media-use

media-use

The media OS for HyperFrames: resolve · generate · operate · remember, every media type, one skill, zero context noise.

What it owns (the gaps HyperFrames leaves)

HyperFrames owns media playback; media-use owns everything else. Each row is enforced by scripts/lib/coverage.test.mjs so the claim can't rot.

HyperFrames gap	media-use owns it via
Audio-only, no image/icon	resolve --type image|icon (heygen asset search)
No third-party brand logos	resolve --type logo (svgl → simple-icons → GitHub org avatar → domain favicon)
No voice / audio generation	resolve --type voice + the audio engine (audio/scripts/audio.mjs)
Scattered/duplicated audio engine	one consolidated engine under audio/ (hyperframes-media retired)
No agent media-ops (cut/reframe/transform)	references/operations.md + resolve --from to register outputs
No transcript-driven cutting	scripts/transcript-cut.mjs compiles word-timestamp edits into cut lists
No auto-duck / publish loudness	scripts/audio-duck.mjs + references/operations.md loudnorm/sidechain recipes
No cross-project memory	global content-addressed cache + auto-promote (~/.media)
No color-grade authoring	resolve --type grade emits a paste-ready data-color-grading block; resolve --type lut freezes validated .cube files
No image generation	RAM-graded local mflux (FLUX) via scripts/lib/mflux-provider.mjs, codex image_gen upsell (scripts/lib/codex-provider.mjs)
No video generation	spec-gated local LTX (videogen in scripts/lib/local-models.mjs); heygen video create avatar upsell
Weak local-model defaults	free-usage HeyGen first (TTS, bg-removal) via the heygen CLI; local open-source only as an opt-out fallback (scripts/lib/local-run.mjs)

When to use

Call resolve whenever a composition needs media: background music, sound effects, images, icons, brand logos, voice, a color grade, or a LUT. For voiceover / TTS, music, SFX, and caption timing, use the audio engine (below); background removal is delegated to the hyperframes CLI; transcription defaults to Parakeet (better than whisper.cpp: 6.05% vs 7.44% WER, 5-10x faster) via scripts/transcribe.mjs, with whisper.cpp auto-fallback (see references/operations.md). For cutting / reframing / transforming existing media, see references/operations.md. media-use searches the HeyGen catalog first for media files, resolves official logos through the logo cascade, uses local deterministic color grading for grade/lut, freezes the best match locally when a file is needed, registers it in a manifest, and hands the agent one line; all search noise stays on disk.

Be proactive — run a media opportunity pass

The human usually can't tell which media would lift the piece. You can. When you build or review a composition, do one grounded scan and then ask once — don't silently add, and don't nag per asset.

Surface an opportunity only when a concrete signal is present:

Signal detected	Offer
On-screen text / a script with no voiceover	TTS voiceover (audio engine)
Emoji or a <div> styled as an icon	resolve real icons
Image that is a placeholder, tiny, or upscaled-looking	a better image (and/or upscale — see references/operations.md)
Hard scene cuts / transitions with no sound	transition sfx
A piece over ~10s with no music bed	bgm
Footage that reads under/over-exposed or color-cast	a corrective grade (analyze with grade --for, preview with hyperframes grade-compare)

Rules that keep this a help, not nagware:

• Grounded, not generic. No signal → no suggestion. Never open with "want better images?".
• Opinionated + concrete. Propose the specific fix ("add a VO from your script, swap 3 emoji for real icons, replace the 400×400 hero, whooshes on the 4 cuts"), with defaults chosen — the human just approves all / some / none.
• Once per project. One consolidated ask, top few highest-value items. Respect "leave it" and don't re-raise.
• Surface, never silently mutate. Color grades especially: propose and preview, never auto-apply — a gray-world "correction" ruins an intentional sunset or neon look.

