openai-dall-e-3-sora-image-video-generation

id	ailey-media-openai
name	OpenAI DALL-E 3 & Sora Image & Video Generation
description	Comprehensive OpenAI integration for AI-powered image and video generation using DALL-E 3 and Sora. Create photorealistic images, edit existing visuals, generate variations, and produce cinematic videos from text prompts.
keywords	["openai","dalle","sora","image-generation","video-generation","ai","media"]

OpenAI DALL-E 3 & Sora Image & Video Generation Skill

Comprehensive OpenAI integration for AI-powered image and video generation using DALL-E 3 and Sora. Create photorealistic images, edit existing visuals, generate variations, and produce cinematic videos from text prompts.

Overview

Harness OpenAI's cutting-edge generative AI models for visual content creation:

• DALL-E 3: Industry-leading text-to-image generation with unprecedented detail and prompt adherence
• Sora: Revolutionary text-to-video generation with realistic motion and cinematography
• Image Editing: Inpainting with transparent areas for precise control
• Image Variations: Generate alternative versions of existing images
• Usage-Based Tiers: Automatic tier detection with rate limits
• HD Quality: Standard and HD quality options for DALL-E 3
• Flexible Sizes: Multiple resolution options (1024x1024, 1024x1792, 1792x1024)
• Style Control: Natural and vivid style options
• Metadata Tracking: Generation history and parameters
• Cost Tracking: Monitor API usage and costs

Account Tiers

OpenAI uses a usage-based tier system that automatically scales based on your spending:

Free Trial (New Accounts)

• Cost: $5 in free credits (expires after 3 months)
• Rate Limits: 3 requests/minute, 200 requests/day
• Models: DALL-E 3 (limited), Sora (unavailable)
• Features:
  • Basic image generation
  • Standard quality only
  • Limited resolutions
• Best For: Testing, evaluation
• Signup: https://platform.openai.com/signup

Tier 1 (Pay-as-you-go)

• Threshold: $5+ spent
• Cost:
  • DALL-E 3 Standard: $0.040 per image (1024x1024)
  • DALL-E 3 HD: $0.080 per image (1024x1024)
  • Sora: Not yet available at this tier
• Rate Limits: 5 requests/minute, 500 requests/day
• Features:
  • All DALL-E 3 features
  • Standard and HD quality
  • All resolutions
  • Image editing and variations
• Best For: Light usage, testing production

Tier 2

• Threshold: $50+ spent and 7+ days since first payment
• Cost: Same as Tier 1
• Rate Limits: 7 requests/minute, 1,000 requests/day
• Features: All Tier 1 features
• Best For: Regular content creation

Tier 3

• Threshold: $100+ spent and 7+ days since first payment
• Cost: Same as Tier 1
• Rate Limits: 7 requests/minute, 2,000 requests/day
• Features: All Tier 1 features
• Best For: Medium-volume production

Tier 4

• Threshold: $250+ spent and 14+ days since first payment
• Cost: Same as Tier 1
• Rate Limits: 15 requests/minute, 5,000 requests/day
• Features:
  • All Tier 1 features
  • Sora access (early access/beta)
• Best For: High-volume production

Tier 5 (Enterprise)

• Threshold: $1,000+ spent and 30+ days since first payment
• Cost:
  • Volume discounts available
  • Custom pricing for Sora
• Rate Limits: 50 requests/minute, 10,000+ requests/day
• Features:
  • All features
  • Full Sora access
  • Priority processing
  • Dedicated support
• Best For: Enterprise, high-volume production

Feature Matrix

Feature	Free Trial	Tier 1-3	Tier 4+	Tier 5
DALL-E 3 (Text-to-Image)	✅ Limited	✅ Full	✅ Full	✅ Full
Sora (Text-to-Video)	❌	❌	⚠️ Early Access	✅ Full
Image Resolutions	1024x1024	All	All	All
HD Quality	❌	✅	✅	✅
Image Editing	⚠️ Limited	✅	✅	✅
Image Variations	⚠️ Limited	✅	✅	✅
Rate Limit	3/min	5-7/min	15/min	50/min
Daily Limit	200	500-2,000	5,000	10,000+
Priority Processing	❌	❌	✅	✅
Dedicated Support	❌	❌	❌	✅

Getting Started

Step 1: Create OpenAI Account

1. Visit https://platform.openai.com/signup
2. Sign up with email or continue with Google/Microsoft
3. Verify email address
4. Complete phone verification

Step 2: Add Payment Method

1. Go to https://platform.openai.com/account/billing/overview
2. Click "Add payment details"
3. Enter credit card information
4. Set spending limits (recommended: start with $10/month)

Note: Free trial credits expire after 3 months. Add payment to continue.

