baoyu-cover-image

```bash

# Auto-select all dimensions based on content

/baoyu-cover-image path/to/article.md

# Quick mode: skip confirmation, use auto-selection

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --quick

# Specify dimensions (new 5D system)

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --type conceptual --palette warm --rendering flat-vector

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --text title-subtitle --mood bold

# Style presets (backward-compatible shorthand for palette + rendering)

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --style blueprint

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --style blueprint --rendering hand-drawn # override rendering

# Visual only (no title text)

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --no-title

# Direct content input

/baoyu-cover-image

[paste content]

# Direct input with options

/baoyu-cover-image --palette mono --rendering digital --aspect 1:1 --quick

[paste content]

# With reference images

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --ref style-ref.png

/baoyu-cover-image article.md --ref ref1.png ref2.png --quick

```

| Option | Description |

|--------|-------------|

| --type | Cover type: hero, conceptual, typography, metaphor, scene, minimal |

| --palette | Color palette: warm, elegant, cool, dark, earth, vivid, pastel, mono, retro |

| --rendering | Rendering style: flat-vector, hand-drawn, painterly, digital, pixel, chalk |

| --style | Preset shorthand (expands to palette + rendering, see [Style Presets](references/style-presets.md)) |

| --text | Text density: none, title-only, title-subtitle, text-rich |

| --mood | Emotional intensity: subtle, balanced, bold |

| --aspect | 16:9 (default), 2.35:1, 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, 3:4 |

| --lang | Title language (en, zh, ja, etc.) |

| --no-title | Alias for --text none |

| --quick | Skip confirmation, use auto-selection for missing dimensions |

| --ref | Reference images for style/composition guidance |

| Dimension | Controls | Values | Default |

|-----------|----------|--------|---------|

| Type | Visual composition, information structure | hero, conceptual, typography, metaphor, scene, minimal | auto |

| Palette | Colors, color scheme, decorative hints | warm, elegant, cool, dark, earth, vivid, pastel, mono, retro | auto |

| Rendering | Line quality, texture, depth, element style | flat-vector, hand-drawn, painterly, digital, pixel, chalk | auto |

| Text | Text density, information hierarchy | none, title-only, title-subtitle, text-rich | title-only |

| Mood | Emotional intensity, visual weight | subtle, balanced, bold | balanced |

Dimensions can be freely combined. Auto-selection rules: [references/auto-selection.md](references/auto-selection.md)

| Type | Description | Best For |

|------|-------------|----------|

| hero | Large visual impact, title overlay | Product launch, brand promotion, major announcements |

| conceptual | Concept visualization, abstract core ideas | Technical articles, methodology, architecture design |

| typography | Text-focused layout, prominent title | Opinion pieces, quotes, insights |

| metaphor | Visual metaphor, concrete expressing abstract | Philosophy, growth, personal development |

| scene | Atmospheric scene, narrative feel | Stories, travel, lifestyle |

| minimal | Minimalist composition, generous whitespace | Zen, focus, core concepts |

Type composition details: [references/types.md](references/types.md)

| Palette | Vibe | Primary Colors |

|---------|------|----------------|

| warm | Friendly, approachable | Orange, golden yellow, terracotta |

| elegant | Sophisticated, refined | Soft coral, muted teal, dusty rose |

| cool | Technical, professional | Engineering blue, navy, cyan |

| dark | Cinematic, premium | Electric purple, cyan, magenta |

| earth | Natural, organic | Forest green, sage, earth brown |

| vivid | Energetic, bold | Bright red, neon green, electric blue |

| pastel | Gentle, whimsical | Soft pink, mint, lavender |

| mono | Clean, focused | Black, near-black, white |

| retro | Nostalgic, vintage | Muted orange, dusty pink, maroon |

Palette definitions: [references/palettes/](references/palettes/)

| Rendering | Description | Key Characteristics |

|-----------|-------------|---------------------|

| flat-vector | Clean modern vector | Uniform outlines, flat fills, geometric icons |

| hand-drawn | Sketchy organic illustration | Imperfect strokes, paper texture, doodles |

| painterly | Soft watercolor/paint | Brush strokes, color bleeds, soft edges |

| digital | Polished modern digital | Precise edges, subtle gradients, UI components |

| pixel | Retro 8-bit pixel art | Pixel grid, dithering, chunky shapes |

| chalk | Chalk on blackboard | Chalk strokes, dust effects, board texture |

Rendering definitions: [references/renderings/](references/renderings/)

| Text Level | Title | Subtitle | Tags | Use Case |

|------------|:-----:|:--------:|:----:|----------|

| none | - | - | - | Pure visual, no text |

| title-only | ✓ | - | - | Simple headline (default) |

| title-subtitle | ✓ | ✓ | - | Title + supporting context |

| text-rich | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (2-4) | Information-dense |

| Mood | Contrast | Saturation | Weight | Use Case |

|------|:--------:|:----------:|:------:|----------|

| subtle | Low | Muted | Light | Corporate, thought leadership |

| balanced | Medium | Normal | Medium | General articles (default) |

| bold | High | Vivid | Heavy | Announcements, promotions |

Full guides: [references/dimensions/text.md](references/dimensions/text.md) | [references/dimensions/mood.md](references/dimensions/mood.md)

