--- name: ocas-imagine license: MIT description: 'Art-direction engine for text-to-image generation. Separates Style from Content to keep aesthetic identity consistent across an image series. Use when generating, rendering, or illustrating images (especially across a series), capturing the style of a reference image for reuse, or producing an image in a named/saved style. Not for captioning, image analysis for decisions (use ocas-look), or photo editing.' source: https://github.com/indigokarasu/imagine includes: - references/** metadata: author: Indigo Karasu (indigokarasu) version: "1.1.1" hermes: category: creative tags: - image-generation - art-direction - text-to-image - creative triggers: - generate image - text to image - ai art - image generation - illustrate --- # Imagine An art-direction engine that treats image generation as a two-part process: **Style Prompting** + **Content Prompting**. Decoupling aesthetic DNA from subject matter lets a series of images share one visual identity while content varies. ## Interactive Menu When invoked interactively, present the two-level menu (uses the `clarify` tool). Full structure: `references/interactive-menu.md`. ## When to Use - Create a series of images with a consistent visual identity (comics, storyboards, concept art). - Translate a specific artistic style from a reference image into a reusable Style Prompt. - Generate images using the current active text-to-image mode exposed by Hermes. - Art-direct an LLM to produce a prompt that is style-pure (no content bleed). ## When NOT to Use - Analyzing user-provided images to drive downstream decisions → use `ocas-look` - General web research on aesthetics or art history → use `ocas-sift` - Editing or post-processing existing images → use an image editor - Image captioning or description → use `ocas-look` ## RULE — Read the Skill End-to-End Before Any Generation Run Before ANY imagine run, read this SKILL.md and `references/api_reference.md` in full; never reconstruct the methodology from memory or guess the generation path. If you catch yourself hand-rolling a substitute (hand-coded SVGs, a separate model, ad-hoc scripts), STOP — that is the signature of not having read the skill; fix the blocker instead. **Why:** content bleed and concatenation-order failures are non-obvious, and memory-based reconstruction reliably gets them wrong. ## Responsibility Boundary **Imagine does:** style library management, style extraction from reference images, art-directed prompt synthesis, image generation through the current active conversation model (when text-to-image capable), and journaling of every run. **Imagine does not:** call the separate `image_generate` tool, bypass the active model via Pollinations/Pollination, FAL, or direct provider endpoints (unless explicitly requests one), edit/post-process images, or do general web research. Routing: `ocas-look` consumes images as decision inputs; Imagine produces images as creative output. "Look at this image and do X with the info" → Look. "Make an image that looks like this" → Imagine. ## Optional Skill Cooperation Imagine runs standalone; these are optional and must not block a run: - **ocas-sift** — research a referenced artist or movement before extraction. - **ocas-weave** — resolve portrait references to known people. ## Journal Outputs - **Action** — `imagine.generate`, `imagine.style.save` (external side effect or persistent state write). - **Observation** — `imagine.extract`, `imagine.library.list` (analysis or read-only enumeration). Every run produces exactly one journal file. See `references/journal.md` for the record schema. ## Core Methodology See `references/style_prompt_guide.md` for the full Style-Content separation methodology, the five standard style sections, and the overspecification rule. ## Operational Flows ### Flow 1: Image Generation (existing style) Use when the user wants an image in a known or predefined style. **Checklist:** - [ ] Style selected from default_styles.md or styles.jsonl - [ ] Content Prompt describes only what is in the scene (no style/color/lighting keywords) - [ ] Final prompt = Style Prompt + Content Prompt (style first) - [ ] API call succeeded - [ ] Action Journal record written with final prompt + image URL 1. **Select Style:** load a style from `references/default_styles.md` or a saved Style Prompt in `{agent_root}/commons/data/ocas-imagine/styles.jsonl`. 2. **Expand Content:** turn the user's subject request into a detailed Content Prompt. - *Constraint:* describe what is in the scene, never how it looks (no colors, no style keywords, no lighting direction) — style keywords in a Content Prompt break the style/content split. 