The FP_IMAGING guide
Getting started, prompts that work, tips, and what things cost · Updated 26 October 2026
Start hereFirst renderClean inputPrompt examplesEditingVideo & filmTipsCosts & warningsYour creditLimits
1. Start here
- Use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. They're the only browsers that can save straight into a folder on your computer.
- Sign in and change your password: your name (top right) > Change my password.
- Choose your save folder at the end of the welcome tour. Pick the project folder or a folder on the network drive. Every render, edit, clip and film is saved there. Only you see your work. You can change the folder any time in Settings > Save folder.
- Pick Exteriors or Interiors with the app switcher at the top left.
- Check your credit: "Credit left" at the top shows what you have this month.
2. Your first render
- Load a clean image: a viewport grab, clay render, sketch or photo. Drag it onto the Render tab.
- Get the ratio badge green. Crop to a standard ratio (16:9, 3:2 or 4:3) for the best quality.
- 2 · What is it: set Input type honestly (a sketch and a clay render are handled differently). Leave Fidelity on Strict; use Refine only when the input is rough and needs detail added, like mullions, joints and balustrades.
- 3 · Site & light: set the site location, context and time of day. A few clear choices beat a long paragraph.
- 4 · People, cars, materials: name the facade materials.
- Engine and size: start with Nano Banana 2.1 at 2K. Keep 4K for the final image.
- Render, then drag the before/after slider slowly across the building edges: they should line up with your design.
The golden rule: explore cheap, finish expensive. Try ideas at 2K (or on a Draft engine), then make one final image at 4K or upscale it.
3. Clean input = better renders
The engine renders what it sees. Anything on screen, it tries to turn into architecture.
- No interface in the grab: no gizmos, grids, axes, selection highlights or toolbars.
- No shadows or ambient occlusion. Baked-in shadows read as dark paint, so whites come out grey.
- Hide what you don't want rendered: dimensions, text, tags, guide lines.
- Model the context you want kept, even as simple blocks. For aerials, include the whole site boundary and surrounding streets.
- Finished render or photo with strong lighting? Use Convert to line drawing first, then render from the linework.
- Sketches: dark lines on white, scanned flat and square-on.
4. Prompt examples that work
Write like a brief to a visualiser: short, concrete nouns, real materials, one idea per line. Say what you want, not what you don't.
Facade materials (Exteriors)
white GRC fins, bronze-tinted glazing, travertine base board-formed concrete, dark bronze window frames, timber soffits sand-coloured limestone cladding, slim black mullions, frosted glass balustrades perforated champagne-anodised aluminium screens over clear glazingAnything else (Exteriors)
palm-lined boulevard, low-rise neighbouring villas light sea haze over the bay in the far distance wet reflective paving after light rain warm uplighting on the columns, soft glow from the lobbyInteriors
Floor: wide oak herringbone Walls: warm white limewash · Ceiling: white plaster, shadow gap Accessories: olive tree, coffee-table books, linen throw brushed brass details, fluted walnut joinery, travertine islandEdits (mark the area first)
add two people walking towards the entrance replace with mature date palms in raised planters make this wall floor-to-ceiling glazing with slim black frames remove the parked cars, continue the pavingVideo notes
people crossing the plaza at walking pace, palms moving gently water in the pool rippling, curtains moving in the breeze evening: interior lights come on one by onePick the camera move from the list (Push in, Orbit, Crane up, Drone approach, Fly-over, Day to dusk…) rather than describing it.
Avoid
- Long paragraphs that repeat what's already in the image.
- Vague words on their own: "beautiful", "luxury", "modern".
- Several changes in one edit. Do one change per layer.
- Text and signage: add them afterwards.
5. Editing with layers
Every change is a new layer on top of an untouched base, like Photoshop.
- Click Edit this render, or load any image in the Edit tab.
- Mark the area with the Brush B, Marquee M or Lasso L. Hold Alt to subtract. Mark a little more than the object, including the ground under people and cars.
- Describe the change and click Generate layer. Not right? Hide or delete the layer, change its opacity, or erase part of it with E.
- Time of day · Weather · Season changes the whole scene as a layer, without touching the architecture. Great for turning an existing render into dusk or night.
- Edits save to the gallery automatically, with every layer kept. Use Save a copy for a separate version, or Download PNG.
6. Video and film
- Video tab: start from a finished render, pick a camera move, an engine, a length and a resolution. Clips take 1 to 5 minutes, and you can keep working meanwhile.