• Style Presets: --style X expands to palette + rendering. See [references/style-presets.md](references/style-presets.md)
• Compatibility Matrices: Palette×Rendering, Type×Rendering, Type×Text, Type×Mood. See [references/compatibility.md](references/compatibility.md)

- ✓✓ = highly recommended | ✓ = compatible | ✗ = not recommended

Output directory depends on default_output_dir preference:

| Preference | Output Path |

|------------|-------------|

| same-dir | {article-dir}/ |

| imgs-subdir | {article-dir}/imgs/ |

| independent (default) | cover-image/{topic-slug}/ |

| Pasted content | cover-image/{topic-slug}/ (always) |

```

/

├── source-{slug}.{ext} # Source files (text, images, etc.)

├── refs/ # Reference images (if provided)

│ ├── ref-01-{slug}.{ext}

│ ├── ref-01-{slug}.md # Description file (optional)

│ ├── ref-02-{slug}.{ext}

│ ├── ref-02-{slug}.md # Description file (optional)

│ └── extracted-style.md # Verbally extracted style (if no file path)

├── prompts/cover.md # Generation prompt

└── cover.png # Output image

```

Slug: Extract main topic (2-4 words, kebab-case). Example: "The Future of AI" → future-of-ai

Conflict: If directory exists, append timestamp: {topic-slug}-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS

Source Files: Copy all sources with naming source-{slug}.{ext} (multiple supported)

Progress Checklist

```

Cover Image Progress:

• [ ] Step 0: Check preferences (EXTEND.md) ⛔ BLOCKING

- [ ] Found → load preferences → continue

- [ ] Not found → run first-time setup → MUST complete before Step 1

• [ ] Step 1: Analyze content + determine output directory

- [ ] 1.1 Reference images ⚠️ (if provided)

- [ ] File path given → saved to refs/ ✓

- [ ] No path → asked user OR extracted verbally

- [ ] 1.2 Output directory determined

• [ ] Step 2: Confirm options (5 dimensions) ⚠️ REQUIRED unless --quick or all specified
• [ ] Step 3: Create prompt

- [ ] References in prompt ONLY if files exist in refs/

- [ ] Extracted style/palette appended to prompt body (if no file)

• [ ] Step 4: Generate image

- [ ] 4.1 References verified before generation

- [ ] 4.2 Pass refs via --ref if skill supports AND files exist

• [ ] Step 5: Completion report

```

Flow

```

Input → [Step 0: Preferences] ─┬─ Found → Continue

│

└─ Not found → First-Time Setup ⛔ BLOCKING

│

└─ Complete setup → Save EXTEND.md → Continue

│

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

↓

Analyze + Save Refs → [Output Dir ⚠️] → [Confirm: 5 Dimensions] → Prompt → Generate → Complete

↓

(skip if --quick or all specified)

```

Step 0: Load Preferences (EXTEND.md) ⛔ BLOCKING

Purpose: Load user preferences or run first-time setup.

CRITICAL: If EXTEND.md not found, MUST complete first-time setup before ANY other questions or steps. Do NOT proceed to content analysis, do NOT ask about reference images, do NOT ask about dimensions — ONLY complete the preferences setup first.

Use Bash to check EXTEND.md existence (priority order):

```bash

# Check project-level first

test -f .baoyu-skills/baoyu-cover-image/EXTEND.md && echo "project"

# Then user-level (cross-platform: $HOME works on macOS/Linux/WSL)

test -f "$HOME/.baoyu-skills/baoyu-cover-image/EXTEND.md" && echo "user"

```

| Result | Action |

|--------|--------|

| Found | Read, parse, display preferences summary → Continue to Step 1 |

| Not found | ⛔ BLOCKING: Run first-time setup ONLY ([references/config/first-time-setup.md](references/config/first-time-setup.md)) → Complete and save EXTEND.md → Then continue to Step 1 |

