Entity Image Portfolio

An entity image portfolio is the collection of images attached to a character, prop, or background. Ciaro uses this portfolio as visual source material when you later create storyboard shots and need consistent characters, props, locations, or background looks.

What belongs in a portfolio

A portfolio can contain images from several sources:

• AI-generated images from Create Image
• uploaded reference images
• images saved from the Image editor
• variations or edits of an existing portfolio image
• sketches with editable canvas data

For characters and props, portfolio images usually describe the entity itself. For backgrounds, portfolio images describe the location or scene background and may be tied to a story scene.

Selected image vs stored images

The selected image is the current visual anchor for the entity. It is the image Ciaro treats as the main representation in the project.

The rest of the portfolio is still useful. Those images can be used as references for future image generation, edited in the Image editor, or selected later if they become the better representative image.

How Create Image contributes

Create Image generates a new image for the entity and saves it back into that entity's image collection. In story-scoped Entity Builder, this usually happens inline so the Asset Manager can refresh directly to the entity's Images folder.

After generation succeeds, the portfolio cache refreshes so the new image appears immediately in the entity image list and can be selected or reused.

How the Image editor contributes

The Image editor saves composed canvas output plus editable sketch project data when available. Editing an existing image updates that image record. Saving as a new image adds another portfolio item.

This makes the Image editor useful for cleanup, inpainting, outpainting, object removal, pose changes, and manual composition while keeping the result attached to the same entity.

How portfolios help shot images

When creating shot images, portfolio images act as reusable visual references. They help the system understand what a character, prop, or background should look like instead of relying only on text prompts.

A stronger portfolio usually improves:

• character identity consistency
• prop recognizability
• background continuity
• reference selection for difficult shots
• iteration speed when regenerating or editing shots

Practical workflow

1. Open the entity in Entity Builder.
2. Fill in the important description and outfit or visual details.
3. Use Create Image to generate a few strong options.
4. Upload or edit images when you already have reference material.
5. Select the best representative image.
6. Use portfolio images as reference slots when generating shots (drag from Asset Manager, / chips). See Reference-based generation.