Prompt guide

Studio basics

You can run one job at a time. It runs in the background, so you can keep using the page or leave it, and the job keeps going. While it runs, every START button fills up with the percentage. When it's done, your LIBRARY opens with the new result selected. Each mode and tool remembers your last settings (chips, aspect, length, model) the next time you open it.

If a job fails, it retries once by itself (you'll see RETRYING…). If it still fails, your credits come back and you can press TRY AGAIN.

Write a good prompt

Subject

Who or what is in the shot.

Look & outfit

Color, cut, length, hood, collar, and how far it is zipped.

Setting

Where and when.

Camera & framing

How it is shot.

Lighting & mood

The light and the feeling.

Video: motion

What moves, in order, and how the camera moves.

Video: speech

Put the exact words in quotes. In LIP SYNC, type them in the SCRIPT box instead.

Modes

Text to image
Text to video

Describe the whole scene.

Image to video

Your image is the first frame. Describe what happens next.

Image edit

Add up to 5 source images on SHMX IMAGE 2, or 3 on SHMX IMAGE Q and SHMX IMAGE 1. Describe only the change, and say what must stay the same. Type what to change.

References

Add up to 14 reference images to a video on SHMX VIDEO PRO (720p max). In the prompt, REFERENCE 1 is <IMAGE_0>, REFERENCE 2 is <IMAGE_1>, and so on. BATCH makes one video per reference. Extra inputs a model can’t take are grayed out and marked NOT SENT.

Keyframes

Set a FIRST and/or LAST image, plus up to 4 KEY frames. Describe how the scene gets from one to the next.

LOOP

Pick one image, and the video starts and ends on it, so it plays as a seamless loop. Uses SHMX VIDEO PRO. The cost shows before you press START.

Bring to life

Add a CHARACTER image. Describe small, natural movements.

Extend

Open a finished video, press EXTEND, then press START EXTEND. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT is optional.

UGC lip sync

Add a CREATOR photo, type the words in SCRIPT and pick a VOICE.

Precision edit

Add a video to INPUT MP4. Describe only the change.

Virtual try-on

Add a PERSON image and an OUTFIT image. Describe the walk, setting and camera.

Tips

• Be specific. Name exact colors, materials and details.
• Put the most important details first.
• Avoid details that contradict each other.
• For edits, name the change, then what must not change.
• RETRY runs the same prompt and settings again for a new version.
• IMAGE TO IMAGE makes a new picture from a character. Add photos and say the pose, place and framing you want. The person and outfit are kept. IMAGE EDIT changes the one picture you give it.
• Progress: START turns into a progress bar with the percentage. CANCEL sits below it.
• USE loads a past item’s prompt and media into the inputs.

Drag and drop

• Drag any item from the bottom row or a LIBRARY tile onto an input.
• Images drop in as images. Videos drop in as their first frame. In PRECISION EDIT, the whole video goes in. On EXTEND, it becomes the clip to extend.
• You can also drop files from your computer.
• For a link, click the small URL button on an image input. It turns green when the link works and red when it can’t be used.

Prompt check

• Green: good to go.
• Yellow: may be rejected. If it is, your credits are refunded.
• Red: reword it. START stays locked until you do.

Grab a still

• Pause or scrub the video to the frame you want.
• Tap GRAB STILL in the top-right corner of the video.
• It lands in your library as a full-size image. It is free.

Download

Download. On the main player, press DOWNLOAD to save the result to your computer. In the LIBRARY viewer, use the DOWNLOAD button.

Rate your results

Filter the LIBRARY with ALL, IMAGES, VIDEOS, CHARACTERS (your character sheets), UPLOADED (photos and videos you uploaded) or LIKED.

Rate your results. In the LIBRARY, every item has a thumbs up and a thumbs down. Your ratings are private. THUMBS UP turns to RATED UP. THUMBS DOWN turns to FLAGGED, and you can pick a reason (BAD ANATOMY, WRONG CLOTHING, IGNORED PROMPT, LOW QUALITY, OTHER) and add a short note. A message with UNDO appears for a few seconds. Press the button again to remove your rating. To see only rated items, press the thumbs-up or thumbs-down button next to the type filters. Press it again to go back to ALL. CLEAR FILTERS resets everything.

