Image-Gen Skill

Production-grade AI image generation with DALL-E 3/2 support, cost tracking, and comprehensive style presets.

When to Use

✅ USE this skill when:

• Creating AI-generated images from text prompts
• Needing custom illustrations or concept art
• Generating multiple variations of images
• Creating visual content for presentations
• Designing graphics or mockups
• Needing AI art in specific styles
• Batch generating images for testing
• Needing programmatic image generation

❌ DON'T use this skill when:

• Editing existing images → Use image editing tools
• Creating vector graphics → Use design software
• Needing screenshots → Use screenshot tools
• Generating animations → Use video generation
• Needing stock photos → Use stock photo services

Prerequisites

# 1. Get OpenAI API Key
# Visit: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
# Create and copy your API key

# 2. Set environment variable
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-your-api-key-here"

# 3. Verify
node --version

Commands

Basic Usage

# Generate image with default settings (DALL-E 3, 1024x1024)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "A serene mountain landscape at sunset"

# Generate with specific model
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Cyberpunk city" --model dall-e-3

# Generate multiple images
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Abstract art" --n 4

# Output to specific directory
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Ocean waves" --output-dir ./my-images

Model Selection

# DALL-E 3 - Best quality, $0.04/image
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "A photo of a cat" --model dall-e-3

# DALL-E 2 - Faster, $0.02/image
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "A photo of a cat" --model dall-e-2

Model Comparison:

Model	Quality	Cost	Sizes	Best For
DALL-E 3	Excellent	$0.04	1024x1024, 1024x1792, 1792x1024	Production use
DALL-E 2	Good	$0.02	256x256, 512x512, 1024x1024	Quick drafts

Size Options

# DALL-E 3 sizes
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Portrait of a person" --size 1024x1792    # Portrait
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Landscape scene" --size 1792x1024          # Landscape
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Square composition" --size 1024x1024       # Square

# DALL-E 2 sizes
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Avatar" --model dall-e-2 --size 256x256     # Small avatar
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Icon" --model dall-e-2 --size 512x512       # Icon size

Size Pricing (DALL-E 3):

Size	Cost	Aspect Ratio
1024x1024	$0.04	1:1 Square
1024x1792	$0.08	9:16 Portrait
1792x1024	$0.08	16:9 Landscape

Quality Settings

# Standard quality (default, faster)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "A photo of a flower" --quality standard

# HD quality (slower, better detail)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "A photo of a flower" --quality hd --size 1024x1792

Quality Comparison:

Quality	Detail Level	Processing Time	Cost
standard	Good	~10-15s	Standard
hd	Excellent	~20-25s	Same price, more detail

Visual Style

# Vivid style (more dramatic, default)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Fireworks display" --style vivid

# Natural style (more realistic)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Fireworks display" --style natural

Custom Style Presets

# Photographic
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Lion portrait" --custom-style photographic
# Result: "A photorealistic image of Lion portrait, professional photography, 35mm, high detail, 8k"

# Digital Art
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Fantasy castle" --custom-style digital_art
# Result: "A digital illustration of Fantasy castle, digital art, concept art, trending on artstation"

# Cinematic
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Warrior in battle" --custom-style cinematic
# Result: "Cinematic scene of Warrior in battle, cinematic lighting, film grain, movie still, anamorphic"

# Watercolor
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Sunset over mountains" --custom-style watercolor
# Result: "A watercolor painting of Sunset over mountains, wet-on-wet technique, soft colors, artistic"

Available Style Presets:

Style	Prefix	Suffix
photographic	"A photorealistic image of"	"professional photography, 35mm, high detail, 8k"
digital_art	"A digital illustration of"	"digital art, concept art, trending on artstation"
oil_painting	"An oil painting of"	"oil on canvas, fine art, impressionist style"
watercolor	"A watercolor painting of"	"wet-on-wet technique, soft colors, artistic"
isometric	"Isometric illustration of"	"isometric view, clean lines, vector style"
pixel_art	"Pixel art of"	"8-bit style, pixel art, retro aesthetic"
cinematic	"Cinematic scene of"	"cinematic lighting, film grain, movie still"
neon	"Cyberpunk neon art of"	"neon lights, night scene, cyberpunk, synthwave"
sketch	"Pencil sketch of"	"hand-drawn sketch, detailed line work, artistic"

