Clarify H3 long videos guide behavior

H3_LONG_VIDEOS_GUIDE.md

@@ -150,6 +150,17 @@ This controls how the prompt box is split into beats.
 - `auto`: blank lines first, then multi-line paragraphs can still split line by line
 - `each line`: every content line becomes a beat
 
+What this really means:
+
+- A beat is one shot.
+- If the node accidentally reads two actions as one beat, it tries to do both in one shot.
+- If it accidentally reads one action as two beats, it creates an extra cut.
+
+So this setting is really about:
+
+- how many shots the node will make
+- where the cuts happen
+
 ### `character_memory`
 
 Persistent wardrobe and style memory for tracked characters.
@@ -159,6 +170,13 @@ Good for:
 - clothing that should stay stable
 - clothing changes you want to control clearly
 
+What this really means:
+
+- The anchor is the permanent identity and scene language.
+- `character_memory` is the persistent clothing and worn-item memory.
+- If you put clothing in the anchor prose, the node keeps restating it forever.
+- If you put clothing in `character_memory`, the node can change or remove it later.
+
 ### `auto_wardrobe`
 
 Lets the node detect clothing removals directly from beat prose.
@@ -325,18 +343,44 @@ If you need around 20 seconds of action, you usually need:
 
 These settings control how one beat connects to the next.
 
+What continuity means here:
+
+- Beat 1 renders a shot.
+- The node can take the end of that shot and feed it into beat 2 in different ways.
+- That carry-over is what makes a chain feel like one continuous take instead of a series of disconnected clips.
+
+There are two main kinds of carry-over:
+
+- a real keyframe anchor
+- a softer "use this as a reference image too" carry
+
+The real keyframe is stronger for continuity.
+The reference-image carry is weaker, but can coexist more safely with some ref setups.
+
 ### `first_frame`
 
 Optional opening keyframe for shot 1.
 
 If empty, the first shot begins from text/reference conditioning alone.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- This is only for the start of the chain.
+- It does not control later shot transitions unless beat 1 hands its final frame forward.
+- If you want the opening shot to start from a specific composition or pose, use this.
+
 ### `trim_seam`
 
 Drops the first frame of each later shot.
 
 Use this to avoid showing the same handoff moment twice.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- The next shot often begins by reproducing the frame it was handed.
+- If you keep that frame, you see the same instant twice.
+- Trimming the seam hides that duplicate frame and makes motion feel smoother.
+
 ### `handoff_offset`
 
 Hands an earlier frame to the next shot instead of the literal last frame.
@@ -346,6 +390,13 @@ Useful when:
 - a shot ends with an open mouth
 - the next shot starts with awkward lip motion
 
+What this really means:
+
+- The literal final frame of a shot can be a bad frame to continue from.
+- Example: a character is mid-word, mouth wide open.
+- If the next shot starts from that exact frame, the new shot can begin with ugly mouth motion.
+- Offsetting by a few frames lets the node hand forward a cleaner pose.
+
 ### `vary_seed_per_shot`
 
 Changes the seed between beats.
@@ -354,6 +405,15 @@ Usually leave this off for a continuous take.
 
 Turning it on makes cuts feel more separate because micro-detail resets between beats.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- The overall person and scene can still be "the same" in a broad sense.
+- But tiny details like skin texture, cloth texture, grain, and little surface quirks will refresh at each beat.
+- So this is often the difference between:
+  a true continuous-feeling chain
+  and
+  a sequence of visually related separate shots
+
 ### Beat-Level `continuity:`
 
