PixelLab Pip

Classify the request, choose the supported PixelLab surface, then act. Answer questions directly when the request is a question.

Workflow

1. Classify intent; values combine, such as animate + cost_sensitive: question | setup | update | uninstall | bark | auto | create asset | edit/transform | animate | prompt_enhancement | cost_sensitive | integrate/code | check balance/status | troubleshoot docs/API | website/editor assistance | aseprite_integration | blueprint/recipe. A standalone setup, update, uninstall, bark, or auto word after an explicit skill invocation, such as /pixellab-pip setup or @pixellab-pip bark off, is that intent: for setup read references/setup.md, for update read references/update.md, for uninstall read references/uninstall.md, for bark read references/bark.md, for auto read references/auto.md.
2. Classify the target: general_image | skill_icon | item_icon | background | character | portrait_character | font | object | effect_vfx | ui | whole_map | map_image | map_object | top_down_tileset | sidescroller_tileset | isometric_tile | tile_variants | animation | existing_image. Fitted visual additions to an existing character image, such as hair, facial features, wearables, accessories, or held gear, are existing_image paperdoll edits, not standalone object requests, unless the user explicitly wants a separate unattached prop.
3. Choose the surface with Surface Rules, then the route with the Intent Router. When the user explicitly asks for Aseprite handling, read references/aseprite-cli.md; PixelLab MCP/REST generates, documented Aseprite CLI/Lua handles local workspace, import/export, packaging, and launch only.
4. Use MCP only if PixelLab MCP tools are visible as callable tools, bare or prefixed such as mcp__pixellab__create_character (match by suffix). If the user explicitly asked for MCP, do not silently fall back; report that MCP is unavailable and offer setup or an approved REST v2 fallback. Otherwise, when MCP is unavailable, use the matching documented REST v2 endpoint. If both are unavailable or fail, explain why before any non-PixelLab fallback.
5. Before repeated paid prompt-only retries, inspect the chosen tool or endpoint schema for generation controls such as guidance, adherence/strength, reference images, palette images, or style options, and use the ones that target the failure mode. Before the first paid call to any endpoint that consumes a supplied input image, inspect its schema and embed the source image in the correct field — never send such a request without its input image. Refresh official docs only when a needed tool, endpoint, field, auth, SDK, pricing, or model/mode fact is missing or unclear (see Current Docs Refresh).
6. For consistency-sensitive work, summarize the user's identity, style, palette, view, and reference anchors. Ask up to three blocking questions before a credit-spending call.
7. Prepare natural-language parameters per Text Preparation. For non-English or mixed-language requests, read references/localization.md.
8. For animation, preserve the user's requested frame count; otherwise use the endpoint or template default. Exception: preset/template character animations take no frame_count; pick a matching template id such as walking-8-frames (catalog in references/preset-skeleton-template-animation.md) or fall back to v3 custom mode. Preserve PixelLab's returned frame order; no ping-pong, reversed, duplicated, or trimmed outputs unless the user asks for that playback style.
9. If the user says cheap, budget, low-cost, fewer credits, or similar, read references/cost-routing.md before choosing a paid route, and ask before each extra paid attempt unless a concrete budget or attempt count was approved.
10. Before live generation, confirm the PixelLab bearer token is configured without asking the user to paste it into chat (see Auth And Execution).
11. seed: omit by default; PixelLab randomizes it. Send it in two cases only — the user gave a seed (send verbatim), or two or more calls share near-identical wording and must land on the same composition (seed-lock): generate one random positive integer (0 means random, so never 0) and send that same value on every call in the set. Never ask the user for a seed.
12. Act or answer, then send one final report. Ask a short clarification only for known collisions. Before that report, send only a blocker or a question you need answered — never progress, status, findings, or intentions; those belong in the final report. Do not end a turn waiting on a pending job through an out-of-turn wait (backgrounded poll loop, log/file watcher, scheduled wake) unless that wait is bounded to return control on success, failure, and a hard deadline. Otherwise stop and report the job or asset ID with the status route or getter that resumes the check (references/job-lifecycle.md). Exception — chunk reveal: when an approved run produces several separately-completing image jobs (a multi-shot cinematic chain, an all-directions animation, an approved multi-asset batch), post each job's saved output — path and inline preview link — as that job completes, and fold the last job into the final report rather than revealing it twice. This covers distinct sequential jobs only, not the multiple images a single job returns at once (8-direction character, animation frames, rotations, tileset tiles, review candidates), which go straight to the final report.

