Z-Image — Free AI Image Generation#

Generate images from text using Alibaba's open-source Z-Image-Turbo model. Free to use.

When to Trigger#

Activate this skill when the user asks to:

• generate, create, draw, or make an image / picture / illustration / photo
• create thumbnails, avatars, banners, or social-media graphics
• visualize a concept, scene, or character

Generating an Image#

bash

python3 SKILL_DIR/imgforge.py "PROMPT" -o OUTPUT_PATH

Arguments#

FlagDefaultDescriptionPROMPT (positional)—Text description (English or Chinese)-o, --out``output.jpgFile path to save the image-W, --width1024Width in pixels (512–2048)-H, --height1024Height in pixels (512–2048)--jsonoffOutput result as JSON

Common sizes#

AspectFlagsSquare (1:1)-W 1024 -H 1024Landscape (16:9)-W 1280 -H 720Portrait (9:16)-W 720 -H 1280Wide banner-W 2048 -H 1024

Prompt tips#

Add quality keywords for better output: "4K", "cinematic", "professional photography", "dramatic lighting", "shallow depth of field".

Specify a style: "oil painting", "watercolor", "anime", "pixel art", "minimalist vector".

Environment#

Requires MODELSCOPE_API_KEY. If the user hasn't set it, guide them:

1. Create a free Alibaba Cloud account (phone verification + payment method required, but Z-Image is free) → https://www.alibabacloud.com/campaign/benefits?referral_code=A9242N
2. Sign up at https://modelscope.ai/register?inviteCode=futurizerush&invitorName=futurizerush&login=true&logintype=register and bind the Alibaba Cloud account in settings
3. Create a token at https://modelscope.ai/my/access/token
4. Set the environment variable: export MODELSCOPE_API_KEY="ms-..."

For Claude Code users, add to ~/.claude/settings.json under "env".

Errors#

SymptomCause & fix401 UnauthorizedToken is from modelscope.cn (wrong site) — must use modelscope.ai. Or Alibaba Cloud account not bound.Timeout after 150sAPI under load — retry in a minuteContent moderationRephrase the prompt — Alibaba's filter blocked it

Notes#

• No external dependencies required (uses Python stdlib). Pillow is optional for format conversion.
• The script creates parent directories automatically.
• Image URLs from the API expire in 24h — the script downloads immediately.