Step 3: Get API Key

1. Visit https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
2. Click "Create new secret key"
3. Name your key (e.g., "AI-ley Skill")
4. Copy key immediately (shown only once)
5. Important: Never share or commit your API key

Optional: Get Organization ID

• Go to https://platform.openai.com/account/organization
• Copy Organization ID (for team accounts)

Step 4: Install Skill

cd .github/skills/ailey-media-openai
node install.cjs

Step 5: Configure API Key

Create .env file:

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-...your_api_key
OPENAI_ACCOUNT_TYPE=pay-as-you-go
# Optional for team accounts:
OPENAI_ORG_ID=org-...your_org_id

Configure in AI-ley (.github/aicc/aicc.yaml):

skills:
  openai:
    type: media
    path: .github/skills/ailey-media-openai
    config:
      apiKey: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}
      accountType: ${OPENAI_ACCOUNT_TYPE}
      outputDir: ./output/openai

Usage Examples

Detect Account Tier

npm run detect

Generate Image (DALL-E 3)

npm run generate -- \
  --prompt "A serene Japanese garden with cherry blossoms" \
  --size "1024x1024" \
  --quality "hd" \
  --output "garden.png"

Edit Image (Inpainting)

npm run edit -- \
  --image "photo.png" \
  --mask "mask.png" \
  --prompt "Add a sunset sky" \
  --output "edited.png"

Create Variations

npm run variation -- \
  --image "original.png" \
  --count 3 \
  --output "variation.png"

Generate Video (Sora - Tier 4+)

npm run video -- \
  --prompt "A cat walking through Tokyo at night" \
  --duration 5 \
  --output "tokyo-cat.mp4"

View Generation History

npm run history -- --limit 20

API Reference

OpenAIClient Class

import { OpenAIClient } from './.github/skills/ailey-media-openai/src';

const client = new OpenAIClient({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
  organizationId: process.env.OPENAI_ORG_ID
});

Account & Configuration

detectAccountTier(): Promise<AccountTier>

Detect account tier based on API key permissions and usage.

Returns:

{
  tier: 'Free Trial' | 'Tier 1' | 'Tier 2' | 'Tier 3' | 'Tier 4' | 'Tier 5',
  rateLimit: number,          // requests per minute
  dailyLimit: number,         // requests per day
  soraAccess: boolean,        // Sora availability
  features: string[]
}

Image Generation (DALL-E 3)

generateImage(options): Promise<GeneratedImage>

Generate image from text prompt.

Parameters:

{
  prompt: string,              // max 4000 characters
  model?: 'dall-e-3' | 'dall-e-2',
  size?: '1024x1024' | '1024x1792' | '1792x1024',
  quality?: 'standard' | 'hd',
  style?: 'vivid' | 'natural',
  n?: number,                  // 1 for dall-e-3
  responseFormat?: 'url' | 'b64_json'
}

Returns:

{
  images: Array<{
    url?: string,
    b64_json?: string,
    revisedPrompt: string,     // DALL-E 3's interpretation
    metadata: {
      model: string,
      size: string,
      quality: string,
      timestamp: string
    }
  }>,
  promptId: string
}

editImage(options): Promise<GeneratedImage>

Edit image using transparent mask (inpainting).

Parameters:

{
  image: Buffer | string,      // PNG image
  mask: Buffer | string,       // PNG mask (transparent areas to edit)
  prompt: string,
  size?: '1024x1024' | '512x512' | '256x256',
  n?: number,                  // 1-10
  responseFormat?: 'url' | 'b64_json'
}

Note: Image editing uses DALL-E 2, not DALL-E 3.

createVariation(options): Promise<GeneratedImage>

Generate variations of an existing image.

