diff --git a/core/include/vf/Schematic.h b/core/include/vf/Schematic.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e28cc35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/include/vf/Schematic.h
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <cstddef>
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "Block.h"
+#include "Codec.h"
+#include "EditHistory.h"
+#include "Math.h"
+#include "Selection.h"
+#include "World.h"
+
+namespace vf {
+
+// Quarter turns around the vertical axis, clockwise seen from above.
+enum class Rotation : uint8_t {
+    None = 0,
+    Cw90 = 1,
+    Cw180 = 2,
+    Cw270 = 3,
+};
+
+enum class MirrorAxis : uint8_t {
+    X = 0,
+    Y = 1,
+    Z = 2,
+};
+
+// On-disk format revisions. v1 is dimensions plus a palette-indexed block
+// stream; v2 adds metadata and the void mask that lets a non-box selection keep
+// its holes. The reader accepts both and hands back v2 either way.
+enum class SchematicVersion : uint8_t {
+    V1 = 1,
+    V2 = 2,
+};
+
+enum class SchematicError : uint8_t {
+    None = 0,
+    BadMagic = 1,
+    UnsupportedVersion = 2,
+    Truncated = 3,
+    BadChecksum = 4,
+    DimensionMismatch = 5,
+    BadPalette = 6,
+};
+
+// A dense block volume with a per-cell presence flag. Presence is what makes a
+// sphere copied out of a world paste back as a sphere instead of as its
+// bounding box.
+class ClipboardBuffer {
+public:
+    enum class PasteMode : uint8_t {
+        Overwrite = 0,
+        IntoAirOnly = 1,
+        ReplaceExisting = 2,
+    };
+
+    ClipboardBuffer() = default;
+    ClipboardBuffer(const Vec3i& dims, const Vec3i& anchor);
+
+    static ClipboardBuffer copyFromWorld(const World& world, const Selection& selection);
+
+    const Vec3i& dims() const { return size; }
+    const Vec3i& anchor() const { return handle; }
+    void setAnchor(const Vec3i& anchor) { handle = anchor; }
+
+    std::size_t volume() const;
+    std::size_t filledCount() const { return present.count(); }
+    bool empty() const { return volume() == 0u; }
+
+    bool inBounds(int x, int y, int z) const;
+    Block at(int x, int y, int z) const;
+    bool filledAt(int x, int y, int z) const;
+    void put(int x, int y, int z, Block block, bool filled = true);
+    void clearCell(int x, int y, int z);
+
+    ClipboardBuffer rotatedY(Rotation rotation) const;
+    ClipboardBuffer mirrored(MirrorAxis axis) const;
+    ClipboardBuffer trimmed() const;
+
+    bool sameContent(const ClipboardBuffer& other) const;
+
+    const std::vector<Block>& raw() const { return blocks; }
+    const SelectionMask& presence() const { return present; }
+
+private:
+    std::size_t indexOf(int x, int y, int z) const;
+
+    Vec3i size{0, 0, 0};
+    Vec3i handle{0, 0, 0};
+    std::vector<Block> blocks;
+    SelectionMask present;
+};
+
+// Everything the reader needs before it touches the block stream. paletteSize
+// and indexBits are kept in sync with the buffer, so they describe what the
+// next encode() would emit.
+struct SchematicHeader {
+    SchematicVersion version = SchematicVersion::V2;
+    Vec3i dims{0, 0, 0};
+    Vec3i anchor{0, 0, 0};
+    std::string name;
+    std::string author;
+    uint64_t tick = 0;
+    uint16_t paletteSize = 0;
+    uint8_t indexBits = 0;
+    bool hasVoidMask = false;
+};
+
+// A portable construction: header plus block volume, encoded into a byte buffer
+// and nothing else. No path, no stream, no clock - the creation time is a game
+// tick handed in by the caller.
+class Schematic {
+public:
+    Schematic() = default;
+
+    static Schematic capture(const World& world, const Selection& selection,
+                             const std::string& name, const std::string& author, uint64_t tick);
+    static Schematic fromBuffer(const ClipboardBuffer& buffer, const std::string& name,
+                                const std::string& author, uint64_t tick);
+
+    const SchematicHeader& header() const { return meta; }
+    const ClipboardBuffer& buffer() const { return cells; }
+    bool migratedFromV1() const { return migrated; }
+
+    void setName(const std::string& name) { meta.name = name; }
+    void setAuthor(const std::string& author) { meta.author = author; }
+    void setTick(uint64_t tick) { meta.tick = tick; }
+    void setAnchor(const Vec3i& anchor);
+
+    ByteBuffer encode() const;
+    ByteBuffer encode(SchematicVersion version) const;
+    static SchematicError decode(const uint8_t* data, std::size_t size, Schematic& out);
+
+    void rotate(Rotation rotation);
+    void mirror(MirrorAxis axis);
+    void trim();
+
+    std::size_t pasteInto(World& world, const Vec3i& target, ClipboardBuffer::PasteMode mode) const;
+    std::size_t pasteInto(World& world, EditHistory& history, const Vec3i& target,
+                          ClipboardBuffer::PasteMode mode, uint64_t tick) const;
+
+    static const char* errorText(SchematicError error);
+    static uint8_t bitsForPalette(std::size_t paletteSize);
+
+private:
+    void refreshHeaderFromBuffer();
+
+    SchematicHeader meta;
+    ClipboardBuffer cells;
+    bool migrated = false;
+};
+
+} // namespace vf