A prompt applies to the whole image. A Smart Note applies to a region you draw, so you can change one part of a render and leave the rest alone.
How they are applied
Pinned notes and reference images are treated as targeted edits; everything outside them renders faithfully from the canvas. A general prompt still works alongside them: the notes and the canvas lead, and the prompt adds to them.
Reference images
Attach an image to a note when a material or object is easier to show than to describe. The reference applies inside that note's region rather than shifting the look of the whole render.
Good uses
- Swapping the cladding on one elevation while the rest of the render stays fixed
- Pointing at a blank area and asking for planting or street furniture
- Giving a specific product or material as an image reference for one surface
To change materials across many surfaces at once, Material ID is usually faster than drawing a note per surface.