Skills

draw-thing

Installation
SKILL.md

Draw Thing

Local AI image generation and editing via draw-things-cli. Wraps the Draw Things inference stack for txt2img, img2img, upscaling, inpainting, ControlNet, LoRA, batch generation, and hi-res fix on macOS.

Scope: Local Draw Things image generation and editing only. NOT for UI implementation (frontend-designer), ad copy iteration (ad-creative), or broad vendor/tool research (research).

Canonical Vocabulary

Term Meaning NOT
txt2img Text-to-image generation: prompt in, image out img2img
img2img Image-to-image: input image + prompt, modified image out txt2img
upscale Increase resolution while preserving/enhancing detail img2img with high strength
inpaint Replace content within a masked region img2img (full image)
ControlNet Structural guidance from a control image (edges, depth, pose) LoRA (style/subject)
LoRA Low-Rank Adaptation: small model add-on for style/subject ControlNet (structure)
negative prompt Text describing what to exclude; essential for SD 1.5, minimal for SDXL, unused for Flux positive prompt
cfg_scale Guidance scale: how literally the model follows the prompt denoising strength
denoising strength How much to change an input image (0.0 = none, 1.0 = complete redraw) cfg_scale
sampler Diffusion algorithm (DPM++ 2M Karras, Euler a, DDIM, etc.) model
seed Random number determining exact output; same seed = same image prompt
batch Generate multiple images in one run with different seeds sequential runs
hi-res fix Two-pass: generate at low res, then upscale with denoising standalone upscaler

Dispatch

$ARGUMENTS Mode Action
generate <prompt> / create <prompt> Generate txt2img via CLI
edit <path> <prompt> / transform <path> Edit img2img with --strength
upscale <path> / enhance <path> / superres <path> Upscale --upscaler + --upscaler-scale
inpaint <path> <mask> <prompt> Inpaint img2img with mask input
controlnet <control_path> <prompt> / cn <path> <prompt> ControlNet --controls JSON
lora <prompt> --lora <name> LoRA --loras JSON
batch <prompt> / variations <prompt> Batch --batch-count variations
model <name> Model info Show recommended settings
refine / iterate Refine Re-run with adjusted params, locked seed
gallery / recent Gallery List recent outputs
(empty) Help Verify CLI, show modes, examples
Natural language image description Auto: Generate Detect prompt intent
Path to image + modification intent Auto: Edit/Upscale Detect intent from context

Auto-Detection Heuristic

  1. Keywords: animate, video, motion, gif, mp4 -> Refuse: out of scope for v1.0
  2. File path + "upscale/enhance/bigger/higher res/superres" -> Upscale
  3. File path + mask path + descriptive prompt -> Inpaint
  4. File path + "inpaint" keyword but NO mask path -> inform user a mask is required; offer to create one via ImageMagick or suggest Edit mode
  5. File path + modification verb (change, edit, transform, restyle) -> Edit
  6. Descriptive text with no file path -> Generate
  7. Ambiguous -> ask which mode

Prerequisite Protocol

Run this before any generation operation:

  1. Check CLI: command -v draw-things-cli
  2. If NOT found, show install command and STOP: 
    brew tap drawthingsai/draw-things
brew install --HEAD drawthingsai/draw-things/draw-things-cli
  3. If found, verify: draw-things-cli generate --help
  4. Detect model directory:
    • Default: ~/Library/Containers/com.liuliu.draw-things/Data/Documents/Models
    • Override: $DRAWTHINGS_MODELS_DIR
  5. List available models if user needs guidance: 
    ls "${DRAWTHINGS_MODELS_DIR:-$HOME/Library/Containers/com.liuliu.draw-things/Data/Documents/Models}"/*.{ckpt,safetensors} 2>/dev/null

Model Quick-Reference

Family --model Dims Steps CFG Sampler Prompt Style
Flux Schnell flux_1_schnell_q5p.ckpt 1024x1024 4 1.0 "Euler a" Natural language
Flux Dev flux_1_dev_q6p.ckpt 1024x1024 30 1.0 "Euler a" Natural language
Flux Klein flux_2_klein_4b_q6p.ckpt 1024x1024 4 1.0 "DPM++ 2M AYS" Natural language
Flux Klein 9B flux_2_klein_9b_q6p.ckpt 1024x1024 8 1.0 "DPM++ 2M AYS" Natural language
SDXL sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors 1024x1024 25 7.0 "DPM++ 2M Karras" Tags + sentences
SD 1.5 v1-5-pruned-emaonly.ckpt 512x512 25 7.5 "DPM++ 2M Karras" Comma-separated tags

Decision guide:

  • Need fast prototyping? -> Flux Schnell or Klein (4 steps, ~1-2s)
  • Need best quality? -> Flux Dev (30 steps) or SDXL (Juggernaut XL)
  • Need huge LoRA library? -> SD 1.5 (most mature ecosystem)
  • Need text in images? -> Flux (dramatically better text rendering)
  • Low VRAM / fastest? -> SD 1.5 (4-6 GB)

For full model catalog with checkpoints, quantization guide, and SDXL resolutions, load references/model-catalog.md.

