pixelkiln 0.86.3 → 0.88.0

package/PROVIDERS.md

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ the providers offer directly.
 | Decision | PixelLab | Retro Diffusion |
 |---|---|---|
 | Best fit today | Existing PixelKiln projects, account reconciliation, and live-tested generation | Native pixel-art styles, USD budgets, animation, and alternate tileset workflows |
-| PixelKiln generators | `map`, `pixflux`, `1dir`, `imagePro`, `imageProFlash`, `tiles`, `terrain`, `isometricTile`, `character`, `objectPro`, `uiAsset`, `uiElement` | `map` and `pixflux` stills, `tiles`, `animation` |
+| PixelKiln generators | `map`, `pixflux`, `1dir`, `imagePro`, `imageProFlash`, `tiles`, `terrain`, `isometricTile`, `character`, `objectPro`, `uiAsset`, `uiElement`, `vfx` | `map` and `pixflux` stills, `tiles`, `animation` |
 | Output | PNG stills, candidates, structural tile members, and ordered frame sets | PNG stills/tiles/spritesheets or animated GIF |
 | Candidate review | Yes; count varies by generator and size | Yes for 1–16 still candidates; animations and tilesets currently use one result |
 | References | `1dir` and tile style modes; a character or `objectPro` reference sprite; a `pro` character concept image; one `imageProFlash` style image; one `uiElement` concept image | Up to nine for supported RD Pro/user still styles; constrained inputs for animation and tiles |
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ background. That distinction matters more than raw canvas size.
 
