@heyamiko/amiko-cli 0.16.1 → 0.16.3

package/README.md

@@ -879,9 +879,9 @@ Generate a video (Create Studio)
 
 | Flag | Default | Description |
 |---|---|---|
-| `--model <model>` |  | Video model: MiniMax-Hailuo-02 (default for prompt-only; T2V+I2V), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast (default with --first-frame; I2V only), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3 (T2V+I2V), MiniMax-H3 (aliases h3, hailuo-03; T2V+I2V+reference-to-video, 768P\|2K, any 4–15s, billed per second), veo-3.1[-fast\|-lite]-generate-preview (Google; durations clamp to 4/6/8s), grok-imagine-video (xAI), dreamina-seedance-* (BytePlus). ONLY these — kling and other ids are not supported |
+| `--model <model>` |  | Video model: MiniMax-Hailuo-02 (default for prompt-only; T2V+I2V), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast (default with --first-frame; I2V only), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3 (T2V+I2V), MiniMax-H3 (aliases h3, hailuo-03; T2V+I2V+reference-to-video, 768P\|2K, any 4–15s, billed per second), veo-3.1[-fast\|-lite]-generate-preview (Google; durations clamp to 4/6/8s), grok-imagine-video (xAI), dreamina-seedance-2-5-260628 (BytePlus Seedance 2.5; any whole 4–30s, billed per token so a long 1080p clip runs into dollars — quote it), other dreamina-seedance-* (BytePlus, ≤15s). ONLY these — kling and other ids are not supported |
 | `--resolution <res>` | `768P` | 512P, 720P, 768P, 1080P (MiniMax, Grok, Seedance); 720p, 1080p, 4k (Veo); 768P or 2K (MiniMax-H3) |
-| `--seconds <n>` | `6` | Clip length: 6 or 10 (Hailuo), 4/6/8 (Veo), 4/6/8/10 (Grok, Seedance), any whole number 4–15 (MiniMax-H3) |
+| `--seconds <n>` | `6` | Clip length: 6 or 10 (Hailuo), 4/6/8 (Veo), 4/6/8/10 (Grok, Seedance 2.0), any whole number 4–15 (MiniMax-H3), any whole number 4–30 (Seedance 2.5) |
 | `--aspect <ratio>` |  | Aspect ratio (provider-dependent). MiniMax-H3 text-to-video needs a concrete ratio (21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, 9:16); defaults to 16:9 when omitted |
 | `--first-frame <file|url>` |  | Image-to-video: first frame — local file path, https URL, or data URI |
 | `--last-frame <file|url>` |  | First-and-last-frame video: ending frame — local file path, https URL, or data URI. MiniMax-H3, Seedance and Veo only (Seedance/Veo also need --first-frame) |
@@ -2617,6 +2617,20 @@ npm publish
 
 ## Changelog
 
+### 0.16.3
+
+- **Seedance 2.5 (`dreamina-seedance-2-5-260628`) is a supported `create video --model`**, and it is the only model that goes past 15s — any whole `--seconds` from **4 to 30**. The 4|6|8|10 set never applied to it, and neither does H3's 4–15 range, so `--seconds 22` is now accepted rather than rejected against a table it was never subject to.
+- **Over-long durations are an error, not a silent trim.** mpp clamped anything above 15s down to 15s before submitting. On a model that accepts 30s that meant a 30s request generated a 15s clip, billed in full, and said nothing about the substitution — the owner paid for a video that was not the one they asked for. The limit is now per model and exceeding it fails before the job is created.
+- **2.5 is priced at its own rate ($0.0107/1K tokens).** It was falling through to the 2.0 Pro rate, which under-quoted it by ~31%: the number shown at approval was not the number charged. The unknown-model fallback was also inverted — it used to quote at the *cheapest* published rate, so any future model id would under-quote by default; it now quotes at the dearest known rate and logs that it did.
+- **`Expensive generation:` warning above $0.50.** Seedance 2.5 bills per token, so cost tracks duration × resolution: roughly **5s 720p ≈ $1.16**, **10s 720p ≈ $2.31**, **30s 1080p ≈ $15.60** — about 156,000 credits, more than most balances hold. `Cost:` alone reads identically at $0.09 and at $15, so anything at or above $0.50 now gets its own stderr line naming the two levers (`--seconds`, `--resolution`) that caused it. Ordinary work — an image, a short Hailuo clip — stays quiet.
+- **The reference caps stay at 9/3/3.** 2.5 advertises up to 50 multimodal references upstream, but BytePlus has not published how the ≤15s combined-reference budget changes at that ceiling, and a cap that can't be verified locally is one that fails by generating and billing. 2.5's usable win today is duration, not reference count.
+
+### 0.16.2
+
+- **`--yes` now discloses the cost instead of hiding it.** The approval gate treated `--yes` as permission to skip the *prompt* and the *disclosure* together, so an agent that passed it generated media with the amount appearing nowhere in the output — the one path where money moves was the one path that said nothing about it. The quote has already been fetched by then, so `Cost: …` now prints on every approved paid run. It goes to **stderr**, because job ids and `--raw` JSON go to stdout and callers parse them; free outward actions (a chat message, a follow) still print nothing, so nothing reintroduces "the cost is 0" for an action that has no price.
+- **A failed price quote says so.** `create` swallowed a quote failure to avoid blocking a job that the server charges for anyway — but that made "we couldn't get a price" indistinguishable from "this one is free", and the fallback note then read as the price. It now prints `Price quote failed — the amount below is unknown` and labels the figure accordingly.
+- **SKILL.md: a three-step flow for generation, replacing an empty section.** `### Quoting cost before running` was a heading with no body. Agents were picking the model, duration, aspect ratio and resolution on the owner's behalf and spending on the result, because a request like "make me a video of my cat" contains none of them. The rule is now: **propose** (model and why, mode, the parameters the owner didn't think to give, a price band flagged as rough) → **quote** (run without `--yes`, show the CLI's exact number) → **generate** (`--yes`, nothing else changed). Steps 1 and 2 may share a turn when the owner was already specific; step 3 is always separately approved.
+
 ### 0.16.1
 