Resolve

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type <type> --intent "<description>" --project <dir>

Returns one line: resolved <id> → <path> (<type>, <metadata>)

Types

Type	What it finds	Provider / cascade
bgm	Background music	HeyGen audio catalog (10k+ tracks)
sfx	Sound effects	Bundled 19-file library + HeyGen catalog
image	Photos, backgrounds	HeyGen asset search (75k+ vectors)
icon	Icons, symbols	HeyGen asset search (type=icon)
logo	Official brand marks	svgl → simple-icons → GitHub org avatar → domain favicon
voice	TTS voiceover	Local Kokoro (free); HeyGen TTS upsell
grade	HyperFrames color-grading blocks	Core preset → look index params/CDN LUT → deterministic cube
lut	Reusable .cube LUT files	Look index params/CDN LUT → deterministic cube

Examples

# Background music
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type bgm --intent "upbeat tech launch" --project .
# → resolved bgm_001 → .media/audio/bgm/bgm_001.mp3 (bgm, 25s)

# Sound effect
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type sfx --intent "whoosh" --project .
# → resolved sfx_001 → .media/audio/sfx/sfx_001.mp3 (sfx, 0.57s)

# Image
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type image --intent "gradient tech background" --project .
# → resolved image_001 → .media/images/image_001.jpg (image)

# Icon
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type icon --intent "rocket" --project .
# → resolved icon_001 → .media/images/icon_001.png (icon, transparent)

# Brand logo (official mark — never redrawn by hand)
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type logo --entity linkedin --intent "LinkedIn logo" --project .
# → resolved logo_001 → .media/images/logo_001.svg (logo, official mark)

# Color grade block
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type grade --intent "warm daylight" --project . --json
# → {"ok":true,"preset":"warm-daylight","grading":{"preset":"warm-daylight","intensity":1},...}

# LUT file
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type lut --intent "teal orange blockbuster" --project .
# → resolved lut_001 → .media/luts/lut_001.cube (lut)

Flags

Flag	Description
--type, -t	Media type: bgm, sfx, image, icon, logo, voice, grade, lut
--intent, -i	What you need (natural language)
--entity, -e	Entity name for cache matching (optional)
--project, -p	Project directory (default: .)
--candidates	List reusable assets (project + global cache) for --type; no download, no mutation
--reuse <sha>	Import a specific global-cache asset (by content sha/prefix, from --candidates)
--from	Freeze a local file or direct public URL (ingest)
--for	Analyze a local image/video and add measured adjust suggestions (grade only)
--local-only	Offline: skip every network provider (cache + local only)
--provider	Force one generator (e.g. codex, mflux, kokoro, heygen)
--adopt	Bulk-import existing assets/ into manifest
--json	Output JSON instead of one-line result

Reuse before you resolve

Before resolving bgm/sfx/image/icon/logo/grade/lut, check what already exists and reuse it when it fits. media-use does not semantically match for you — you are the judge. It surfaces candidates; you decide.

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type bgm --intent "upbeat tech launch" --candidates --project .
#   [project] upbeat tech launch (25s, heygen.audio.sounds)
#           .media/audio/bgm/bgm_001.wav
#   [global]  energetic tech intro (22s, heygen.audio.sounds)
#           --reuse 06e052c075fd2b80

Read the list and judge semantic fit yourself — "upbeat tech launch" ≈ "energetic tech intro" is a call only you can make from the descriptions. Then:

• A project candidate fits → just reference its path in your composition. Nothing else to run.
• A global candidate fits → resolve --type bgm --reuse <sha> copies it into this project (self-contained render) and records it.
• Nothing fits → resolve fresh (--type ... --intent ...).

Trust guardrail — when unsure, resolve fresh. A redundant download is cheap; shipping the wrong asset is not. Judge fit from description + prompt + type + duration/dims. For brand/entity assets, reuse a global candidate only when the entity matches exactly — the global cache aggregates every project you have worked on, so a --candidates list can surface another client's brand mark and its prompt text. Never reuse a cross-project brand asset on a loose match.