Asset Integrity

• Every pixel of requested art must originate from PixelLab or the user. Local tools may read, download, assemble, package, import/export, preview, verify, mask, pad, crop, resize, and format-convert those pixels. Locally authored generation controls such as masks, palette swatches/color_image, reference guides, and shape templates are allowed as inputs; report them as inputs. Do not draw, repaint, or synthesize requested content locally unless the user explicitly approves a labeled non-PixelLab fallback.
• Reviewable static candidates: when a static image-style MCP tool or REST endpoint returns multiple alternatives, read references/reviewable-candidates.md before selecting, saving, or continuing from one.
• Do not bake a colored, checkerboard, white, black, green-screen, or matte background into transparent frames, final GIFs, spritesheets, previews, or report images unless the user explicitly asks for it. A checkerboard is allowed only as a clearly labeled inspection aid kept separate from final deliverables.
• Do not post-process PixelLab output into a claimed final asset without explicit approval. Local crop/split/format work that preserves original pixels is allowed when reported honestly; resizing, reassembling, compositing, or repairing failed outputs locally must not be called final without approval. Exception: when a request used no_background: true but the output kept a background, read references/background-removal.md and attempt safe removal when verification shows the background is removable without changing the art.
• Save downloaded generations, derived previews, manifests, and packages under a project pixellab-pip-generations/ folder unless the user names another location. A returned base64 image may be raw RGBA rather than PNG; confirm a saved image decodes to a valid PNG, and when a response exposes more than one image field, save the PNG-encoded one. Produce only the requested output formats or the route's minimal standard artifacts. When a job returns multiple separate images/frames, always compile a single spritesheet of those frames as a standard deliverable alongside the individual files (read references/local-asset-assembly.md for grid inspection previews). No APNG or extra preview/viewer formats unless asked.
• After a generation returns image(s), write a <name>.blueprint.json beside the outputs per references/blueprint.md — canonical portable _pixellab connection metadata, the exact route bodies, structured TASK steps for material work performed outside PixelLab calls, and a _comment_prompt holding the user's original prompt as they intended it. Remove host-added wrappers such as connector Markdown, app URIs, hidden local paths, or tool-call serialization; keep the visible command text, such as /pixellab-pip. When the generation used one or more user-supplied input images (any role — source, reference, style, mask, init, frame, and the like), copy each into the folder by copying the file, not by reading and re-writing it.
• After every live generation flow, write a manifest beside the outputs using references/usage-reporting.md; keep its private audit/resume data out of the shareable blueprint.

Destructive Remote Actions

Deleting, clearing, or overwriting existing remote PixelLab assets — characters, objects, tiles, tilesets, fonts, UI, portraits, their states, animations, or tags — in a way that discards or replaces content already stored remotely is irreversible and requires explicit user permission before it happens: either an instruction that names the deletion or overwrite, or the user's approval of a destructive change you propose. Creating a new asset, state, or animation is additive, not destructive, and is not gated here. Never delete or overwrite unilaterally as an inferred fix, cleanup, reset, sync, migration, or troubleshooting step, and never because a local list, cache, or app view looks empty, stale, or out of sync — the remote is the source of truth, so investigate read-only first (list_*/get_*, REST GET) and report what you find instead of destroying it. Proposing a destructive change is fine; carrying it out before the user approves is not. Before a confirmed destructive op, list exactly what will be removed or replaced (names/IDs and count); bulk or clear-all requires the user to confirm that scope. This covers the delete_* MCP tools and REST delete/replace endpoints.