3. **Synthesis:** concatenate Style + Content into the final prompt, style first, because reversing the order makes the model prioritize subject over aesthetics. 4. **Execute:** submit the synthesized prompt to the current active conversation model when it is text-to-image capable. Do not call the separate `image_generate` tool, Pollinations/Pollination, FAL, or any direct provider endpoint unless explicitly asks for that backend. 5. **Journal:** write an Action Journal record with the final synthesized prompt and the resulting image URL. **I/O Example:** - Input: `imagine.generate --style NOIR --content "a detective standing under a streetlight at night"` - Output: `{"status": "ok", "image": "", "journal_id": "r_a7f2c1"}` When art-direction output is consumed programmatically, emit the structured JSON (prompt, style_weights, negative_prompt, content_summary) defined in `references/output-schema.md`. ### Flow 2: Style Extraction (image → style) Use when the user provides an image and wants to capture its soul for future use. **Checklist:** - [ ] Reference image loaded (path or URL) - [ ] Multi-modal analysis completed - [ ] Style extracted in exhaustive detail (no object/content names) - [ ] Organized into five standard sections - [ ] Style Test image generated and verified (no content bleed) - [ ] Style Prompt saved to styles.jsonl - [ ] Observation Journal record written 1. **Visual Analysis:** use a multi-modal LLM (via `vision_analyze` or equivalent) to analyze the reference image. 2. **Exhaustive Extraction:** apply the extraction prompt in `references/style_prompt_guide.md`. - *Requirement:* describe the style in exhaustive detail without naming any object or content. 3. **Semantic Organization:** organize the raw description into the five standard sections: Perspective & Composition; Lighting & Shadow; Color Palette; Brushwork & Technique; Image Framing & Balance. 4. **Verification:** generate a Style Test image of an unrelated simple subject to confirm the prompt is robust and content-bleed-free (bleed produces inconsistent results across subjects). 5. **Save:** append the resulting Style Prompt to `{agent_root}/commons/data/ocas-imagine/styles.jsonl`. 6. **Journal:** write an Observation Journal record for the extraction. **I/O Example:** - Input: `imagine.extract --image https://example.com/ref-photo.jpg` - Output: `{"status": "ok", "style_name": "extracted-noir", "style_prompt": "...", "test_image_url": "...", "journal_id": "r_9c3e02"}` ## Commands - `imagine.generate --style --content ` — generate an image in a specific style. - `imagine.extract --image ` — analyze an image into a structured Style Prompt. - `imagine.library.list` — list all predefined and saved styles. - `imagine.style.save --name --prompt ` — save a custom style to the library. - `imagine.journal` — read the most recent run record (final prompt + image URL). ## Recovery Behavior This skill implements the recovery contract from `spec-ocas-recovery.md`. - **Evidence**: Every generation/extraction run writes an evidence record to `{agent_root}/commons/data/ocas-imagine/evidence.jsonl`, including no-op runs (`not_activity_reason` mandatory when no side effects occur). - **Gap detection**: Not applicable — on-demand only. - **Degraded mode**: If the active model cannot emit image attachments through the current surface, log `degraded: current_model_t2i_unavailable` and return the interface error; no fallback backends. - **Log compaction**: Evidence and history logs older than 30 days compacted; last 7 days retained. ## Storage Layout All state lives under `{agent_root}/commons/` — layout tree, ConfigBase notes, and pending-spec pointers: `references/storage-layout.md`. Never write skill state inside the skill directory. ## Implementation Details See `references/api_reference.md` for the current-model execution contract and failure handling. ## Background Tasks Imagine has no operational background tasks — it runs purely on invocation, so a generation failure is not retried automatically. ## Self-Update Self-update is handled centrally by the `skills:update-fleet` cron. This skill intentionally ships no in-skill updater or update script — do not re-add one. ## Visibility Public. ## Gotchas - **Content bleed invalidates a Style Prompt** — A Style Prompt naming specific objects or people produces inconsistent results across subjects. Always verify with a Style Test image of an unrelated, simple subject before saving. - **Style-content concatenation order matters** — Style Prompt first, then Content Prompt. Reversing the order makes the model prioritize subject over aesthetics. - **Current-model failures are terminal** — When the active model cannot emit image attachments