Use a library item in a tool. In the LIBRARY viewer, press TOOLS. The tools page opens with the item attached (USING). Pick Photo edit, Frame change, Watermark, Inpaint, Background, Upscale, Restore, Character Sheet, PhotoCraft or FilmCraft for photos, or FilmCraft, Frame change, Watermark or Video Converter for videos. CLEAR removes the item. On the main screen, the TOOLS button next to LIBRARY in the top-right corner of a result does the same for the result you're looking at.

Video player keys

Same as DaVinci Resolve.

• L plays forward at 1×. Each press speeds it up. J does the same backward. K stops.
• Space plays at 1×, or pauses.
• While playing fast, the opposite key slows you one step at a time.
• Hold K and hold J or L for slow motion. Hold K and tap J or L to step one frame.
• Comma and period step one frame. Add Shift to jump 10 frames.
• In the LIBRARY viewer, arrow keys go to the previous or next item. On the TIMELINE player, they step one frame.
• Keys work on the main player, the LIBRARY viewer, the TIMELINE player and the STORYBOARD clip preview. They stay out of the way when you are typing.

The TOOLS page

• TOOLS shows one icon per tool. Tap or press Enter to open it. Arrow keys move between icons.
• BACK, Esc or your browser’s back button returns to the grid. If you have unsaved work, shmx asks SAVE, LEAVE WITHOUT SAVING or STAY.
• On phones, PHOTOCRAFT, FILMCRAFT and VIDEO CONVERTER are grayed out with DESKTOP ONLY.

Photo edit

• Open it from TOOLS (the first tile, PHOTO EDIT). Add YOUR PHOTO, pick one EDIT, add DETAILS (OPTIONAL) if you like, then press START. Every edit costs 10 credits.
• ENHANCE improves light, color and clarity.
• REMOVE OBJECT: paint over the object with the brush (the ERASER fixes mistakes), and it is removed and filled in.
• PRO POLISH gives the photo a clean, professional finish.
• BACKGROUND: paint the background to replace, then describe the new background in the text box.
• ISOLATE PERSON cuts the person out of the photo.
• BLACK & WHITE turns the photo black and white.
• COZY WARM gives the photo a warm, soft tone.
• SHARPEN makes details crisper.
• BLUR BACKGROUND softens the background and keeps the person sharp.

Frame change

FRAME CHANGE gives a photo a new shape. Open it from TOOLS and add a SOURCE with FROM LIBRARY or UPLOAD. For a video, scrub to a frame and press USE THIS FRAME. Pick a NEW ASPECT, and the preview shows your original uncropped with striped areas where new scene will be filled in. Add DETAILS (OPTIONAL) if you like, then press START. It costs 10 credits, and the result is saved to your LIBRARY as a JPEG. If it fails or you cancel it, you get your 10 credits back. FIT (the default) keeps your whole photo and fills the new area with new scene, while FILL crops your photo to fill the new shape, for free. In either one, drag the photo in the preview to place it, and double-click it or press RESET POSITION to center it again.

Watermark

WATERMARK adds your text to a photo or video. Open it from TOOLS and add a SOURCE with FROM LIBRARY or UPLOAD. The text starts as shmx in the bottom-right corner. Change it in TEXT, set SIZE and OPACITY, and drag the text anywhere on the preview or pick a spot on the POSITION grid. RESET puts everything back to the defaults. Press START, and the result is saved to your LIBRARY at full resolution. It costs 1 credit. Videos can be up to 60 seconds and 500 MB.

Inpaint

• Open it from the account menu (TOOLS, then INPAINT) or from the LIBRARY viewer.
• Paint the area to change with BRUSH. ERASER paints a red selection instead: press REMOVE and whatever is under the red is removed and filled with matching background, at the REMOVE OBJECT price. Use one per run, BRUSH or ERASER, and CLEAR or UNDO the other first. BRUSH / ERASER SIZE sets the size. Both tools stay grayed out until you load a picture. The page says LOAD AN IMAGE FIRST.
• UNDO and REDO work up to 30 steps. CLEAR and INVERT can be undone too.
• EDGE: SOFT blends the border. HARD keeps it crisp.
• SNAP TO SUBJECT is on by default. The change follows the outline of a person or object. Turn it off to use the area exactly as painted.
• Describe only that area, then press INPAINT. Everything you didn’t paint stays the same.
• Cost: the same as an image edit.

Background

• REMOVE cuts out the subject and saves a transparent PNG. It’s free.
• CHANGE keeps the subject and makes a new background from your prompt. It costs the same as an image edit.