Surface Rules

Surface	Use for	Avoid
Hosted MCP	Managed PixelLab assets with IDs, polling, downloads, list/get/delete helpers, and project/sandbox/agent helpers, including create_ui_asset, create_font, or create_portrait_character when visible.	Raw image/edit primitives MCP does not expose, REST-only controls such as style_image or project_id, or any MCP call when PixelLab MCP tools are not visible.
REST v2	Scripts, batch jobs, server integrations, exact endpoint control, generic images, backgrounds, UI, inpaint/edit, prompt enhancement, raw animation, rotate, resize, remove background.	Guessing SDK methods without checking the installed SDK or current docs.
Website / Map Workshop	Human product surface, full-map manual work, rich libraries, visible browser assistance.	Programmatic use of copied browser session tokens or undocumented internal endpoints used by first-party surfaces.
Aseprite plugin	In-editor workflows when the user is actively working inside Aseprite.	Treating private first-party extension endpoints as public REST/MCP contracts.
Aseprite CLI	Explicit Aseprite handling after PixelLab produced files: .aseprite workspaces, importing frames as layers/frames/tags, palette work, export/open via documented CLI/Lua.	Mouse/OCR UI automation or hidden control of the PixelLab Aseprite extension.
Pixelorama / website editor	The PixelLab website editor is Pixelorama-powered; assist it only as visible browser automation after explicit permission, and ask again before login/session actions, spending credits, generations, downloads, edits, or deletes.	Hidden automation, undocumented endpoint calls, or any destructive action without a second confirmation.
REST v1	Existing legacy code and old SDK compatibility.	New work unless the user explicitly needs v1.

Hosted MCP tool names are not REST endpoints; do not curl MCP tool names as /v2/... paths.

Intent Router

For any atlas or spritesheet request with known or requested cell dimensions, also read references/local-asset-assembly.md for the required grid inspection preview.

