Prompt Guide

Tips and patterns for writing effective prompts.

Better prompts produce better results. This guide covers patterns, tips, and common pitfalls when working with Ocsidian AI.

General principles

1. Be specific — “A forest” vs “A dense redwood forest at golden hour with fog at ground level”
2. Build incrementally — Start broad, then refine with follow-up prompts
3. State constraints — Polygon budgets, performance targets, style references
4. Use spatial language — “To the left of”, “behind”, “50 meters north”
5. Reference Unreal concepts — The AI understands Unreal terminology (actors, components, blueprints, materials)

Prompt patterns

Scene description pattern

[Setting] at [time/weather]. [Key features]. 
[Mood/atmosphere]. [Scale/scope]. [Technical constraints].

Blueprint request pattern

Create a [system type] with:
- [Feature 1] with [specific parameters]
- [Feature 2] triggered by [input/event]
- [Feature 3] with [constraints/values]

Iteration pattern

Change [specific element] to [new description]. 
Keep [elements to preserve] unchanged.

Common pitfalls

• Too vague — “Make it look cool” gives the AI too much freedom
• Too much at once — Massive prompts produce worse results than iterative refinement
• Contradictory instructions — “A bright, dark room” confuses the model
• Ignoring scale — Always specify approximate dimensions for architectural elements