- Add an end frame (for example the same view at night) for controlled transitions.
- Film tab: put clips on the timeline, trim them, add transitions, fades, voice-over and music, then export. Use Save to keep the project and Open a saved film to come back to it.
- Test cheap first: try a move on Seedance 2.0 Fast or Kling 3.0 Standard, then make the final clip on a premium engine.
7. Tips and tricks
- Batches (2 to 8 images) are for exploring. Use a Draft engine (Seedream 5.0 Flash, Nano Banana 2 Lite), like the best, then make one hero image.
- Another angle? Use New views on a finished render: orbits, drone, worm's eye, close-ups and vignettes. Changing Shot type won't move the camera.
- Bigger image? Render at 2K and Upscale (Bria is faithful and cheap) instead of re-rendering at 4K.
- Aerials: set the shot type to Aerial / drone, and model every building in view.
- Night and dusk: interior lights come on by themselves. Describe special facade lighting under Anything else.
- Specific car, tree or material? Add a reference image to the edit.
- Gallery: click any image for everything you can do with it: like, edit, recreate, make a video, download.
- Keyboard: F fit · 1 100% · C compare · Space+drag pan · scroll to zoom · [ ] brush size · Ctrl+Z undo.
8. What things cost, and what to watch
Typical costs per job in US dollars, at the AI provider's list prices. The real cost of every job is recorded and shown under your name > My credit. Failed jobs cost nothing.
The big spenders: video (especially long clips, high resolution and audio), 4K images on premium engines, and big batches. The app asks you before any job of about $1 or more, and stops you before a job your credit can't cover.
Images
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Render, Nano Banana 2.1 at 2K (recommended) | $0.05 |
| Render, Nano Banana 2.1 at 4K | $0.12 |
| Draft render (Seedream 5.0 Flash) | $0.02 |
| Edit layer or Time of day / Weather / Season change | $0.03 to $0.05 |
| Upscale 2× (Bria, faithful) | $0.02 |
| Render, Nano Banana Pro at 4K | $0.24 |
| Render, FLUX 3 at 4K | $0.61 |
| Batch of 8, Nano Banana Pro at 4K | $1.95 |
| Batch of 8, FLUX 3 at 4K | $4.86 |
Video (one clip)
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 Fast, 480p, 5 s (tests) | $0.30 |
| Kling 3.0 Standard, 720p, 5 s | $0.42 |
| MiniMax H3, 768p, 6 s | $0.48 |
| Kling 3.0 Pro, 1080p, 5 s | $0.56 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, 1080p, 8 s | $0.80 |
| Seedance 2.0, 720p, 5 s | $0.80 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, 1080p, 8 s, with audio | $1.20 |
| Kling 3.0 Pro, 1080p, 10 s, with audio | $1.68 |
| Seedance 2.0, 1080p, 10 s | $4.00 |
| Seedance 2.0, 4K, 10 s | $8.36 |
Watch out for:
- Video length and resolution multiply. Twice the seconds is twice the price; 4K video costs about twice 1080p.
- Audio adds about 50% on Kling and Veo. Add music and voice-over in the Film tab instead, where it's much cheaper.
- 4K stills on premium engines cost 5 to 10 times a 2K render. Upscale a 2K render instead unless you need the extra detail.
- Batches multiply everything: 8 images cost 8 times one.
- Re-rolling costs every time. If three tries haven't worked, change the input or the prompt rather than trying again.
What $50 of credit buys
| Using it all on | About |
|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2.1 renders at 2K | 950 |
| Nano Banana 2.1 renders at 4K | 400 |
| 5-second Seedance 2.0 clips at 720p | 60 |
| 10-second Seedance 2.0 clips at 4K | 6 |
9. Your credit
- You get a monthly AI credit (set by your firm's admin). It renews on the 1st of each month.
- "Credit left" at the top of the app shows what's left. You're warned when you're down to $10; change that level under your name > My credit.
- Need more? Your name > My credit > Request more credit emails your admin. At $0, new jobs stop until you're topped up.
10. Limits to know
- It's still AI. Check fine detail (window counts, mullion spacing, balcony edges) against your design before anything goes to a client.
- Renders are illustrations, not construction, planning or compliance documents.
- Text and signage aren't reliable. Add them afterwards.
- After a browser restart Chrome or Edge may ask once to allow your save folder again: click Allow.
Questions about your account or credit: ask your firm's FP_IMAGING admin. Anything else: imaging@fictionalpixel.net.