I frustrated for a while about where to put this. If there's a more appropriate place, please feel free to move this post.
I've been using three different providers of free AI image generation. Since I'm a lousy manual artist, and 3D modeling can take some effort, they've greatly helped restart my interest in writing SF, including for OA. They all work from "Prompts" -- textual descriptions of what you want to see. Their interpretations of those prompts can sometimes be, well, surprising. Despite all the publicity, generative AI text processing is still rudimentary. Also, they all have restrictions on the types of images that they're willing to generate. You can think of them as being limited to a G rating, although that's an over-simplification.
1. Microsoft's implementation of DALL-E 3 at https://www.bing.com/images/create
Bing/Create requires a Microsoft account. It currently allows up to 15 prompts per day and usually, but not always, generates 4 images for each prompt (sometimes fewer). It seems to be the least restrictive of these three. You can use Bing/Chat as an interface to it if you want.
2. Meta's Imagine, based on Emu, at https://imagine.meta.com/
Meta/Imagine requires a Meta or Facebook account. It currently has no documented limit as to the number of prompts you can use. Like Bing/Create, it creates 4 images per prompt. It's a little faster, but that might be because it just became available a few days ago, so far fewer people are using it. I think it's limited to the US right now, too.
3. NightCafe's implementation of Stable Diffusion XL 1.0 at https://creator.nightcafe.studio/studio
NightCafe has its own user account system. Users accumulate 5 credits/day, sort of the equivalent of 5 images. Some types of operations cost more credits. You can purchase a subscription to get many more credits. Their implementation seems to have the most limitations on what images can be generated. If you have adequate hardware, you can run your own copy of Stable Diffusion on your own computer, but the necessary hardware is quite expensive at the moment.
Apparently there are other free image generation resources, but these are the only ones I've tried.
So far, I've primarily been using Bing/Create, although it looks like I might be using Meta/Imagine too in the future.
Except for the images of the virtual book itself, I used Bing/Create to make the illustrations for https://www.orionsarm.com/fm_store/Halon...is_v2.html
I'm looking forward to trying Google's image generator, but it's still in "closed beta." I.e. you have to apply for an invitation. I applied but never got a response.
I've been using three different providers of free AI image generation. Since I'm a lousy manual artist, and 3D modeling can take some effort, they've greatly helped restart my interest in writing SF, including for OA. They all work from "Prompts" -- textual descriptions of what you want to see. Their interpretations of those prompts can sometimes be, well, surprising. Despite all the publicity, generative AI text processing is still rudimentary. Also, they all have restrictions on the types of images that they're willing to generate. You can think of them as being limited to a G rating, although that's an over-simplification.
1. Microsoft's implementation of DALL-E 3 at https://www.bing.com/images/create
Bing/Create requires a Microsoft account. It currently allows up to 15 prompts per day and usually, but not always, generates 4 images for each prompt (sometimes fewer). It seems to be the least restrictive of these three. You can use Bing/Chat as an interface to it if you want.
2. Meta's Imagine, based on Emu, at https://imagine.meta.com/
Meta/Imagine requires a Meta or Facebook account. It currently has no documented limit as to the number of prompts you can use. Like Bing/Create, it creates 4 images per prompt. It's a little faster, but that might be because it just became available a few days ago, so far fewer people are using it. I think it's limited to the US right now, too.
3. NightCafe's implementation of Stable Diffusion XL 1.0 at https://creator.nightcafe.studio/studio
NightCafe has its own user account system. Users accumulate 5 credits/day, sort of the equivalent of 5 images. Some types of operations cost more credits. You can purchase a subscription to get many more credits. Their implementation seems to have the most limitations on what images can be generated. If you have adequate hardware, you can run your own copy of Stable Diffusion on your own computer, but the necessary hardware is quite expensive at the moment.
Apparently there are other free image generation resources, but these are the only ones I've tried.
So far, I've primarily been using Bing/Create, although it looks like I might be using Meta/Imagine too in the future.
Except for the images of the virtual book itself, I used Bing/Create to make the illustrations for https://www.orionsarm.com/fm_store/Halon...is_v2.html
I'm looking forward to trying Google's image generator, but it's still in "closed beta." I.e. you have to apply for an invitation. I applied but never got a response.
Selden
![[Image: Gaylien1.png]](https://www.orionsarm.com/im_store/Gaylien1.png)