Introduction to OpenAI
Vision
Project 1 Image Generator
Harness the power of OpenAI’s DALL·E 3 to generate stunning visuals from simple text prompts. This step-by-step guide walks you through installation, setup, and examples to help you build your own image generator in Python.
Table of Contents
- Install the OpenAI Python SDK
- Initialize the OpenAI Client
- Define a Helper Function
- Generate Your First Image
- Experiment with Custom Prompts
- Supported Image Sizes
- Links and References
Install the OpenAI Python SDK
First, install the official OpenAI Python package:
pip install openai
Note
You can also pin a specific version for reproducibility:
pip install openai==0.27.0
Initialize the OpenAI Client
Import and initialize the client using your API key. We recommend storing your key in an environment variable for security.
import os
from openai import OpenAI
api_key = os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
client = OpenAI(api_key=api_key)
Warning
Never hard-code your API key in source files. Use environment variables or a secrets manager.
Define a Helper Function
Create a reusable function that sends a prompt to DALL·E 3 and returns the URL of the generated image:
def generate_image(prompt: str, size: str = "1024x1024") -> str:
"""
Generate an image from a text prompt using DALL·E 3.
Args:
prompt: Descriptive text for the image.
size: One of '256x256', '512x512', or '1024x1024'.
Returns:
URL of the generated image.
"""
response = client.images.generate(
model="dall-e-3",
prompt=prompt,
size=size
)
return response.data[0].url
Generate Your First Image
Use the helper function in a standalone script:
if __name__ == "__main__":
prompt = "A person playing golf on Mars with friendly aliens"
image_url = generate_image(prompt, size="1024x1024")
print("Generated Image URL:", image_url)
Run it:
python example.py
# Output:
# Generated Image URL: https://example.com/your-generated-image.png
Open the printed URL in your browser to see your AI-generated artwork.
Experiment with Custom Prompts
Change the prompt text to explore different styles and concepts:
if __name__ == "__main__":
prompt = "A programmer building a robotic dinosaur in a futuristic lab"
image_url = generate_image(prompt, size="1024x1024")
print("Generated Image URL:", image_url)
Feel free to iterate on your prompt until you find the perfect visual.
Supported Image Sizes
Size | Dimensions | Use Case |
---|---|---|
256×256 | 256px by 256px | Thumbnails, small icons |
512×512 | 512px by 512px | Medium-resolution previews |
1024×1024 | 1024px by 1024px | High-resolution prints or detailed illustrations |
Links and References
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