Moodboards

• Make a board in TOOLS, then MOODBOARDS. Add images from your library or computer.
• USE BOARD puts the images into the current mode as references or edit sources.
• Only as many as the model takes are used. Extra images are grayed out.

Timeline

• Open LIBRARY and press TIMELINE. Drag videos and photos onto the bar, or use ADD TO TIMELINE.
• Trim videos with IN and OUT. A photo shows for 5 seconds. Change HOLD to adjust.
• Reorder by dragging or with the arrows. Pick a transition where two clips meet.
• Zoom with the slider or − / + buttons. Click the ruler to move the playhead.
• Pick ASPECT and RESOLUTION. Every clip fills the frame. To move the crop, click a clip, pause, and drag. ZOOM goes 100%–300%. CENTER resets it.
• If a clip’s file was deleted, the timeline marks it MISSING. Press REMOVE MISSING.
• FILM LOOK colors the export: NONE, WARM FILM, COOL CINEMA or VINTAGE.
• Editing is free. EXPORT costs 1 credit per 5 seconds, rounded up. The cost shows before you press EXPORT. It is refunded if the export fails. It saves one MP4 to your library.

Upscale

• Photos only. Open it from the studio or TOOLS, then UPSCALE. Each result is a new library item.
• SHMX UPSCALE re-renders at 2K. It costs the same as a 2K image edit. The cost shows before you press START. It is refunded if it fails.
• SLOW UPSCALE makes the image 2X or 4X bigger in your browser. It’s free. It can take a minute or more, so keep the tab open.
• You can upscale an upscaled photo again. SHMX UPSCALE is grayed out once a photo is 2K or larger.

PhotoCraft

• A full photo editor with layers and masks. It opens PSD files. TOOLS, then PHOTOCRAFT.
• Editing runs in your browser and is free. Desktop browser only.
• Open a photo with OPEN FROM LIBRARY in the PhotoCraft bar.
• SAVE TO LIBRARY saves a flattened, high-quality JPG. The price shows on the button, and the credit is refunded if the save fails.
• Downloads go through your LIBRARY. If you export from its menus, shmx asks to save the image to your LIBRARY for 1 credit.
• If you have unsaved changes when you leave, shmx asks: SAVE TO LIBRARY (1 credit), LEAVE WITHOUT SAVING or STAY. Reloading closes your documents.
• Grayed out? It says DESKTOP BROWSER ONLY on phones and tablets.
• PhotoCraft is free, open-source software by the PhotoCraft contributors (MIT or Apache-2.0 license). We host the official release unchanged. License and notices.

FilmCraft

• A full video editor with tracks, trims, transitions, titles, color and audio. TOOLS, then FILMCRAFT.
• Editing runs in your browser and is free. Desktop browser only.
• Open videos with OPEN FROM LIBRARY in the FilmCraft bar.
• EXPORT TO LIBRARY renders an MP4 in your browser. Keep the tab open. The price shows before anything is charged: 1 credit per 2 seconds, rounded up. For example, 6.04 s = 4 credits.
• SAVE charges and saves to your LIBRARY. The credits are refunded if the save fails. DISCARD charges nothing.
• Downloads go through your LIBRARY. Project and caption files still download.
• If you have unsaved changes when you leave, shmx asks. EXPORT & SHOW COST renders and shows the price. SAVE TO LIBRARY charges it. You can also LEAVE WITHOUT SAVING or STAY.
• Auto captions aren’t available here.
• Grayed out? It says DESKTOP BROWSER ONLY on phones and tablets.
• FilmCraft is free, open-source software by the FilmCraft contributors (MIT or Apache-2.0 license). We host the official release unchanged. License and notices.

Video Converter

• Batch convert, shrink, trim, or extract audio: MP4 H.264 (1080p, 720p, 480p, web optimized), WebM, animated GIF, MP3 and AAC. TOOLS, then VIDEO CONVERTER.
• Converting runs in your browser and is free. Desktop browser only.
• Add videos by dropping them on the box, clicking it, or ADD FROM LIBRARY. Each file can pick its own preset. STOP ends the batch.
• SAVE TO LIBRARY shows the price before anything is charged: 1 credit per 2 seconds, rounded up. For example, 6.04 s = 4 credits. SAVE charges and adds it to your LIBRARY. It is refunded if the save fails. DISCARD charges nothing.
• SAVE ALL TO LIBRARY goes through each video in turn, each with its own price. A GIF is priced as video.
• WebM and GIF are kept as MP4 in your LIBRARY.
• Audio is free. MP3 and AAC download straight to your computer (DOWNLOAD · FREE).
• Grayed out? It says DESKTOP BROWSER ONLY on phones and tablets.
• The converter runs FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly: ffmpeg.wasm 0.12.15 (MIT) with the @ffmpeg/core 0.12.10 single-thread build (GPL-2.0-or-later, includes x264, libvpx and LAME). FFmpeg is a trademark of Fabrice Bellard. This site isn’t affiliated with the FFmpeg project or HandBrake. Licenses and source code · GPL-2.0 · ffmpeg.wasm MIT.

