Make default session preset more diversity-forward

Author: apartsin

app/core/schema.py

@@ -80,16 +80,16 @@ class SteeringMode(str, Enum):
 class StrategyConfig(BaseModel):
     """Experiment-level strategy choices and tunable parameters."""
 
-    sampler: SamplerType = SamplerType.random_local
+    sampler: SamplerType = SamplerType.exploit_orthogonal
     updater: UpdaterType = UpdaterType.winner_average
     feedback_mode: FeedbackType = FeedbackType.scalar_rating
-    seed_policy: SeedPolicy = SeedPolicy.fixed_per_round
+    seed_policy: SeedPolicy = SeedPolicy.fixed_per_candidate
     steering_mode: SteeringMode = SteeringMode.low_dimensional
-    steering_dimension: int = Field(default=3, ge=1, le=16)
+    steering_dimension: int = Field(default=5, ge=1, le=16)
     candidate_count: int = Field(default=5, ge=1, le=12)
     image_size: str = "512x512"
-    trust_radius: float = Field(default=0.35, gt=0.0, le=1.0)
-    anchor_strength: float = Field(default=0.35, ge=0.0, le=2.0)
+    trust_radius: float = Field(default=0.55, gt=0.0, le=1.0)
+    anchor_strength: float = Field(default=0.7, ge=0.0, le=2.0)
     guidance_scale: float = Field(default=7.5, gt=0.0, le=20.0)
     num_inference_steps: int = Field(default=15, ge=1, le=100)
     model_name: str = "runwayml/stable-diffusion-v1-5"

app/frontend/templates/setup.html

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ <h1>Start from your text prompt</h1>
           <p class="hint">All per-session strategy values live in this YAML document. Edit it before creating a session, or reload the default template.</p>
           <div class="soft-callout">
             <strong>Good first-run defaults</strong>
-            <p>Leave the YAML as-is, generate the first round, then use the visible feedback mode controls to guide the next round.</p>
+            <p>Leave the YAML as-is for a more diversity-forward first round, then use the visible feedback mode controls to guide the search toward the direction you prefer.</p>
           </div>
           <div class="actions">
             <button class="button secondary" type="button" id="reload-config-button" title="Replace your edits with the backend's default YAML template.">Reload default YAML</button>

tests/e2e/app.spec.js

@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ test.describe("StableSteering browser flow", () => {
     await editor.fill("candidate_count: 2");
     await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Reload default YAML" }).click();
     await expect(editor).toContainText("candidate_count: 5");
-    await expect(editor).toContainText("sampler: random_local");
+    await expect(editor).toContainText("sampler: exploit_orthogonal");
+    await expect(editor).toContainText("seed_policy: fixed-per-candidate");
   });
 
   test("setup page shows a clear validation error after a broken YAML edit", async ({ page }) => {

tests/test_config_yaml.py

@@ -8,8 +8,11 @@
 def test_render_strategy_config_yaml_uses_current_defaults() -> None:
     rendered = render_strategy_config_yaml()
     assert "candidate_count: 5" in rendered
-    assert "steering_dimension: 3" in rendered
-    assert "sampler: random_local" in rendered
+    assert "steering_dimension: 5" in rendered
+    assert "sampler: exploit_orthogonal" in rendered
+    assert "seed_policy: fixed-per-candidate" in rendered
+    assert "trust_radius: 0.55" in rendered
+    assert "anchor_strength: 0.7" in rendered
     assert "feedback_mode: scalar_rating" in rendered
     assert "guidance_scale: 7.5" in rendered
     assert "num_inference_steps: 15" in rendered

tests/test_session_lifecycle.py

@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def test_session_lifecycle_round_feedback_round(client) -> None:
     assert len(round_payload["candidate_metadata"]) == 4
     baseline = round_payload["candidate_metadata"][0]
     assert baseline["sampler_role"] == "baseline_prompt"
-    assert baseline["z"] == [0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
+    assert baseline["z"] == [0.0 for _ in range(5)]
     assert baseline["generation_params"]["baseline_prompt"] is True
     assert baseline["generation_params"]["steering_applied"] is False
     exploratory_candidates = round_payload["candidate_metadata"][1:]
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def test_session_lifecycle_round_feedback_round(client) -> None:
     )
     assert feedback.status_code == 200
     next_state = feedback.json()["next_incumbent_state"]
-    assert next_state != [0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
+    assert next_state != [0.0 for _ in range(5)]
 
     round_two = client.post(f"/sessions/{session_id}/rounds/next")
     assert round_two.status_code == 200