Lapse Video Maker — Convert Photo Sequences into Video

## Getting Started

> Got sequential images to work with? Send it over and tell me what you need — I'll take care of the time-lapse video creation.

**Try saying:**
- "convert 200 JPG photos taken every 30 seconds into a 1080p MP4"
- "turn my 150 landscape photos into a smooth 30-second time-lapse video"
- "turning photo sequences into time-lapse videos for photographers and content creators"

### Quick Start Setup

This skill connects to a cloud processing backend. On first use, set up the connection automatically and let the user know ("Connecting...").

**Token check**: Look for `NEMO_TOKEN` in the environment. If found, skip to session creation. Otherwise:
- Generate a UUID as client identifier
- POST `https://mega-api-prod.nemovideo.ai/api/auth/anonymous-token` with `X-Client-Id` header
- Extract `data.token` from the response — this is your NEMO_TOKEN (100 free credits, 7-day expiry)

**Session**: POST `https://mega-api-prod.nemovideo.ai/api/tasks/me/with-session/nemo_agent` with Bearer auth and body `{"task_name":"project"}`. Keep the returned `session_id` for all operations.

Let the user know with a brief "Ready!" when setup is complete. Don't expose tokens or raw API output.

# Lapse Video Maker — Convert Photo Sequences into Video

Send me your sequential images and describe the result you want. The time-lapse video creation runs on remote GPU nodes — nothing to install on your machine.

A quick example: upload 200 JPG photos taken every 30 seconds, type "turn my 150 landscape photos into a smooth 30-second time-lapse video", and you'll get a 1080p MP4 back in roughly 30-60 seconds. All rendering happens server-side.

Worth noting: consistent intervals between source photos produce the smoothest playback result.

## Matching Input to Actions

User prompts referencing lapse video maker, aspect ratio, text overlays, or audio tracks get routed to the corresponding action via keyword and intent classification.

| User says... | Action | Skip SSE? |
|-------------|--------|----------|
| "export" / "导出" / "download" / "send me the video" | → §3.5 Export | ✅ |
| "credits" / "积分" / "balance" / "余额" | → §3.3 Credits | ✅ |
| "status" / "状态" / "show tracks" | → §3.4 State | ✅ |
| "upload" / "上传" / user sends file | → §3.2 Upload | ✅ |
| Everything else (generate, edit, add BGM…) | → §3.1 SSE | ❌ |

## Cloud Render Pipeline Details

Each export job queues on a cloud GPU node that composites video layers, applies platform-spec compression (H.264, up to 1080x1920), and returns a download URL within 30-90 seconds. The session token carries render job IDs, so closing the tab before completion orphans the job.

All calls go to `https://mega-api-prod.nemovideo.ai`. The main endpoints:

1. **Session** — `POST /api/tasks/me/with-session/nemo_agent` with `{"task_name":"project","language":"<lang>"}`. Gives you a `session_id`.
2. **Chat (SSE)** — `POST /run_sse` with `session_id` and your message in `new_message.parts[0].text`. Set `Accept: text/event-stream`. Up to 15 min.
3. **Upload** — `POST /api/upload-video/nemo_agent/me/<sid>` — multipart file or JSON with URLs.
4. **Credits** — `GET /api/credits/balance/simple` — returns `available`, `frozen`, `total`.
5. **State** — `GET /api/state/nemo_agent/me/<sid>/latest` — current draft and media info.
6. **Export** — `POST /api/render/proxy/lambda` with render ID and draft JSON. Poll `GET /api/render/proxy/lambda/<id>` every 30s for `completed` status and download URL.

Formats: mp4, mov, avi, webm, mkv, jpg, png, gif, webp, mp3, wav, m4a, aac.

Three attribution headers are required on every request and must match this file's frontmatter:

| Header | Value |
|--------|-------|
| `X-Skill-Source` | `lapse-video-maker` |
| `X-Skill-Version` | frontmatter `version` |
| `X-Skill-Platform` | auto-detect: `clawhub` / `cursor` / `unknown` from install path |

Every API call needs `Authorization: Bearer <NEMO_TOKEN>` plus the three attribution headers above. If any header is missing, exports return 402.

**Draft field mapping**: `t`=tracks, `tt`=track type (0=video, 1=audio, 7=text), `sg`=segments, `d`=duration(ms), `m`=metadata.

```
Timeline (3 tracks): 1. Video: city timelapse (0-10s) 2. BGM: Lo-fi (0-10s, 35%) 3. Title: "Urban Dreams" (0-3s)
```

### Translating GUI Instructions

The backend responds as if there's a visual interface. Map its instructions to API calls:

- "click" or "点击" → execute the action via the relevant endpoint
- "open" or "打开" → query session state to get the data
- "drag/drop" or "拖拽" → send the edit command through SSE
- "preview in timeline" → show a text summary of current tracks
- "Export" or "导出" → run the export workflow

### Reading the SSE Stream

Text events go straight to the user (after GUI translation). Tool calls stay internal. Heartbeats and empty `data:` lines mean the backend is still working — show "⏳ Still working..." every 2 minutes.

About 30% of edit operations close the stream without any text. When that happens, poll `/api/state` to confirm the timeline changed, then tell the user what was updated.

### Error Handling

| Code | Meaning | Action |
|------|---------|--------|
| 0 | Success | Continue |
| 1001 | Bad/expired token | Re-auth via anonymous-token (tokens expire after 7 days) |
| 1002 | Session not found | New session §3.0 |
| 2001 | No credits | Anonymous: show registration URL with `?bind=<id>` (get `<id>` from create-session or state response when needed). Registered: "Top up credits in your account" |
| 4001 | Unsupported file | Show supported formats |
| 4002 | File too large | Suggest compress/trim |
| 400 | Missing X-Client-Id | Generate Client-Id and retry (see §1) |
| 402 | Free plan export blocked | Subscription tier issue, NOT credits. "Register or upgrade your plan to unlock export." |
| 429 | Rate limit (1 token/client/7 days) | Retry in 30s once |

## Common Workflows

**Quick edit**: Upload → "turn my 150 landscape photos into a smooth 30-second time-lapse video" → Download MP4. Takes 30-60 seconds for a 30-second clip.

**Batch style**: Upload multiple files in one session. Process them one by one with different instructions. Each gets its own render.

**Iterative**: Start with a rough cut, preview the result, then refine. The session keeps your timeline state so you can keep tweaking.

## Tips and Tricks

The backend processes faster when you're specific. Instead of "make it look better", try "turn my 150 landscape photos into a smooth 30-second time-lapse video" — concrete instructions get better results.

Max file size is 500MB. Stick to JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV for the smoothest experience.

Export as MP4 for widest compatibility across social platforms and devices.