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Generates article cover images with 5 dimensions (type, palette, rendering, text, mood) combining 11 color palettes and 7 rendering styles. Supports cinematic (2.35:1), widescreen (16:9), and square (
The skill file stays in the publisher's repository.
Paste the copied command in a terminal. It installs this SKILL.md into that agent.
npx skills add JimLiu/baoyu-skills --skill baoyu-cover-image -a cursor -y
Generates article cover images with 5 dimensions (type, palette, rendering, text, mood) combining 11 color palettes and 7 rendering styles. Supports cinematic (2.35:1), widescreen (16:9), and square (1:1) aspects. Use when user asks to "generate cover image", "create article cover", or "make cover".
Generates article cover images with 5 dimensions (type, palette, rendering, text, mood) combining 11 color palettes and 7 rendering styles. Supports cinematic (2.35:1), widescreen (16:9), and square (1:1) aspects. Use when user asks to "generate cover image", "create article cover", or "make cover".
Generate elegant cover images for articles with 5-dimensional customization.
When this skill prompts the user, follow this tool-selection rule (priority order):
AskUserQuestion, request_user_input, clarify, ask_user, or any equivalent.Concrete AskUserQuestion references below are examples — substitute the local equivalent in other runtimes.
When this skill needs to render an image, resolve the backend in this order:
EXTEND.md sets preferred_image_backend to a backend available right now, use it.auto, unset, or the pinned backend isn't available):
imagegen) — first, inspect your available-skills / tool inventory. If a skill named imagegen is listed, you are running inside Codex and MUST use it: invoke via the Skill tool with skill: "imagegen", passing the saved prompt file's content (plus output path and aspect ratio per Codex imagegen's own args). Codex imagegen is the official raster backend in that runtime and outranks any non-native skill (e.g., baoyu-image-gen) unless the user has explicitly pinned a different preferred_image_backend.codex exec (codex-imagegen) — if the current runtime exposes no native imagegen skill but the codex CLI is on PATH with an active codex login, route through baoyu-image-gen --provider codex-cli (preferred), or — if baoyu-image-gen is unavailable — invoke the bundled wrapper directly. Details, parameters, and the runtime-discovery procedure live in references/codex-imagegen.md — load that file only when this branch is selected.GenerateImage) — if the runtime exposes a native GenerateImage tool, you are running inside Cursor and it outranks any non-native skill the same way Codex imagegen does. Two hard caveats: (a) it has no aspect-ratio parameter — state the target aspect ratio / dimensions explicitly in the prompt text passed as description; (b) it does not accept an output directory — it saves to a tool-managed location, so after generation copy/move the file to the skill's expected output path (e.g., outputs/.../NN-xxx.png). Reference images go in reference_image_paths.image_generate), use it the same way.baoyu-image-gen), use it.⛔ Never substitute SVG, HTML, canvas, or other code-based rendering for raster image generation. Codex imagegen's own description says it should be used "when the output should be a bitmap asset rather than repo-native code or vector." If you cannot resolve a raster backend via step 3, fall through to step 4 and ask the user — do not silently emit SVG, write inline <svg> markup, or produce HTML/CSS art as a substitute. This applies even if the article/section seems "diagram-like": the consumer skill calling this rule has already decided that a raster image is what it needs.
⛔ Never repair rendered text by painting over a generated bitmap. Do not use ImageMagick, Pillow, Canvas, SVG, HTML/CSS, OCR scripts, or any other programmatic overlay to cover, rewrite, erase, stroke, or replace title/subtitle text inside an already generated cover image. If text is wrong or unclear, regenerate from a corrected prompt, switch to a lower-text or no-title variant, or ask the user which imperfect candidate to keep.
Setting preferred_image_backend: ask forces the step-3 prompt every run regardless of available backends. Users change the pinned backend via the ## Changing Preferences section below.
Prompt file requirement (hard): write each image's full, final prompt to a standalone file under prompts/ (naming: NN-{type}-[slug].md) BEFORE invoking any backend. The backend receives the prompt file (or its content); the file is the reproducibility record and lets you switch backends without regenerating prompts.