Batch Generation

# Generate 4 variations
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Product photo of a wristwatch" --n 4

# Generate 10 variations (max)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Logo concept" --n 10

Batch Output:

/tmp/image-gen-2024-01-15/
├── gen_product-photo_1705312345678_1.png
├── gen_product-photo_1705312345678_2.png
├── gen_product-photo_1705312345678_3.png
├── gen_product-photo_1705312345678_4.png
└── index.html  (gallery view)

Features

Rate Limiting

Built-in protection against API limits:

• Default: 5 requests per minute
• 1 request per second minimum
• Automatic delays between requests

# First request
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Image 1"

# Second request (automatically delayed)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Image 2"

Cost Tracking

Automatic cost calculation and reporting:

Total cost: $0.16
Images: 4
Session: 45s

DALL-E Pricing:

Model	Size	Cost per Image
DALL-E 3	1024x1024	$0.04
DALL-E 3	1024x1792	$0.08
DALL-E 3	1792x1024	$0.08
DALL-E 2	1024x1024	$0.02
DALL-E 2	512x512	$0.018
DALL-E 2	256x256	$0.016

Gallery Generation

When generating multiple images, an HTML gallery is automatically created.

{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Abstract patterns" --n 4

Opens in browser with:

• Thumbnail grid
• Full-size preview on click
• Metadata for each image (prompt, size, cost)
• Dark theme styling

Error Handling

Content Policy Violations:

{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Inappropriate content"
# ❌ ERROR: Content policy violation: This prompt may violate OpenAI's content policy

Rate Limiting:

# After many requests:
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Another image"
# ... waits and retries automatically

Payment Required:

{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Test image"
# ❌ ERROR: Pay-as-you-go billing required. Add payment method at openai.com

Error Handling

Error Codes

Code	Name	Description
0	SUCCESS	Generation complete
1	INVALID_PROMPT	Bad prompt format
2	API_KEY_MISSING	OPENAI_API_KEY not set
3	API_ERROR	OpenAI returned error
4	RATE_LIMITED	Too many requests
5	NETWORK_ERROR	Connection issue
6	TIMEOUT	Request took too long
7	CONTENT_POLICY	Prompt violates content policy
8	PAYMENT_REQUIRED	Billing setup needed
9	INVALID_SIZE	Unsupported size
10	INVALID_MODEL	Unsupported model
99	UNKNOWN	Unexpected error

Prompt Validation

# Too short
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Hi"
# ❌ ERROR: Prompt too short: 2 chars (min: 5)

# Too long (truncated here)
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "A" * 5000
# ❌ ERROR: Prompt too long: 5000 chars (max: 4000)

# Empty
{baseDir}/image-gen.js ""
# ❌ ERROR: Prompt is required

Examples by Use Case

1. Product Photography

# Basic product shot
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Professional product photo of a black leather wallet on marble surface, soft lighting, commercial photography"

# Styled product
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Premium coffee bag on wooden table, morning light, cafe ambiance, commercial photography, 35mm lens" --quality hd --size 1024x1792

# Multiple angles
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Luxury watch floating on black background, studio lighting, product photography" --n 4

2. Concept Art

# Character design
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Fantasy warrior in magical armor, digital art, concept art, trending on artstation" --custom-style digital_art

# Environment
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Floating islands with waterfalls and glowing crystals, epic scale, concept art" --model dall-e-3 --size 1792x1024

# Mood board
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Post-apocalyptic city ruins at golden hour, atmospheric, cinematic" --custom-style cinematic --n 4

3. Marketing Assets

# Social media images
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Summer sale banner with beach scene, bright colors, text overlay ready" --size 1024x1024 --n 3

# App icons
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Minimal app icon design, abstract geometric pattern, pastel colors" --model dall-e-2 --size 256x256

