diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
index 5760bfa17a..6edf5eb03b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ on:
       - main
 
 env:
-  MAIN_PYTHON_VERSION: '3.13'
+  MAIN_PYTHON_VERSION: '3.12'
   PACKAGE_NAME: 'ansys-geometry-core'
   DOCUMENTATION_CNAME: 'geometry.docs.pyansys.com'
   ANSRV_GEO_IMAGE: 'ghcr.io/ansys/geometry'
@@ -102,20 +102,71 @@ jobs:
           directory: docker
           recursive: true
 
+  manifests:
+    name: Check Docker manifests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      skip_dms: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_dms }}
+      skip_core_windows: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_windows }}
+      skip_core_linux: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_linux }}
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - container-stable: "windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "dms"
+            service-name: "Windows DMS"
+          - container-stable: "core-windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_windows"
+            service-name: "Windows Core Service"
+          - container-stable: "core-linux-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-linux-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_linux"
+            service-name: "Linux Core Service"
+    steps:
+      - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Check ${{ matrix.service-name }} manifest
+        id: services
+        run: |
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-stable }} > ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-unstable }} > ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json || true
+
+          # Verify that the unstable manifest exists - otherwise create an empty file
+          if [ ! -f ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json ]; then
+            touch ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json
+          fi
+
+
+          # Check if the manifests are the same (and if so, create an output that will skip the next job)
+          if diff ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json; then
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are the same... skipping"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=1" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are different"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
 # =================================================================================================
 # vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv    RUNNING ON SELF-HOSTED RUNNER    vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
 # =================================================================================================
 
   testing-windows:
     name: Testing and coverage (Windows)
-    needs: [smoke-tests]
+    needs: [smoke-tests, manifests]
     # runs-on: [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     runs-on: # TODO: Waiting for ansys-network runner to be updated
       group: pyansys-self-hosted
       labels:  [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.experimental }}
     env:
-      SKIP_UNSTABLE: ${{ vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY == 1 && matrix.experimental }}
+      SKIP_UNSTABLE: false
       PYVISTA_OFF_SCREEN: true
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -131,6 +182,30 @@ jobs:
             experimental: true
 
     steps:
+      - name: Calculate SKIP_UNSTABLE
+        if: matrix.experimental
+        run: |
+          # Choose the manifests output to consider (for DMS or Core service)
+          # based on the matrix value
+          if ("${{ matrix.docker-image }}" -eq "windows-latest-unstable") {
+            $ImagesAreEqual = ${{ needs.manifests.outputs.skip_dms }}
+          } elseif ("${{ matrix.docker-image }}" -eq "core-windows-latest-unstable") {
+            $ImagesAreEqual = ${{ needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_windows }}
+          } else {
+            Write-Output "Unknown docker image"
+            exit 1
+          }
+
+          $A = $env:SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY -eq 1
+          $B = $ImagesAreEqual -eq 1
+
+          # Calculate the logical expression
+          $Result = ($A -or $B).ToString().ToLower()
+
+          # Export it as an environment variable with true/false value
+          Write-Output "SKIP_UNSTABLE=$Result" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Append
+          Write-Output "SKIP_UNSTABLE will be: $Result"
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         if: env.SKIP_UNSTABLE == 'false'
 
@@ -329,11 +404,11 @@ jobs:
 
   testing-linux:
     name: Testing and coverage (Linux)
-    needs: [smoke-tests]
+    needs: [smoke-tests, manifests]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.experimental }}
     env:
-      SKIP_UNSTABLE: ${{ vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY == 1 && matrix.experimental }}
+      SKIP_UNSTABLE: false
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -344,6 +419,28 @@ jobs:
             experimental: true
 