Concrete tool names (imagegen, GenerateImage, image_generate, baoyu-image-gen) above are examples — substitute the local equivalents under the same rule.
Default behavior: confirm before generation.
EXTEND.md defaults, and any documented auto-selection as recommendation inputs only. None of them authorizes skipping confirmation.--quick, "直接生成", "不用确认", "跳过确认", "按默认出图", or equivalent wording. quick_mode: true in EXTEND.md counts as a standing explicit opt-out — set it only when you want every run to skip Step 2.| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--type <name> | hero, conceptual, typography, metaphor, scene, minimal |
--palette <name> | warm, elegant, cool, dark, earth, vivid, pastel, mono, retro, duotone, macaron |
--rendering <name> | flat-vector, hand-drawn, painterly, digital, pixel, chalk, screen-print |
--style <name> | Preset shorthand (see Style Presets) |
--text <level> | none, title-only, title-subtitle, text-rich |
--mood <level> | subtle, balanced, bold |
--font <name> | clean, handwritten, serif, display |
--aspect <ratio> | 16:9 (default), 2.35:1, 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, 3:4 |
--lang <code> | Title language (en, zh, ja, etc.) |
--no-title | Alias for --text none |
--quick | Skip confirmation, use auto-selection |
--ref <files...> | Reference images for style/composition guidance |
| Dimension | Values | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Type | hero, conceptual, typography, metaphor, scene, minimal | auto |
| Palette | warm, elegant, cool, dark, earth, vivid, pastel, mono, retro, duotone, macaron | auto |
| Rendering | flat-vector, hand-drawn, painterly, digital, pixel, chalk, screen-print | auto |
| Text | none, title-only, title-subtitle, text-rich | title-only |
| Mood | subtle, balanced, bold | balanced |
| Font | clean, handwritten, serif, display | clean |
Auto-selection rules: references/auto-selection.md
Types: hero, conceptual, typography, metaphor, scene, minimal → Details: references/types.md
Palettes: warm, elegant, cool, dark, earth, vivid, pastel, mono, retro, duotone, macaron → Details: references/palettes/
Renderings: flat-vector, hand-drawn, painterly, digital, pixel, chalk, screen-print → Details: references/renderings/
Text Levels: none (pure visual) | title-only (default) | title-subtitle | text-rich (with tags) → Details: references/dimensions/text.md
Mood Levels: subtle (low contrast) | balanced (default) | bold (high contrast) → Details: references/dimensions/mood.md
Fonts: clean (sans-serif) | handwritten | serif | display (bold decorative) → Details: references/dimensions/font.md
Output directory per default_output_dir preference:
same-dir: {article-dir}/imgs-subdir: {article-dir}/imgs/independent (default): cover-image/{topic-slug}/<output-dir>/
├── source-{slug}.{ext} # Source files
├── refs/ # Reference images (if provided)
│ ├── ref-01-{slug}.{ext}
│ └── ref-01-{slug}.md # Description file
├── prompts/cover.md # Generation prompt
└── cover.png # Output image
Slug: 2-4 words, kebab-case. Conflict: append -YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS
Cover Image Progress:
- [ ] Step 0: Check preferences (EXTEND.md) ⛔ BLOCKING
- [ ] Step 1: Analyze content + save refs + determine output dir
- [ ] Step 2: Confirm options (6 dimensions) ⚠️ unless --quick
- [ ] Step 3: Create prompt
- [ ] Step 4: Generate image
- [ ] Step 5: Completion report
Input → [Step 0: Preferences] ─┬─ Found → Continue
└─ Not found → First-Time Setup ⛔ BLOCKING → Save EXTEND.md → Continue
↓
Analyze + Save Refs → [Output Dir] → [Confirm: 6 Dimensions] → Prompt → Generate → Complete
↓
(skip if --quick or all specified)
Check EXTEND.md in priority order — the first one found wins:
| Priority | Path | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | .baoyu-skills/baoyu-cover-image/EXTEND.md | Project |
| 2 | ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/baoyu-skills/baoyu-cover-image/EXTEND.md | XDG |
| 3 | $HOME/.baoyu-skills/baoyu-cover-image/EXTEND.md | User home |
| Result | Action |
|---|---|
| Found | Load, display summary → Continue |
| Not found | ⛔ Run first-time setup (references/config/first-time-setup.md) → Save → Continue |
CRITICAL: If not found, complete setup BEFORE any other steps or questions.