 | Asset type | PixelLab | Retro Diffusion | ComfyUI | Scenario |
 |---|---|---|---|---|
-| Isolated house, building, mountain, or landmark | Start with `map`: arbitrary dimensions up to 400×400 and a measured one-generation cost. Live benchmark outputs had opaque backgrounds, so plan for cleanup. Use `1dir` only when references or candidate variety justify 20–40 generations and a square canvas. | Start with `rd_plus__topdown_asset`, `rd_plus__isometric_asset`, or `rd_tile__scene_object`, depending on perspective. `rd_tile__scene_object` is intended for 64–384px objects placed on tile maps. | Choose a checkpoint or LoRA trained for the intended perspective, then keep background removal or segmentation in the workflow. For the tested Pixel Art XL stack, target 48–128px native components even though the adapter accepts larger working canvases. | Raw model output is opaque and anti-aliased (the BFL smoke keep used 19,619 colors), but a chain of render at four times the size, Pixelate to the target grid, Birefnet, and `refine` took a 960 px render of an alpine lodge to a 240×208 native grid at high confidence with 63 colors, for 18 CU (a 1 CU render can be nearly as good). Details and the Pixelate grid caveat are in [Set up Scenario](./docs/SCENARIO.md#large-and-illustrative-art-render-big-pixelate-refine). One sample per subject. |
+| Isolated house, building, mountain, or landmark | Start with `map`: arbitrary dimensions up to 400×400 and a measured one-generation cost. Live benchmark outputs had opaque backgrounds, so plan for cleanup. Use `1dir` only when references or candidate variety justify 10–25 generations and a square canvas. | Start with `rd_plus__topdown_asset`, `rd_plus__isometric_asset`, or `rd_tile__scene_object`, depending on perspective. `rd_tile__scene_object` is intended for 64–384px objects placed on tile maps. | Choose a checkpoint or LoRA trained for the intended perspective, then keep background removal or segmentation in the workflow. For the tested Pixel Art XL stack, target 48–128px native components even though the adapter accepts larger working canvases. | Raw model output is opaque and anti-aliased (the BFL smoke keep used 19,619 colors), but a chain of render at four times the size, Pixelate to the target grid, Birefnet, and `refine` took a 960 px render of an alpine lodge to a 240×208 native grid at high confidence with 63 colors, for 18 CU (a 1 CU render can be nearly as good). Details and the Pixelate grid caveat are in [Set up Scenario](./docs/SCENARIO.md#large-and-illustrative-art-render-big-pixelate-refine). One sample per subject. |
 | Full scenic background | Use `pixflux` with `noBackground: false` when an exact palette matters, or `map` for a simple scene; both top out at 400×400. `imagePro` reaches 792 wide or 688 tall for a flat 40 generations. | `rd_plus__environment` targets one-point-perspective scenes; `rd_plus__topdown_map` targets 3/4 top-down maps. These styles support up to 384×384. | Use composition controls only to establish the scene. Recover and review native components, then compose them at 1× with one grid and palette. A large model canvas is not a large native pixel-art canvas. | GPT Image 2 at four times the target size, then Pixelate, turned a course-cover brief into a convincing pixel scene with 31 colors and legible title text. It has not been put through the shared benchmark. A large model canvas is not native pixel resolution: pixelate to the grid you need and check it with `refine`. |
 | Style consistency across a set | `1dir` accepts a style reference and returns size-dependent candidates, but it is more expensive and capped at the square-object range. | RD Pro accepts up to nine references and has stronger prompt following, but its common styles top out at 256×256 and cost $0.18 per image. Environment-specific RD Plus styles trade references for a larger 384px canvas. | LoRAs, reference adapters, ControlNet, and shared latent settings can live in the committed workflow. Reproducibility also depends on external model and custom-node versions. | Scenario's project models and LoRAs are the main reason to use it for a set. PixelKiln can pin the model ID and parameters, but its first live run covers only the public BFL profile. |
 | Very large final scene | Generate reusable objects, terrain, and background layers separately; assemble them deterministically and integer-upscale the result. | Use the same layered approach. The API has a 512px overall ceiling, but the useful environment and scene-object styles currently cap at 384px. | The graph can tile, upscale, or composite beyond hosted-provider limits, but memory and seam quality become workflow concerns. Prefer reusable layers unless the scene truly needs one render. | Scenario can request a larger raster from a compatible model, but the same rule applies: generate reusable layers at their useful native detail, compose at 1×, and integer-upscale only the final scene. |
@@ -206,20 +206,21 @@ conversion to dollars:
 |---|---:|
 | `map` | 1 generation |
 | `pixflux` | 1 generation |
-| `1dir` | 20–40 generations |
-| `imagePro` | 40 generations |
+| `1dir` | 10–25 generations |
+| `imagePro` | 10–25 generations by canvas (a flat 40 before October 2026) |
 | `imageProFlash` | 5–9 generations (provisional quote) |
-| `tiles` | 20–40 generations |
-| `terrain` | 20–40 generations (unmeasured) |
+| `vfx` | free (a renderer, not a model) |
+| `tiles` | 10–25 generations |
+| `terrain` | 10–25 generations (unmeasured) |
 | `isometricTile` | 1 generation (measured once) |
-| `character` base | 1 (standard), 2–9 (v3), 20–40 (pro), 6–17 (pro-flash; rotations only from a reference) |
-| `character` state or portrait | 20–40 generations |
-| `character` animation | 1 (template), 2–4 (`skeleton-v3`, budgeted at 4), 1 at 64px from text, 20–40 (pro) |
+| `character` base | 1 (standard), 2–9 (v3), 10–25 (pro), 6–17 (pro-flash; rotations only from a reference) |
+| `character` state or portrait | 10–25 generations |
+| `character` animation | 1 (template), 2–4 (`skeleton-v3`, budgeted at 4), 1 at 64px from text, 10–25 (pro) |
 | `character` outfit | 20 generations (one 2-frame, 92×92 job) |
 | `objectPro` base | 6 at 64px (unmeasured) |
 | `uiAsset` | 20 generations (measured once, at 256×192) |
-| `uiElement` | 20–40 generations (unmeasured) |
-| `image-to-image` / `inpaint` revision | 20–40 generations; 5–9 with `engine: "pro-flash"` (provisional quote) |
+| `uiElement` | 10–25 generations (unmeasured) |
+| `image-to-image` / `inpaint` revision | 10–25 generations; 5–9 with `engine: "pro-flash"` (provisional quote) |
 | `reduce-colors` / `correct-pixelart` revision | 0.1 generations (measured at 32×32) |
 