 - **[Command Reference](#command-reference) in the README** — every group, subcommand, argument and flag the CLI accepts, with defaults. It is generated from the same commander tree `--help` renders (`bun run gen:reference`), and `bun test` fails if it drifts, so the README can't go stale behind a newly added flag.

package/dist/index.js

@@ -27057,8 +27057,12 @@ async function requireApproval(args) {
   if (args.cost === undefined === (args.free === undefined)) {
     throw new Error("requireApproval: set exactly one of `cost` or `free`.");
   }
-  if (args.yes)
+  if (args.yes) {
+    if (args.cost !== undefined) {
+      console.error(dim(`Cost: ${args.cost}`));
+    }
     return;
+  }
   if (process.stdin.isTTY) {
     console.log("");
     console.log(`About to run: ${args.summary}`);
@@ -29307,6 +29311,12 @@ var NON_H3_MAX_PROMPT_CHARS = 2000;
 var H3_MAX_REFERENCE_FILES = 12;
 var H3_DEFAULT_T2V_ASPECT = "16:9";
 var NON_H3_VIDEO_SECONDS = new Set([4, 6, 8, 10]);
+var SEEDANCE_25_MODEL = /^(dreamina-)?seedance-2-5(-|$)/i;
+var SEEDANCE_25_MIN_SECONDS = 4;
+var SEEDANCE_25_MAX_SECONDS = 30;
+function isSeedance25Model(model) {
+  return SEEDANCE_25_MODEL.test(model);
+}
 function isH3VideoModel(model) {
   return H3_VIDEO_MODEL.test(model);
 }
@@ -29715,6 +29725,7 @@ function mediaUrls(items) {
 }
 