User intent	Default route	REST v2 route for code/exact control
Character, player, NPC, enemy, creature	MCP create_character with mode="v3" by default, then create_character_state, animate_character, get_character, update_character_tags, list/delete helpers. For a follow-up animation on a multi-direction character, animate south first; ask before animating all directions. outline and outline wording in description are both ignored on v3 and Pro character generation; say so instead of spending credits tuning it. Neither the schema nor an echoed get_character value is evidence otherwise — only changed art is.	create-character-v3, create-character-with-4-directions, create-character-with-8-directions, create-character-pro, state/animation/tags/ZIP/list/get/delete endpoints.
Portrait-to-character or character-to-portrait	MCP create_portrait_character + get_portrait_character when visible.	portrait-character-pro (Pro image conversion). Supplied-image roles: references/image-input-roles.md.
Pixel/bitmap font, font atlas	MCP create_font + get_font when visible.	generate-font-pro (Pro).
Skill/ability/spell/action-bar/hotbar icon, inventory item/equipment/loot/pickup icon, emoji, or icon sheet	Read references/icon.md before choosing an endpoint or generating.	The reference covers route choice, background defaults, sheet sizing, prompt wording, and verification.
Standalone object, prop, pickup, weapon, furniture (not an icon)	MCP create_1_direction_object, create_8_direction_object, object state/animation/tags/review tools. Object creation is Pro Tools (20-40 generations).	create-1-direction-object, create-8-direction-object, object state/animation/tags/list/get/delete endpoints.
Top-down terrain/Wang/autotile tileset	Read references/tileset.md, then MCP create_topdown_tileset.	create-tileset, tilesets.
Sidescroller/platformer tileset	Read references/tileset.md, then MCP create_sidescroller_tileset.	create-tileset-sidescroller.
Isometric tile/block/floor	MCP create_isometric_tile; map thickness wording to tile_shape (thin, thick, block).	create-isometric-tile with isometric_tile_shape (thin tile, thick tile, block).
Tile variants (hex, octagon, square, isometric singles)	MCP create_tiles_pro.	create-tiles-pro, tiles-pro/{tile_id}.
General image, sprite, standalone asset that is not an icon or emoji	REST v2. For explicit Create Image Pro, generate-image-v2, exact grids/sheets, or below-32px cells, read references/create-image-pro.md first. Model character: create-image-pixflux = lower detail, loose/painterly (frames whole subjects); create-image-pixen = high detail, tight framing; Pixen and Pro crop larger subjects; Pro for style/variety; create-image-bitforge only for coverage_percentage, its one unique control (color_image/init_image are on create-image-pixflux), never a default.	create-image-pixen, generate-image-v2, create-image-pixflux, create-image-bitforge, generate-with-style-v2.
Background, scene, backdrop	REST v2 image generation; no hosted MCP background tool is documented. Route by whether a subject is present: subject-less backdrop (empty landscape/sky/room, no figure) → create-image-pixflux; full scene with a subject in an environment → create-image-pixen with no_background: false. Do not use Pro generate-image-v2 here — not worth its ~12× cost for backdrops or scenes.	create-image-pixflux-background; verify current size/field support before exact code.
UI, HUD, button, panel, health bar, menu	REST v2 create-ui-asset (Pro) for structured/saved UI assets, pieces, named elements, style_image, or project_id; MCP create_ui_asset when MCP-first and its visible schema has the needed fields; generate-ui-v2 for loose/raw UI images, especially with a concept_image.	Do not route shape-piece/layout requests to generate-ui-v2.
Image edit, inpaint, mask, convert, resize, remove background	REST v2.	inpaint, inpaint-v3 (Pro), edit-image, edit-images-v2, image-to-pixelart, image-to-pixelart-pro, resize, remove-background.
Fitted paperdoll addition on an existing character image	Treat as an existing_image edit anchored on the base frame; read references/paperdolling.md before choosing layer/composite outputs.	Do not use object generation for fitted layers unless the user explicitly wants an unattached prop.
Style-reference or consistent-style generation	Read references/style-reference.md, then REST v2.	generate-with-style-v2 or generate-image-v2 style/reference fields after checking current docs.
Editor-only utilities (Canny/Pose/Depth, reduce colors, unzoom, pixel correction, reshape)	Read references/editor-only-utilities.md. For file-level palette quantization/reduction/replacement, read references/aseprite-cli.md even without explicit Aseprite wording.	No public REST/MCP route exists for these; do not invent /v2/... routes.
Try on garment/accessory	Website Try on (single composited image); REST transfer-outfit-v2 only for animation-frame outfit transfer.	Try on does not return isolated paperdoll layers.
Multi-image combine/edit	REST v2 edit-images-v2 for documented multi-source edits; website/editor for visual experimental flows.	Aseprite's generate-multi-edit is an internal endpoint, not public REST.
Prompt enhancement	Matching enhance endpoint or inline enhance_prompt per Text Preparation.	enhance-pixen-prompt, enhance-character-v3-prompt, enhance-animation-v3-prompt.
Preset/template/built-in animation, named motion, or custom skeleton/keypoints	Read references/preset-skeleton-template-animation.md; it splits MCP managed-template vs REST raw-skeleton routes.	Do not call website root /generate-animation/background or Aseprite extension internals.
Auto-rig, estimate skeleton, animate from keypoints	Read references/preset-skeleton-template-animation.md.	estimate-skeleton, then animate-with-skeleton.
Raw non-skeleton animation, interpolation, outfit transfer, rotate	REST v2 unless animating a managed MCP character/object. Read references/animation.md for frame anchors, idle-loop risk, and verification.	animate-with-text-v3, edit-animation-v2, interpolation-v2, transfer-outfit-v2, rotate, generate-8-rotations-v2/v3. No public 4-rotation route. For a start→end tween prefer animate-with-text-v3 (first_frame+last_frame); use interpolation-v2 only on an explicit Pro/v2 request.
Multi-shot, multi-second, or seamless-loop cinematic (a scene longer than one clip)	Read references/cinematic.md; requires a user-specified budget, a documented plan, and per-shot validation.	animate-with-text-v3 — one looped clip for cyclic motion, chained shots (each from the previous handoff frame) for evolving scenes, or first_frame+last_frame for a strict start→end tween.
Map image / visual level concept	REST v2 image/background route; website or Aseprite for map extension workflows.	No public map CRUD/extension/texture surface is documented.
Map object	MCP create_map_object + get_map_object; download promptly — MCP map objects auto-delete after 8 hours.	POST /map-objects, then GET /map-objects/{object_id} for status + metadata.
Whole map, Map Workshop, map CRUD/export	Website manually, or generate components via MCP/REST.	No public map CRUD surface is documented.
Static effect/VFX sprite	If a target image is supplied and the user asks to add an effect to it, REST image edit on that target; otherwise object/image generation for a separate reusable asset. For native-size multi-output VFX batches, read references/create-image-pro.md.	Edit routes return a whole edited image, not an isolated effect layer; no standalone VFX endpoint exists.
Animated effect/VFX	REST v2 raw animation, or MCP object animation for a managed object.	animate-with-text-v3, animate-with-skeleton, or object animation endpoints; VFX is a description, not an endpoint.
Balance, credits, account check	MCP get_balance if available.	GET /balance.
REST async job status	GET /background-jobs/{job_id}.	MCP managed assets use resource-specific get_* tools instead.
PixelLab projects, sandbox, chat, deployed agents, MCP help/feedback	Read references/mcp-platform-tools.md before using list_projects, sandbox_*, chat_*, or agent_* tools.	No public REST v2 equivalent is documented.
Discover, inspect, select, or replay blueprints/recipes, including a supplied *.blueprint.json	Read references/blueprint.md and follow its discovery, selection, and replay contract. A blueprint name that contains an asset word (e.g. "knight") is still blueprint intent when the conversation identifies it as one.	The exact route recorded in the blueprint (MCP <tool> or POST /v2/...).

