_ext_partition_context` edge updates directly. The obsolete SVT-derived global geometry catalog and its unimplemented lookup are removed; transform geometry is derived in libaom's bounded 64x64 residual order, fixed intra transform-size symbols use the reference depth and neighbor contexts, frame-edge and segmentation syntax use mode-information units, and 128x128 CDEF units use libaom's 0-to-3 indexing and first-block strength ownership. Partition and mode analysis still need to populate these retained decisions; variable inter-transform syntax remains part of later inter-frame support.
- [~] The coefficient symbol encoder now reuses tile-lifetime level and context workspaces instead of allocating per transform. Every remaining encoder fragment must be audited before it becomes active.
- [~] The planar conversion, forward transform, and forward quantizer use descending SIMD dispatch: Vector512, Vector256, Vector128, then scalar. Apply the same rule to every later hot-path family.