 // src/commands/create.ts
+var HIGH_COST_USD = 0.5;
 var MUSIC_MAX_SECONDS = 300;
 var ETA = {
   IMAGE: "~15–60s",
@@ -29799,6 +29810,8 @@ async function submitCreateJob(opts) {
   }
   let costLine = payCredits ? "reserved from your Amiko account credits, captured on success (released on failure)" : "charged from your twin wallet on success (nothing on failure)";
   let quotedCostAmiko;
+  let quotedCostUsd;
+  let quoteFailed = false;
   try {
     const q = await amikoWebFetch(auth, "/api/create/quote", {
       method: "POST",
@@ -29806,6 +29819,7 @@ async function submitCreateJob(opts) {
       timeoutMs: 15000
     });
     if (q.cost_usd != null) {
+      quotedCostUsd = q.cost_usd;
       costLine = payCredits ? `≈ ${Math.ceil(q.cost_usd * 1e4)} Amiko credits (≈ $${q.cost_usd.toFixed(4)}) — reserved on submit, captured only on success` : `${q.cost_amiko ?? "?"} AMIKO (≈ $${q.cost_usd.toFixed(4)}) — charged only on success`;
     }
     if (typeof q.cost_amiko === "string" && q.cost_amiko.trim() !== "") {
@@ -29813,7 +29827,19 @@ async function submitCreateJob(opts) {
       if (Number.isFinite(n))
         quotedCostAmiko = n;
     }
-  } catch {}
+  } catch {
+    quoteFailed = true;
+  }
+  if (quoteFailed) {
+    console.error(warn("Price quote failed — the amount below is unknown."));
+    costLine = `unknown (quote failed) — ${costLine}`;
+  }
+  if (quotedCostUsd !== undefined && quotedCostUsd >= HIGH_COST_USD) {
+    console.error("");
+    console.error(warn(`Expensive generation: ≈ $${quotedCostUsd.toFixed(2)} (${Math.ceil(quotedCostUsd * 1e4).toLocaleString()} credits).`));
+    console.error(dim("  Duration and resolution drive this almost linearly — halving either roughly halves the price."));
+    console.error("");
+  }
   const preferredToken = typeof jobBody.preferredToken === "string" ? jobBody.preferredToken.toUpperCase() : undefined;
   const chargeIsAmiko = !payCredits && (preferredToken === undefined || preferredToken === "AMIKO");
   const autoApprovable = payCredits || chargeIsAmiko;
@@ -29946,7 +29972,7 @@ function registerCreateCommand(create2) {
       }
     });
   });
-  create2.command("video <prompt>").description("Generate a video (Create Studio)").option("--model <model>", "Video model: MiniMax-Hailuo-02 (default for prompt-only; T2V+I2V), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast (default with --first-frame; I2V only), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3 (T2V+I2V), MiniMax-H3 (aliases h3, hailuo-03; T2V+I2V+reference-to-video, 768P|2K, any 4–15s, billed per second), veo-3.1[-fast|-lite]-generate-preview (Google; durations clamp to 4/6/8s), grok-imagine-video (xAI), dreamina-seedance-* (BytePlus). ONLY these — kling and other ids are not supported").option("--resolution <res>", "512P, 720P, 768P, 1080P (MiniMax, Grok, Seedance); 720p, 1080p, 4k (Veo); 768P or 2K (MiniMax-H3)", "768P").option("--seconds <n>", "Clip length: 6 or 10 (Hailuo), 4/6/8 (Veo), 4/6/8/10 (Grok, Seedance), any whole number 4–15 (MiniMax-H3)", "6").option("--aspect <ratio>", "Aspect ratio (provider-dependent). MiniMax-H3 text-to-video needs a concrete ratio (21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, 9:16); defaults to 16:9 when omitted").option("--first-frame <file|url>", "Image-to-video: first frame — local file path, https URL, or data URI").option("--last-frame <file|url>", "First-and-last-frame video: ending frame — local file path, https URL, or data URI. MiniMax-H3, Seedance and Veo only (Seedance/Veo also need --first-frame)").option("--reference-image <file|url>", "Reference-to-video: local file path or https URL (repeatable). MiniMax-H3 / Seedance / Grok: max 9; Veo: max 3; Hailuo v1: NOT supported — use --subject-reference", collectOption, []).option("--reference-video <file|url>", "Reference-to-video: local file path or https URL (repeatable, max 3). MiniMax-H3 and Seedance only; combined reference video+audio must be ≤15s, and H3 bills 15 input-seconds whenever any is attached", collectOption, []).option("--reference-audio <file|url>", "Reference-to-video: local file path or https URL (repeatable, max 3). MiniMax-H3 and Seedance only; needs an image or video reference alongside, H3 wants 2–15s per clip", collectOption, []).option("--subject-reference <file|url>", "MiniMax S2V / H3: subject/character reference image — local file path or https URL. Takes the place of --reference-image rather than adding to it").option("--generate-audio", "Seedance: generate audio in the output video").option("--no-generate-audio", "Seedance: output silent video").option("--watermark", "Seedance: burn in a watermark").option("--no-watermark", "Seedance: no watermark").option("--camera-fixed", "Seedance: hold the camera still").option("--no-camera-fixed", "Seedance: allow camera movement").option("--prompt-optimizer", "MiniMax (H3 and Hailuo v1): let the model rewrite the prompt before generating").option("--no-prompt-optimizer", "MiniMax: use the prompt verbatim").option("--fast-pretreatment", "MiniMax Hailuo v1: faster input pre-processing (ignored by H3, Veo, Grok and Seedance)").option("--no-fast-pretreatment", "MiniMax Hailuo v1: standard input pre-processing").option("--token <symbol>", "Preferred charge token: AMIKO, USDC, USDT, SOL").option("--pay <method>", "Payment method: credits (Amiko account credits, default) or wallet (twin wallet)", "credits").option("--raw", "Output raw JSON").option("--yes", "Skip the pre-spend confirmation (required in non-interactive shells)").action(async (prompt, opts) => {