     steps:
+      - name: Calculate SKIP_UNSTABLE
+        if: matrix.experimental
+        run: |
+          # Choose the manifests output to consider (for Core service)
+          # based on the matrix value
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.docker-image }}" == "core-linux-latest-unstable" ]]; then
+            ImagesAreEqual=${{ needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_linux }}
+          else
+            echo "Unknown docker image"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          A=$([[ "$SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY" == "1" ]] && echo true || echo false)
+          B=$([[ "$ImagesAreEqual" == "1" ]] && echo true || echo false)
+
+          # Calculate the logical expression
+          Result=$([[ "$A" == true || "$B" == true ]] && echo true || echo false)
+
+          # Export it as an environment variable with true/false value
+          echo "SKIP_UNSTABLE=$Result" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "SKIP_UNSTABLE will be: $Result"
+
       - name: Login in Github Container registry
         if: env.SKIP_UNSTABLE == 'false'
         uses: docker/login-action@v3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml
index e57ae775f4..af3131626c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Nightly Server test - Latest build
+name: Unstable build tests and promotion
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ on:
       - v*
 
 env:
-  MAIN_PYTHON_VERSION: '3.13'
+  MAIN_PYTHON_VERSION: '3.12'
   ANSRV_GEO_IMAGE_WINDOWS_TAG: ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:windows-latest-unstable
   ANSRV_GEO_IMAGE_WINDOWS_CORE_TAG: ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:core-windows-latest-unstable
   ANSRV_GEO_IMAGE_LINUX_CORE_TAG: ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:core-linux-latest-unstable
@@ -35,13 +35,65 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
 
+  manifests:
+    name: Check Docker manifests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      skip_dms: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_dms }}
+      skip_core_windows: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_windows }}
+      skip_core_linux: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_linux }}
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - container-stable: "windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "dms"
+            service-name: "Windows DMS"
+          - container-stable: "core-windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_windows"
+            service-name: "Windows Core Service"
+          - container-stable: "core-linux-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-linux-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_linux"
+            service-name: "Linux Core Service"
+    steps:
+      - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Check ${{ matrix.service-name }} manifest
+        id: services
+        run: |
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-stable }} > ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-unstable }} > ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json || true
+
+          # Verify that the unstable manifest exists - otherwise create an empty file
+          if [ ! -f ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json ]; then
+            touch ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json
+          fi
+
+
+          # Check if the manifests are the same (and if so, create an output that will skip the next job)
+          if diff ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json; then
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are the same... skipping"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=1" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are different"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
 # =================================================================================================
 # ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^    RUNNING ON SELF-HOSTED RUNNER    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 # =================================================================================================
 
   windows-dms-tests:
-    name: Nightly unstable testing - Windows DMS
-    if: vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY != 1
+    name: Windows DMS
+    needs: manifests
+    if: needs.manifests.outputs.skip_dms == 0
     runs-on: [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     env:
       PYVISTA_OFF_SCREEN: true
@@ -127,12 +179,12 @@ jobs:
             {
               "@type": "MessageCard",
               "@context": "http://schema.org/extensions",
-              "summary": "Nightly Tests for Windows DMS failing",
+              "summary": "Unstable build tests for Windows DMS failing",
               "themeColor": "f44336",
-              "title": "PyAnsys Geometry Nightly Tests - Windows DMS failing",
+              "title": "PyAnsys Geometry unstable build tests - Windows DMS failing",
               "sections": [
                 {
-                  "activityTitle": "Windows DMS nightly tests are failing",
+                  "activityTitle": "Windows DMS unstable build tests are failing",
                   "activitySubtitle": "Check the run for more details: https://github.com/ansys/pyansys-geometry/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}",
                   "facts": [
                     {
@@ -145,8 +197,9 @@ jobs:
             }
 