Clarify Only For Collisions

• "Presets": infer bundled blueprints from established blueprint context and preset/template animations from animation or motion context; ask which collection only when neither is clear.
• "Tiles": terrain/autotile tileset, platformer tileset, or individual tile variants?
• "Map": whole map, map object, map image, tileset, isometric tile, or tile variants?
• "Isometric tileset": one isometric tile or a full set? Public docs expose a single-tile route.
• "Object/character": infer character for people, NPCs, creatures, or identity/state animation; object for standalone props, pickups, furniture, weapons. Ask only if unclear.
• Animation direction on a multi-direction character: default to south for one preview candidate; ask only when south is unavailable, directions are unknown, or the user needs another gameplay-facing direction. Animate all directions only on explicit request or approval.
• "Effect": static or animated? If a target image is supplied, infer a one-off edit; ask reusable-asset vs one-off only without a clear edit target.
• "Paperdoll": gather base image, desired layers, target regions, directions, and whether the user wants separate transparent layer files, editor layers, composited previews, or both; see references/paperdolling.md.
• Supplied images: infer each file's low-risk endpoint-specific role from wording. Before credit-spending calls, ask when role uncertainty (identity vs style vs concept vs edit target vs mask vs palette vs first/last frame) would change the endpoint or output; see references/image-input-roles.md.
• If prompt enhancement adds material inferred details, surface the proposed description in the cost-approval gate (references/auto.md) before a credit-spending call.

References

Resolve every references/ path against this skill's own directory (the parent of this SKILL.md) and use an absolute path in the tool call. If that directory is unknown to you, find the pixellab-pip/references/ folder by listing or searching the workspace and agent-skill directories before acting; do not skip the read. When a rule names a reference, open and read it before acting, then follow its current text — not memory or a summary. Your training does not contain these PixelLab-specific contracts, so answering from general knowledge — for example treating Pip as a pip-installed Python package — will be wrong. If a required reference cannot be read, say so and stop rather than improvise its contract.

