# How to Generate AI Media Using the QuickDesign Plugin: A Complete Guide

> Learn to generate AI media with the QuickDesign plugin. This guide covers Seedance 2.0, Nano Banana 2, and Topaz for stunning AI images and videos via a unified CLI.

- Repository: [Anthropic/claude-plugins-community](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-29

---

**The QuickDesign plugin supplies a unified CLI (`quickdesign`) that wraps hosted AI models—including Seedance 2.0 R2V, Nano Banana 2, and Topaz—for creating AI-generated images and videos through OAuth authentication, model selection, and reference-based workflows.**

The `quickdesign` CLI tool, maintained in the `anthropics/claude-plugins-community` repository, abstracts complex video generation pipelines into simple command-line operations. By following the canonical workflows defined in the skill definition and pipeline documentation, you can produce high-quality UGC video content with consistent voice continuity and automated post-processing. This guide explains how to generate AI media using the QuickDesign plugin from initial authentication through final publication.

## Authentication and Model Registry Setup

Before generating any media, you must authenticate the CLI and verify model availability.

Run the OAuth flow once to store credentials locally:

```bash
quickdesign auth login

```

After authentication, query the live registry to confirm which models are available for your account:

```bash

# List available video generation models

quickdesign video models

# List available image generation models

quickdesign image models

```

According to the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/SKILL.md) file in the repository, the default model for UGC videos is **Seedance 2.0 R2V** (`seedance-2.0-r2v`), while the default for image edits is **Nano Banana 2** (`nano-banana-2`). These defaults are optimized for high-quality character continuity and rapid iteration respectively.

## Image Generation and Editing Workflows

For image editing tasks—such as changing angles, poses, or object states—use the Nano Banana 2 model with explicit reference image syntax.

### Reference Image Syntax

The QuickDesign plugin uses the `@ImageN` pattern (defined in [`references/multi-reference-pattern.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/references/multi-reference-pattern.md)) rather than verbose prose to identify visual elements. Pass each reference using the `--reference-image` flag and reference them in your prompt with `@Image1`, `@Image2`, etc.

```bash
quickdesign image generate \
  --model nano-banana-2 \
  --reference-image ./avatar.jpg \
  --reference-image ./product.jpg \
  --aspect-ratio 9:16 --resolution 2K \
  -p "@Image1 holds @Image2. Edit @Image1: change pose to selfie. No music score. No subtitles or on-screen text." \
  -o ./edited-avatar.png --wait

```

Key parameters include:
- `--model`: Specifies the provider (e.g., `nano-banana-2`)
- `--aspect-ratio`: Aspect ratio for the output (e.g., `9:16` for mobile vertical)
- `--resolution`: Target resolution (e.g., `2K`, `1080p`)
- `-p`: The prompt string using `@ImageN` references
- `--wait`: Blocks until generation completes

## Video Generation Strategies

The plugin supports two primary video workflows: single-segment generation for short clips and multi-segment pipelines for longer UGC content with voice continuity.

### Single-Segment Generation

For videos under 15 seconds, a single Seedance R2V call is sufficient. This approach requires no intermediate steps or audio extraction:

```bash
quickdesign video generate \
  --provider seedance \
  --reference-image ./edited-avatar.png \
  --aspect-ratio 9:16 --duration 12 --resolution 1080p \
  -p '@Image1 in a kitchen. She says: "Try our new smoothie!" No music score. No subtitles or on-screen text.' \
  -o ./segment1.mp4 --wait

```

The `--provider` flag selects the backend model family, while `--duration` accepts values in seconds (typically 4-15 seconds per segment for optimal quality).

### Multi-Segment UGC Pipeline

For longer content, follow the canonical UGC pipeline documented in [`pipelines/ugc-video.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/pipelines/ugc-video.md). This workflow maintains **voice continuity** across segments by extracting audio from the first segment and passing it as a reference to subsequent parallel generations.