+  create2.command("video <prompt>").description("Generate a video (Create Studio)").option("--model <model>", "Video model: MiniMax-Hailuo-02 (default for prompt-only; T2V+I2V), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast (default with --first-frame; I2V only), MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3 (T2V+I2V), MiniMax-H3 (aliases h3, hailuo-03; T2V+I2V+reference-to-video, 768P|2K, any 4–15s, billed per second), veo-3.1[-fast|-lite]-generate-preview (Google; durations clamp to 4/6/8s), grok-imagine-video (xAI), dreamina-seedance-2-5-260628 (BytePlus Seedance 2.5; any whole 4–30s, billed per token so a long 1080p clip runs into dollars — quote it), other dreamina-seedance-* (BytePlus, ≤15s). ONLY these — kling and other ids are not supported").option("--resolution <res>", "512P, 720P, 768P, 1080P (MiniMax, Grok, Seedance); 720p, 1080p, 4k (Veo); 768P or 2K (MiniMax-H3)", "768P").option("--seconds <n>", "Clip length: 6 or 10 (Hailuo), 4/6/8 (Veo), 4/6/8/10 (Grok, Seedance 2.0), any whole number 4–15 (MiniMax-H3), any whole number 4–30 (Seedance 2.5)", "6").option("--aspect <ratio>", "Aspect ratio (provider-dependent). MiniMax-H3 text-to-video needs a concrete ratio (21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, 9:16); defaults to 16:9 when omitted").option("--first-frame <file|url>", "Image-to-video: first frame — local file path, https URL, or data URI").option("--last-frame <file|url>", "First-and-last-frame video: ending frame — local file path, https URL, or data URI. MiniMax-H3, Seedance and Veo only (Seedance/Veo also need --first-frame)").option("--reference-image <file|url>", "Reference-to-video: local file path or https URL (repeatable). MiniMax-H3 / Seedance / Grok: max 9; Veo: max 3; Hailuo v1: NOT supported — use --subject-reference", collectOption, []).option("--reference-video <file|url>", "Reference-to-video: local file path or https URL (repeatable, max 3). MiniMax-H3 and Seedance only; combined reference video+audio must be ≤15s, and H3 bills 15 input-seconds whenever any is attached", collectOption, []).option("--reference-audio <file|url>", "Reference-to-video: local file path or https URL (repeatable, max 3). MiniMax-H3 and Seedance only; needs an image or video reference alongside, H3 wants 2–15s per clip", collectOption, []).option("--subject-reference <file|url>", "MiniMax S2V / H3: subject/character reference image — local file path or https URL. Takes the place of --reference-image rather than adding to it").option("--generate-audio", "Seedance: generate audio in the output video").option("--no-generate-audio", "Seedance: output silent video").option("--watermark", "Seedance: burn in a watermark").option("--no-watermark", "Seedance: no watermark").option("--camera-fixed", "Seedance: hold the camera still").option("--no-camera-fixed", "Seedance: allow camera movement").option("--prompt-optimizer", "MiniMax (H3 and Hailuo v1): let the model rewrite the prompt before generating").option("--no-prompt-optimizer", "MiniMax: use the prompt verbatim").option("--fast-pretreatment", "MiniMax Hailuo v1: faster input pre-processing (ignored by H3, Veo, Grok and Seedance)").option("--no-fast-pretreatment", "MiniMax Hailuo v1: standard input pre-processing").option("--token <symbol>", "Preferred charge token: AMIKO, USDC, USDT, SOL").option("--pay <method>", "Payment method: credits (Amiko account credits, default) or wallet (twin wallet)", "credits").option("--raw", "Output raw JSON").option("--yes", "Skip the pre-spend confirmation (required in non-interactive shells)").action(async (prompt, opts) => {
     const model = opts.model ?? (opts.firstFrame ? "MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast" : "MiniMax-Hailuo-02");
     const isH3 = isH3VideoModel(model);
     const seconds = Number(opts.seconds);
@@ -29954,8 +29980,12 @@ function registerCreateCommand(create2) {
       if (!Number.isInteger(seconds) || seconds < H3_MIN_SECONDS || seconds > H3_MAX_SECONDS) {
         failInput(`--seconds must be a whole number from ${H3_MIN_SECONDS} to ${H3_MAX_SECONDS} for MiniMax-H3.`);
       }
+    } else if (isSeedance25Model(model)) {
+      if (!Number.isInteger(seconds) || seconds < SEEDANCE_25_MIN_SECONDS || seconds > SEEDANCE_25_MAX_SECONDS) {
+        failInput(`--seconds must be a whole number from ${SEEDANCE_25_MIN_SECONDS} to ${SEEDANCE_25_MAX_SECONDS} for Seedance 2.5.`);
+      }
     } else if (!NON_H3_VIDEO_SECONDS.has(seconds)) {
-      failInput("--seconds must be 4, 6, 8, or 10 (Hailuo accepts 6 or 10; use --model MiniMax-H3 for any 4–15s).");
+      failInput("--seconds must be 4, 6, 8, or 10 (Hailuo accepts 6 or 10; use --model MiniMax-H3 for any 4–15s, or --model dreamina-seedance-2-5-260628 for any 4–30s).");
     }
     let resolution = opts.resolution;
     if (isH3) {