Parameters:

{
  image: Buffer | string,      // PNG image
  n?: number,                  // 1-10
  size?: '1024x1024' | '512x512' | '256x256',
  responseFormat?: 'url' | 'b64_json'
}

Note: Variations use DALL-E 2, not DALL-E 3.

Video Generation (Sora - Tier 4+)

generateVideo(options): Promise<GeneratedVideo>

Generate video from text prompt.

Parameters:

{
  prompt: string,
  duration?: number,           // 5-20 seconds
  resolution?: '1920x1080' | '1080x1920' | '1280x720',
  fps?: number,                // 24, 30, 60
  style?: 'realistic' | 'cinematic' | 'animated'
}

Returns:

{
  video: Buffer,
  url?: string,
  duration: number,
  resolution: string,
  fps: number,
  metadata: {
    model: 'sora-1.0',
    prompt: string,
    timestamp: string
  }
}

Note: Sora access requires Tier 4+ (early access) or Tier 5 (full access).

History & Management

getGenerationHistory(limit?: number): Promise<GenerationRecord[]>

Retrieve generation history.

saveOutput(data: Buffer, filename: string): Promise<string>

Save generated content to file.

estimateCost(operation, options): number

Estimate cost for an operation.

Workflows

Workflow 1: Create Marketing Assets

# Generate hero image (HD quality)
npm run generate -- \
  --prompt "Professional product photography, smartwatch on marble" \
  --size "1792x1024" \
  --quality "hd" \
  --style "vivid" \
  --output "hero.png"

# Create variations for A/B testing
npm run variation -- \
  --image "hero.png" \
  --count 3 \
  --output "hero-variant.png"

# Edit specific area
npm run edit -- \
  --image "hero.png" \
  --mask "background-mask.png" \
  --prompt "Luxury gold background" \
  --output "hero-gold.png"

Workflow 2: Social Media Content

# Instagram post (square)
npm run generate -- \
  --prompt "Vibrant food photography, overhead shot, bright colors" \
  --size "1024x1024" \
  --quality "hd" \
  --output "instagram.png"

# Instagram story (portrait)
npm run generate -- \
  --prompt "Vibrant food photography, overhead shot, bright colors" \
  --size "1024x1792" \
  --quality "standard" \
  --output "story.png"

# Twitter/X header (landscape)
npm run generate -- \
  --prompt "Vibrant food photography, overhead shot, bright colors" \
  --size "1792x1024" \
  --quality "standard" \
  --output "twitter.png"

Workflow 3: Video Content (Tier 4+)

# Product showcase video
npm run video -- \
  --prompt "Smartphone rotating slowly on reflective surface, studio lighting" \
  --duration 5 \
  --resolution "1920x1080" \
  --fps 30 \
  --output "product.mp4"

# Short-form social video
npm run video -- \
  --prompt "Dynamic aerial view of city at sunset" \
  --duration 10 \
  --resolution "1080x1920" \
  --fps 60 \
  --output "aerial.mp4"

Workflow 4: Iterative Design

# 1. Generate initial concept
npm run generate -- \
  --prompt "Modern office interior, natural light, plants" \
  --output "office-v1.png"

# 2. Create variations
npm run variation -- \
  --image "office-v1.png" \
  --count 4 \
  --output "office-variant.png"

# 3. Edit best variant
npm run edit -- \
  --image "office-variant-2.png" \
  --mask "window-mask.png" \
  --prompt "Floor-to-ceiling windows with city view" \
  --output "office-final.png"

# 4. Generate HD version
npm run generate -- \
  --prompt "Modern office interior, floor-to-ceiling windows, city view" \
  --quality "hd" \
  --size "1792x1024" \
  --output "office-hd.png"

Workflow 5: Batch Content Creation

import { OpenAIClient } from './.github/skills/ailey-media-openai/src';

const client = new OpenAIClient({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY!
});

const prompts = [
  "Minimalist product photo, white background",
  "Lifestyle product photo, modern home",
  "Action shot, outdoor adventure"
];

for (const prompt of prompts) {
  const result = await client.generateImage({
    prompt,
    quality: 'hd',
    size: '1024x1024'
  });
  
  const filename = `${prompt.split(',')[0].replace(/\s+/g, '-')}.png`;
  await client.saveOutput(result.images[0].b64_json!, filename);
  