 Retro Diffusion publishes USD formulas and fixed prices. Examples relevant to

package/README.md

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ provenance and no long-lived npm token.
 | Hand edits | Touch-ups in your own editor or a pinned in-browser Pixelorama, kept beside the generated art with the generation still the record; frame and tile sets member by member. |
 | Controlled inputs | Hashed revision lineage (image-to-image and inpaint; on PixelLab also palette reduction, pixel cleanup, animation, skeleton posing, interpolation, and animation edits), fail-closed parent approval, source-versus-candidate review, and content-addressed per-asset ComfyUI bindings. |
 | Characters | A base in 4 or 8 directions from a prompt or your own sprite (four PixelLab engines), poses, loops, portraits, and outfit transfers as dependent assets generated in waves, free mirrored directions (one `directions` list declares a loop and mirrors the rest), account adoption and salvage, and SpriteFrames export. |
-| PixelLab utilities | `unzoom` returns upscaled reference art to its native grid, `font` generates a `.ttf` and glyph atlas, `estimate-skeleton` starts a keypoints file for skeleton animation, and `skeleton-preview` draws its poses over the sprite for free. |
+| PixelLab utilities | `unzoom` returns upscaled reference art to its native grid, `pixelate` turns a photo or render into pixel art (Image to Pixel Art Pro Flash, 6 generations), `vfx` builds animated effects such as explosions and auras with PixelLab's free VFX workbench, `font` generates a `.ttf` and glyph atlas, `estimate-skeleton` starts a keypoints file for skeleton animation, and `skeleton-preview` draws its poses over the sprite for free. |
 | Existing-art onboarding | Manifest scaffolding, exact-hash account adoption, and prompt recovery. |
 | Recovery | Safe stale-output replacement, validated caches, durable references, resumable paid jobs, and per-asset generation history with free restores. |
 | Shared-account safety | Cross-project claim files or a registered workspace catalog, sibling-style exclusion, reviewed salvage, keep/discard tags, separate confirmed purge. |
@@ -255,15 +255,15 @@ Measured PixelLab economics vary by 40×:
 |---|---|---:|
 | Standalone arbitrary-size prop/icon | `map` (default) | 1 generation |
 | Exact closed palette | `pixflux` | 1 generation |
-| Candidate variety/reference anchoring/future animation | `1dir` | 20–40 generations |
-| Independent or connectable ground tiles | `tiles` | 20–40 generations |
-| A character in 4 or 8 directions, its poses, its loops | `character` | 1 per base, 20–40 per pose, 1 per template loop per direction; a `mirror` of a loop is free |
+| Candidate variety/reference anchoring/future animation | `1dir` | 10–25 generations |
+| Independent or connectable ground tiles | `tiles` | 10–25 generations |
+| A character in 4 or 8 directions, its poses, its loops | `character` | 1 per base, 10–25 per pose, 1 per template loop per direction; a `mirror` of a loop is free |
 
-Start with the required capability, not the most expensive endpoint. Forty `map`
+Start with the required capability, not the most expensive endpoint. Twenty-five `map`
 re-rolls cost the same as one 64×64 `1dir` call; conversely, `map` cannot replace a
-hard palette or reference-image constraint. PixelLab has seven more generators
+hard palette or reference-image constraint. PixelLab has eight more generators
 (`imagePro`, `imageProFlash`, `terrain`, `isometricTile`, `objectPro`, `uiAsset`,
-`uiElement`); see [Generator selection](./docs/GENERATORS.md) and the [measured endpoint reference](./docs/ENDPOINTS.md).
+`uiElement`, and `vfx` for free animated effects); see [Generator selection](./docs/GENERATORS.md) and the [measured endpoint reference](./docs/ENDPOINTS.md).
 
 Generator names describe PixelKiln workflows; their exact capabilities and prices
 depend on the selected provider. Retro Diffusion also supports the provider-specific