   windows-core-tests:
-    name: Nightly unstable testing - Windows Core Service
-    if: vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY != 1
+    name: Windows Core Service
+    needs: manifests
+    if: needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_windows == 0
     # runs-on: [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     runs-on: # TODO: Waiting for ansys-network runner to be updated
       group: pyansys-self-hosted
@@ -235,12 +288,12 @@ jobs:
             {
               "@type": "MessageCard",
               "@context": "http://schema.org/extensions",
-              "summary": "Nightly Tests for Windows Core Service failing",
+              "summary": "Unstable build tests for Windows Core Service failing",
               "themeColor": "f44336",
-              "title": "PyAnsys Geometry Nightly Tests - Windows Core Service failing",
+              "title": "PyAnsys Geometry unstable build tests - Windows Core Service failing",
               "sections": [
                 {
-                  "activityTitle": "Windows Core Service nightly tests are failing",
+                  "activityTitle": "Windows Core Service unstable build tests are failing",
                   "activitySubtitle": "Check the run for more details: https://github.com/ansys/pyansys-geometry/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}",
                   "facts": [
                     {
@@ -258,8 +311,9 @@ jobs:
 # =================================================================================================
 
   linux-tests:
-    name: Nightly unstable testing - Linux
-    if: vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY != 1
+    name: Linux Core Service
+    needs: manifests
+    if: needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_linux == 0
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
@@ -300,12 +354,12 @@ jobs:
             {
               "@type": "MessageCard",
               "@context": "http://schema.org/extensions",
-              "summary": "Nightly Tests for Linux failing",
+              "summary": "Unstable build tests for Linux Core Service failing",
               "themeColor": "f44336",
-              "title": "PyAnsys Geometry Nightly Tests - Linux failing",
+              "title": "PyAnsys Geometry unstable build tests - Linux Core Service failing",
               "sections": [
                 {
-                  "activityTitle": "Linux nightly tests are failing",
+                  "activityTitle": "Linux Core Service unstable build tests are failing",
                   "activitySubtitle": "Check the run for more details: https://github.com/ansys/pyansys-geometry/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}",
                   "facts": [
                     {
@@ -318,9 +372,9 @@ jobs:
             }
 
   promote-windows-dms:
-    needs: [windows-dms-tests, windows-core-tests, linux-tests]
+    needs: windows-dms-tests
     runs-on: windows-latest
-    name: Promote Windows container
+    name: Promote Windows DMS container
     if: ${{ github.event.inputs.promote == 'true' || github.event_name == 'schedule' }}
     env:
       WINDOWS_UNSTABLE: ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:windows-latest-unstable
@@ -343,9 +397,9 @@ jobs:
         run: docker push ${{ env.WINDOWS_STABLE_GHCR }}
 
   promote-windows-core:
-    needs: [windows-dms-tests, windows-core-tests, linux-tests]
+    needs: windows-core-tests
     runs-on: windows-latest
-    name: Promote Windows container
+    name: Promote Windows Core Service container
     if: ${{ github.event.inputs.promote == 'true' || github.event_name == 'schedule' }}
     env:
       WINDOWS_UNSTABLE: ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:core-windows-latest-unstable
@@ -368,9 +422,9 @@ jobs:
         run: docker push ${{ env.WINDOWS_STABLE_GHCR }}
 
   promote-linux:
-    needs: [windows-dms-tests, windows-core-tests, linux-tests]
+    needs: linux-tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    name: Promote Linux container
+    name: Promote Linux Core Service container
     if: ${{ github.event.inputs.promote == 'true' || github.event_name == 'schedule' }}
     env:
       LINUX_UNSTABLE: ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:core-linux-latest-unstable
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 3656ada557..89176c0b0e 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ exclude: "tests/integration/files"
 repos:
 