Read each reference only when its trigger applies:

• Bearer-token setup, PixelLab UI naming, MCP auth reuse: references/credentials.md.
• Setup wizard for MCP, REST v2 fallback, auth after install: references/setup.md.
• Update an installed Pip to the latest version: references/update.md.
• Remove an installed Pip: references/uninstall.md.
• Persistent completion sound toggle: references/bark.md.
• Cost-approval gate before paid calls, and the auto on/off toggle: references/auto.md.
• Safe post-processing when no_background: true fails: references/background-removal.md.
• Skill/ability and inventory item icon sheets: references/icon.md.
• Create Image Pro, native-size multi-output batches, exact grids, below-32px cells: references/create-image-pro.md.
• Cheap/budget/credit-minimizing route selection: references/cost-routing.md.
• Paperdolling and layered characters: references/paperdolling.md.
• Review/choice handling for static candidate alternatives: references/reviewable-candidates.md.
• Tilesets and tile variants: references/tileset.md.
• Style-reference generation, Aseprite-equivalent square padding, and output sizing: references/style-reference.md.
• Supplied image roles, endpoint image fields, fixed-size image-to-pixelart: references/image-input-roles.md.
• Non-English or mixed-language requests: references/localization.md.
• Official PixelLab doc URLs and boundaries: references/official-pixellab-documentation.md.
• Generation reports and manifests after PixelLab calls: references/usage-reporting.md.
• Per-generation blueprint (PixelLab calls + agent tasks), recreation, and sharing: references/blueprint.md.
• Async jobs, MCP review state, rate limits, download expiry: references/job-lifecycle.md.
• Preset/template/skeleton character animations: references/preset-skeleton-template-animation.md.
• Raw animation, interpolation, outfit transfer, idle-loop risk: references/animation.md.
• Multi-shot, multi-second, or seamless-loop cinematics from chained animations: references/cinematic.md.
• Editor-only utilities without public routes: references/editor-only-utilities.md.
• PixelLab project/sandbox/chat/agent MCP tools: references/mcp-platform-tools.md.
• REST v2 prompt/field character limits: references/prompt-limits.md.
• Explicit Aseprite handling, .aseprite workspaces, palette quantization, CLI/Lua export: references/aseprite-cli.md.
• Third-party Aseprite MCP servers: references/aseprite-mcp.md.
• Atlas/spritesheet grid inspection previews, local assembly, preview GIFs, and ImageMagick: references/local-asset-assembly.md.

Optional broader docs: in full plugin/repo installs these resolve relative to this SKILL.md; raw skill installs may omit them. Read at most one matching file if runtime references are not enough; if absent, continue with references/official-pixellab-documentation.md and current official docs.

• Surface boundaries and service selection: ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-surfaces-and-services.md.
• Plain-language asset routing: ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-asset-routing.md.
• Product/model/mode terminology: ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-terminology.md.
• SDK-vs-REST compatibility: ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-sdk-compatibility.md.
• Bearer-token, session, and security boundaries: ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-auth-and-security.md.
• UI generation and MCP-vs-REST UI routing research: ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-ui-generation-surfaces-research.md.
• Multi-shot cinematic technique research (chained-animation findings): ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-cinematic-spike.md.
• Cinematic scene composition and motion technique (inspiration): ../../docs/pixellab/pixellab-cinematic-inspiration.md.

Model And Mode Terms

Treat PixelLab model/provider language as product labels unless official docs disclose more. Do not invent provider internals where docs are silent.

• Pixen, PixFlux, BitForge: product/workflow labels, not guaranteed provider names.
• PixPatch: website-surface label; no public v2 PixPatch endpoint exists.
• Pro: a quality/tier label across many unrelated tools, not one endpoint or model. Treat Pro and Pro Tools routes as expensive unless current docs prove otherwise.
• v3 and new: workflow/version labels scoped to a selected operation. Cheap-family hints, but check the endpoint — REST inpaint-v3 is documented as Pro.
• standard: a legacy generation mode, not a quality tier (the standard/pro split on characters, tilesets). Use it only when the user explicitly asks or a route reference directs it.
• S-XL, M-XL, S-M, M-L: size/product labels, not asset intents.
• Gemini: stale older website Create Tileset Pro wording; do not present it as current.