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@heyamiko/amiko-cli",
-  "version": "0.16.1",
+  "version": "0.16.3",
   "description": "Amiko CLI — swap tokens, manage credits, bridge cross-chain, and call marketplace agents",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {

package/skills/SKILL.md

@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ Call your shell tool (your runtime calls it `bash`, `shell`, `run`, or similar)
 | "swap 1 SOL to USDC" | shell → `amiko wallets swap quote 1 SOL USDC` (then send with `--yes` after approval) |
 | "any notifications?" | shell → `amiko notifications list --unread` |
 | "any new posts I haven't seen?" | shell → `amiko feed --unread` |
-| "make an image of a whale in space" | shell → `amiko create image "a whale in space" --yes` (quote cost first) |
-| "animate my cover art / album visual" | shell → `amiko create video "subtle motion…" --first-frame <cover-url> --model MiniMax-Hailuo-02 --yes` → wait ~2–9 min → `amiko create status <jobId>` |
-| "generate a lo-fi track" | shell → `amiko create music "lo-fi chill beat" --yes` (quote cost first) |
+| "make an image of a whale in space" | propose model + settings → quote (run without `--yes`) → on approval `amiko create image "a whale in space" --yes` |
+| "animate my cover art / album visual" | propose + quote first → `amiko create video "subtle motion…" --first-frame <cover-url> --model MiniMax-Hailuo-02 --yes` → wait ~2–9 min → `amiko create status <jobId>` |
+| "generate a lo-fi track" | propose model + `--duration` → quote → on approval `amiko create music "lo-fi chill beat" --yes` |
 | "show my recent creations" | shell → `amiko create media` |
 | "did my video finish?" | shell → `amiko create status <jobId>` or `amiko create media --service video --limit 5` |
 | "upload report.pdf to my drive" | shell → `amiko drive upload ./report.pdf` |
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ Discover everything via `amiko --help` (or `amiko <group> --help` / `amiko <grou
 
 ## Critical Rules
 
-1. **Every paid / value-moving command is hard-gated on `--yes` in a non-interactive shell.** The CLI refuses to run `search *`, `markets *`, `create *`, `card mint`, `credits topup`, `wallets swap send`, `wallets bridge send`, `wallets transfer` unless `--yes` is passed. The refusal prints the cost and the re-run command. **Quote the cost, get explicit approval, THEN append `--yes`.** The same `--yes` gate also covers **free outward social actions** — `chat send`, `chat pin` (the whole chat sees a pinned-message announcement), `chat group create`, `chat group add` (real people see them, so get the owner's explicit approval for the action itself) — and **destructive ops** like `chat unpin` (removes the pin for everyone), `chat mark-read --all` (irreversibly marks every conversation read — senders see read ticks), `chat group remove/leave/rename/promote/mention-all`, `chat lists create/rename/add/remove/delete` (private to the owner, but they reshape the owner's chat UI), `friends nickname set/remove` (private to the owner, but it changes how that friend is displayed everywhere in the owner's apps), `twin update --public`, `drive delete`, `drive share` / `drive folder share` (exposes the file — or the folder's ENTIRE subtree — to anyone with the link), `friends remove`, `friends reports request`, `avatar update`, `voice reset`, `review reject`. **For these free actions never mention cost, never say "the cost is 0", and never call it a paid operation** — ask for plain confirmation of the action itself (e.g. "Send "hi" to Mars — go ahead?").
+1. **Every paid / value-moving command is hard-gated on `--yes` in a non-interactive shell.** The CLI refuses to run `search *`, `markets *`, `create *`, `card mint`, `credits topup`, `wallets swap send`, `wallets bridge send`, `wallets transfer` unless `--yes` is passed. The refusal prints the cost and the re-run command. **Quote the cost, get explicit approval, THEN append `--yes`.** For `create *` there is a step before that — propose the model and settings and get the owner's sign-off on the *plan* first; see **Proposing, then quoting, before you generate**. The same `--yes` gate also covers **free outward social actions** — `chat send`, `chat pin` (the whole chat sees a pinned-message announcement), `chat group create`, `chat group add` (real people see them, so get the owner's explicit approval for the action itself) — and **destructive ops** like `chat unpin` (removes the pin for everyone), `chat mark-read --all` (irreversibly marks every conversation read — senders see read ticks), `chat group remove/leave/rename/promote/mention-all`, `chat lists create/rename/add/remove/delete` (private to the owner, but they reshape the owner's chat UI), `friends nickname set/remove` (private to the owner, but it changes how that friend is displayed everywhere in the owner's apps), `twin update --public`, `drive delete`, `drive share` / `drive folder share` (exposes the file — or the folder's ENTIRE subtree — to anyone with the link), `friends remove`, `friends reports request`, `avatar update`, `voice reset`, `review reject`. **For these free actions never mention cost, never say "the cost is 0", and never call it a paid operation** — ask for plain confirmation of the action itself (e.g. "Send "hi" to Mars — go ahead?").
 2. **After every paid command, report the remaining balance.** The CLI prints a `Balance: N credits` line — include that figure in your reply.
 3. **Never retry a failed command.** Report and stop. Every paid call costs tokens even on failure.
 4. **Auth is automatic.** Never suggest `amiko login` / `amiko connect`. Run from the agent's workspace folder; if anything looks off, `amiko accounts` shows the resolved `userId` / `twinId`.
@@ -91,7 +91,47 @@ Discover everything via `amiko --help` (or `amiko <group> --help` / `amiko <grou
 