**Step 1:** Generate the first segment sequentially to establish the voice baseline:

```bash
quickdesign video generate \
  --provider seedance \
  --reference-image ./avatar.jpg \
  --duration 12 --aspect-ratio 9:16 --resolution 1080p \
  -p '@Image1 greets the viewer. She says: "Welcome!" No music score. No subtitles or on-screen text.' \
  -o seg1.mp4 --wait

```

**Step 2:** Extract the audio track for voice cloning:

```bash
quickdesign video extract-audio seg1.mp4 -o seg1-audio.mp3

```

**Step 3:** Generate remaining segments in parallel, passing the extracted audio with `--reference-audio`:

```bash

# Generate segment 2 in background

quickdesign video generate \
  --provider seedance \
  --reference-image ./avatar.jpg \
  --reference-audio seg1-audio.mp3 \
  --duration 12 --aspect-ratio 9:16 --resolution 1080p \
  -p '@Image1 shows the product. She says: "It tastes amazing!" No music score. No subtitles or on-screen text.' \
  -o seg2.mp4 --wait &

# Generate segment 3 in background

quickdesign video generate \
  --provider seedance \
  --reference-image ./avatar.jpg \
  --reference-audio seg1-audio.mp3 \
  --duration 8 --aspect-ratio 9:16 --resolution 1080p \
  -p '@Image1 gives a call-to-action. She says: "Buy now!" No music score. No subtitles or on-screen text.' \
  -o seg3.mp4 --wait &

wait  # Wait for all parallel jobs to finish

```

**Step 4:** Concatenate segments (mux-only, no re-encoding):

```bash
quickdesign video concat seg1.mp4 seg2.mp4 seg3.mp4 -o final.mp4

```

## Planning and Cost Estimation

Before executing any paid generation, the QuickDesign plugin requires plan approval. Count words in your script and split content into 4-15 second segments (approximately 30 words per minute). The system generates a plan summary listing the model, duration, resolution, and estimated cost that must be approved before proceeding—even in auto-mode, this plan is displayed for confirmation per the rules in [`references/confirmation-rules.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/references/confirmation-rules.md).

## Post-Processing and Publishing

After generation, apply optional post-processing steps:

**Add Subtitles:**

```bash
quickdesign video subtitle final.mp4 \
  --style tiktok --language en \
  -o final-subbed.mp4 --wait

```

**Upscale Resolution:**

```bash
quickdesign video upscale final-subbed.mp4 \
  --model topaz-video-upscale \
  -o final-4k.mp4 --wait

```

**Deploy to Meta Ads:**
When targeting Meta advertising platforms, use the `quickdesign meta` command family documented in [`references/deploy-meta.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/references/deploy-meta.md) to push assets directly to your ad account.

## Summary

- **Authentication** is handled once via `quickdesign auth login`, storing OAuth credentials locally for subsequent calls.
- **Model selection** defaults to Nano Banana 2 for image edits and Seedance 2.0 R2V for UGC videos, with availability confirmed through `quickdesign video models`.
- **Reference handling** requires the `@ImageN` syntax in prompts and explicit `--reference-image` flags for visual continuity, plus `--reference-audio` extracted from Segment 1 for voice continuity in multi-segment workflows.
- **Multi-segment generation** follows the canonical pipeline: generate Segment 1, extract audio, generate Segments 2-N in parallel with audio references, then concatenate.
- **Post-processing** includes optional subtitle generation via `quickdesign video subtitle` and upscaling through models like Topaz.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I maintain the same voice across multiple video segments?

Extract the audio from your first generated segment using `quickdesign video extract-audio seg1.mp4 -o audio.mp3`, then pass this file to subsequent generation commands with the `--reference-audio audio.mp3` flag. This ensures voice continuity as implemented in the [`pipelines/ugc-video.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/pipelines/ugc-video.md) workflow.

### What is the difference between `--provider` and `--model` flags?

The `--provider` flag selects the backend service family (e.g., `seedance`), while `--model` specifies the exact model version (e.g., `seedance-2.0-r2v` or `nano-banana-2`). According to the source code, most commands are model-agnostic, and swapping models only requires updating these flags and any model-specific prompt details found in the corresponding model card.

### How do I reference multiple images in a single prompt?

Use the `@ImageN` syntax where N corresponds to the order of your `--reference-image` arguments. For example, if you pass `--reference-image ./avatar.jpg --reference-image ./product.jpg`, reference them in your prompt as `@Image1` and `@Image2` respectively. This pattern is defined in [`references/multi-reference-pattern.md`](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/main/references/multi-reference-pattern.md).

### Can I generate video segments in parallel to save time?

Yes, after generating Segment 1 and extracting its audio, you can generate Segments 2 through N in parallel by running the commands in the background (using `&` in bash) and waiting for completion with the `wait` command. Each parallel job should include `--reference-audio` pointing to the extracted audio from Segment 1 to maintain consistency.