Model Selector
At the top of the generation sidebar, the model selector dropdown lets you choose which AI model to use. Each option shows:- Provider icon — visual indicator of the model provider (Google, ByteDance, Midjourney, etc.)
- Model name — the display name of the model
- Credit cost — how many credits this model uses per generation
Model Comparison
Compare all 8 models — features, pricing, strengths, and limitations
Prompt Editor
Writing Effective Prompts
- Be specific — describe composition, lighting, colors, textures, and perspective for the best results
- Short prompts work too — use the Enhance button to expand brief descriptions into detailed prompts automatically
- Language — most models accept English prompts. Niji 7 will auto-translate non-English prompts to English
Variable Tags
Some prompts from the gallery contain blue[placeholder] tags — for example, [style], [subject], or [color palette]. These are editable template variables.
Click any blue tag to select it, then type your replacement text. This makes it easy to create variations of a prompt without rewriting the whole thing.
@ Image Mentions
When you have multiple reference images uploaded, you can mention specific images inline in your prompt:- Type
@in the prompt editor - A popup appears showing thumbnails of your uploaded reference images
- Select an image to insert a mention tag (e.g.,
@image1,@image2) - Write instructions around the mentions: “Use @image1 as the background scenery and apply the color palette from @image2”
# Color Picker
When you need to specify an exact color for an object in your prompt, pick one from the palette:- Type
#in the prompt editor - A palette appears with common colors and curated hues grouped by shade
- Click any swatch to insert a color tag (e.g.,
#dc143c) - Write instructions around the color: “A t-shirt in
#dc143cpaired with#f5f5dcpants”
Translate Button
Click the translate icon (top right of the prompt editor) to translate your prompt into English. This is useful when writing prompts in another language, as most models produce the best results with English input.Prompt Enhancement
Click the Enhance Prompt button to automatically enhance your prompt based on the selected model:- Polish mode (non-Niji 7) — preserves intent, adds visual details like composition, lighting, and materials
- Expand mode (Niji 7) — expands into Midjourney-optimized language with anime/illustration cues; non-English prompts are auto-translated
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd+Enter / Ctrl+Enter | Trigger generation |
Reference Images
Upload reference images to guide the AI’s output. The AI uses these as visual context — for style matching, composition guidance, or subject reference.- Upload methods — drag-and-drop files onto the reference area, or click to browse
- Supported formats — JPG, PNG, WebP
- Auto-compression — images are automatically compressed to max 2MB / 2048px before upload
- Thumbnail grid — uploaded images appear as thumbnails with an × button to remove each one
- Per-model limits — the maximum number of reference images varies by model (0–5). Models that don’t support references (like Z Image Turbo) hide this section entirely.
See the Models page for the exact reference image limit of each model.
Adding References from the Gallery
You don’t need to download images first. Drag any gallery card directly into the reference image area — the image URL is used automatically.Reference Types (Niji 7 Only)
When using Midjourney Niji 7 with a reference image, a dropdown appears to choose how the reference is interpreted:| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Content Reference | The AI uses the image as subject matter — it tries to recreate similar content. Control influence with the Image Weight (iw) parameter (0–2). |
| Style Reference | The AI extracts the visual style (colors, mood, technique) without copying the content. Control with Style Weight (sw, 0–1000). |
When to Use Reference Images
Some prompts work best — or only make sense — with a reference image attached. MeiGen automatically detects keywords like “reference image” or “uploaded image” in your prompt and shows a hint if no reference is uploaded. Common patterns that need reference images:| Prompt Pattern | Why Reference Needed |
|---|---|
| ”Transform this reference image into…” | The AI needs a source image to transform |
| ”Based on the uploaded image, create…” | Explicitly references an uploaded image |
| ”Keep the composition of @image1 but change…” | Uses @ mention syntax to reference uploads |
| ”Redraw / reimagine the reference photo in…” | Requires a source to redraw from |
Generation Options
Count
Choose how many images to generate per request (1–4).- Free users — limited to 1 image per request. A lock icon appears on the + button.
- Paid users — can generate up to 4 images in parallel per request.
