# Photo reference and realism iterations

17 October 2026. This is an authored reconstruction of the published DIY PCB,
with photo-informed materials and mechanical details. It is not a scan or a
dimensionally inspected production Cloudlifter.

The working references are local, reference-only downloads in
`research/reference-photos/`. Original photos are not embedded in the player or
included in the delivery package. Their owners retain their rights.

| Reference | What was inspected | Changes informed by it |
|---|---|---|
| [MostlyBuilds annotated teardown PCB](https://mostlybuilds.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Cloudlifter-Teardown-1024x403.jpg) | Green mask, white film capacitors, dark resistor overglaze, small wetting joints | Restrained mask relief, component color and marking scale |
| [MostlyBuilds header assembly close-up](https://mostlybuilds.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fetlifter-Solder-Header-small.jpg) | LSK389 markings, gull-wing leads, solder menisci, wire terminations | Fainter package text, continuous stamped leads, concave solder toes and solder cups |
| [MostlyBuilds split housing photograph](https://mostlybuilds.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NA-Housing-small.jpg) | Black extrusion, longitudinal ribs, mating lips, split shell | Two meaningful shell halves with inner ribs, small seam, black anodized material |
| [Neutrik female connector photograph and drawing](https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nc3fd-l-1) | Nickel casting, recessed polymer insert, PUSH latch, silver contacts | Bored flange, deeper insert, latch, plated socket mouths, contact numbers |
| [Neutrik male connector photograph](https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nc3md-l-1) | Recessed insert, keyed shell, silver pin finish, screw positions | Silver contacts, keyed insert, realistic recess, cross-head details |
| [Neutrik NA-Housing](https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/na-housing) | Black split extrusion intended for D-shape connectors | Mechanical direction; the authored case remains illustrative |

The article's custom PCB was fabricated with purple solder mask. This model
retains the green finish of the teardown reference; it does not claim to copy
that particular fabricated board's finish. Artwork and package markings are
authored approximations. No manufacturer logo or product label was copied.

The original render and GLB are retained in `evidence/realism-before/`.

1. First material/geometry pass: smaller component markings, continuous leads,
   reflow menisci, separate terminations, white PEN packages, bored connector
   shells and a split enclosure. The macro render showed overly coarse normal
   texture and covered copper that was too hard to see. See
   `evidence/realism-iterations/pass1-dual-jfets.png`.
2. Second pass: reduced microtexture strength and finer UV scale, restored
   shallow copper visibility, adjusted lighting and inspected all six views.
   See `evidence/realism-iterations/`.
3. Final copper pass: replaced flattened round curves with flat, unioned copper
   networks. This removes artificial valleys at segment joins. Extracted the
   source filled ground polygon, which is important to both appearance and the
   return path. Inspected the final macro and assembly views.
4. Connector close-up pass: checked female and male front views against the
   product photographs, drilled the female socket bores, corrected lettering
   orientation and added rounded silver contact tips. Inspected the completed
   close-ups and the corresponding browser focus view.

The final six lesson renders and two connector details use Cycles, 1600 × 1100,
96 samples with denoising. Metal
rendering aborted in this environment; the completed final renders used CPU.
The `.blend` retains its editable text, curves, materials and assembly timeline.
The GLB embeds the authored roughness/normal maps; the browser uses its own
real-time lighting. Browser appearance is inspected separately from Cycles.

Open limits: exact connector CAD, enclosure fit and fastener engineering,
microscopic solder-quality inspection, device-specific laser marking,
manufacturing variation and physical comparison against an actual assembled
unit. The work is a more realistic educational model, not a fabrication model.