Reference

Environment variables, credit costs, gotchas, and a quick reference cheatsheet.

Environment Variables

Configure Melies behavior through environment variables. These take precedence over stored config files.

Variable	Description
`MELIES_TOKEN`	JWT auth token. Overrides stored config.
`MELIES_API_URL`	API base URL (default: https://melies.co/api)

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Credit Costs

Credit costs depend on the model and preset you use. See the Credit System section in Getting Started for preset pricing, or the Models page for per-model costs.

Utility	Credits
Upscale (esrgan, 2x)	3
Upscale (clarity, 2x)	8
Remove background	3
Pipeline	image + video combined

For plans and credit bundles, see Pricing.

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Gotchas

Async by default

Without --sync, commands return an asset ID immediately. Use melies status to poll for completion.

Video generation takes time

Expect 30 seconds to 3 minutes depending on model and duration. Use --sync to wait automatically.

Credits are deducted upfront

If generation fails, credits are refunded automatically.

Actor names are case-insensitive

--actor Mei and --actor mei both work.

Style flags combine

--lighting golden --mood romantic --art-style ghibli all apply to one generation.

Poster --style vs --art-style

Poster --style uses preset poster designs. --art-style is a visual rendering option for any command.

Pipeline defaults to sync

The pipeline command waits for both image and video steps by default.

--dry-run shows the full prompt

Useful for debugging what modifiers get applied before spending credits.

Token expiry

If you get 401 errors, re-authenticate with melies login.

Sync timeouts

Images timeout at 2 min, videos at 5 min. For longer generation, use async + melies status.

Rate limits

Max 1000 requests per 15 minutes.

Quick Reference

All commands at a glance. Copy and adapt for your workflow.

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