character-browser/DEVELOPMENT_GUIDE.md

Feature Development Guide: Gallery Pages & Character Integration

This guide outlines the architectural patterns and best practices developed during the implementation of the Actions and Outfits galleries. Use this as a blueprint for adding similar features (e.g., "Scenes", "Props", "Effects").

1. Data Model & Persistence

• Database Model: Add a new class in models.py. Include default_fields (JSON) to support persistent prompt selections.
• JSON Sync: Implement a sync_[feature]() function in app.py to keep the SQLite database in sync with the data/[feature]/*.json files.
• Slugs: Use URL-safe slugs generated from the ID for clean routing.

2. Triple LoRA Chaining

Our workflow supports chaining three distinct LoRAs from specific directories:

1. Character: Illustrious/Looks/ (Node 16)
2. Outfit: Illustrious/Clothing/ (Node 17)
3. Action/Feature: Illustrious/Poses/ (Node 18)

Implementation Detail: In _prepare_workflow, LoRAs must be chained sequentially. If a previous LoRA is missing, the next one must "reach back" to the Checkpoint (Node 4) or the last valid node in the chain to maintain the model/CLIP connection.

3. Adetailer Routing

To improve generation quality, route specific JSON sub-fields to targeted Adetailers:

• Face Detailer (Node 14): Receives character_name, expression, and action-specific head/eyes tags.
• Hand Detailer (Node 15): Receives priority hand tags (Wardrobe Gloves > Wardrobe Hands > Identity Hands) and action-specific arms/hands tags.

4. character-Integrated Previews

The "Killer Feature" is previewing a standalone item (like an Action or Outfit) on a specific character.

Logic Flow:

1. Merge Data: Copy character.data.
2. Override/Merge: Replace character defaults with feature-specific tags (e.g., Action pose overrides Character pose).
3. Context Injection: Append character-specific styles (e.g., [primary_color] simple background) to the main prompt.
4. Auto-Selection: When a character is selected, ensure their identity and wardrobe fields are automatically included in the prompt, even if the feature page has its own manual checkboxes.

5. UI/UX Patterns

• Selection Boxes: Use checkboxes next to field labels to allow users to toggle specific tags.
• Default Selection: Implement a "Save as Default Selection" button that persists the current checkbox state to the database.
• Session State: Store the last selected character and field preferences in the Flask session to provide a seamless experience when navigating between items.
• AJAX Generation: Use the WebSocket + Polling hybrid pattern in the frontend to show real-time progress bars without page reloads.

6. Directory Isolation

Always isolate LoRAs by purpose to prevent dropdown clutter:

• get_available_loras() -> Characters
• get_available_clothing_loras() -> Outfits
• get_available_action_loras() -> Actions/Poses