Set Locations

Set Locations lets you create and refine reusable background environments for your campaign photography. Think of it as building a virtual photo shoot location that you perfect once, then reuse across your campaigns.

Overview

Set Locations gives you fine-grained control over the scenery in your campaign images. Instead of describing a background every time you create a campaign photo, you create, refine, and save reusable locations that keep your look consistent.

Key Concept:

The images you generate in Set Locations are placeholders that capture the essence and description of a scenery, not the exact backgrounds used in your campaigns. When you use a set location in Campaign Composer, the system recreates the environment with the right perspective and composition for your product and model.

1. Understanding References

Set Locations uses four types of references to define a scenery:

  1. Location (required): The physical environment (e.g. "rugged mountain landscape", "urban rooftop").
  2. Lighting (optional): Light quality and direction (e.g. "golden hour sunset", "soft diffused studio lighting").
  3. Mood (optional): Emotional atmosphere (e.g. "dramatic and moody", "bright and energetic").
  4. Extras (optional): Background people and crowd characteristics (e.g. "a few passersby in the distance", "busy street crowd").

Only Location is required. Lighting, Mood, and Extras are optional and refine the result further when you add them.

Each reference can be created in two ways:

  • Text description: type what you want.
  • Image analysis: drop in an image and let Brandmachine analyze it.

2. Workflow Steps

Creating a New Set Location

  1. Navigate to Set Locations

    • In the sidebar, click Set Locations.
    • Click New Set Location to start.

  2. Define References

    Configure your references. Location is required; Lighting, Mood, and Extras are optional.

    Text-Based Reference:

    • Click a reference card (e.g. Location).
    • A modal opens with a description field.
    • Describe what you want (e.g. "Rocky mountain environment with pine trees and misty peaks").
    • Click Save.

    Image-Based Reference (AI Analysis):

    • Click a reference card.
    • Drag and drop an image into the drop zone.
    • Brandmachine analyzes the image based on the reference type:
      • Location: environmental elements, setting, architecture.
      • Lighting: light quality, direction, color temperature.
      • Mood: emotional tone, atmosphere, energy.
      • Extras: background people and crowd characteristics.
    • A text description is extracted automatically.

  3. Generate a Scene

    • Once at least your Location reference is set, click Generate New Scene.
    • Brandmachine creates a scene based on your references. This may take a few moments.

  4. Refine by Editing References

    Refinement happens by adjusting your references and generating again:

    • Edit any reference card to change its description, swap its image, or add an optional reference you skipped earlier (Lighting, Mood, or Extras).
    • Click Generate New Scene to produce a new scene from the updated references.
    • Repeat until the scenery feels right. Every generation uses your current references, so each change you make is reflected in the next scene.

  5. Manage Scenes

    • Each generation adds a new scene to the Scenes panel.
    • You can revisit any previous scene at any time, which is handy if a change goes in the wrong direction.
    • For each scene you can:
      • Pin it to mark it as a favorite.
      • Rename it (click the title to edit inline).
      • Delete it when you no longer need it.

How Refinement Works

  • References influence every generation, not just the first. Whatever your Location, Lighting, Mood, and Extras cards say when you click Generate New Scene is what shapes that scene.
  • To nudge a scene in a new direction, edit the relevant reference and generate again.
  • To start from a completely different concept, clear or rewrite your references, or create a new set location from scratch.

3. Using Set Locations in Campaigns

Once you have a set location with a scene you like, you can use it when building a campaign image:

  1. Go to your Campaigns area and start (or open) a campaign photo.
  2. On the Shooting Location card, click Select (or Edit if one is already chosen).
  3. A grid picker opens. First pick the set location you want, then pick a specific scene within it.
  4. Your choice is applied to the campaign image.

When used in a campaign:

  • The system uses the description of the scenery, not the placeholder image itself.
  • The environment is recreated with the right perspective and composition for your product and model.
  • This keeps the product as the focal point while preserving the scenic atmosphere.

4. Best Practices

  1. Start with Location, Layer the Rest

    • Begin with a solid Location reference.
    • Add Lighting, Mood, and Extras as you discover what the scene needs.
    • You don't have to describe everything up front.

  2. Use Image References for Precision

    • If you have an inspirational photo, use it as a reference.
    • Brandmachine extracts relevant attributes based on the reference type.
    • Combine image references with text for the best control.

  3. Refine One Thing at a Time

    • Change a single reference, then generate a new scene to see its effect.
    • Small, deliberate edits make it easier to see what each reference contributes.

  4. Lean on the Scenes Panel

    • Don't be afraid to experiment. You can always return to an earlier scene.
    • Pin the scenes you like so they're easy to find later.

  5. Build a Library

    • Create set locations for different campaign types.
    • Keep a consistent look across seasonal campaigns.
    • Reuse successful locations across multiple products.

5. Technical Details

Why Placeholder Images?

You might wonder why Set Locations generates placeholder images instead of the exact backgrounds used in campaigns.

The reason:

  • Inspirational environment photography focuses on composition, leading lines, and artistic framing.
  • Campaign photography focuses on the product, and needs different angles and composition.
  • Using the environment photo directly would create composition conflicts.
  • Instead, Brandmachine captures the description of the scenery and recreates it appropriately in your campaign image.

Reference Usage

  • Your references (Location, Lighting, Mood, Extras) are active on every generation, not only the first.
  • Editing a reference and clicking Generate New Scene produces a fresh scene shaped by your current references.
  • This makes refinement a matter of tuning the references, rather than starting over.

6. FAQs

  1. Can I edit references after generating a scene? Yes. Editing references and clicking Generate New Scene is exactly how you refine. References apply to every generation, so your latest edits always shape the next scene.

  2. How many scenes can I create? There's no hard limit on scenes, though your plan may include generation quotas.

  3. Can I use the same set location in multiple campaigns? Yes. Set locations are reusable across any number of Campaign Composer projects.

  4. Which references do I actually need? Only Location is required. Lighting, Mood, and Extras are optional and give you extra control when you add them.

  5. What is the Extras reference for? Extras describes background people and crowd characteristics, so you can set how busy or empty the scene feels.

  6. Can I delete scenes or set locations? Yes. You can pin, rename, and delete individual scenes, and you can remove whole set locations you no longer need.

  7. Do I need to create set locations before using Campaigns? No. You can create set locations in advance, or on the fly while building a campaign image.

  8. What makes a good reference image?

    • Clear representation of the environment (for Location).
    • Clear lighting characteristics (for Lighting).
    • Clear emotional atmosphere (for Mood).
    • High-quality images work best, though the analysis is forgiving.

Conclusion

Set Locations gives you professional-level control over campaign backgrounds by separating environment creation from campaign production. With this workflow you can:

  1. Define scenery using text or image references.
  2. Generate a scene from your references.
  3. Refine by editing references and generating again.
  4. Build a reusable library of brand-consistent locations.
  5. Use those locations confidently in Campaign Composer.

For further assistance, contact Support at support@brandmachine.shop.