Core Generation Protocols

Every mode follows this pattern:

  1. Validate — file exists? CLI available? model downloaded?
  2. Select defaults — from model quick-ref table (user overrides take precedence)
  3. Build CLI command — assemble all flags
  4. Show command — display the full command to user before running
  5. Execute — run via Bash, capture output
  6. Report — image path, seed used, dimensions

Flag verification note: The examples below reflect the approved research plan. If your local CLI help differs — especially around --image, --mask, --upscaler, or output-path flags — trust draw-things-cli generate --help over this file and adapt the command.

Mode: Generate (txt2img)

Build the command using model-appropriate defaults:

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model <model> \
  --prompt "<prompt>" \
  --negative-prompt "<negative>" \
  --width <W> --height <H> \
  --steps <N> \
  --guidance-scale <cfg> \
  --sampler "<sampler>" \
  --seed <seed or -1>
  • For Flux: omit --negative-prompt entirely (not supported). Write detailed natural language prompts.
  • For SD 1.5: include aggressive negative prompt. Use comma-separated tags. Load references/prompt-patterns.md for templates.
  • For SDXL: include short targeted negative prompt. Use descriptive sentences.

Mode: Edit (img2img)

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model <model> \
  --image <input_path> \
  --prompt "<what to change>" \
  --strength 0.75 \
  --steps <N> --guidance-scale <cfg>
  • --strength controls how much to change: 0.3 = subtle, 0.5 = moderate, 0.75 = significant, 0.9 = near-complete redraw
  • If width/height not specified, preserve input image dimensions

Mode: Upscale

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model <model> \
  --image <input_path> \
  --upscaler <upscaler_filename> \
  --upscaler-scale <2 or 4> \
  --strength 0.2 \
  --steps 30

Available upscalers:

Upscaler Filename Scale
Real-ESRGAN X2+ realesrgan_x2plus_f16.ckpt 2x
Real-ESRGAN X4+ realesrgan_x4plus_f16.ckpt 4x
Real-ESRGAN X4+ Anime realesrgan_x4plus_anime_6b_f16.ckpt 4x
Remacri remacri_4x_f16.ckpt 4x
4x UltraSharp 4x_ultrasharp_f16.ckpt 4x
  • Default upscaler: realesrgan_x4plus_f16.ckpt
  • Use --strength 0.2-0.4 for upscaling (preserve detail). Higher values alter the image.

Mode: Inpaint

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model <model> \
  --image <input_path> \
  --mask <mask_path> \
  --prompt "<what to paint in masked area>" \
  --strength 0.75 \
  --mask-blur 4 \
  --preserve-original-after-inpaint true
  • Mask: white = area to repaint, black = keep original
  • Prompt should describe ONLY what goes in the masked area, not the full image
  • --mask-blur 4 default; increase if seams are visible

Mode: ControlNet

Load references/controlnet-guide.md for module details and weight recommendations.

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model <model> \
  --image <control_image_path> \
  --prompt "<prompt>" \
  --controls '[{"file": "<controlnet_model>", "weight": 0.6, "guidanceStart": 0.0, "guidanceEnd": 1.0, "controlMode": "Balanced"}]' \
  --width <W> --height <H>

Common modules: Canny (edges), Depth (spatial layout), Pose (human skeleton), Scribble (sketches), Tile (upscaling).

Mode: LoRA

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model <model> \
  --prompt "<prompt>" \
  --loras '[{"file": "<lora_filename>", "weight": 0.8}]' \
  --width <W> --height <H>
  • Default weight: 0.6. Range: -1.5 to 2.5. Typical: 0.5-1.0.
  • Multiple LoRAs: add objects to the JSON array
  • Modes: "All" (default), "Base", "Refiner"

Mode: Batch

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model <model> \
  --prompt "<prompt>" \
  --batch-count <N> \
  --seed <start_seed> \
  --width <W> --height <H>
  • --batch-count 4 generates 4 images with incrementing seeds
  • Use to explore variations, then pick the best seed for refinement

Mode: Refine

Re-run the previous generation with adjustments:

  1. Lock the seed from the previous generation
  2. Adjust one parameter at a time (prompt, cfg, steps, strength)
  3. Compare results

Example — previous SDXL generate used seed 42, now increase guidance:

draw-things-cli generate \
  --model sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors \
  --prompt "same prompt as before" \
  --seed 42 \
  --guidance-scale 9.0 \
  --steps 25 \
  --sampler "DPM++ 2M Karras" \
  --width 1024 --height 1024

If the previous generation is not visible in the current conversation, ask the user for: the seed, the prompt, and the model used.

