# Realism report: `docs/screens/realism/2026-11-01-v2`

Vision judge: `google/gemini-2.5-flash-lite` (scores 0-10, higher is more realistic compared with the concept target).

| set | shot | target | gap ↓ | edges | detail | contrast | overall | lighting | materials | texture | backdrop |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| baseline | boulevard_day | boulevard_skyline_day | 0.036 | 20.75 | 8.2 | 49.63 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| baseline | boulevard_night | hollywood_entrance_rain_night | 1.231 | 21.77 | 8.45 | 50.38 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| baseline | entrance_day | hollywood_entrance_morning | 0.308 | 26.19 | 9.27 | 56.39 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| baseline | street_day | boulevard_skyline_day | 0.307 | 12.44 | 5.32 | 41.37 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| baseline | street_night | boulevard_skyline_dusk | 0.337 | 11.94 | 5.35 | 48.34 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| candidate | boulevard_day | boulevard_skyline_day | 0.113 | 20.67 | 7.8 | 42.49 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| candidate | boulevard_night | hollywood_entrance_rain_night | 1.073 | 20.67 | 7.86 | 46.43 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| candidate | entrance_day | hollywood_entrance_morning | 0.303 | 24.54 | 8.92 | 52.41 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| candidate | street_day | boulevard_skyline_day | 0.326 | 14.54 | 5.32 | 36.3 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| candidate | street_night | boulevard_skyline_dusk | 0.495 | 16.12 | 6.06 | 48.36 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| candidate_dusk | boulevard_day | boulevard_skyline_day | 0.113 | 20.64 | 7.79 | 42.52 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| candidate_dusk | boulevard_night | hollywood_entrance_rain_night | 1.041 | 21.29 | 7.93 | 43.3 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| candidate_dusk | entrance_day | hollywood_entrance_morning | 0.3 | 24.44 | 8.87 | 52.25 | - | - | - | - | - |
| candidate_dusk | street_day | boulevard_skyline_day | 0.326 | 14.55 | 5.33 | 36.3 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| candidate_dusk | street_night | boulevard_skyline_dusk | 0.463 | 17.04 | 6.13 | 43.69 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 |

Mean scores per set:

| set | gap ↓ | overall | lighting | materials | texture_detail | backdrop | characters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| baseline | 0.444 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 3.0 |
| candidate | 0.462 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| candidate_dusk | 0.449 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.75 | 4.0 | 1.0 |

**baseline / boulevard_day** fixes:
- Improve the lighting model to include more realistic global illumination and soft shadows. The current lighting is too flat and harsh.
- Replace the current low-polygon character models with more detailed and anatomically correct models. Add variations in clothing and appearance.
- Increase the texture resolution and detail on all surfaces, especially buildings, roads, and foliage. Implement normal maps and specular maps for greater realism.
- Enhance the backdrop by adding more detailed building models in the distance, atmospheric perspective (haze), and a more nuanced skybox.
- Refine the material properties of all objects to better simulate real-world materials. This includes adjusting reflectivity, roughness, and subsurface scattering where appropriate.

**baseline / boulevard_night** fixes:
- Improve lighting to match the dramatic, atmospheric, and volumetric lighting of the target image, focusing on warm, directional light from the marquee and streetlamp, and realistic reflections on wet surfaces.
- Significantly upgrade material shaders to achieve realistic PBR (Physically Based Rendering) properties, especially for brick, asphalt, glass, and metal, to mimic the specular highlights, subsurface scattering, and roughness of the target.
- Increase texture resolution and detail for all surfaces, particularly the brickwork, sidewalk, and building facades, to match the fine-grained realism of the target.
- Redesign character models with higher polygon counts, more detailed textures, and realistic clothing and facial features to match the stylized but grounded look of the target's lone figure.
- Enhance the backdrop by adding atmospheric effects like fog, rain, and distant city lights, and refine the building models to have more architectural detail and variation, similar to the target's moody urban environment.

**baseline / entrance_day** fixes:
- Improve brick texture and material to match the target's depth and variation.
- Add more detailed and varied foliage, especially for the trees and bushes, to match the target's organic look.
- Enhance lighting to create softer shadows, more atmospheric haze, and warmer tones, particularly around the building entrance and street.
- Refine building details, such as window frames, signage, and architectural elements, to increase realism.
- Introduce subtle imperfections and wear on surfaces like the sidewalk and building facade to mimic real-world aging.

**baseline / street_day** fixes:
- Improve lighting to match the warm, directional sunlight and soft shadows of the target. Add volumetric fog for atmospheric perspective.
- Replace flat, untextured building models with detailed geometry and realistic materials (concrete, glass, metal).
- Add high-resolution textures to all surfaces, especially the road, sidewalk, and buildings, to mimic the detail in the target.
- Model a more detailed and varied cityscape for the backdrop, including buildings with distinct architectural styles and realistic lighting.
- Redesign character models to be more anatomically correct and have realistic clothing textures and animations.

**baseline / street_night** fixes:
- Improve lighting to match the dramatic sunset and neon glow of the target image, focusing on volumetric lighting and bloom effects.
- Enhance material properties for buildings, road, and car to achieve a more realistic PBR (Physically Based Rendering) look, with appropriate reflections and specularity.
- Increase texture resolution and detail on all surfaces, especially the road and building facades, to mimic the fine grain and imperfections seen in the target.
- Redesign the backdrop to include a more detailed and atmospheric skyline with realistic haze and a richer sunset color gradient.
- Replace the current character models with more detailed and realistically proportioned characters that fit the urban environment.