through the current surface, there is no in-skill retry. Log degraded mode, report the interface problem; never route around it via `image_generate`, Pollinations/Pollination, FAL, or direct provider calls. - **Validation triple is mandatory** — Every generation must produce entries in `history.jsonl`, a journal file, AND `evidence.jsonl`; a run missing any of these is invalid per the OKR data_integrity target. - **On-demand only — no background tasks** — No cron jobs or heartbeat tasks; a missed run is never replayed. ## Error Handling | Failure | Handling | |---|---| | Current model image path unavailable (interface/tooling error) | Log `degraded: current_model_t2i_unavailable` to evidence.jsonl, return the interface error; no fallback backends | | vision_analyze fails on reference image | Retry once asking for a pure visual-style description; if still failing, report accepted image formats | | styles.jsonl is corrupted or unreadable | Initialize fresh from built-in defaults in `references/default_styles.md`; log corruption to evidence.jsonl | | Content Prompt accidentally contains style keywords | Halt generation, report content bleed to user, request pure content description | | Style Test image shows content bleed | Do NOT save the Style Prompt; report extraction failure, suggest a cleaner reference image | | Journal write fails (permissions/disk) | Log to stderr, still return the generation result, flag evidence record `journal_write_failed: true` | | Invalid image path or URL in extract command | Return error listing accepted formats: local path, http(s) URL; never fetch unsupported schemes | ## Support File Map | File | When to read | |---|---| | `references/style_prompt_guide.md` | During Flow 2 step 2 — when extracting style from a reference image | | `references/default_styles.md` | During Flow 1 step 1 — before picking a style, to browse available presets | | `references/output-schema.md` | When Flow 1 output is consumed programmatically (structured JSON) | | `references/storage-layout.md` | Before writing any state file, or when verifying where data lives | | `references/interactive-menu.md` | When invoked interactively via `/` — full two-level menu structure | | `references/journal.md` | Before writing any journal file; contains the record schema | | `references/api_reference.md` | When executing generation; contains the current-model routing contract | | `references/indigo.md` | When a violet glitch-field / signal-decay aesthetic is requested | | `references/soma.md` | When a soft luminous gradient aesthetic is requested or identified | | `references/noir.md` | When a flat silhouette + low sun aesthetic is requested or identified | | `references/hiro.md` | When a woodblock print aesthetic is requested or identified | | `references/comic.md` | When an ink linework + warm ground aesthetic is requested or identified | | `references/candy.md` | When a plein-air + opaque color field aesthetic is requested | | `references/vaporware.md` | When a retro consumer electronics aesthetic is requested | | `tests/test_skill_integrity.py` | When editing SKILL.md or support files — run `python3 -m unittest discover -s tests` before finishing | ## Validation Rules - Every generation writes to `history.jsonl`, a journal file, AND `evidence.jsonl`. A run missing any record is invalid. - Style Prompts must not reference specific objects, people, or scene content. - Content Prompts must not reference colors, lighting, materials, or style keywords already covered by the selected Style Prompt. - All filesystem writes stay within `{agent_root}/commons/data/ocas-imagine/` and `{agent_root}/commons/journals/ocas-imagine/`. ## OKRs - **schedule_adherence**: 100% — on-demand only; every invocation completes or errors within timeout (measured via evidence.jsonl timestamps). - **data_integrity**: 100% — every run produces valid history.jsonl + journal + evidence.jsonl records. A run missing any record is invalid. --- Source attribution: indigokarasu Original project: https://github.com/indigokarasu/imagine/blob/59e174e3cc296fb0e440f53da72aa99b6934dba5/SKILL.md License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 Indigo Karasu Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: indigokarasu Original project: https://github.com/indigokarasu/imagine/blob/59e174e3cc296fb0e440f53da72aa99b6934dba5/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Design, Marketing Roles: Content Marketer, Graphic Designer, UX Designer Specialties: API, Backend, Word Documents, Frontend, Git, Playwright, Testing Tools: Pollinations.Ai Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: cd80e674184144edcf1691eb1ff26937df401bf62146c4c96135a32aefbf23d7