# S14 Side Crop Reference Review

## Status

- Document status: Codex local review.
- Research arm: B.
- Reference input: `projects/2026-06-23-在路上/visual-system/characters/character-anchor-v2-side-reference-crop-tight.png`.
- Generated image: `../outputs/s14-side-crop-reference-v1.png`.
- Review result: usable candidate for user review; not a final project shot.

## Reference Path Evidence

This run is not prompt-only:

- the side crop image was loaded with `view_image` before generation;
- the generation prompt referred to the loaded image as `Image 1`;
- the prompt assigned `Image 1` a side-face identity reference role;
- the output shows direct visual continuity with the reference side profile.

Limitation:

- the built-in image tool does not expose a file-path upload argument in the visible tool schema;
- this proves reference-by-visible-context for the host path, not Garden/API explicit image upload.

## Local Visual Inspection

Visible preserved identity cues:

- side profile is strongly preserved;
- black rectangular glasses preserved;
- dark messy longer hair silhouette preserved;
- fuller beard / stubble preserved;
- middle-aged face impression preserved;
- dark long coat and backpack preserved;
- body reads upright and capable.

Shot-function fit:

- cold underpass / wet concrete edge is present;
- background remains visible enough to read as a city-pressure scene;
- side profile matches the intended `S-14` half-profile function well;
- no obvious text, UI, neon, sci-fi, logo, or watermark.

Drift / watch points:

- the figure is large and visually dominant, near the upper limit for S-14;
- the crop-reference influence is strong, which helps identity but can pull the image toward portrait dominance;
- the scene is slightly darker and moodier than Arm A, which works for S-14 but should be checked against adjacent shots.

## Rubric

| Criterion | Assessment | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Actual reference made available | pass with host-context caveat | `view_image` before generation plus explicit `Image 1` prompt role. |
| Same traveler identity | pass | Strong preservation of side profile, glasses, hair, beard, coat, backpack. |
| Age and dignity | pass | Reads middle-aged and tired but not collapsed. |
| Half-profile S-14 function | pass | Better side-profile control than Arm A. |
| Environment remains meaningful | mostly pass | Background is present, though person dominates more. |
| Avoids major drift | pass | No fashion, hero, cyber/UI, or glamour drift. |

## Codex Read

The side crop is the better primary reference for `S-14`-type half-profile identity shots. It preserves the specific side-face structure and profile cues more tightly than the master board.

Its tradeoff is composition: because the input is a tight identity crop, the generated scene tends to keep the figure larger and more dominant. The prompt should keep a stronger scale constraint if this path is used for production.