Aspect Ratio
The default is Auto — no need to pick manually, a suitable ratio is chosen for you. Drop into the dropdown to pick a specific ratio when you want precise control.| Ratio | Orientation | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Auto (default) | — | Hands-off |
| 1:1 | Square | Social media profile, icons |
| 3:4, 4:5, 2:3 | Portrait | Phone wallpaper, posters |
| 9:16 | Tall portrait | Stories, Reels |
| 1:4, 1:8 | Ultra tall | Scrolling banners (Nanobanana 2 only) |
| 4:3, 3:2 | Landscape | Desktop wallpaper |
| 16:9, 21:9 | Wide | Cinematic, ultrawide displays |
| 4:1, 8:1 | Ultra wide | Panoramic banners (Nanobanana 2 only) |
Resolution
Choose the output resolution when available:| Resolution | Availability |
|---|---|
| 2K | Available to all users (default) |
| 3K | Select models only (e.g., Seedream 5.0 Lite) |
| 4K | Paid users only — a lock icon appears for free users |
Niji 7 Advanced Options
When using Midjourney Niji 7, the Advanced Options button lets you tune extra generation parameters. Most users can leave everything at defaults.Parameter details (Stylize / Chaos / Weird / Raw / iw / sref / sw / sv)
Parameter details (Stylize / Chaos / Weird / Raw / iw / sref / sw / sv)
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stylize | 0–1000 | 100 | Controls how strongly Midjourney’s aesthetic is applied. Lower = more literal, higher = more artistic. |
| Chaos | 0–100 | 0 | Adds variation between runs. Higher values produce more unexpected results. |
| Weird | 0–3000 | 0 | Introduces unusual, experimental qualities. |
| Raw Mode | on/off | off | When off, Niji 7’s anime style optimization is fully applied; when on, produces images with a raw, less processed aesthetic. Recommended to keep off for best anime results. |
| Image Weight (iw) | 0–2 | 1 | How much influence the content reference image has. Only visible when a content reference is set. |
| Style Reference (sref) | URL/text | — | Provide a URL to an image whose style you want to mimic. Disabled when reference images are set to Style mode. |
| Style Weight (sw) | 0–1000 | 100 | How strongly the style reference is applied. Only visible when sref or style reference images are present. |
| Style Version (sv) | 1–4 | 4 | Style reference version. Default 4. |
Describe Image
See an image you like but don’t know how to describe it? Describe Image uses AI vision to analyze an image and generate a detailed text prompt that captures its content, style, and composition.How to Use
- Image detail dialog — open any image’s detail view and click the Describe Image button. The AI analyzes the image and generates a descriptive prompt.
- Drag and drop — drag any external image (or a gallery card) onto the Describe Image dropzone above the prompt editor in the generation sidebar.
What It Generates
The AI examines the image and produces a prompt describing:- Subject matter and scene composition
- Art style and technique (photorealistic, illustration, watercolor, etc.)
- Lighting, color palette, and mood
- Camera angle and perspective
Video Generation
MeiGen offers two video models: Seedance 2.0 (per-second pricing, 4–15 second duration) and Veo 3.1 (fixed 8 seconds, with audio and style presets). Open the video sidebar from the Generate Video button in the floating dock.Frame Images
Upload up to 2 frame images to control the video’s composition:- First Frame — sets the starting composition of the video
- Last Frame — sets the ending composition
Seedance 2.0
| Option | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | adaptive, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, 9:16, 21:9 | 7 ratios. adaptive matches the reference image/video dimensions |
| Resolution | 480p, 720p (default 480p) | 480p saves credits |
| Duration | 4–15 seconds (default 5) | Slider or input |
| Audio | Auto-generated | Always on |
| Reference video | Yes | Used for “video continuation” — the reference is prepended to the generated content |
- Text-to-video: just write a prompt
- Image-to-video: upload 1–2 frame images to control first/last frame
- Video extension: upload a reference video (see the Extending a Video section below)
Veo 3.1 — Fixed 8-second Video with Audio
| Option | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 16:9, 9:16 | Landscape or portrait only |
| Resolution | 720p | Fixed |
| Duration | 8 seconds (fixed) | Not adjustable |
| Style | Auto / Realistic / Anime / Cinematic | Visual style preset |
| Speed | Auto / Slow / Fast | Playback speed control |
| Audio | Auto-generated | Always on |
Both video models auto-generate AI audio — no separate audio input is needed. Full specs, pricing formulas, and a side-by-side comparison are on the Models page.