 You can override continuity for one beat inside the beat text.
@@ -367,6 +427,103 @@ continuity: handoff ref
 continuity: soft carry
 ```
 
+What each option really does:
+
+### `continuity: hard cut`
+
+The next beat starts fresh.
+
+In practice:
+
+- do not carry the previous shot forward as a keyframe
+- do not treat the previous shot as a continuation anchor
+- let the new beat begin like a new setup
+
+Use it when:
+
+- you want a deliberate cut
+- the previous shot ended in a bad transition state
+- wardrobe/state changed and you do not want the old frame dragging that state into the next shot
+
+### `continuity: keyframe carry`
+
+The next beat starts from the previous frame as a real anchor.
+
+In practice:
+
+- the node tells the new shot to start from that exact handed-forward frame
+- this is the strongest continuity mode
+
+Use it when:
+
+- you want the new beat to feel like the same take continued
+- you care more about continuity than about allowing the new beat to re-compose itself freely
+
+Risk:
+
+- if the carried frame is bad, awkward, or mid-transition, the next shot inherits that problem
+
+### `continuity: handoff ref`
+
+The previous frame is carried as an extra reference image instead of as the strict starting keyframe.
+
+In practice:
+
+- the new shot is shown the previous frame as guidance
+- but it is not forced to literally begin from it
+
+Use it when:
+
+- you still want some continuity
+- but a real keyframe carry is too rigid
+- or the shot is already heavily reference-conditioned and you want a softer transition
+
+Trade-off:
+
+- smoother than a hard cut
+- weaker than a true keyframe carry
+
+### `continuity: soft carry`
+
+Carry the previous shot only if the new shot is not already using references.
+
+In practice:
+
+- if the beat has no ref images, the handoff can carry forward
+- if the beat is already ref-conditioned, the shot is allowed to begin more independently
+
+Use it when:
+
+- you want a sensible default
+- you want continuity where it fits
+- but you do not want every ref-conditioned beat forced too hard to the last frame
+
+### When To Use Which One
+
+Use this mental model:
+
+- `hard cut` = new shot, start fresh
+- `keyframe carry` = continue the same take
+- `handoff ref` = remind the new shot where it came from
+- `soft carry` = continue when convenient, back off when refs already dominate
+
+### How continuity settings work together
+
+The final transition is shaped by all of these together:
+
+- `first_frame`
+- `trim_seam`
+- `handoff_offset`
+- `vary_seed_per_shot`
+- beat-level `continuity:`
+- whether the shot is also carrying character/location refs
+
+Example:
+
+- `keyframe carry` plus `trim_seam` plus stable seed usually gives the smoothest chain
+- `hard cut` plus different seed gives the most separate-looking next shot
+- `handoff ref` is the in-between option
+
 ## Group 5: References And Identity
 
 These settings decide how reference images are used.
@@ -404,6 +561,88 @@ Modes:
 - `every shot`: references on every shot
 - `every shot + handoff ref`: references on every shot plus previous frame as an extra soft ref
 
+What this really means:
+
+- `ref_mode` decides when H3 actually sees the reference images.
+- This is not just about prompt words. It controls whether the images themselves are part of the conditioning for that beat.
+
+### `auto ref2v`
+
+Best general default.
+
+What it does:
+
+- if the prompt uses `<Picture N>` tags, those tags control placement
+- if there are no tags anywhere, all connected refs are used on every shot
+
+Why this exists:
+
+- single-character chains often want identity support on every beat
+- forcing tags for every shot would be annoying
+
+### `where tagged`
+
+Strict explicit routing.
+
+What it does:
+
+- if tags exist, only the tagged shots get those refs
+- if there are no tags at all, it falls back to first-shot behavior
+
+Use it when:
+
+- you want exact manual control
+- you do not want every beat pulling every ref
+
+### `first shot`
+
+Use refs only to establish the look at the start.
+
+What it does:
+
+- beat 1 gets the refs
+- later beats rely on continuity from the chain itself
+
+Use it when:
+
+- you want the look established once
+- then want later shots to flow from the chain rather than keep reasserting the refs
+
+Risk:
+
+- identity can drift later if continuity alone is not strong enough
+
+### `every shot`
+
+Use refs every time.
+
+What it does:
+
+- every beat gets the refs again
+
+Use it when:
+
+- identity drift is the main problem
+- you would rather keep the face stable even if the chain feels more cut-based
+
+Risk:
+
+- transitions can feel less like one continuous take
+
+### `every shot + handoff ref`
+
