cost-estimate

name	cost-estimate
description	Price a batch before submitting it, using live `higgsfield generate cost` preflight rather than remembered numbers. Trigger - /cost-estimate, before every generation batch and whenever a budget is questioned.

Cost Estimate

Never submit a batch you have not priced. Provider pricing moves; remembered numbers go stale.

Preflight live

higgsfield generate cost <model> --prompt x --duration 5 --resolution 1080p --mode std

Do this per distinct model+setting combination in the batch. Multiply by shot count.

Report in this shape

Always show the alternative you did NOT pick, so the choice is visible:

Line	Model	Unit	Qty	Credits
Keyframes	Nano Banana Pro 2k	2	24	48
Identity shots	Seedance 2.0 1080p	45	8	360
Other shots	Kling v3.0 pro	8.75	16	140
VO auditions	ElevenLabs	0.15	12	2
Total				550
Uniform premium	Seedance all	45	24	1,128
Saving				578

Guardrails

• Check remaining balance with higgsfield account status and refuse to start a batch that cannot complete. A batch that dies halfway wastes what it already spent.
• Concurrency caps near 6. Larger batches return out of credits errors that are actually rate limits — verify the balance before believing the error.
• Post-production is 0 credits. Never quote generation to fix something ffmpeg can fix.
• Music has no model — always a real external cost line.