Mode: Gallery

ls -lt "${DRAWTHINGS_OUTPUT_DIR:-$HOME/Pictures/draw-thing}/" | head -20

Mode: Model info

Load references/model-catalog.md. Display the requested model's recommended settings (dimensions, steps, CFG, sampler, prompt style). If the model name is not recognized, list available model families.

Prompt Engineering Quick-Reference

Model Style Example
Flux Natural language sentences, subject-first, camera/lens terms "Portrait of a woman with auburn hair, studio headshot, 85mm lens, f/1.8, soft diffused light, neutral backdrop"
SDXL Descriptive sentences, Subject-Action-Location-Style "A majestic castle on a cliff overlooking the sea, golden hour lighting, dramatic clouds, highly detailed, masterpiece"
SD 1.5 Comma-separated tags, most important first "castle, cliff, ocean, golden hour, dramatic sky, highly detailed, masterpiece, best quality, 8k"

Flux has NO negative prompt support. Frame exclusions positively: "perfect hands with five fingers" not "no extra fingers".

For advanced prompt patterns, quality boosters, negative prompt templates, and weighting syntax, load references/prompt-patterns.md.

Iterative Refinement Workflow

  1. Generate with a starting prompt and note the seed
  2. Evaluate the result — what's good? what needs changing?
  3. Lock seed (--seed <value>) to isolate the effect of parameter changes
  4. Adjust one thing at a time:
    • Prompt wording -> changes content/composition
    • --guidance-scale -> higher = more literal, lower = more creative
    • --steps -> more steps = more detail (diminishing returns past 30-40)
    • --strength (img2img) -> how much to change
  5. Unlock seed when satisfied with parameters, generate variations with --seed -1

Output Handling

  • Default output directory: ~/Pictures/draw-thing/
  • Create it if it doesn't exist: mkdir -p ~/Pictures/draw-thing
  • PNG files include embedded metadata (prompt, seed, model, parameters)
  • If draw-things-cli outputs to a different location, move/copy to the standard directory
  • Always report the output file path and seed to the user

Error Recovery

Error Likely Cause Action
Model file not found Wrong filename or missing download List models dir, suggest correct name from model quick-ref
Process killed / OOM Model too large for available memory Suggest smaller model or quantized variant (e.g., q5p/q6p)
Unknown flag error CLI version mismatch with this skill Run draw-things-cli generate --help, adapt command
No output file Silent failure or wrong output path Check CLI stderr, verify output location

Reference Files

Load ONE reference at a time. Do not preload all references into context.

File Content Load When
references/cli-reference.md Complete flag tables: 60+ flags, 19 samplers, 4 seed modes, JSON schemas Building non-trivial commands, user asks about flags
references/model-catalog.md Model variants, checkpoints, SDXL resolutions, quantization guide User asks about models, model mode
references/prompt-patterns.md Prompt engineering, quality boosters, negative templates, weighting Complex prompts, quality issues
references/controlnet-guide.md Modules, weights, scheduling, multi-ControlNet, JSON format ControlNet mode
references/workflow-recipes.md Multi-step recipes: character design, photo restoration, style transfer Complex creative goals

Critical Rules

  1. Always check CLI before any operation — command -v draw-things-cli
  2. Always report the seed so results are reproducible
  3. Model-appropriate dimensions: SD 1.5 -> 512x512, SDXL -> 1024x1024, Flux -> 1024x1024
  4. Flux has NO negative prompt — omit --negative-prompt entirely; use detailed positive descriptions
  5. Prompt style must match model: Flux = natural language, SD 1.5 = comma tags, SDXL = hybrid
  6. Upscale preserves originals — always output to a new file, never overwrite
  7. Default output: ~/Pictures/draw-thing/ with descriptive filenames
  8. Show the full CLI command before running — transparency enables learning and debugging
  9. Upscaling denoising 0.2-0.4 — higher values alter the image instead of enhancing
  10. Single-quote JSON for --loras and --controls to prevent shell expansion
  11. Refuse video requests — out of scope for v1.0; Draw Things supports it but workflows differ
  12. Verify unknown flags — if unsure about a flag, run draw-things-cli generate --help first
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