Evolution of central specific entropy as a function of the initial mass for different evolutionary stages from core hydrogen depletion until core collapse. Key differences in the final entropy start to appear at the end of core carbon burning. Red markers indicate three models computed with a nuclear network comprising 128 isotopes. Taking into account a greater number of nuclear reactions generally leads to a slightly lower final central entropy, though the general qualitative pattern of the compactness peak is unchanged. The characteristic final landscape is already mostly determined at the end of core Ne burning and remains until core collapse.