 `post likers` and `users search --all` stop at a safety cap. When one does, the human output prints `⚠ Partial results: …`, JSON sets `"partial": true`, and the count renders as `N+`. **If you see that, tell the owner it is a partial set (the first N), not the total** — never present a capped number as exact.
 
-### Quoting cost before running
+## Proposing, then quoting, before you generate
+
+**Never send a generation with `--yes` on the first turn.** `--yes` means "a human already approved this". Passing it on the turn the owner asked for the media makes that a lie — they approved the *idea*, not the model, the settings, or the price you chose on their behalf.
+
+Owners ask vaguely: *"make me a video of my cat"*. That request does not contain a model, a duration, an aspect ratio, a resolution, or a budget — **you** are about to pick all five and spend their money on the result. So the flow is three steps, and the first one is a conversation, not a command.
+
+**Step 1 — propose.** Before touching the CLI, tell the owner what you'd do and why, and name every choice you're making for them:
+
+- **Model + why** — "`MiniMax-Hailuo-02` — good motion on live subjects and cheaper than H3; if you want 2K or a clip longer than 10s I'd switch to `MiniMax-H3`, which bills per second."
+- **Mode** — text-to-video, image-to-video (`--first-frame`), first+last frame, reference-to-video, subject reference. If they sent you a photo, say you'll use it and how.
+- **The parameters they didn't think to give you** — duration (`--seconds`), aspect ratio (`--aspect`), resolution (`--resolution`), audio (`--generate-audio`). Say the value **and** that it's your default, so they know it's theirs to change: "6 seconds, 16:9, 1080P — say the word if you want vertical for stories."
+- **A rough price band, flagged as rough** — "somewhere around $0.10; I'll get you the exact number before anything runs."
+
+Then ask: *"Want me to go with that, or change something?"*
+
+**Step 2 — quote.** Once they've agreed to the shape of the job, **run the command WITHOUT `--yes`.** In your shell it refuses (exit 2) and prints the exact cost, the model, and what it's about to do. Nothing is spent. This is a *quote*, not a failure — don't report it to the owner as an error, and don't retry it with `--yes` to "get past" it.
+
+Put the result in front of them — every row, every time:
+
+| | Example |
+|---|---|
+| **What** | "a 6-second video of your cat on the windowsill, 16:9, 1080P" |
+| **Model** | `MiniMax-Hailuo-02` (say it even when you let it default — the default was your choice, not theirs) |
+| **Cost** | `≈ 871 Amiko credits (≈ $0.0871)` — the number the CLI printed, never one you estimated |
+| **Attached media** | "using the photo you sent as the first frame" — if you're attaching files, name them |
+| **Billing rail** | account credits (default) or twin wallet (`--pay wallet`) |
+
+Then ask plainly: *"Generate this for ≈871 credits?"*
+
+**Step 3 — generate.** On an explicit yes, re-run with `--yes` appended and **nothing else changed**.
+
+Rules that follow from this:
+
+- **Steps 1 and 2 can share a turn when the owner was already specific.** "Generate a 6s 16:9 clip of my cat with Hailuo-02" has made every choice itself — go straight to the quote. What you may never collapse is step 3: the price is approved separately, always.
+- **Quote the CLI's number, not your own.** Prices change per model, resolution, duration and reference count. A figure you worked out from a price table you remember is a guess; the `Cost:` line the CLI printed is the real quote. The rough band in step 1 is explicitly a band — don't let it stand in for the quote.
+- **If the CLI prints `Price quote failed — the amount below is unknown`, say exactly that** and ask whether to proceed blind. Do not substitute an estimate, and do not stay quiet about it.
+- **With `--yes`, the cost line still prints** (to stderr, as `Cost: …`). Read it and include the figure when you report back — that is the record of what was actually spent.
+- **Changing anything re-opens approval.** A different model, longer duration, higher resolution, or added reference files is a different price — go back to the quote, don't reuse the earlier yes.
+- **One approval, one generation.** "Make me three variations" needs the cost of all three quoted up front, or one approval per run.
+- **A failed job is not a free retry.** Generations are charged on success, but a retry is a new spend — re-propose (the failure usually means a parameter should change) and re-quote.
+- **`AMIKO_AUTO_APPROVE_LIMIT`** may auto-approve cheap jobs without a prompt; the CLI prints `Auto-approved (cost N ≤ limit M AMIKO)`. It waives step 3, not steps 1 and 2 — still report what was spent.
 