**candidate / boulevard_day** fixes:
- Improve road and sidewalk materials to have more realistic specular highlights and surface imperfections.
- Increase texture resolution and detail on buildings, especially the brickwork, to match the target's fidelity.
- Replace stylized character models with realistic human models that have appropriate proportions and clothing.
- Enhance lighting to create softer shadows, more realistic ambient occlusion, and better global illumination, especially around the streetlights and building facades.
- Add atmospheric perspective and volumetric fog to the distant cityscape to create a more convincing sense of depth and distance haze.

**candidate / boulevard_night** fixes:
- Improve lighting to create atmospheric mood, with strong contrast and volumetric effects like fog/rain.
- Enhance material properties for realism: add specular highlights, subsurface scattering for skin, and more detailed surface imperfections.
- Increase texture resolution and detail, especially on buildings, pavement, and clothing, to match the target's gritty realism.
- Redesign characters to have more realistic proportions, clothing, and facial features, and animate them with more natural movement.
- Develop a more detailed and atmospheric backdrop, including realistic city buildings, distant haze, and appropriate weather effects.

**candidate / entrance_day** fixes:
- Improve brick texture and material to add more variation, grime, and imperfections.
- Enhance lighting to create softer shadows, more atmospheric haze, and realistic light falloff.
- Add more detail and variation to the building facade, including window frames, signage, and architectural elements.
- Replace low-poly trees and bushes with more detailed and realistic foliage models.
- Refine character models to match the realistic style of the target image, focusing on proportions, clothing, and facial features.

**candidate / street_day** fixes:
- Improve road and sidewalk materials to have more realistic specular highlights and surface imperfections.
- Add significant detail to the car models, including realistic reflections, panel gaps, and tire textures.
- Implement volumetric fog and atmospheric scattering to create a more convincing sense of depth and haze in the backdrop.
- Replace the placeholder character with a detailed, realistically lit 3D model that matches the environment's style.
- Enhance the lighting model to include softer shadows, more accurate ambient occlusion, and realistic light bounce.

**candidate / street_night** fixes:
- Improve lighting to match the dramatic, atmospheric sunset and neon glow of the target image. Add volumetric fog and bloom effects.
- Significantly enhance material properties for buildings, road, and vehicles to achieve a more realistic PBR (Physically Based Rendering) look, with appropriate reflections and surface imperfections.
- Increase texture resolution and detail on all surfaces, especially buildings and the road, to match the crispness and complexity of the target.
- Redesign the backdrop to include a more detailed and atmospheric city skyline with appropriate haze and color grading to match the sunset.
- Completely overhaul character models to be significantly more detailed, with realistic proportions, clothing, and animation, to match the quality of the target scene.

**candidate_dusk / boulevard_day** fixes:
- Improve lighting to match the warm, directional sunlight and soft shadows of the target. Add volumetric fog or atmospheric perspective to the distant cityscape.
- Replace low-poly, stylized assets (trees, characters, buildings) with high-fidelity models that have realistic proportions and details.
- Apply PBR materials with appropriate roughness, metallic, and normal maps to all surfaces (road, sidewalk, buildings, foliage) to simulate real-world material properties.
- Increase texture resolution and add surface imperfections (grime, wear, subtle variations) to the road, sidewalk, and building facades.
- Refine character models to have realistic anatomy, clothing, and animation, and ensure they are properly lit and integrated into the scene.

**candidate_dusk / boulevard_night** fixes:
- Improve the lighting to match the dramatic, atmospheric, and volumetric lighting of the target image, focusing on warm, directional light from the marquee and streetlamp, and realistic reflections on wet surfaces.
- Significantly upgrade the character models and animations to be more realistic, with detailed clothing, facial features, and natural posing, rather than the current low-poly, cartoonish style.
- Enhance material properties and textures for all surfaces (brick, pavement, doors, clothing) to achieve a photorealistic look, with appropriate roughness, reflectivity, and detailed normal maps, especially for the wet environment.
- Refine the backdrop elements, including the distant city skyline and atmospheric haze, to create a sense of depth and realism consistent with the target image's moody atmosphere.
- Implement more realistic environmental effects, such as rain, puddles with accurate reflections, and subtle fog, to enhance the overall immersion and match the target's gritty, wet ambiance.

**candidate_dusk / entrance_day** fixes:
- judge failed: OpenRouter HTTP 400: {"error":{"message":"Provider returned error","code":400,"metadata":{"raw":"{\n  \"error\": {\n    \"code\": 400,\n    \"message\": \"API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key.\",\n    \"status\": \"INVALID_ARGUMENT\",\n    \"details\": [\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"type.googleapis.com/googl

**candidate_dusk / street_day** fixes:
- Improve road and sidewalk material PBR values to match the target's roughness and reflectivity.
- Increase the resolution and detail of building textures in the backdrop to reduce the blurry, low-poly appearance.
- Add atmospheric perspective and volumetric fog to the distant cityscape to mimic the target's depth and haze.
- Enhance car material properties, particularly reflections and specular highlights, to match the target's realism.
- Redesign character models to have more detailed geometry, textures, and more natural proportions and posing.

**candidate_dusk / street_night** fixes:
- Improve lighting to match the dramatic, atmospheric sunset and neon glow of the target image. Add volumetric fog and bloom effects.
- Enhance material properties for buildings, road, and vehicles to achieve a more realistic PBR (Physically Based Rendering) look, with appropriate reflections and specularity.
- Increase texture resolution and detail on all surfaces, especially buildings and the road, to match the fine details seen in the target.
- Redesign the backdrop to include a more detailed and atmospheric city skyline with appropriate haze and color grading to mimic the target's sunset.
- Significantly rework character models to be more realistic in terms of proportions, texturing, and animation, as the current models are very stylized and cartoony.