Community

• An anonymous gallery for paid members. COMMUNITY is in the account menu. It shows shared results with the prompt and date. There is no name or identity.
• Members are accounts with at least one credit purchase. Everyone else sees MEMBERS ONLY.
• Sharing is opt-in. Open an item in the LIBRARY and use SHARE TO COMMUNITY. Only the result and the prompt you typed are shared. Turn it off to remove it. Prompts that fail the word check can’t be shared.
• Tap an item to open it. COPY copies its prompt. USE THIS PROMPT puts it in the main generator. REPORT flags it for review.

Character Sheet

• TOOLS, then CHARACTER SHEET. Pick a character from your LIBRARY or upload one. You can add up to 4 photos of the same person. The first is the main one. Each extra photo adds a small amount to the price.
• Add optional notes. Choose expressions, close-ups, style, size and how many sheets. Every sheet is square (1:1) and shows front, side, back and three-quarter views.
• Press GENERATE SHEET. CANCEL refunds you.
• Cost: one image generation on SHMX IMAGE 2 per sheet. The cost shows before you press GENERATE SHEET. It is refunded if it fails. Sheets save to your LIBRARY.
• USE AS REFERENCE adds the sheet to a video’s REFERENCE inputs. USE AS EDIT SOURCE adds it to IMAGE EDIT.
• As a FIRST FRAME, LAST FRAME or KEYFRAME, shmx uses the sheet’s front view instead.
• Everyone shown must be an adult (18+).

Rewrite a prompt

• REWRITE sits under the main prompt box, and on each STORYBOARD card prompt.
• It costs a small flat price shown on the button. It is refunded if it fails.
• It makes your prompt clearer and shorter. It doesn’t add things you didn’t ask for.
• You see YOURS and the REWRITE side by side. USE puts it in the box. KEEP MINE closes it.

Storyboard (cards)

• One card per shot. TOOLS, then STORYBOARD. Each card has a prompt, a first frame or references, and a clip preview.
• Build the list with + ADD CARD, DUPLICATE, DELETE and the ▲ ▼ buttons. Drag a card by its handle to reorder.
• MASTER SETTINGS in the left rail apply to every card: CARD, VIDEO, CHARS and LIGHTING. The CHARS tab holds your characters and their reference images. A card can leave a character out.
• The toolbar has CARD, DUPLICATE, DELETE, UNDO, REDO, SETTINGS, DETAILS, KEYS and AI SUGGEST.
• A card is ready when it has a prompt, a first frame or a reference.
• GENERATE on a card makes that clip. GENERATE ALL (bottom right) makes every ready card that isn’t done. It shows the item count and total credits and asks you to confirm.
• OUTPUT in MASTER SETTINGS is VIDEOS or IMAGES. VIDEOS is the default. DURATION, SOUND and VOICE are grayed out and marked VIDEO ONLY when OUTPUT is IMAGES.
• Each card shows its price before you press. A failed card is refunded and can be redone with REDO THIS CARD.
• AI SUGGEST CARDS writes a shot list from a scene description. It costs a small flat price shown on the button.
• Keys: N new card, Delete remove, Ctrl/Cmd+D duplicate, arrows pick a card, Ctrl/Cmd+Enter generate, Ctrl/Cmd+Z undo, Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z redo, ? shows the list.
• The MASTER SCRIPT is saved with the project. It is added to every shot you make.
• CANVAS is a second tool beside STORYBOARD. It lays shots out as cards on a pan-and-zoom canvas. It uses the same project list.
• Projects save as you type. NEW starts another. DELETE removes one. Finished clips stay in your LIBRARY.
• In the LIBRARY, a storyboard’s clips show as one item. OPEN GROUP IN TIMELINE loads them in card order. SHOW CLIPS shows each clip.
• Prompt history. TOOLS, then PROMPT HISTORY, keeps the last 50 prompts you built or used in the tools. USE puts a prompt back. COPY copies it. The bin deletes it.