 ## Search — `amiko search <vertical> <query>`
 
@@ -167,13 +207,17 @@ This twin has **two** optional TTS ids. They are **not** the same:
 
 ## Create Studio — behavior notes
 
+**Nothing here runs before the owner has approved a plan and a price** — see **Proposing, then quoting, before you generate**. The models, durations and resolutions below are the menu you propose *from*, not defaults to spend on unasked.
+
 `amiko create <image|video|tts|music|sfx>` is the CLI half of the platform Create Studio. It generates through Amiko's own authenticated endpoints (not raw MPP), runs **async**, and is **charged on success** from the twin's custodial wallet — a failed or timed-out generation is **never billed**, and there is no pre-pay. **The command returns immediately** with a `jobId` and `status: PENDING` — it does NOT block for the whole generation (so you're not held for 60s–9min). It prints how to check + a rough ETA. **Do NOT sit in a tight polling loop** (it burns turns/tokens). After submitting, **tell the user roughly how long to wait and stop** — image ~15–60s, video ~2–9min, music ~30–120s, tts/sfx ~5–20s (e.g. "your video's generating — check back in a few minutes"). Then retrieve it **once** later — when the user next asks, or after the ETA — with `amiko create status <jobId>` (re-query that job, ~24h) or `amiko create media` (list recent generations; `--service`/`--limit`/`--raw`). Result is a permanent Supabase Storage URL. **Every successful generation is also auto-saved to the drive** (folder "Create Studio Files", with the prompt as title/description) — so `amiko drive search "<prompt words>"` finds past creations, and `drive share <docId>` can hand out a link; no manual re-upload. **Do NOT use `--wait`** — there's no such option; `create` is always non-blocking, so submit then check later with `amiko create status <jobId>`. `--token <AMIKO|USDC|USDT|SOL>` selects the charge token (default auto, AMIKO-first). `--pay credits` pays from the owner's **Amiko account credits** instead of the twin wallet (unified-billing accounts only — reserved at submit, captured only on success, released on failure; the server rejects it for legacy accounts, so fall back to the default `--pay wallet` if it errors). Prefer `create` over `markets image` for media generation — it doesn't lose money on timeouts. `markets image` remains the raw MPP pre-pay path. For **music**, a plain prompt is enough — `create music "a triumphant orchestral ballad"` sings from the prompt (lyrics auto-written); add `--lyrics "…"` to set exact words, or `--instrumental` for no vocals. Don't paste long lyrics into the prompt itself. **Track length is `--duration <seconds>`** (1–300, same unit as `sfx --duration` and `video --seconds`) — e.g. a 3.5-minute track is `--duration 210`. On `music-3.0` this is the **price input**: it bills per second, so `--duration 210` costs 210× the per-second rate. Omit it for the 60s default; never put the length in the prompt text instead (the model can't act on it). **Image models** (`--model`): `nano-banana-2` (default), `nano-banana`, `nano-banana-lite`, `nano-banana-pro` (Google Gemini — when the owner says "nano banana", pass it verbatim; `-pro` is the premium/priciest tier at ~$0.17); `gpt-image-2` and `gpt-image-1.5/-1/-1-mini` (OpenAI); `grok-imagine-image-quality` (xAI); `image-01` (MiniMax). Images also take `--reference-image <file|url>` for image-to-image — see "Reference limits" below.
 