Converting Images to Video
After generating an image, hover over the completed card and click the Animate button. This sends your generated image to the video sidebar as the first frame, making it easy to turn a still image into a short video clip.Extending a Video
Seedance 2.0 only. You can take an existing video as a starting point and generate a new segment appended to it.Three entry points
- From a video card: hover over any completed video card and click the Extend button in the top-left corner — the video loads into the Seedance sidebar as a reference
- Drag a video to the reference-image area: drag a video (local or from the gallery) onto the reference upload area — a confirmation popup asks “Use this as an extension reference?”
- Direct upload: in the Seedance sidebar’s “Extend or reference video” upload area, pick a local video
Workflow
- Trigger any of the entries above — the reference video appears in the sidebar preview
- The prompt box is auto-prefilled with
"Extend this video with the following plot: "— keep this prefix and add your desired continuation - Pick resolution and your new video’s duration (4–15 seconds)
- Click Generate
Key behavior
Output = reference video + new content, concatenated: the result is a single continuous video — the first half is your reference video preserved, the second half is the AI-generated continuation per your prompt. Total length ≈ reference duration + your chosen duration.
Pricing
Extension rates are lower (480p 8 credits/sec, 720p 16 credits/sec), but billed seconds include the reference video’s duration (never below the minimum-billable floor). The full formula, lookup table, and examples are in Models → Seedance 2.0. Typical costs:- Extend by 5 sec on a 3-second video: 72 credits (480p)
- Extend by 10 sec on a 5-second video: 272 credits (720p)
Generation History
After submitting a generation request, your images appear as cards in the generation history panel (accessible via the floating dock’s History button or the sidebar).Pending State
Cards show live progress while generating; video generations also display an estimated completion time (e.g.,2–5 min).
Typical generation times by model:
| Model | Typical Time |
|---|---|
| Z Image Turbo | ~5 seconds |
| Nanobanana 2, Seedream | ~15 seconds |
| Nanobanana Pro | ~15 seconds |
| GPT image1.5 | ~20 seconds |
| Niji 7 | ~60 seconds |
| Seedance 2.0 (video) | ~1–3 minutes (varies by duration / resolution) |
| Veo 3.1 (video) | 2–6 minutes |
Failed State
If a generation fails, the card shows:- The reason for failure
- “Credits refunded” note — credits are automatically returned when a generation fails
- Retry button — click to resubmit the same request with the original prompt and settings
Completed State
Hover over a completed generation card to reveal action buttons:| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit | Adds the generated image as a reference for a new generation |
| Cutout | Removes the background, creating a transparent PNG (useful for logos, stickers, product compositing). Creates a new card; the original is preserved |
| Animate | Converts the still image into a video (image-to-video) |
| Delete | Removes the card from your history |
| Use Idea | Copies the prompt back to the editor for reuse |
| Favorite | Saves to your favorites collection |
| Download | Saves the image to your device |
| Share to X | Opens a pre-filled tweet with your generated image |
Credits and Billing
MeiGen uses a dual credit system:- Daily credits: refresh every 24 hours, used for basic models (Z Image Turbo, GPT image 1.5).
- Purchased credits: obtained by topping up, never expire, usable on all models.
Free vs Paid
| Feature | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 4K resolution | Locked | Available |
| Images per request | 1 | Up to 4 |
| API access | Not available | Available (purchased credits only) |
FAQ
Why is my generation taking longer than expected?
Why is my generation taking longer than expected?
Generation times vary by model and server load. Niji 7 typically takes ~60 seconds, and Veo 3.1 video generation takes 2–6 minutes. The progress bar uses an estimate — actual time may vary during peak hours.
My generation failed — what happened to my credits?
My generation failed — what happened to my credits?
Credits are automatically refunded when a generation fails. The refund is reflected immediately in your balance. You can use the Retry button to try again.
Can I generate the same image again?
Can I generate the same image again?
Use the Retry button on a failed card, or click Use Idea on a completed card to copy its prompt back to the editor. Note that AI generation is non-deterministic — even with the same prompt, results will vary.
What's the difference between Cutout and Animate?
What's the difference between Cutout and Animate?
Cutout removes the background from a still image, creating a transparent PNG. Animate converts the still image into a short video clip using the video generation model.
Why does the resolution selector show a lock icon?
Why does the resolution selector show a lock icon?
4K resolution is available to paid users only. Free users can generate at 2K resolution. Upgrade your account to unlock higher resolutions.