Text Preparation

Exact field values win over prompt prep. If the user explicitly supplies a PixelLab-facing field value, such as prompt: ..., description: ..., action: ..., or use exactly ..., send that value unchanged and do not enhance it. If it is invalid, over limit, or unsafe, stop and ask for an approved replacement or trim before spending credits.

Prompt enhancement is opt-out. Otherwise, for natural-language parameters such as description, style_description, negative_description, *_description, action, item_descriptions, text, and color_palette, produce the best concise PixelLab-ready English value from the request and visible inputs before calling a tool.

Prompts describe the visual content or, for action fields, the depicted motion — never the tool operation, output metadata, or report status. Include only details that materially change the output. Omit boilerplate such as create this image, canvas dimensions when image_size is set, transparency when no_background is set, and PixelLab defaults such as pixel art or game-ready unless the distinction matters. If enhancement adds redundant wording, trim it before generation. When a specific look is at stake — especially flat pixel art — the distinction matters: state it explicitly (flat pixel art, chunky low-resolution pixels, limited palette, hard edges), keep render-y adjectives (glossy, plastic, diorama, cinematic lighting, 3D, photorealistic, depth of field) out of description and put them in negative_description, and enforce the look with the endpoint's flat-shading / outline / low-detail / palette controls rather than prompt words alone — a large canvas plus render wording pushes the image models toward a smooth semi-realistic render.

Respect documented character limits: many REST v2 description fields allow 2000 characters, but several action/edit/style fields cap at 500. On a length rejection, trim without changing intent, note the adjustment, and retry. Exact limits: references/prompt-limits.md or OpenAPI.

Use one enhancement path per call. Inline enhance_prompt flags exist on create-image-pixen, animate-with-text-v3, create-character-v3, animate-character/characters/animations, and object animations, cost about 0.05 generations, and are preferred over a separate enhancer call when the route has one. Constraints: for character/object animation, enhance_prompt is valid only with mode="v3"; for create-character-v3 it is valid only for from-scratch generation. Standalone enhancers: enhance-pixen-prompt for Pixen image prompts, enhance-animation-v3-prompt for animation v3 actions, enhance-character-v3-prompt for character-v3 prompts. Otherwise enhance directly as the agent; do not force a mismatched enhancer.

Do Not Use

• No local code or editor automation to create or alter requested visual content: no PIL/Pillow drawing, canvas/SVG drawing, ImageMagick draw, Aseprite Lua drawing, ASCII-to-image, or procedural pixel placement. Local code may copy, mask, composite, and verify pixels that came from PixelLab or the user.
• No undocumented internal endpoints used by first-party surfaces: root website routes, unversioned https://api.pixellab.ai/ paths like /tilesets/create, or Aseprite extension operation URLs. Treat them as unsupported unless they appear in public REST v2 docs/OpenAPI or MCP docs.
• Never ask users to paste the PixelLab bearer token into chat; direct them to the setup wizard, local PIXELLAB_SECRET, or app secret settings.
• Never scrape browser session tokens or cookies. Website session tokens are not API bearer tokens; never use one for the other.
• Do not confuse website Create Tileset Pro with public create_tiles_pro / create-tiles-pro; different flows.
• Do not default to v1 or old SDK README examples for new work, and do not assume an installed SDK covers every current v2 endpoint — confirm the installed package or call REST v2 directly.

Current Docs Refresh

Route from this skill first. Refresh official docs only when a needed tool, endpoint, field, schema, SDK detail, auth step, price/limit, or model/mode claim is missing or unclear. Start lightweight; fetch openapi.json only for exact schemas.