# Hero images
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Diverse team collaborating in modern office, natural light, inclusive" --size 1792x1024 --quality hd

4. Creative Projects

# Book cover
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Sci-fi book cover: astronaut discovering alien artifact, dramatic lighting, space opera" --size 1024x1792

# Album art
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Surreal dreamscape with melting clocks and floating pianos, Dali style" --custom-style oil_painting

# Poster
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Neon-lit Tokyo street at night, rain on pavement, cyberpunk" --custom-style neon --size 1024x1792

5. Architectural Visualization

# Exterior shot
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Modern glass house in forest at dusk, warm interior lights, architectural photography" --custom-style photographic --size 1792x1024

# Interior design
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Minimalist living room with natural wood furniture, large windows, interior design shot" --quality hd

6. Batch Processing Script

#!/bin/bash
# Generate images from prompts in file

while IFS= read -r prompt; do
  [ -z "$prompt" ] && continue
  [ "${prompt:0:1}" == "#" ] && continue  # Skip comments
  
  echo "Generating: $prompt"
  {baseDir}/image-gen.js "$prompt" --output-dir ./batch-output --n 2
  sleep 2  # Rate limit protection
done < prompts.txt

Technical Details

Architecture

1. Validate Prompt
   ├── Check length (5-4000 chars)
   ├── Apply style preset if specified
   └── Final prompt assembly

2. Check Limits
   ├── Rate limit (5/min, 1/sec)
   └── Skip if rate limit exceeded

3. API Request
   ├── HTTPS POST to OpenAI
   ├── Include model, size, quality, n
   └── Wait for base64 response

4. Process Response
   ├── Validate data received
   └── Track cost

5. Save Images
   ├── Decode base64
   ├── Generate filename
   ├── Write PNG
   └── Report size

6. Create Gallery (if n > 1)
   ├── Generate HTML
   └── Include metadata

API Request Structure

{
  "model": "dall-e-3",
  "prompt": "A serene mountain landscape at sunset",
  "n": 1,
  "size": "1024x1024",
  "quality": "standard",
  "response_format": "b64_json",
  "style": "vivid"
}

Response Handling

Error Responses:

• 429: Rate limited
• 400: Content policy violation
• 401: Invalid API key
• 500: OpenAI server error

Success Response:

{
  "created": 1705312345,
  "data": [
    {
      "b64_json": "base64_encoded_image_data...",
      "revised_prompt": "A serene mountain landscape at sunset..."
    }
  ]
}

Advanced Usage

Retry Logic

# If generation fails, retry with slight modification
for attempt in {1..3}; do
  {baseDir}/image-gen.js "A cat" --output-dir ./retry-test
  if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then break; fi
  echo "Retry $attempt..."
  sleep 5
done

Custom Style Templates

Create your own style by concatenating templates:

# Combine multiple style elements
STYLE="A photorealistic image of"
PROMPT="Lion resting in savanna at sunrise"
SUFFIX="golden hour lighting, wildlife photography, National Geographic style, detailed fur texture"
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "$STYLE $PROMPT, $SUFFIX"

Integration with Other Tools

# Generate and convert to JPEG
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Abstract pattern" --output ./generated.png
mogrify -format jpg generated.png

# Generate and resize
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Landscape" --size 1024x1024
sips -Z 512 generated.png

# Generate and optimize
{baseDir}/image-gen.js "Icon design"
pngquant --quality=65-80 generated.png -o optimized.png

Notes

• File Format: All images saved as PNG (lossless)
• Filenames: Generated based on prompt slug + timestamp
• Gallery: Auto-generated for batch generations
• Prompt Enhancement: OpenAI may revise your prompt for safety/quality
• Cost Tracking: Estimated based on OpenAI pricing (may vary)
• Timeout: 5 minute maximum wait
• Concurrent: Limited by rate limiting (sequential processing)
• Storage: Images saved to /tmp by default (may be cleaned up)
• Reproducibility: Same prompt may yield different results
• API Key: Must have access to DALL-E models
• Usage Limits: Based on OpenAI tier and budget
• Content Policy: Follows OpenAI's use policy strictly