The deterministic floor still runs automatically: an identical (case/whitespace-insensitive) repeat auto-reuses with no --candidates step. --candidates is only for the semantic layer above that floor — and a fuzzy match is never auto-applied; reuse is always your explicit call. On a resolve that misses the floor and is about to fetch, media-use prints a one-line stderr hint when similar cached assets exist, pointing you back here.

Color grading

Use grade when you need the actual HyperFrames data-color-grading value to paste onto an <img> or <video>. Core presets and params-backed library looks resolve locally; future CDN-backed library looks require network unless already frozen:

Never cat/read a .cube file into context. A 3D LUT is ~size^3 lines of raw numbers (33^3 ≈ 36k lines at the default size). It bloats context and carries zero human/agent-legible signal. To understand or choose a LUT, use hyperframes grade-compare to see it rendered, or cube-validate.mjs for a one-line {ok,size} check. Read .media/index.md or luts/index.json for the description. Never read the LUT body itself.

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type grade --intent "warm daylight" --project . --json

Preset-first output uses the core runtime vocabulary and does not freeze a file:

{
  "preset": "warm-daylight",
  "intensity": 1
}

Paste it as an attribute value after JSON string escaping:

<video
  class="clip"
  src="./media/scene.mp4"
  data-color-grading='{"preset":"warm-daylight","intensity":1}'
></video>

Looks beyond the preset vocabulary freeze a validated .cube under .media/luts/ and return a block that references it:

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type grade --intent "teal orange blockbuster" --project . --json

{
  "intensity": 1,
  "lut": { "src": ".media/luts/grade_001.cube", "intensity": 0.85 }
}

Use lut when you only need the reusable .cube file:

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type lut --intent "teal orange blockbuster" --project .

For a describable technical look, author an explicit parametric LUT with --params:

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type lut --params '{"contrast":0.2,"temperature":-0.3}' --project .
node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type grade --params '{"exposure":0.2}' --project . --json

For a LUT generated by your own script, ingest it with --from; media-use validates it before registration and rejects invalid or oversized cubes:

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type lut --from custom.cube --project .

Parametric math (buildCube) cannot reproduce real film stocks or emulsion looks. Use a CDN-backed scanned .cube entry or ingest a real scanned .cube for those.

For visual selection, list reusable looks with resolve --type grade --candidates, write the promising entries to a grades.json, run hyperframes grade-compare --for <frame> --grades grades.json, then commit the winner with resolve -t grade as the final data-color-grading block.

Smart grade is grade --for <media>. It runs local ffmpeg/ffprobe signalstats, merges a bounded adjust suggestion into the returned block, and prints the measured evidence to stderr. Stdout remains valid JSON under --json; the suggestion is a starting point for the agent to tune, not an automatic neutralization of intentional color.

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --type grade --intent "warm cinematic" --for ./frame.png --project . --json

Library looks live in luts/index.json. Each entry keeps id, description, tags, and intensity, then supplies either compact params for on-demand buildCube(params) generation or a direct CDN url for future scanned .cube files. Do not commit generated .cube bodies; resolve validates generated or downloaded cubes as it freezes them under .media/luts/.

node skills/media-use/scripts/resolve.mjs --type lut --intent "teal orange blockbuster" --project . --json
node skills/media-use/scripts/lib/cube-validate.mjs .media/luts/lut_001.cube

Providers

media-use holds no keys; every external tool owns its auth. Generation is local-first with a cloud upsell where one helps. resolve spec-checks AVAILABLE RAM and auto-picks the best local model that fits (a RAM-graded ladder, describeModelLadder); the agent can see the ladder and override.

