Reference roles

A reference role tells the model what to take from one reference: its identity, its outfit, its background, its style, and more. A reference can be a plain image or a Character, Location, Object or Animal asset, connected to a Generate Image or Generate Video node. Nodaro writes each reference's role into the prompt as one plain phrase, so the model knows exactly which part of which picture to use.

How a role reads in the prompt

A reference with a role becomes one phrase in the final prompt:

The roles are the same on both nodes. Plain images and assets share one sequence, so two references never get the same name.

Default roles

A new reference starts with the most useful role for its type, so it works with no setup:

Choose a role

Click a reference's pill to open its role menu. The most useful roles for that type come first, and the default is in bold. Custom… is always at the end, for any role that is not listed.

Two roles read as a fuller phrase, so the prompt stays natural:

Ref only

Ref only sends the reference without a phrase about what to take from it. On an image node the prompt says only reference image A, and on a video node only @image_1, @video_1 or @audio_1. The model sees the reference but is not told how to use it. Ref only is the default for plain images, videos and audio. For a Character or Location asset, you can choose it on purpose; its pill then shows a small ref badge.

Custom roles

Choose Custom… and type any word, such as dragon, hoodie or Danny. A custom role can be up to 32 characters, and spaces become dashes. It takes the place of the role in the phrase: the hoodie from reference image A. A proper name is used as written: Danny from reference image A.

Combine several references

Connect several references, give each one a role, and describe how they fit together:

The order of references. References are numbered in one sequence. The images connected to References come first, then the assets connected to Assets, each in the order they appear. The same numbering drives the prompt and the pictures sent to the model, so the final-prompt preview shows exactly what runs.

Mention a reference by name

You can place a reference exactly where it belongs in your sentence with an @ mention.

Characters and locations

Type @ in the prompt and choose the character or location. A mention can also choose which picture to send, the variant, and what to take from it, the role:

In the prompt, a mention is a chip with two controls. Click the thumbnail to change the picture: switching to another picture of the same character keeps your role. Click the label to change the role: that keeps the picture, and Default goes back to the default role.

Plain images

Give the Upload Image node a Label. The label becomes the image's mention name, so a node labeled Town is @town:1.

Mentions are optional. An image without a label is still sent as before; it just has no name to mention. A label that starts with a digit, such as 3D Render, cannot become a mention name, so rename it if you want to mention it.

Creatures and objects

Animal/Creature and Object/Props assets use the same short form, with their own name and roles. A creature named Nessie is @nessie:1, and @nessie:1:markings takes its markings. The editor does not suggest these mentions, so type them by hand.

A mention matters most for creatures and objects. A connected creature or object that you do not mention still adds its phrase, at the end of the prompt. When you mention it, the phrase appears once, inside your sentence, and the model connects it to what you wrote:

This becomes "A wide shot of the creature from reference image A rising from the lake".

When two kinds share a name, the first kind in this order wins: character, location, image, creature, object.

Lock a subject's identity

By default, Nodaro adds no identity instruction. References behave like pictures, and the role alone drives the result. When a subject must not change, turn on the identity lock for that reference. The lock adds one line before the rest of the prompt:

• Per reference. The lock is off by default and you turn it on for each reference. The built-in wording is written for each type, person, face, creature and location, and you can replace it with your own.
• Per mention. In the menu of a character or location mention, turn on Identity lock. That mention then carries ~lock, such as @kira:1:face~lock, even when the reference's own lock is off.
• Off for one mention. Type ~nolock after a mention, such as @kira:1:face~nolock. The lock is then off for that mention, even when the reference's lock is on. A mention with neither follows the reference's setting.

For a location, the lock keeps the place instead of a face:

From the API

Code and AI assistants can set the role and the identity lock of each reference too. They send them as structured references with image and video generation requests. See Run a single node and the MCP tools.

Tips

• Mention creatures and objects. A mention puts their phrase inside your sentence, where the model can connect it to the action you describe.
• Lock only what must not change. With the lock off, your prompt stays short and you keep full control of the wording. Turn it on for the subjects whose identity must hold.
• Anchor recurring subjects. For a character you use in many shots, make a consistency grid once and connect it as the reference.
• Check the final prompt. Open the final-prompt view of the prompt field to see every phrase your roles add.