Generate Image

Generate and edit high-quality images using OpenRouter's image generation models including FLUX.2 Pro and Gemini 3 Pro.

When to Use This Skill

Use generate-image for:

• •Photos and photorealistic images
• •Artistic illustrations and artwork
• •Concept art and visual concepts
• •Visual assets for presentations or documents
• •Image editing and modifications
• •Any general-purpose image generation needs

Use scientific-schematics instead for:

• •Flowcharts and process diagrams
• •Circuit diagrams and electrical schematics
• •Biological pathways and signaling cascades
• •System architecture diagrams
• •CONSORT diagrams and methodology flowcharts
• •Any technical/schematic diagrams

Quick Start

Use the scripts/generate_image.py script to generate or edit images:

# Generate a new image
python scripts/generate_image.py "A beautiful sunset over mountains"

# Edit an existing image
python scripts/generate_image.py "Make the sky purple" --input photo.jpg

This generates/edits an image and saves it as generated_image.png in the current directory.

API Key Setup

CRITICAL: The script requires an API key. Before running, check if the user has configured their API key:

OpenRouter (Default)

1. •Look for a .env file in the project directory or parent directories
2. •Check for OPENROUTER_API_KEY=<key> in the .env file
3. •If not found, inform the user they need to:
   • •Create a .env file with OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
   • •Or set the environment variable: export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
   • •Get an API key from: https://openrouter.ai/keys

MiniMax (Alternative)

1. •Look for a .env file in the project directory or parent directories
2. •Check for MINIMAX_API_KEY=<key> in the .env file
3. •If not found, inform the user they need to:
   • •Create a .env file with MINIMAX_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
   • •Or set the environment variable: export MINIMAX_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

The script will automatically detect the .env file and provide clear error messages if the API key is missing.

Provider Selection

Use --provider to choose between OpenRouter and MiniMax:

Provider Selection

Use --provider to choose between OpenRouter and MiniMax:

# Use OpenRouter (default)
python scripts/generate_image.py "A sunset" --provider openrouter

# Use MiniMax
python scripts/generate_image.py "A landscape" --provider minimax

Model Selection

OpenRouter Models (Default)

Default model: google/gemini-3-pro-image-preview (high quality, recommended)

Available models for generation and editing:

• •google/gemini-3-pro-image-preview - High quality, supports generation + editing
• •black-forest-labs/flux.2-pro - Fast, high quality, supports generation + editing

Generation only:

• •black-forest-labs/flux.2-flex - Fast and cheap, but not as high quality as pro

MiniMax Models

Default model: image-01

Select based on:

• •Quality: Use gemini-3-pro or flux.2-pro
• •Editing: Use gemini-3-pro or flux.2-pro (both support image editing)
• •Cost/Speed: Use flux.2-flex for generation only, or MiniMax for alternatives

Configuration (.env file)

# Provider selection (default: openrouter)
IMAGE_PROVIDER=openrouter  # or minimax

# OpenRouter configuration
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-...
OPENROUTER_BASE_URL=https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
IMAGE_MODEL_OPENROUTER=google/gemini-3-pro-image-preview

# MiniMax configuration
MINIMAX_API_KEY=your-minimax-key
IMAGE_MODEL_MINIMAX=image-01

Environment Variables

Common Usage Patterns

Basic generation (OpenRouter)

python scripts/generate_image.py "Your prompt here"

Specify model

python scripts/generate_image.py "A cat in space" --model "black-forest-labs/flux.2-pro"

Custom output path

python scripts/generate_image.py "Abstract art" --output artwork.png

Use MiniMax provider

python scripts/generate_image.py "A landscape photo" --provider minimax

MiniMax with aspect ratio

python scripts/generate_image.py "Portrait photo" --provider minimax --aspect-ratio "9:16"

Edit an existing image (OpenRouter only)

python scripts/generate_image.py "Make the background blue" --input photo.jpg

Edit with a specific model

python scripts/generate_image.py "Add sunglasses to the person" --input portrait.png --model "black-forest-labs/flux.2-pro"

Edit with custom output

python scripts/generate_image.py "Remove the text from the image" --input screenshot.png --output cleaned.png

Multiple images

Run the script multiple times with different prompts or output paths:

python scripts/generate_image.py "Image 1 description" --output image1.png
python scripts/generate_image.py "Image 2 description" --output image2.png

Script Parameters

• •prompt (required): Text description of the image to generate, or editing instructions
• •--input or -i: Input image path for editing (enables edit mode, OpenRouter only)
• •--model or -m: Model ID (OpenRouter: default google/gemini-3-pro-image-preview, MiniMax: default image-01)
• •--output or -o: Output file path (default: generated_image.png)
• •--api-key: API key for the provider (overrides .env file)
• •--base-url: Base URL for OpenRouter API (default: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1)
• •--provider: API provider - "openrouter" or "minimax" (default: openrouter)
• •--aspect-ratio: Image aspect ratio for MiniMax only (default: 16:9)

Example Use Cases

For Scientific Documents

# Generate a conceptual illustration for a paper
python scripts/generate_image.py "Microscopic view of cancer cells being attacked by immunotherapy agents, scientific illustration style" --output figures/immunotherapy_concept.png

# Create a visual for a presentation
python scripts/generate_image.py "DNA double helix structure with highlighted mutation site, modern scientific visualization" --output slides/dna_mutation.png

For Presentations and Posters

# Title slide background
python scripts/generate_image.py "Abstract blue and white background with subtle molecular patterns, professional presentation style" --output slides/background.png

# Poster hero image
python scripts/generate_image.py "Laboratory setting with modern equipment, photorealistic, well-lit" --output poster/hero.png

For General Visual Content

# Website or documentation images
python scripts/generate_image.py "Professional team collaboration around a digital whiteboard, modern office" --output docs/team_collaboration.png

# Marketing materials
python scripts/generate_image.py "Futuristic AI brain concept with glowing neural networks" --output marketing/ai_concept.png

Error Handling

The script provides clear error messages for:

• •Missing API key (with setup instructions)
• •API errors (with status codes)
• •Unexpected response formats
• •Missing dependencies (requests library)

If the script fails, read the error message and address the issue before retrying.

Notes

• •Images are returned as base64-encoded data URLs and automatically saved as PNG files
• •The script supports both images and content response formats from different OpenRouter models
• •Generation time varies by model (typically 5-30 seconds)
• •For image editing, the input image is encoded as base64 and sent to the model
• •Supported input image formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP
• •Check OpenRouter pricing for cost information: https://openrouter.ai/models
• •MiniMax returns multiple images (typically 4) when available, saved as output-0.png, output-1.png, etc.
• •MiniMax supported aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1
• •Image editing is only supported with OpenRouter (not MiniMax)

Image Editing Tips

• •Be specific about what changes you want (e.g., "change the sky to sunset colors" vs "edit the sky")
• •Reference specific elements in the image when possible
• •For best results, use clear and detailed editing instructions
• •Both Gemini 3 Pro and FLUX.2 Pro support image editing through OpenRouter

Integration with Other Skills

• •scientific-schematics: Use for technical diagrams, flowcharts, circuits, pathways
• •generate-image: Use for photos, illustrations, artwork, visual concepts
• •scientific-slides: Combine with generate-image for visually rich presentations
• •latex-posters: Use generate-image for poster visuals and hero images