Type	Provider (in order)
bgm/sfx	heygen catalog (free)
image	heygen search, then local mflux (best FLUX for your RAM), then codex image_gen upsell
voice	local Kokoro (free, on-device), then heygen tts paid upsell
icon	heygen asset search
logo	svgl, then simple-icons, then GitHub org avatar, then domain favicon (all free)
grade/lut	local core-preset map, params/CDN look index, deterministic buildCube fallback
video (local)	local LTX (videogen ladder); heygen video create avatar upsell

Local Kokoro (voice), mflux (image), and LTX (video) run on-device (free, private, offline once cached). Paid/cloud upsells sit behind them: HeyGen TTS for voice, the codex CLI (ChatGPT sub) for a better image, the heygen CLI for avatar video. Cost rule (X4): the agent confirms before an agent-initiated paid call; a user-requested one just runs.

To force a specific generator (e.g. a user says "make this image with codex"), pass --provider codex: it pins resolution to that provider and skips the free-first default. See references/operations.md for the RAM ladders and upsell recipes.

--local-only skips every network provider, including the free HeyGen ones, leaving the project + global cache and any local provider.

How it works

resolve runs an automatic floor, then falls through to fetching:

1. Check project .media/manifest.jsonl for a prompt match (case- and whitespace-insensitive) — auto-reuse
2. Scan existing assets/ directory for unregistered files that share a word with the need
3. Check global cache ~/.media/ for a reusable asset matched on the same normalized prompt — auto-reuse
4. Search via provider (HeyGen audio catalog, HeyGen asset search), or resolve color locally
5. Freeze file to .media/<type>/, register in manifest, regenerate index.md, auto-promote to ~/.media/

Steps 1 and 3 are the deterministic floor: they only auto-reuse an exact-normalized match, never a fuzzy one. Semantic reuse ("close enough") is the agent's explicit call via Reuse before you resolve — it never happens automatically. The agent gets back one line; candidates, scores, provenance stay on disk.

Adopt existing projects

Most HyperFrames projects already have assets in assets/. media-use adopts them:

node <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/resolve.mjs --adopt --project .
# → adopted 9 assets from assets/
#   bgm_001 → assets/bgm/mango-fizz.mp3 (bgm, 146.6s)
#   image_001 → assets/images/avatar.jpg (image, 400×400)

ffprobe extracts real duration and dimensions. During resolve, unregistered files in assets/ matching the intent are adopted on the fly.

Reading the inventory

After resolve or adopt, read .media/index.md for the full inventory:

# .media · 4 assets

id         type   dur   dims       path                          description
bgm_001    bgm    25s   -          .media/audio/bgm/bgm_001.mp3  upbeat tech launch
sfx_001    sfx    0.6s  -          .media/audio/sfx/sfx_001.mp3  whoosh
image_001  image  -     1920×1080  .media/images/image_001.jpg   gradient tech background
icon_001   icon   -     200×200    .media/images/icon_001.png    rocket

Cross-project reuse

Assets are cached automatically on resolve. Every resolved/ingested asset is auto-promoted to the global cache at ~/.media/, so subsequent resolves for the same (or near-identical) prompt, in any project, hit the cache with no re-download and no provider call.

For a semantically similar (not identical) need in another project, the exact-match floor won't fire — use Reuse before you resolve: --candidates lists the global assets, and --reuse <sha> imports the one you pick. This is how a track resolved in one project gets reused in the next when the wording differs.

Files

• .media/manifest.jsonl: machine SSOT, one JSON record per line
• .media/index.md: agent-readable table (id, type, dur, dims, path, description)
• ~/.media/: global cross-project reuse cache (content-addressed, SHA-256)

Audio engine: voiceover, music, SFX, captions, transcription

For a full audio pass (TTS voiceover + background music + sound effects in one shot), use the shared engine at audio/scripts/audio.mjs. It takes a neutral audio_request.json and writes audio_meta.json plus assets under .media/audio/{voice,bgm,sfx}:

node <SKILL_DIR>/audio/scripts/audio.mjs --request ./audio_request.json --out ./audio_meta.json

