higgsfield-troubleshoot

# Higgsfield Troubleshooting Guide

## QUICK FACTS
*Generated-checked block (scripts/build_index.py verifies anchors). Read the linked sections for full context — these lines are routing aids, not the rules themselves.*
- Face inconsistency, dead camera moves, ignored prompts, static i2v, blocked dark content — the per-problem fix list [→](#common-problems-fixes)
- Kling 3.0 Motion Control failures are almost always upstream of the prompt: reference clip, character image, or orientation/scene-source settings [→](#motion-control-failures-kling-30)
- Pre-generation checklist: subject, action, named camera preset, style, grade, aspect, <200 words (short-form regime) [→](#pre-generation-checklist)
- Seedance/Cinema Studio symptom table + diagnostic flowchart: blurry = overspecified; chaotic camera = One-Move Rule violated; wrong character = prompt re-describes the reference [→](#cinema-studio-30-seedance-20-diagnostic-tree)
- Every delivered take gets ONE of five verdicts before anything re-fires: keep / fix-in-post / edit / re-roll / rewrite [→](#take-triage-five-verdicts-for-a-delivered-take)
- Two takes with the same flaw = rewrite, by rule; different flaws per roll = stochastic → batch-and-cull, not rewrite [→](#take-triage-five-verdicts-for-a-delivered-take)
- Re-roll = same prompt again, unchanged — no seed parameter on this surface; every roll is a fresh sample [→](#take-triage-five-verdicts-for-a-delivered-take)
- Change exactly one variable between takes so causality stays readable [→](#one-variable-per-retake)
- Declare the take budget AND a written "good enough" bar before take one; half-budget with no progress forces a strategy change [→](#attempt-budget-declared-before-take-one-heuristic)
- The shot log is the ledger row — one line per take, changed variable in `notes` [→](#the-shot-log-is-the-ledger-row)
- Continuation/extension defects: 12-row symptom → cause → single-repair-variable atlas (planned-vs-observed opening, motion-vector drop, prop contradictions, chain-depth drift…) [→](#sequence-continuation-failure-atlas)
- Retry Ladder: 4 terminating rungs — re-run once verbatim → treat 2nd failure as over-packing → switch model for that shot → stop after 3 paid attempts with named options [→](#retry-ladder-a-failed-take-edits-the-plan-not-just-the-dice)
- Log EVERY confirmed fix to learning memory, and check memory first before troubleshooting [→](#log-the-outcome-always)
- Vision-grounded diagnosis (stills only): vision proposes the `reject_reason`, the human confirms — advisory until a class clears the agreement gate [→](#vision-grounded-diagnosis-classify-the-rejected-still-dont-guess)

## Common Problems & Fixes

### Problem: Character face is inconsistent or morphing
**Cause:** No Soul ID reference; prompt has conflicting appearance descriptions
**Fix:**
- Create a Soul ID reference and use it in subsequent generations
- Remove any appearance descriptions that contradict each other
- For image-to-video: don't re-describe the face — let the input image carry it
- Use Kling 3.0 for best character consistency (or Kling 2.6 if no audio needed)

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### Problem: Camera movement isn't working / is generic
**Cause:** Camera described vaguely, not using exact preset names
**Fix:**
- Replace generic descriptions with exact preset names: "Dolly In", "FPV Drone", "360 Orbit"
- Put the camera instruction on its own line or clearly labeled: "Camera: [name]"
- Don't describe what the camera is doing in prose — name the control directly

---

### Problem: Prompt is ignored / output doesn't match
**Cause:** Prompt too long, conflicting instructions, over-specified
**Fix:**
- Cut prompt to under 200 words — trim the least essential details (short-form prompts only; block-scaffold production briefs are a different regime — root `SKILL.md` HARD RULE 8)
- Remove any contradictory elements (don't say both "moving fast" and "frozen in place")
- Lead with the most important element: Subject → Action → Camera → Style
- Split complex scenes into multiple separate generations

---

### Problem: Visual style looks wrong / generic
**Cause:** No style specified, or style description too vague
**Fix:**
- Add one of the named styles: Cinematic / VHS / Super 8MM / Anamorphic / Abstract
- Add a specific color grade description: "cold teal and orange", "warm golden amber"
- Specify aspect ratio: 16:9 / 9:16 / 2.35:1
- Add lighting: "golden hour", "neon", "practical only", "overcast"

---

### Problem: Motion preset effect isn't visible
**Cause:** Preset not explicitly named, or scene context doesn't support the effect
**Fix:**
- Name the preset exactly as it appears in the library: "Apply Explosion preset"
- Place the preset instruction at the end of the prompt, clearly labeled
- Make sure the scene context supports the preset — e.g., Animalization needs a subject
  who can logically transform

---

### Problem: Image-to-video barely moves / is static
**Cause:** Prompt re-describes the static elements instead of what should animate
**Fix:**
- Only describe what **changes or moves** — not what is already visible in the image
- Add an explicit camera movement: "Camera: Dolly In" or "Camera: slow Arc"
- Specify the motion type: "hair gently lifts", "eyes blink", "she turns slowly left"
- Add atmospheric motion: "dust floats upward", "light flickers", "steam rises"

---

### Problem: VFX preset looks too artificial / cartoonish
**Cause:** Wrong model for the preset, or prompt style conflicts with effect
**Fix:**
- For grounded presets (Explosion, Freezing): use Kling 3.0 or 2.6 for realism
- For stylized presets (Animalization, Multiverse): use Wan 2.5 — leans into the style
- Add "photorealistic", "physically accurate", "cinematic quality" to the prompt

---

### Problem: Product shots look cheap or over-lit
**Cause:** No lighting specification, background too plain
**Fix:**
- Specify the background surface: "raw concrete", "warm wood grain", "black velvet"
- Add specific lighting: "soft side-light", "over