 - repo: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit
-  rev: v0.8.2
+  rev: v0.8.3
   hooks:
     - id: ruff
     - id: ruff-format
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1581.dependencies.md b/doc/changelog.d/1581.dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56b9f21194
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1581.dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bump ansys-api-geometry from 0.4.20 to 0.4.23
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1582.dependencies.md b/doc/changelog.d/1582.dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..81597907a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1582.dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bump ansys-api-geometry from 0.4.23 to 0.4.24
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1583.dependencies.md b/doc/changelog.d/1583.dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4324bfdf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1583.dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bump ansys-tools-visualization-interface from 0.6.0 to 0.6.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1584.fixed.md b/doc/changelog.d/1584.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee772e6165
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1584.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+vtk/pyvista issues
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1586.dependencies.md b/doc/changelog.d/1586.dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..87a0275fa0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1586.dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bump ansys-tools-visualization-interface from 0.6.1 to 0.6.2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1588.maintenance.md b/doc/changelog.d/1588.maintenance.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c655a0905a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1588.maintenance.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pre-commit automatic update
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1589.dependencies.md b/doc/changelog.d/1589.dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b9c5b2fa18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1589.dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+avoid the usage of attrs 24.3.0 (temporary)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1590.dependencies.md b/doc/changelog.d/1590.dependencies.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9b6f267828
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1590.dependencies.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bump jupytext from 1.16.4 to 1.16.5 in the docs-deps group
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1591.maintenance.md b/doc/changelog.d/1591.maintenance.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb94f1814c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1591.maintenance.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+decouple unstable image promotion
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1592.maintenance.md b/doc/changelog.d/1592.maintenance.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef7b20ec82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1592.maintenance.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+skip unnecessary stages when containers are the same
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1b45719377..1920c8c0b8 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ classifiers = [
 ]
 
 dependencies = [
-    "ansys-api-geometry==0.4.20",
+    "ansys-api-geometry==0.4.24",
     "ansys-tools-path>=0.3,<1",
     "ansys-tools-visualization-interface>=0.2.6,<1",
+    "attrs!=24.3.0",
     "beartype>=0.11.0,<0.20",
     "grpcio>=1.35.0,<1.68",
     "grpcio-health-checking>=1.45.0,<1.68",
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ all = [
 tests = [
     "ansys-platform-instancemanagement==1.1.2",
     "ansys-tools-path==0.7.0",
-    "ansys-tools-visualization-interface==0.6.0",
+    "ansys-tools-visualization-interface==0.6.2",
     "beartype==0.19.0",
     "docker==7.1.0",
     "grpcio==1.67.1",
@@ -62,12 +63,12 @@ tests = [
     "pytest-cov==6.0.0",
     "pytest-pyvista==0.1.9",
     "pytest-xvfb==3.0.0",
-    "pyvista[jupyter]==0.44.1",
+    "pyvista[jupyter]==0.44.2",
     "requests==2.32.3",
     "scipy==1.14.1",
     "semver==3.0.2",
     "six==1.17.0",
-    "vtk==9.4.0",
+    "vtk==9.3.1",
 ]
 tests-minimal = [
     "pytest==8.3.4",
@@ -78,14 +79,14 @@ tests-minimal = [
 doc = [
     "ansys-sphinx-theme[autoapi]==1.2.3",
     "ansys-tools-path==0.7.0",
-    "ansys-tools-visualization-interface==0.6.0",
+    "ansys-tools-visualization-interface==0.6.2",
     "beartype==0.19.0",
     "docker==7.1.0",
     "grpcio==1.67.1",
     "grpcio-health-checking==1.67.1",
     "ipyvtklink==0.2.3",
     "jupyter_sphinx==0.5.3",
-    "jupytext==1.16.4",
+    "jupytext==1.16.5",
     "myst-parser==4.0.0",
     "nbconvert==7.16.4",
     "nbsphinx==0.9.5",
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ doc = [
     "panel==1.5.4",
     "Pint==0.24.4",
     "protobuf==5.28.3",
-    "pyvista[jupyter]==0.44.1",
+    "pyvista[jupyter]==0.44.2",
     "requests==2.32.3",
     "scipy==1.14.1",
     "semver==3.0.2",
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ doc = [
     "sphinx-copybutton==0.5.2",
     "sphinx-jinja==2.0.2",
     "trame-vtk==2.8.12",
-    "vtk==9.4.0",
+    "vtk==9.3.1",
 ]
 
 [project.urls]