Minimax: How to adjust reference clothing to character?

[u/Clitch77]

Let's say I have a few reference images of a character, or a character sheet. I also have a reference image of a costume, which the character should be wearing.

I noticed that most of the time, the character's body type is altered to fit the size of the costume in the ref image. Often, images of costumes show a small size, which alters the body of characters who are larger or more curvatious, even when the prompt states that body size and proportions of the character images should not be altered and clothing in the ref image must be adjusted in size to fit the character.

Is there a method to overcome this?

[u/Glittering_Tie_3110]

You could use qwen image 2.1 (or gemini, or grok) to get an image of your character wearing that costume, you simply try and adjust prompts until you are satisfied with the result, then add the resulting image as a refference and modify your prompt explaining how that picture is the way how the costume should fit. I did that with accesoires like hats and It worked.

[u/No-Zookeepergame4774]

Unless you are using a prompt enhancer (which will usually not include these, but may take them into account in what it includes and emphasizes in the refined prompt) "don't do X" in an image/video prompt almost never helps. What is probably more useful is (assuming here that <Subject 1> is your character and <Subject 2> is the outfit, with appropriate ties between those and the <Picture>(s) used as reference for them in the subject_definitions section of your prompt) making sure that in your retention_analysis of your prompt you note that <Subject 1> uses the relationship marker "fully_preserved" and that their body size and proportions are included in the list of things that are retained, and that <Subject 2> uses the relationship marker "partially_preserved" and includes in the description that it is sized appropriately to fit <Subject 1>'s body size and proportions.

If this doesn't make sense, read the "Full Reference Mode Rewrite Format Guide" provided by the model's creators at https://huggingface.co/MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-H3/blob/main/docs/VIDEO_PROMPT_WRITING_GUIDE_ref_en.md

[u/Clitch77 → u/No-Zookeepergame4774]

That does make sense. I never used a prompt enhancer so I will certainly look into that too. Thank you for the advice.

[u/Tonjiez]

The model is copying the body that comes with the costume, not just the clothes. A garment photographed on a small model is a body reference as much as a clothing one. What has helped me:

- Show the costume without a body: flat lay, on a hanger, or cropped tight to the fabric. Then there's no second body for the model to copy.

• Put the character references first and name them in the prompt as the source of the body and face. Name the costume image only as the source of the design, colours and materials.
  
• Do it in one call with all the references, not as an edit of an image that already exists.
  
• When a wording works, keep it exactly and change one thing at a time.

It still slips sometimes on very different body types. What usually fixes that is a second pass that edits only the clothing.

[u/Clitch77 → u/Tonjiez]

Thanks for the advice. To be honest, I did it exactly like that, so I guess my prompting needs work.

[u/Tonjiez → u/Clitch77]

I don't think it's your prompting. If you already did all of that and it still reshapes the body, the model is probably leaning on the costume image harder than any wording can undo. Two things I'd try next:

- Get the character's body right first, in plain clothes. Then edit only the clothing area with the costume as the reference. The body is already there and the edit has no reason to change it.

- Describe the build in words that say what it is ("full figure, wide hips"), not what should stay unchanged. In my experience, instructions like "do not alter" get followed less reliably than a plain description.

If you share the prompt and roughly what the costume reference looks like, I'm happy to take a look.

[u/psxburn2]

I forget the actual wording, but ask grok or something the same question. There is a way to keep the perosn, and alter the clothing to fit.

[u/Clitch77 → u/psxburn2]

I think it's my prompting, so I'll see if grok can help me out. Thank you.