 ### Video — critical agent rules (read before claiming failure)
 
 - **HTTP 202 / `status: PENDING` / `PROCESSING` = success so far, NOT failure.** MPP logs like `POST /internal/create/video 202` mean the async job was **accepted and queued**. A single immediate `GET /internal/create/jobs/… 200` only means the job record exists — video still needs **~2–9 minutes**. **Never** tell the owner the render "failed" or "stalled" just because you saw 202 or polled once while still `PROCESSING`.
 - **Only call it failed when** `amiko create status <jobId>` returns `FAILED` (or the CLI exits non-zero with an error), **or** after the ETA you check again and it's still not `COMPLETED` **and** mpp logs show `[internal-create/video]` with an error.
-- **Do NOT invent video models.** `kling-v1.6`, `kling-*`, and other non-platform ids are **not supported** and will error. Use only Create Studio models: **MiniMax** `MiniMax-Hailuo-02`, `MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3`, `MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast`, `MiniMax-H3` (aliases `h3`, `hailuo-03` — v2 API: T2V + I2V + reference-to-video, `768P`|`2K`, any whole `--seconds` 4–15, **billed per second** so longer clips cost more; text-to-video needs a concrete `--aspect`, defaulting to `16:9`); **Google Veo** `veo-3.1-generate-preview`, `veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview`, `veo-3.1-lite-generate-preview` (durations clamp to 4/6/8s; lite is prompt-only/T2V, no first frame); **xAI** `grok-imagine-video`; **BytePlus Seedance** `dreamina-seedance-*` / `seedance-*`. Run `amiko create video --help` — do **not** bypass with `markets service call` to `/internal/create/video`.
+- **Do NOT invent video models.** `kling-v1.6`, `kling-*`, and other non-platform ids are **not supported** and will error. Use only Create Studio models: **MiniMax** `MiniMax-Hailuo-02`, `MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3`, `MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast`, `MiniMax-H3` (aliases `h3`, `hailuo-03` — v2 API: T2V + I2V + reference-to-video, `768P`|`2K`, any whole `--seconds` 4–15, **billed per second** so longer clips cost more; text-to-video needs a concrete `--aspect`, defaulting to `16:9`); **Google Veo** `veo-3.1-generate-preview`, `veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview`, `veo-3.1-lite-generate-preview` (durations clamp to 4/6/8s; lite is prompt-only/T2V, no first frame); **xAI** `grok-imagine-video`; **BytePlus Seedance** `dreamina-seedance-2-5-260628` (2.5 — any whole `--seconds` **4–30**, the only model that goes past 15s) and the 2.0 family `dreamina-seedance-2-0-260128` / `-2-0-fast-260128` (≤15s). Run `amiko create video --help` — do **not** bypass with `markets service call` to `/internal/create/video`.
+
+- **Seedance 2.5 is the expensive one — never submit it without quoting.** It bills per token, so cost scales with duration × resolution and runs roughly: **5s 720p ≈ $1.16**, **10s 720p ≈ $2.31**, **30s 1080p ≈ $15.60**. That last one is ~156,000 credits — more than most owners hold. Treat every 2.5 job as a job that needs the full propose → quote → generate flow, and say the dollar figure out loud, not just the credit count: "≈ $15.60" lands where "156,000 credits" does not. The CLI prints its own `Expensive generation:` warning above $0.50, which is every 2.5 clip — pass that warning on to the owner rather than swallowing it. If they want something cheaper, the levers are `--seconds` and `--resolution`, roughly linear in both.
 - **Cover art → motion (I2V):** pass the cover's Amiko URL as `--first-frame <url>` (from `amiko create status` on the image job or `amiko create media`). The default model is now **input-aware**: prompt-only video defaults to `MiniMax-Hailuo-02` (T2V), and `--first-frame` runs default to `MiniMax-Hailuo-2.3-Fast` (I2V) — so omitting `--model` is safe in both shapes. Explicit `--model` always wins; Fast alone still rejects prompt-only (it needs a reference image).
 - **Before giving up on video**, you must have: (1) submitted with `amiko create video … --yes`, (2) waited through the ETA, (3) run `amiko create status <jobId>` **or** `amiko create media --service video`. If `COMPLETED` + `assetUrl`, report success with the URL. If still `PROCESSING`, say it's still rendering — don't claim the pipeline is broken.
 
@@ -201,6 +245,8 @@ This twin has **two** optional TTS ids. They are **not** the same:
 | **Grok** | 9 | — | — | `--first-frame` only | |
 | **Hailuo v1** (02 / 2.3 / 2.3-Fast) | — | — | — | `--first-frame` only | `--reference-image` is silently dropped — use `--subject-reference`, which Hailuo does read |
 
+Seedance 2.5 advertises up to **50** multimodal references upstream, but the CLI, the studio and mpp all still cap it at 9/3/3 with the ≤15s reference budget — BytePlus has not published what the longer-reference rules become at that ceiling, and a cap we can't verify is one that fails by generating and billing. Don't promise the owner 50; 2.5's usable win today is **duration** (30s vs 15s), not reference count.
+
 `--subject-reference` **replaces** a reference-image slot rather than adding one (except on Hailuo v1, where it's a separate field). The ≤15s combined budget and H3's 2–15s per-clip audio window are checked from the **local file's bytes** — so they're verified for `.wav` / `.mp4` / `.mov` paths and skipped (allowed through) for https URLs and `.mp3`, where the server has the last word.
 
 **Provider toggles** (each has a `--no-…` form): `--generate-audio`, `--watermark`, `--camera-fixed` (Seedance); `--prompt-optimizer` (MiniMax H3 + Hailuo v1); `--fast-pretreatment` (Hailuo v1). Passing one to a model that ignores it is harmless — the server drops it.