# References and @-mentions

> Source: https://sumistudio.ai/en/docs/references-and-mentions
> Last updated: 2026-10-29
> Index: https://sumistudio.ai/llms.txt · Full text: https://sumistudio.ai/llms-full.txt

In Sumi Studio, there are two ways for one node to use another node's assets: a connection (a hard reference), or an @-mention in the prompt.

## A connection is a hard reference

Connecting an upstream node to the current node makes the upstream output (image, video, audio or text) an input to the current generation. A connection is a “hard” reference: it states exactly where the data comes from and where it goes. Remove the connection and the reference is gone.

(Image: A selected node and its connections: a connection is a hard reference)

## @-mention to reference assets

Type @ in a node's prompt box to open the asset picker, which has three sections: “Linked nodes”, “Elements” and “My assets”. Pick one and a removable reference tag is inserted into the prompt and submitted with the generation. This way you can bring a past asset or a saved element into this one generation without connecting anything first.

## First and last frames, and reference order

When a node accepts several reference images, they're ordered by when they were connected. In first-and-last-frame mode, the prompt bar has dedicated “First frame” and “Last frame” slots, and “Swap first and last” switches them. Some models also add an “Image use” tag to each reference image (subject, scene or style image).

> A connection is a hard reference; an @-mention is a one-off reference in the prompt · @ can reference linked nodes, elements, or your own assets · First and last frames have dedicated slots that you can swap in one click