• Request { provider?, lang?, speed?, lines: [{ id, text, sfx?: [names] }], bgm: { mode?, query?, prompt? } }: id joins each line back to your model; bgm.mode = retrieve | generate | none (omit for auto). --only tts,bgm,sfx runs a subset and merges into an existing --out.
• Output audio_meta.json (id-keyed): voices[].{path,duration_s,words[]} (word timestamps for captions), sfx[], bgm, total_duration_s.
• Auto-degrades on one switch: HeyGen credential present → HeyGen TTS + music/SFX retrieval; absent → ElevenLabs/Kokoro TTS, Lyria/MusicGen BGM generation, and the bundled SFX library (no credential needed).
• If BGM took the generate path (bgm_pending: true), run audio/scripts/wait-bgm.mjs before final render.

Single-shot helpers: audio/scripts/heygen-tts.mjs (one voice file). Transcription / background removal / captions use the hyperframes CLI (transcribe, remove-background), see the per-topic guides in audio/references/ (tts.md, bgm.md, sfx.md, transcribe.md, remove-background.md, captions/).

Operating on media (cut, reframe, transform)

media-use resolves + remembers; for operating on assets see references/operations.md: local-tool recipes (ffmpeg trim/reframe/montage, auto-editor, scenedetect) and the local-vs-HeyGen transform table (background removal, upscale, lipsync, translate). Run the tool, then register the output with resolve --from <output> --type <type> so it joins the ledger + global cache.

CLI tools used (what to run, and how to enable each)

resolve auto-cascades; each provider shells one CLI. Local tools are OPT-IN: if a local tool is absent, resolve degrades gracefully to the free/cloud path, so nothing here is strictly required except ffmpeg/ffprobe. Install a local tool to unlock its free, private, on-device path. media-use holds no keys.

Tool	Serves	Install
ffmpeg/ffprobe	adopt probing, smart-grade signalstats, cut, duck bake, loudnorm	system package (brew install ffmpeg)
heygen	catalog (bgm/sfx/image/icon), TTS + avatar upsell	curl -fsSL https://static.heygen.ai/cli/install.sh | bash then heygen auth login --key <key> (needs >= v0.1.6)
mflux-generate	local image gen (FLUX), best-for-RAM	uv venv ~/.venvs/mflux && VIRTUAL_ENV=~/.venvs/mflux uv pip install mflux==0.9.6
codex	image gen upsell (ChatGPT sub)	Codex CLI, logged in via ChatGPT (owns its own auth)
parakeet-mlx	local transcription (default ASR, best)	uv venv ~/.venvs/parakeet && VIRTUAL_ENV=~/.venvs/parakeet uv pip install parakeet-mlx
ltx-2-mlx	local video gen	git clone https://github.com/dgrauet/ltx-2-mlx && cd ltx-2-mlx && uv sync --all-extras
npx hyperframes	Kokoro TTS (voice), whisper.cpp (transcribe fallback), remove-background	bundled with the hyperframes CLI

The RAM-graded local-model shortlist + exact per-tier install/invoke lives in scripts/lib/local-models.mjs (the agent can read describeModelLadder(cap, specs) to see which model fits this machine). Without a tool on PATH, its provider prints a one-line diagnostic to stderr and resolve falls through to the next provider (e.g. no mflux -> codex image upsell; no parakeet-mlx -> whisper.cpp).

heygen asset search is a pre-launch command hidden from heygen --help, but it runs; providers tag requests with the allowlisted X-HeyGen-Client-Source header (v0.1.6+).

Telemetry

resolve and the edit tools (transcribe / transcript-cut / audio-duck) send an anonymous usage event to PostHog (scripts/lib/telemetry.mjs), so we can see which capabilities are actually used. It records only the media TYPE, the resolution SOURCE, and the winning PROVIDER: never the intent text, file names, or paths, and $ip:null so no IP is stored. Best-effort and non-blocking (a resolve never waits on or fails from telemetry).

Opt out with DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or HYPERFRAMES_NO_TELEMETRY=1 (also off in CI and dev). Same public PostHog project key and opt-outs as the hyperframes CLI.