  // Estimate cost
  console.log(`Cost: $${client.estimateCost('image', { quality: 'hd' })}`);
}

Models

DALL-E 3 (Image Generation)

• Model ID: dall-e-3
• Release: October 2023
• Max Resolution: 1792x1024
• Strengths: Exceptional prompt adherence, photorealism, text rendering
• Pricing: $0.040 (standard), $0.080 (HD)

DALL-E 2 (Legacy - Editing/Variations)

• Model ID: dall-e-2
• Max Resolution: 1024x1024
• Use Cases: Image editing, variations
• Pricing: $0.020 per image

Sora (Video Generation - Tier 4+)

• Model ID: sora-1.0
• Release: Early 2024 (limited access)
• Max Duration: 20 seconds
• Max Resolution: 1920x1080
• Strengths: Realistic motion, temporal consistency, cinematography
• Pricing: Custom (estimated $0.50-2.00 per video)

TypeScript Integration

import { OpenAIClient } from './.github/skills/ailey-media-openai/src';

const client = new OpenAIClient({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY!,
  organizationId: process.env.OPENAI_ORG_ID
});

// Detect tier
const tier = await client.detectAccountTier();
console.log(`Current tier: ${tier.tier}`);

// Generate HD image
const imageResult = await client.generateImage({
  prompt: "A futuristic cityscape at night, neon lights, rain",
  size: '1792x1024',
  quality: 'hd',
  style: 'vivid'
});

console.log(`Revised prompt: ${imageResult.images[0].revisedPrompt}`);
await client.saveOutput(
  Buffer.from(imageResult.images[0].b64_json!, 'base64'),
  'cityscape.png'
);

// Generate variations
const variations = await client.createVariation({
  image: 'cityscape.png',
  n: 3,
  size: '1024x1024'
});

for (let i = 0; i < variations.images.length; i++) {
  await client.saveOutput(
    Buffer.from(variations.images[i].b64_json!, 'base64'),
    `cityscape-v${i + 1}.png`
  );
}

// Generate video (Tier 4+)
if (tier.soraAccess) {
  const video = await client.generateVideo({
    prompt: "Drone flying through the futuristic city at night",
    duration: 10,
    resolution: '1920x1080',
    fps: 60
  });
  
  await client.saveOutput(video.video, 'cityscape-flyover.mp4');
}

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
"Incorrect API key"	Verify key at https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
"You exceeded your current quota"	Add payment method or increase spending limit
"Rate limit exceeded"	Implement exponential backoff, upgrade tier by spending more
"Billing hard limit reached"	Increase limit at https://platform.openai.com/account/billing/limits
"Content policy violation"	Refine prompt, avoid prohibited content
"Sora not available"	Requires Tier 4+ (spend $250+)
"Image must be PNG"	Convert image to PNG format before editing/variations
"Mask must be transparent"	Ensure mask uses alpha channel transparency

Content Policy

OpenAI enforces strict content policies:

• Prohibited: Violence, hate, harassment, self-harm, sexual content, illegal activities
• Restricted: Political figures, celebrities, minors, copyrighted characters
• Moderation: All prompts and images are reviewed
• Guidelines: https://openai.com/policies/usage-policies

Pricing Reference

DALL-E 3 (per image)

• 1024x1024:
  • Standard: $0.040
  • HD: $0.080
• 1024x1792 or 1792x1024:
  • Standard: $0.080
  • HD: $0.120

DALL-E 2 (per image)

• 1024x1024: $0.020
• 512x512: $0.018
• 256x256: $0.016

Sora (estimated)

• 5 seconds: ~$0.50
• 10 seconds: ~$1.00
• 20 seconds: ~$2.00

Note: Prices current as of February 2026. Check https://openai.com/pricing for latest.

Resources

• Platform: https://platform.openai.com/
• API Keys: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
• Documentation: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/images
• Pricing: https://openai.com/pricing
• Usage: https://platform.openai.com/account/usage
• Content Policy: https://openai.com/policies/usage-policies

---

version: 1.0.0 updated: 2026-02-01 reviewed: 2026-02-01 score: 4.5