Preferences Summary (when found):

```

Preferences loaded from [project/user]:

• Watermark: [enabled/disabled] [content if enabled]

• Type/Palette/Rendering: [value or "auto"]

• Text: [value or "title-only"] | Mood: [value or "balanced"]

• Aspect: [default_aspect] | Output: [dir or "not set — will ask in Step 1.5"]

• Quick mode: [enabled/disabled] | Language: [value or "auto"]

```

EXTEND.md Supports: Watermark | Preferred type | Preferred palette | Preferred rendering | Preferred text | Preferred mood | Default aspect ratio | Default output directory | Quick mode | Custom palette definitions | Language preference

Schema: [references/config/preferences-schema.md](references/config/preferences-schema.md)

Step 1: Analyze Content

1.0 Detect & Save Reference Images ⚠️ REQUIRED if images provided

Check if user provided reference images. Handle based on input type:

| Input Type | Action |

|------------|--------|

| Image file path provided | Copy to refs/ subdirectory → can use --ref |

| Image in conversation (no path) | ASK user for file path with AskUserQuestion |

| User can't provide path | Extract style/palette verbally → append to prompt (NO frontmatter references) |

CRITICAL: Only add references to prompt frontmatter if files are ACTUALLY SAVED to refs/ directory.

If user provides file path:

1. Copy to refs/ref-NN-{slug}.{ext} (NN = 01, 02, ...)
2. Create description: refs/ref-NN-{slug}.md
3. Verify files exist before proceeding

If user can't provide path (extracted verbally):

1. Analyze image visually, extract: colors, style, composition
2. Create refs/extracted-style.md with extracted info
3. DO NOT add references to prompt frontmatter
4. Instead, append extracted style/colors directly to prompt text

Description File Format (only when file saved):

```yaml

---

ref_id: NN

filename: ref-NN-{slug}.{ext}

usage: direct | style | palette

---

[User's description or auto-generated description]

```

| Usage | When to Use |

|-------|-------------|

| direct | Reference matches desired output closely |

| style | Extract visual style characteristics only |

| palette | Extract color scheme only |

Verification (only for saved files):

```

Reference Images Saved:

• ref-01-{slug}.png ✓ (can use --ref)
• ref-02-{slug}.png ✓ (can use --ref)

```

Or for extracted style:

```

Reference Style Extracted (no file):

• Colors: #E8756D coral, #7ECFC0 mint...
• Style: minimal flat vector, clean lines...

→ Will append to prompt text (not --ref)

```

---

1.1 Save Source Content

• If pasted, save to source.md in target directory; if file path, use as-is
• Backup rule: If source.md exists, rename to source-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md

1.2 Content Analysis

• Extract topic, core message, tone, keywords
• Identify visual metaphors
• Detect content type

1.3 Reference Image Analysis (if provided in Step 1.0)

For each reference image:

| Analysis | Description |

|----------|-------------|

| Visual characteristics | Style, colors, composition |

| Content/subject | What the reference depicts |

| Style match | Which type/palette/rendering align |

| Usage recommendation | direct / style / palette |

1.4 Language Detection

• Detect source language
• Note user's input language
• Compare with EXTEND.md preference

1.5 Determine Output Directory

• Per File Structure rules
• If no default_output_dir preference + file path input, include in Step 2 Q4

Step 2: Confirm Options ⚠️

Validate all 5 dimensions + aspect ratio. Full confirmation flow: [references/workflow/confirm-options.md](references/workflow/confirm-options.md)

Skip Conditions:

| Condition | Skipped | Still Asked |

|-----------|---------|-------------|

| --quick or quick_mode: true | 5 dimensions | Aspect ratio (unless --aspect) |

| All 5 + --aspect specified | All | None |

Step 3: Create Prompt

Backup rule: If prompts/cover.md exists, rename to prompts/cover-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md

Save to prompts/cover.md. Full template: [references/workflow/prompt-template.md](references/workflow/prompt-template.md)

CRITICAL - References in YAML Frontmatter:

When reference files are saved to refs/, MUST add references field in frontmatter:

```yaml

---

type: cover

palette: warm

rendering: flat-vector

references:

- ref_id: 01

filename: refs/ref-01-podcast-thumbnail.jpg

usage: style

---

```

| Rule | Action |

|------|--------|

| Files saved to refs/ | Add to frontmatter references list |

| Style extracted verbally (no file) | Omit references field, describe in body |

| Before writing | Verify: test -f refs/ref-NN-{slug}.{ext} |

Reference Embedding:

| Situation | Frontmatter | Body |

|-----------|-------------|------|

| Reference file saved to refs/ | Add to references ✓ | Brief style note |

| Style extracted verbally (no file) | Omit references | Full style description |

| File in frontmatter but doesn't exist | ERROR - fix or remove | — |

Step 4: Generate Image

4.1 Backup existing cover.png → cover-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.png (if regenerating)

4.2 Check available image generation skills; if multiple, ask user preference

4.3 Process References ⚠️ REQUIRED if references in frontmatter

Read references from prompt frontmatter and process each entry:

1. Parse frontmatter to get references list:

```yaml

references:

- ref_id: 01

filename: refs/ref-01-podcast-thumbnail.jpg

usage: style

```

1. VERIFY each file exists:

```bash

test -f refs/ref-NN-{slug}.{ext} && echo "exists" || echo "MISSING"

```

- If file MISSING → ERROR, fix prompt or remove from references

- If file exists → proceed with processing

1. Process based on usage type:

| Usage | Action | Example |

|-------|--------|---------|

| direct | Add reference path to --ref parameter | --ref refs/ref-01-brand.png |

| style | Analyze reference, append style traits to prompt | "Style: clean lines, gradient backgrounds..." |

| palette | Extract colors from reference, append to prompt | "Colors: #E8756D coral, #7ECFC0 mint..." |

1. Check image generation skill capability:

| Skill Supports --ref | Action |

|------------------------|--------|

| Yes (e.g., baoyu-image-gen with Google) | Pass reference images via --ref |

| No | Convert to text description, append to prompt |

Verification: Before generating, confirm reference processing:

```

Reference Processing:

• ref-01-brand.png: using as direct reference ✓
• ref-02-style.png: extracted palette ✓

```

4.4 Generate

1. Call selected skill with prompt file path, output path (cover.png), aspect ratio
2. If references with direct usage AND skill supports --ref: include --ref parameter
3. On failure: auto-retry once before reporting error

Step 5: Completion Report

```

Cover Generated!

Topic: [topic]

Type: [type] | Palette: [palette] | Rendering: [rendering]

Text: [text] | Mood: [mood] | Aspect: [ratio]

Title: [title text or "visual only"]

Language: [lang] | Watermark: [enabled/disabled]

References: [N images (direct/style/palette) or "extracted style" or "none"]

Location: [directory path]

Files:

✓ source-{slug}.{ext}

[✓ refs/ref-01-{slug}.{ext} ... (if references saved)]

[✓ refs/ref-01-{slug}.md ... (description files)]

[✓ refs/extracted-style.md (if style extracted verbally)]

✓ prompts/cover.md

✓ cover.png

[✓ cover-backup-{timestamp}.png (if regenerated)]

```

| Action | Steps |

|--------|-------|

| Regenerate | Backup existing → Update prompt file FIRST → Regenerate with same settings |

| Change dimension | Backup existing → Confirm new value → Update prompt file FIRST → Regenerate |

IMPORTANT: When regenerating, ALWAYS update the prompt file (prompts/cover.md) FIRST before regenerating. This ensures changes are documented and reproducible.

All modifications automatically backup existing cover.png before regenerating.

• Cover must be readable at small preview sizes
• Visual metaphors > literal representations
• Title: readable, impactful
• Two confirmation points: Step 0 (first-time setup) + Step 2 (options) - skip Step 2 with --quick
• Use confirmed language for title text
• Maintain watermark consistency if enabled
• Check compatibility matrices when selecting combinations
• --no-title is alias for --text none
• --style presets are backward-compatible; explicit --palette/--rendering override preset values

Composition Principles

• Generous whitespace: 40-60% breathing room; avoid cluttered layouts
• Visual anchor: Main element centered or offset left (reserve right for title)
• Character handling: Simplified silhouettes or icon-style figures; NO realistic humans
• Icon vocabulary: Use simple, recognizable symbols (see [references/visual-elements.md](references/visual-elements.md))

Title Handling

• Source: Use the exact title provided by user, or extract from source content
• Do NOT invent titles: Stay faithful to the original
• If no title in source and user doesn't provide one, ask user to specify

Dimensions: [text.md](references/dimensions/text.md) | [mood.md](references/dimensions/mood.md)

Palettes: [references/palettes/](references/palettes/)

Renderings: [references/renderings/](references/renderings/)

Auto-Selection: [references/auto-selection.md](references/auto-selection.md)

Style Presets: [references/style-presets.md](references/style-presets.md)

Compatibility: [references/compatibility.md](references/compatibility.md)

Types: [references/types.md](references/types.md)

Visual Elements: [references/visual-elements.md](references/visual-elements.md)

Workflow: [confirm-options.md](references/workflow/confirm-options.md) | [prompt-template.md](references/workflow/prompt-template.md)

Config: [preferences-schema.md](references/config/preferences-schema.md) | [first-time-setup.md](references/config/first-time-setup.md) | [watermark-guide.md](references/config/watermark-guide.md)