Chat to generate is the free-form half of Generate Image: a rich prompt editor where you build a scene by combining text with your model, predefined styles, and reusable custom elements. It's the most flexible way to make a brand-new image, as opposed to picking a ready-made Complete set.
What is Chat to generate (vs Complete set)?
Both are tabs inside Generate Image, but they work differently:
Chat to generate — you write the prompt yourself and assemble the scene from text, an @-model mention, styles, and your own elements. Full control.
Complete set — you skip writing and pick a pre-made themed pack of prompts.
Chat to generate is for when you know what you want and want to describe it precisely; Complete set is for a fast, on-theme starting point.
What can I put in the prompt?
The prompt editor accepts several kinds of content, each shown as a pill or plain text:
Text — your free description of the scene.
@-model mention — your selected model, inserted so the image features them. The prompt starts with this pill already in place.
Styles — predefined art styles and modifier categories you can select to influence the look.
Custom elements — reusable people, objects, or references you add into specific slots (see below).
You mix these together in one prompt; APOB reads the whole thing to build the image.
How do I add my model to the prompt?
Your model is added automatically — when you open Chat to generate with an empty prompt, the editor pre-fills with your model's mention so they're included by default. If you remove it, you can add it back from the editor's model/mention control. The pill shows the model's name and avatar; without a model it falls back to a generic "influencer" label.
What are elements and how many can I use?
Elements are custom references (a person, an object, a look) that you slot into the prompt and reuse. The number of element slots you can actually fill depends on your selected Quality:
Fast — 1 element
Ultra 2K — up to 4 elements
Ultra 4K — up to 8 elements
Ultra S 4K — up to 10 elements
The editor shows one extra empty slot beyond what's enabled so you can see what unlocks next (except on Ultra S 4K, which is already at the 10-slot maximum). If you hover a locked slot, it tells you which qualities unlock it, e.g. "Element 5 only available for Ultra S 4K / Ultra 4K." To learn how to create and manage elements, see Elements.
What happens to my elements if I switch to a lower quality?
If you've filled more slots than a lower tier allows and then switch quality, APOB warns you first. A dialog titled "Some elements will be removed" explains, for example, that the new tier "supports up to N elements. Switching now will remove X extra elements and their mentions from the prompt." Choose Continue to switch and drop the overflow, or Cancel to keep your current quality and all elements.
Is there a limit on prompt length?
Yes — there's a single large character limit for the prompt (the same across every quality). If your input goes over it, APOB trims to the limit and shows a one-time toast: "Your prompt exceeded the 20000 character limit and was truncated." You can keep typing; only the trimmed text is used when you generate.
How is this different from the Generate result image dialog?
They're separate things. Chat to generate is the main composer for making a new image of your model. The Generate result image dialog is a smaller, focused popup used inside other flows (like creating a video's last frame from a reference) — it has just a description box, an optional extra image, and a single result, with no element slots or style picker. If you're building a scene from scratch, you want Chat to generate.
Where do I set quality, aspect ratio, and quantity?
Those live in the bottom bar of the workstation, not inside the editor. The order is cost, then Quantity (only on the Ultra tiers), then Aspect ratio, then Quality, then Generate. See Quality, resolution & duration and the main Generate Image page for what each control does.
Why is Generate disabled?
Generate needs your model loaded and some content in the prompt. An empty prompt, or a model that hasn't finished loading, keeps the button greyed out. As soon as both are satisfied it becomes active, with the credit cost shown beside it (it depends on your plan and the quality you choose, and images are billed per image times your quantity).
On mobile
The composer fills the panel and grows when you tap into it — the on-screen keyboard pushes the layout up and the editor resizes to stay usable. Adding a model, styles, or elements works the same way through the editor's controls. Quality, aspect ratio, and quantity are in the mobile bottom bar. The hint banner's tutorial opens by tapping the "?" button.
Related: Generate Image · Complete set · Elements · Credits & billing