+Use the references every time and also carry the previous shot as another soft reference.
+
+What it does:
+
+- keep identity pressure high
+- still remind the next beat what the previous shot looked like
+
+Use it when:
+
+- you want both identity support and some transition support
+- but you do not want a hard keyframe carry
+
 ### `ref_image_size`
 
 Controls how large the reference is encoded.
@@ -411,6 +650,13 @@ Controls how large the reference is encoded.
 - `match`: cheaper, usually enough
 - `max`: stronger identity/location fidelity, slower and heavier
 
+What this really means:
+
+- `match` keeps the ref conditioning lighter and cheaper
+- `max` gives the model a larger, richer reference encoding
+
+If faces are drifting and the card can handle it, `max` is one of the first things to try.
+
 ### `ref_noise_aug`
 
 Controls how literally the model follows the reference image.
@@ -427,6 +673,13 @@ Lower:
 - more approximate
 - more likely to drift
 
+What this really means:
+
+- high values say "follow this reference closely"
+- lower values say "take this more as guidance"
+
+So this is one of the main identity-strength knobs.
+
 ### Beat-Level `ref_mode:` And `ref_noise_aug:`
 
 You can override these inside a beat.
@@ -453,6 +706,13 @@ Simple usage patterns:
 - one location plus named characters: use character names in the beat and tag the location when needed
 - exact slot control: use explicit `<Picture N>` tags
 
+What to remember:
+
+- tags control explicit slot placement
+- names can pull matching character refs into the real image-conditioning list
+- location refs are often tagged because they are about where the shot happens
+- character refs are often named because they are about who is in the shot
+
 ## Group 6: Audio And Sound
 
 These settings shape the soundtrack behavior.
@@ -486,10 +746,22 @@ Modes:
 
 Adds prompt-side silence control to beats with no quoted dialogue.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- the node tells H3 "nobody is speaking here"
+- this helps stop random mouth motion and random voice babble
+- but it is still only prompt guidance, not a hard guarantee
+
 ### `allow_nonspeech_vocals`
 
 Allows screams, gasps, sobs, and similar non-dialogue sounds in otherwise non-speaking beats.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- you still do not want speech
+- but you do want human vocal sounds
+- this is the "let them cry, gasp, scream, groan" option
+
 ### `mute_nonspeech_audio`
 
 Hard mutes the audio for non-dialogue beats.
@@ -500,6 +772,12 @@ Trade-off:
 
 - you also lose the generated ambience for those beats
 
+What this really means:
+
+- if the beat has no dialogue, the node can zero that beat's audio
+- this is the most reliable way to stop H3 inventing speech
+- but it also deletes any nice incidental ambience H3 might have generated for that beat
+
 ### `mute_fade_ms`
 
 Smooths the edges of audible shots next to muted ones.
@@ -511,6 +789,11 @@ There are two layers:
 - prompt-level guidance
 - hard muting
 
+That means:
+
+- `auto_silence_nonspeech` is the polite request
+- `mute_nonspeech_audio` is the hard enforcement
+
 If you want the safest anti-babble setup:
 
 - leave `auto_silence_nonspeech` on
@@ -552,6 +835,12 @@ This is the optional second pass.
 
 Enables the refinement pass.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- the node renders the beat once
+- then runs a second sampler pass over that result
+- the goal is to polish, not to invent a whole different shot
+
 ### `detail_sampler_name`
 
 Sampler for the refinement pass.
@@ -564,10 +853,21 @@ Scheduler for the refinement pass.
 
 Extra steps for the refinement pass.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- more steps gives the second pass more opportunity to change the image
+- that can help detail
+- but after a point it stops being "cleanup" and starts becoming "rewrite"
+
 ### `detail_denoise`
 
 How strongly the refinement pass is allowed to rewrite the beat.
 
+What this really means:
+
+- low denoise = polish what is already there
+- high denoise = let the second pass substantially alter what is already there
+
 ### How The Detail-Pass Settings Work Together
 
 The detail pass starts from the first-pass result and tries to polish it.
@@ -588,6 +888,13 @@ Aggressive settings can improve texture, but they can also:
 - pull away from references
 - break continuity
 
+That is why this group should be read as one combined strength control:
+
+- `detail_pass` decides whether the second pass exists
+- `detail_steps` decides how long it keeps working
+- `detail_denoise` decides how free it is to change things
+- `detail_sampler_name` and `detail_scheduler` shape how that rewrite behaves
+
 Good starting point:
 
 - `detail_pass = on`