Metadata

name: nano-banana-2-direct
description: Generate/edit images with Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview (Nano Banana 2). Direct API call without inference.sh dependency. Use for image create/modify requests incl. edits. Supports text-to-image + image-to-image; 1K/2K/4K; use --input-image.
version: 1.0.1
metadata: {"openclaw":{"requires":{"bins":["uv"],"env":["GEMINI_API_KEY"]},"install":[{"id":"python-deps","kind":"exec","command":"uv pip install google-genai pillow","label":"Install Python dependencies"}]}}

Nano Banana 2 Direct - Gemini 3.1 Flash Image

Generate new images or edit existing ones using Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview API directly (no inference.sh required).

Usage

Run the script using absolute path (do NOT cd to skill directory first):

Generate new image:

uv run ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/nano-banana-2-direct/scripts/generate_image.py --prompt "your image description" --filename "output-name.png" [--resolution 1K|2K|4K] [--api-key KEY]

Edit existing image:

uv run ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/nano-banana-2-direct/scripts/generate_image.py --prompt "editing instructions" --filename "output-name.png" --input-image "path/to/input.png" [--resolution 1K|2K|4K] [--api-key KEY]

Important: Always run from the user's current working directory so images are saved where the user is working, not in the skill directory.

Default Workflow (draft → iterate → final)

Goal: fast iteration without burning time on 4K until the prompt is correct.

Draft (1K): quick feedback loop
- uv run ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/nano-banana-2-direct/scripts/generate_image.py --prompt "<draft prompt>" --filename "yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss-draft.png" --resolution 1K
Iterate: adjust prompt in small diffs; keep filename new per run
- If editing: keep the same --input-image for every iteration until you're happy.
Final (4K): only when prompt is locked
- uv run ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/nano-banana-2-direct/scripts/generate_image.py --prompt "<final prompt>" --filename "yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss-final.png" --resolution 4K

Resolution Options

The Gemini 3.1 Flash Image API supports three resolutions (uppercase K required):

1K (default) - ~1024px resolution
2K - ~2048px resolution
4K - ~4096px resolution

Map user requests to API parameters:

No mention of resolution → 1K
"low resolution", "1080", "1080p", "1K" → 1K
"2K", "2048", "normal", "medium resolution" → 2K
"high resolution", "high-res", "hi-res", "4K", "ultra" → 4K

API Key

The script checks for API key in this order:

--api-key argument (use if user provided key in chat)
GEMINI_API_KEY environment variable

If neither is available, the script exits with an error message.

Preflight + Common Failures (fast fixes)

Preflight:
- command -v uv (must exist)
- test -n "$GEMINI_API_KEY" (or pass --api-key)
- If editing: test -f "path/to/input.png"
Common failures:
- Error: No API key provided. → set GEMINI_API_KEY or pass --api-key
- Error loading input image: → wrong path / unreadable file; verify --input-image points to a real image
- "quota/permission/403" style API errors → wrong key, no access, or quota exceeded; try a different key/account

Filename Generation

Generate filenames with the pattern: yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss-name.png

Format: {timestamp}-{descriptive-name}.png

Timestamp: Current date/time in format yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss (24-hour format)
Name: Descriptive lowercase text with hyphens
Keep the descriptive part concise (1-5 words typically)
Use context from user's prompt or conversation
If unclear, use random identifier (e.g., x9k2, a7b3)

Examples:

Prompt "A serene Japanese garden" → 2025-11-23-14-23-05-japanese-garden.png
Prompt "sunset over mountains" → 2025-11-23-15-30-12-sunset-mountains.png
Prompt "create an image of a robot" → 2025-11-23-16-45-33-robot.png
Unclear context → 2025-11-23-17-12-48-x9k2.png

Image Editing

When the user wants to modify an existing image:

Check if they provide an image path or reference an image in the current directory
Use --input-image parameter with the path to the image
The prompt should contain editing instructions (e.g., "make the sky more dramatic", "remove the person", "change to cartoon style")
Common editing tasks: add/remove elements, change style, adjust colors, blur background, etc.

Prompt Handling

For generation: Pass user's image description as-is to --prompt. Only rework if clearly insufficient.

For editing: Pass editing instructions in --prompt (e.g., "add a rainbow in the sky", "make it look like a watercolor painting")

Preserve user's creative intent in both cases.

Prompt Templates (high hit-rate)

Use templates when the user is vague or when edits must be precise.

Generation template:
- "Create an image of: . Style: . Composition: <camera/shot>. Lighting: . Background: . Color palette: . Avoid: ."
Editing template (preserve everything else):
- "Change ONLY: . Keep identical: subject, composition/crop, pose, lighting, color palette, background, text, and overall style. Do not add new objects. If text exists, keep it unchanged."

Output

Saves PNG to current directory (or specified path if filename includes directory)
Script outputs the full path to the generated image
Do not read the image back - just inform the user of the saved path

Examples