Restore

• Rebuild old or damaged photos in 4K. TOOLS, then RESTORE.
• Pick a photo with FROM LIBRARY, UPLOAD, or drop one on the page. Up to 25 MB and 8000 px on the long side.
• Pick what to fix: LOW RESOLUTION, SCRATCHES, BLURRY, FADED COLOR, BLACK AND WHITE TO COLOR. Add notes if you like.
• Slide to compare before and after, then DOWNLOAD. The result is saved to your LIBRARY.
• The price shows before you press START. It is refunded if it fails.

Credits

• Free to start. A new account gets 100 free credits once you verify your email (one time per email address), plus 5 free credits every day (UTC) while your balance is under 25. The daily credits never push you over 25.
• Verify your email. After you sign up, we email you a link. Click it within 24 hours. Until you do, your 100 free credits, promo codes and purchases stay off. If it expires or doesn't arrive, press RESEND LINK.
• Promo code. If you have a promo code, enter it in the PROMO CODE field when you sign up and press APPLY. A valid code adds bonus credits to your account. Each code works once per account.
• Credits never expire. One credit is $0.01. Packs: $10 for 1,000, $20 for 2,000, $50 for 5,500 (500 bonus) and $100 for 12,000 (2,000 bonus), one-time purchases.
• Prices. The exact price shows before anything is charged. For FilmCraft and the Converter, it shows after the render and before you press SAVE.

Storage

• 500 MB free. Everything you keep counts. The meter is in the account menu and LIBRARY.
• Need more? Add storage for $1 per GB per month, from 1 to 20 GB. Open STORAGE in the account menu, pick an amount with − and +, press SUBSCRIBE and then YES. The price shows on the button before you pay. To change the amount, use UPDATE STORAGE. To cancel, use REMOVE STORAGE or MANAGE BILLING. If your plan ends, nothing gets deleted. You just can’t add more until you’re under the free 500 MB again or subscribe again.
• When it’s full, nothing gets deleted. New results are paused until you delete items in LIBRARY.

Account menu and the X tab

• The SHMX button at the top right opens STORAGE, BUY CREDITS, LIBRARY, TOOLS, SAVE TO DEVICE and GUIDE. It is on every page. It closes when you tap outside it or press Esc.
• X tab: when a text box has text in it, a small X tab appears at its top-right corner. Tap it to empty the box.

Refreshing the page

• A refresh stays on the same view. The address names where you are, so reloading or sending the link brings you back.
• The browser back button works as before. Unsaved work still asks before you leave.

First frame shape

• If your FIRST FRAME doesn’t match the video ASPECT, a warning appears under ASPECT.
• Two one-tap fixes: SWITCH TO the matching aspect, or FIT WITH PADDING, which fills the new space with the picture’s edge colors.
• A CHARACTER SHEET first frame uses the front view, fitted with padding. For the biggest character, pick a portrait aspect such as 9:16.

Crop keyframes (TIMELINE)

• There is no ADD KEYFRAME button. Pause the TIMELINE preview, then drag the picture, change ZOOM or press CENTER. A keyframe is saved at the playhead.
• A clip with no keyframes has one fixed crop. A change at the very start sets that crop. A later change adds a keyframe, and the picture moves smoothly.
• UNDO reverses the last change. CLEAR removes all keyframes for the clip.
• Each keyframe is a small square on the clip. Click to jump. Drag to move it.
• GRAB STILL in the timeline player saves the frame at the playhead, free, with the crop applied.
• The export follows the same movement. The price is unchanged. Up to 32 keyframes per clip, zoom 100% to 300%.

Save to device

• Turn it on in the account menu: SAVE TO DEVICE. It’s off until you turn it on.
• While it’s on, every new result downloads to this device. It is not kept in your LIBRARY or counted toward storage. Credits are charged as usual.
• It goes to your browser’s Downloads. On desktop Chrome or Edge, you can CHOOSE FOLDER. RESET TO DOWNLOADS switches back.
• The server copy is deleted after the download, or after 24 hours. If a download fails, tap DOWNLOAD AGAIN.
• RETRY still works. EXTEND, USE, UPSCALE and GRAB STILL need the file added again.