Character Pipeline
This skill is stills-only. It builds reusable identity assets so the same person holds across plates and composites. If the user wants motion after that, hand off the approved scene still + sheets to video-prompting / cinematic-motion — do not own generate_video here.
Pipeline (hard order)
1. Hero still generate_image (or import_media / user photo) 2. Multi-angle sheet generate_image with referenceMediaRefs = [hero] bust sheet default; optional full-body turnaround 3. Environment plate generate_image — empty set, locked camera/light 4. Scene placement generate_image: env plate + sheet (+ optional wardrobe) 5. Fidelity close-up optional generate_image or capture_frame from the scene still
Do not skip to scene placement without an approved sheet. Reroll stills until lighting and identity pass.
Session gates
get_timeline→canGeneratelist_models({ type: "image" })- Propose each paid generation; wait for confirmation
- Folders e.g.
Character/Hero,Character/Sheets,Character/Scenes
Model picks
Confirm via list_models:
| Step | Prefer |
|---|---|
| Hero / sheet / env / scene | grok-imagine, gpt-image-2, or seedream-v5-pro (photoreal trio) |
Prefer gpt-image-2 / seedream-v5-pro for any step that needs referenceMediaRefs if the current Grok build rejects refs. Trust each model's aspect/resolution enums from list_models.
Step 1 — Hero still
Clear identity plate. Prefer candid editorial over beauty-retouch.
Include: age/skin/hair/eyes/expression; simple stable wardrobe; repeatable light; skin texture preserved (pores — no smoothing).
Avoid: unrepeatable glam grade; extreme pose that fights the sheet; busy BG that leaks into identity.
If the user supplies a photo, import_media and skip generation.
Step 2 — Character sheet
generate_image with referenceMediaRefs: [heroMediaRef].
Head / bust sheet (default — identity lock)
- 4 views in one continuous image, left → right: front, left profile, right profile, back of head
- No white gutters, borders, frames, or panel dividers — seamless shared grey BG
- Neutral light grey BG; even studio light; no color cast
- Same crop, height, distance every view (chest-up / bust)
- Identical simple wardrobe; neutral expression unless asked otherwise
- Exact facial structure from hero
- Detail emphasis: razor-sharp focus, pores/microtexture, hair strands, fabric weave — no soft blur / beauty mush
- Clinical identity sheet — not fashion/editorial
- No vignette, no grade, no text watermark
For GPT Image 2: quality: "high" and prefer 3840x2160 (or at least 2560x1440) when detail matters.
Full-body turnaround (optional — wardrobe / silhouette)
When scene placement needs legs, stance, or clothing behavior:
- 4 full-body views in one continuous image — same no-gutter rules
- Shared grey floor+BG; identical wardrobe; consistent height/stance
- Head still matches hero; proportions consistent across views
- Same detail emphasis;
quality: "high"+ high res when available
Keep both when useful: bust sheet for face lock; full-body for whole-figure staging.
Step 3 — Environment plate
Empty set only — no people. Lock camera, furniture, and lighting before the insert.
State practicals explicitly (window cool vs lamp warm, etc.) so scene placement has sources to match.
Step 4 — Scene placement still
Composite the character into the locked environment plate.
Preserve the entire scene exactly: <env elements>. Do not alter camera angle, framing, perspective, or environment. Insert the subject from the character reference sheet — <short identity anchors>. Pose: <body contacts, gaze, expression>. Wardrobe: <from clothing ref if any — fabric behavior in THIS pose>. Anatomy fully correct — natural joints, no elongation, believable foreshortening. Match the scene's existing light direction, color temperature, intensity, and softness exactly — subject lit only by sources visible in the plate (no extra beauty key). Warm/cool splits, falloff, and contact shadows must match furniture in the plate. Skin texture preserved — no retouching.
referenceMediaRefs order: [environmentPlate, characterSheet, …] — state each ref's job in the prompt.
Environment plate wins on camera, set, and lighting. Sheet wins on face. If the insert looks beauty-lit or flatter than the plate, reroll with explicit dual-source / falloff language.
Identity lock block
Keep a short stable paragraph and paste into every later still prompt (update to the actual character):
Olive-warm skin, dark brown eyes, strong brow, full lips, high cheekbones, defined jawline, long dark brunette hair with natural wave. Natural skin texture — visible pores, no smoothing.
Consistency > poetry.
Wardrobe changes
- Neutral garment on the identity sheet when possible
- Separate clothing still via
generate_image/ import - Scene placement binds fabric behavior to pose
Anti-patterns
- Jumping to video from this skill (hand off instead)
- Sheet panels with gutters or different light/crop → four different people
- Soft / low-res sheets when face lock matters
- Scene placement that “improves” the plate's camera or beauty-relights the subject
- Rewording identity every call → slow face melt
Handoff (optional)
When stills are approved and the user wants motion: pass scene still + sheets to video-prompting / cinematic-motion. Suggested ref ranking for those skills: env/scene → sheet → face close-up — declared in their prompts, not here.