source.md)⚠️ People in Reference Images:
If reference images contain people who should appear in the cover:
--ref (default): Copy image to refs/, pass via --ref at generation. No description file needed — the model sees the face directly.--ref (Jimeng, Seedream 3.0): Create refs/ref-NN-{slug}.md with per-character description (hair, glasses, skin tone, clothing). Embed as MUST/REQUIRED instructions in prompt text.See reference-images.md for full decision table.
Hard gate: this step is mandatory per the Confirmation Policy — Steps 3–4 cannot start until the user confirms here (or explicitly opts out with --quick / quick_mode: true / equivalent wording in the current request).
MUST use AskUserQuestion tool to present options as interactive selection — NOT plain text tables. Present up to 4 questions in a single AskUserQuestion call (Type, Palette, Rendering, Font + Settings). Each question shows the recommended option first with reason, followed by alternatives.
Full confirmation flow and question format: references/workflow/confirm-options.md
| Condition | Skipped | Still Asked |
|---|---|---|
--quick or quick_mode: true | 6 dimensions | Aspect ratio (unless --aspect) |
All 6 + --aspect specified | All | None |
Save to prompts/cover.md. Template: references/workflow/prompt-template.md
CRITICAL - References in Frontmatter:
refs/ → Add to frontmatter references listreferences, describe in bodytest -f refs/ref-NN-{slug}.{ext}Reference elements in body MUST be detailed, prefixed with "MUST"/"REQUIRED", with integration approach.
cover.png if regenerating## Image Generation Tools rule at the top: use whatever is available; if multiple, ask the user once. Do this once per session before any generation.prompts/01-cover-[slug].md (hard requirement) BEFORE invoking the backend.direct usage → pass via --ref (use ref-capable backend)style/palette → extract traits, append to promptcodex-imagegen: see references/codex-imagegen.md for the invocation contract (preferred baoyu-image-gen --provider codex-cli path, runtime wrapper discovery, parameter notes, stdout schema, batch semantics).imagegen (native) or other runtime-native tools / baoyu-image-gen skill: per the rule in ## Image Generation Tools above.Cover Generated!
Topic: [topic]
Type: [type] | Palette: [palette] | Rendering: [rendering]
Text: [text] | Mood: [mood] | Font: [font] | Aspect: [ratio]
Title: [title or "visual only"]
Language: [lang] | Watermark: [enabled/disabled]
References: [N images or "extracted style" or "none"]
Location: [directory path]
Files:
✓ source-{slug}.{ext}
✓ prompts/cover.md
✓ cover.png
| Action | Steps |
|---|---|
| Regenerate | Backup → Update prompt file FIRST → Regenerate |
| Change dimension | Backup → Confirm new value → Update prompt → Regenerate |
Text correction policy:
EXTEND.md lives at the path noted in Step 0. Three ways to change it:
preferred_image_backend: auto — default; runtime-native tool wins, falls back to the only installed backend, asks only if multiple non-native are present.preferred_image_backend: codex-imagegen — pin to Codex's built-in.preferred_image_backend: baoyu-image-gen — pin to the baoyu-image-gen skill.preferred_image_backend: ask — confirm backend every run.watermark.enabled: true, preferred_type, preferred_palette, preferred_rendering, default_aspect, quick_mode: true, language — shift the auto-selection defaults and confirmation flow.Dimensions: text.md | mood.md | font.md Palettes: references/palettes/ Renderings: references/renderings/ Types: references/types.md Auto-Selection: references/auto-selection.md Style Presets: references/style-presets.md Compatibility: references/compatibility.md Visual Elements: references/visual-elements.md Workflow: confirm-options.md | prompt-template.md | reference-images.md Config: preferences-schema.md | first-time-setup.md | watermark-guide.md