SETTINGS EXPLAINED
==================

When you generate an image, you're not just typing a prompt. There's a
whole control panel of settings that affect how the AI works. Here's
what each one does in plain English.


SAMPLER METHOD
--------------

What it is:
  The mathematical recipe the AI uses to build your image from noise.
  Think of it like different brush techniques - same paint, different
  results.

The ones we use:

  euler_karras
    Smooth, consistent results. Good all-rounder. We use this for
    Bridgetoons and Arthemy.

  dpm++_karras
    Slightly sharper details, good for photorealistic stuff. We use
    this for Cyberrealistic and Realism.

  euler_a (euler ancestral)
    More random/creative variation between generations. Same seed
    won't give identical results. Good for exploration.

The "_karras" part:
  A noise schedule that improves quality. If you see a sampler with
  and without "_karras", pick the karras version.

Bottom line:
  Just use what's recommended for each model. These were tested.


STEPS
-----

What it is:
  How many times the AI refines the image. Starts as pure noise,
  gets clearer each step.

Too few (under 20):
  Image looks rough, unfinished, maybe blurry.

Sweet spot (25-45):
  Where most good images happen. More steps = more detail, but
  diminishing returns after a point.

Too many (over 60):
  Wastes time. Image might get "overcooked" - weird artifacts.

Our models:
  Realism: 27 steps
  Cyberrealistic: 35 steps
  Bridgetoons: 38 steps
  Arthemy: 45 steps

Why different numbers? Each model was trained differently and hits its
sweet spot at different step counts.


CFG SCALE (Classifier-Free Guidance)
------------------------------------

What it is:
  How strictly the AI follows your prompt versus doing its own thing.

Low CFG (3-5):
  AI takes more creative liberty. Softer, more natural looking.
  Good for photorealistic models.

Medium CFG (6-8):
  Balanced. Follows prompt well but still looks natural.

High CFG (9-15):
  Very literal interpretation. Can look artificial or "crunchy"
  if pushed too high. Colors might oversaturate.

Our models:
  Realism: 4.0
  Cyberrealistic: 4.5
  Bridgetoons: 6.0
  Arthemy: 6.0

Notice the photorealistic models use lower CFG - they need that
creative freedom to look natural.


CLIP SKIP
---------

What it is:
  CLIP is the part that translates your text into something the AI
  understands. "Clip skip" means skipping some layers of that process.

Clip skip 1:
  Uses all layers. More literal, sometimes too literal.

Clip skip 2:
  Skips the last layer. More artistic interpretation. This is what
  anime and illustration models prefer.

Our models:
  ALL USE CLIP SKIP 2

Set it once and forget it for these models.


SEED
----

What it is:
  The random starting point for generation. Same seed + same settings
  = same image (mostly).

How to use it:
  -1 = random seed each time (default, good for exploring)
  Specific number = reproduce that exact result

Pro tip:
  Find an image you like? Note the seed. Then tweak the prompt
  slightly and keep the seed to iterate on that composition.


RESOLUTION (Width x Height)
---------------------------

What it is:
  Image dimensions in pixels.

Why it matters:
  Models are trained on specific resolutions. Stray too far and
  you get weird results - stretched faces, duplicated body parts.

Our models:
  Bridgetoons: 672x1200 (portrait)
  Cyberrealistic: 832x1216 (portrait)
  Realism: 896x1152 (portrait)
  Arthemy: 1024x1344 (portrait)

Stick to these. If you need landscape, swap width and height.


HIRES FIX (High Resolution Fix)
-------------------------------

What it is:
  A two-pass process. First generates a smaller image, then upscales
  and adds detail in a second pass.

Why it exists:
  SDXL struggles with fine details (especially eyes and hands) when
  generating large images directly. Hires fix works around this.

The settings:

  Hires upscale: 2.0
    How much bigger. 2x means a 672x1200 image becomes 1344x2400.

  Hires steps: 15
    How many refinement steps in the second pass.

  Hires upscaler: Lanczos
    The algorithm used to enlarge. Lanczos is sharp and clean.

  Denoising strength: 0.2-0.3
    How much the second pass can change things. Lower = closer to
    original. Higher = more freedom to add/change details.
    - 0.2 = subtle refinement (Arthemy)
    - 0.3 = moderate refinement (Bridgetoons)

Our models with Hires Fix:
  Bridgetoons: YES (2x, Lanczos, 0.3 denoise, 15 steps)
  Arthemy: YES (2x, Lanczos, 0.2 denoise, 15 steps)

Our models without Hires Fix:
  Cyberrealistic: NO
  Realism: NO

Why some models don't use it:
  On Apple Silicon (Macs with M1/M2/M3), hires fix can produce
  artifacts - blurry patches or weird scan lines. We disable it
  for models where it caused problems.


BATCH SIZE AND BATCH COUNT
--------------------------

Batch size:
  How many images to generate simultaneously. Uses more memory.
  Keep at 1 unless you have tons of RAM/VRAM.

Batch count:
  How many times to run generation. Makes images sequentially.
  Set to 4 to get 4 different variations of your prompt.


PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
-----------------------

When you're starting out:

  1. Pick your model
  2. Use its recommended settings (sampler, steps, CFG, resolution)
  3. Set Clip Skip to 2
  4. Leave seed at -1 for random
  5. Enable Hires Fix only for Bridgetoons and Arthemy
  6. Write your prompt and hit Generate

Once you get comfortable, experiment. But start with the known-good
settings so you have a baseline.