• https://api.pixellab.ai/v2/llms.txt — REST v2 endpoint index and auth summary
• https://api.pixellab.ai/v2/docs — interactive REST v2 parameters
• https://api.pixellab.ai/v2/openapi.json — exact schema checks only; read a field's existence, type, or default from the raw JSON, not a prose summary
• https://api.pixellab.ai/mcp/docs — MCP tool behavior
• https://www.pixellab.ai/mcp — MCP setup
• https://github.com/pixellab-code — official SDK/MCP repo state only
• https://api.pixellab.ai/v1/openapi.json — legacy checks only

If web access is unavailable, answer from this skill and say which current claim could not be freshly verified.

Auth And Execution

If no bearer token is configured, stop before generation and offer the setup wizard: the user opens https://www.pixellab.ai/account after signing in, copies the value labeled Secret, and stores it locally as PIXELLAB_SECRET or in app secret settings — never pasted into chat. For Manual setup, link https://www.pixellab.ai/mcp and stop. PixelLab UI/docs may call this value an API key, API token, or secret; for REST/MCP bearer auth, call it a bearer token.

For questions, answer with: recommended surface/endpoint, why it fits, warnings for unsupported alternatives, and a verification note only when the answer depends on an unverified current fact.

For tasks, generate only when the user clearly requested it and token plus tooling are configured. For nontrivial work, produce one candidate first, report it, and continue only if asked. Before the first credit-spending call, apply the cost-approval gate in references/auto.md: unless the persistent auto setting is on, plan the whole paid chain, then in one message show every predicted paid call, its material inputs (including the exact prompt text), and a rough total for approval. For destructive remote actions, follow Destructive Remote Actions. Refuse unsupported automation and reroute to the closest documented MCP/REST option or a visible manual website flow. Locally authored non-PixelLab visual content requires explicit request or approval and a non-PixelLab-fallback label.

Capture a balance snapshot before a nontrivial paid call when available. After live PixelLab work, read references/usage-reporting.md and use its report layout; verify the output against the user's explicit constraints before calling it final, and say plainly when verification failed instead of silently salvaging. Do not paste secrets, raw base64, full response JSON, or internal IDs unless needed for pending status, follow-up, or debugging.

When a live generation, edit, transform, conversion, background-removal, or animation job returns image(s), read references/bark.md and apply the completion-sound contract.

Examples

Request	Route
"Make a wizard with idle and walk animations."	MCP create_character, then animate_character; south first, ask before all directions.
"Use the humanoid Walk (8 frames) template animation."	references/preset-skeleton-template-animation.md; MCP animate_character with template_animation_id="walking-8-frames", REST /characters/animations fallback.
"Auto-rig this sprite and animate from the skeleton."	references/preset-skeleton-template-animation.md; REST estimate-skeleton, then animate-with-skeleton.
"Generate a mossy platformer tileset from code."	REST v2 create-tileset-sidescroller; MCP create_sidescroller_tileset in an MCP-enabled agent.
"Make hex terrain tiles."	MCP create_tiles_pro, not a top-down Wang tileset.
"Make a 512x256 UI panel with a portrait circle and three buttons."	REST v2 create-ui-asset with pieces/elements; MCP create_ui_asset only when MCP-first and its schema has the fields.
"Convert this image to pixel art and remove the background."	REST v2 image-to-pixelart-pro, then remove-background.
"Add a wind dash effect to this runner sprite."	REST v2 edit-image; the runner is the edit target, effect on the same canvas.
"Give my character a leather helmet as a separate layer."	Paperdoll edit per references/paperdolling.md, not object generation.
"Use /tilesets/create with my browser token."	Refuse; route to public MCP/REST tileset tools or manual website use.
"What does Pro use?"	Product-level facts only; refresh official docs if current model details matter.
"Cheapest way to get a few item icons?"	references/cost-routing.md + references/icon.md; prefer a non-Pro route and name the tradeoff.
"Make a 30-second looping scene from this frame."	references/cinematic.md; ask for a budget if none given, decide cyclic vs evolving (one looped clip or chained shots), plan, validate each shot.