image-generation

name	image-generation
description	Control image generation requests before execution. Use this when the user wants text-to-image, image edit, reference-image generation, product image, persona image, banner, thumbnail, storyboard image, or image batch variants and the skill must identify inputs, classify the task, choose model/reference rules, then hand off to image-batch-runner.
metadata	{"postplus":{"familyId":"routing-contracts","familyName":"Routing & Contracts"}}

Image Generation

Use When

• The desired final asset is an image or image batch.
• The request may include text prompts, uploaded images, previous outputs, product URLs, research handoffs, product images, persona images, banners, thumbnails, storyboard panels, or batch variants.
• The next decision is task class, model/reference policy, and runner handoff.

Do Not Use When

• The final asset is video, audio, subtitles, transcripts, or an edit plan.
• The image request is already normalized and ready to execute. Use image-batch-runner.
• The user needs hook decoding or reference boundaries first. Use reference-decode or reference-contract-builder.

Core Boundary

This is the image generation controller. It does not submit jobs.

It must:

1. identify the input type,
2. classify the image task,
3. select model and reference rules,
4. create the handoff for image-batch-runner.

Task Classes

Task class	Typical input	Handoff
text_to_image	prompt only	write normalized image brief for image-batch-runner
image_edit	uploaded image plus change request	bind edit image and preserve/alter rules
reference_image	benchmark frame or style board	use reference-contract-builder before runner
product_image	product photo, URL, or product facts	bind product identity and forbid invented claims
banner_thumbnail	offer, hook, platform	require aspect ratio and text/UI policy
storyboard_image	panel plan or board spec	hand storyboard panels to image-batch-runner
batch_variant	many variants or personas	preserve shared rules and vary only declared fields

Model And Reference Rules

• Text-only drafts may use a text-to-image endpoint.
• Edits require a bound source image and an edit-capable endpoint.
• Persona, product, and brand identity are binding references unless the user explicitly marks them inspiration-only.
• Benchmark clips, mood boards, and competitor references are inspiration-only unless the contract says otherwise.
• Excluded references must not enter the runner request.

Routing Table

If not image-generation	Send to
Needs media understanding first	media-router
Needs reference meaning decoded	reference-decode
Needs binding/inspiration/excluded contract	reference-contract-builder
Needs storyboard panels	storyboard-grid-writer
Needs execution with normalized request	image-batch-runner
Final output is video	video-generation
Final output is audio	audio-generation

Output Shape

Return:

• taskClass
• inputType
• modelRule
• referencePolicy
• requiredRunnerInputs
• handoffSkill
• mustNotDo

Stop Conditions

• Stop when required user intent, source evidence, or owned input artifacts are missing and guessing would change the result.
• Do not let image-batch-runner make creative classification decisions.
• If an owned CLI or script command fails, report the exact error and stop. Do not bypass the failure with metadata-only answers, readiness probing, local payload rewrites, fallback providers, or unpublished tools.

Public Command Boundary

• Choose the smallest matching command or workflow from the user input and run it directly.
• If an owned CLI or script command fails, report the exact error and stop. Do not bypass the failure with metadata-only answers, readiness probing, local payload rewrites, fallback providers, or unpublished tools.
• This public skill is instruction-driven. Produce the controller handoff artifact directly from the available evidence.
• Do not call private provider/runtime paths or unpublished local tools.
• If the CLI returns a quote-confirmation challenge, run postplus quote confirm --json --challenge-file <challenge.json> and retry with the returned token.