---
title: Generate without a Technique | FLORA API
description: Run a model straight from a prompt — no saved Technique required.
---

Techniques are FLORA’s superpower — saved workflows with locked-in inputs and post-processing. But sometimes you just want a raw model run: a prompt, a model, an image. For that, the agent uses `client.generations.create` instead of a Technique. No slug, no saved workflow.

Use this when you haven’t built a Technique yet, or when the job is a one-off. For repeatable work with fixed inputs and references, build a [Technique](/guides/techniques/index.md) and use [Discover and run](/mcp/recipes/discover-and-run/index.md) instead.

## What you type

> Generate 3 cinematic product shots of a ceramic mug on a sunlit table. Use a good image model, 4:3.

## What the agent does

1. Resolve a workspace and project

   Generations are billed to a workspace and attach to a project, so the agent first calls `client.workspaces.list()` and either picks an existing project (`client.projects.list(...)`) or creates one with `client.projects.create(...)`.

2. Pick a model

   The agent calls `client.models.list({ type: "image" })` to find an available `model_id` and the parameters it accepts (aspect ratio, seed, etc.).

3. Start the generation

   It calls `client.generations.create(...)` with `type`, `prompt`, `workspace_id`, `project_id`, the chosen `model`, and any model-specific `params`.

4. Poll until complete

   Generations don’t have a saved-Technique run to poll, so the agent polls history: `client.generations.list(...)` (newest first), matches its `run_id`, and renders the `outputs` once `status` is `completed`.

## What you see

The requested images render inline in the chat as each generation completes — same as a Technique run, just without a Technique behind them.

## Techniques vs. generations

\| | Technique run | Generation | | --- | --- | --- | | Entry point | `client.techniques.runs.create(techniqueId, …)` | `client.generations.create(…)` | | Needs a saved Technique | Yes | No | | Inputs | The Technique’s input schema (`inputs[]`) | `type` + `prompt` + optional `model`/`params` | | Best for | Repeatable, branded, multi-step workflows | One-off, ad-hoc model runs | | Post-processing | Baked into the Technique | None — raw model output |

## Under the hood

```
async function run(client) {
  // 1. Resolve a workspace and a project (both required by generate)
  const { workspaces } = await client.workspaces.list();
  const workspace_id = workspaces[0].workspace_id;
  const project = await client.projects.create({ name: "Quick generations", workspace_id });


  // 2. Pick an image model
  const { models } = await client.models.list({ type: "image" });
  const model = models[0].model_id;


  // 3. Start the generation
  const gen = await client.generations.create({
    type: "image",
    prompt: "a cinematic product photo of a ceramic mug on a sunlit table",
    workspace_id,
    project_id: project.project_id,
    model,
    params: { aspect_ratio: "4:3" }, // model-specific — see client.models.list
  });
  console.log("Generation started:", gen.run_id);


  // 4. Poll history until this run completes
  let result;
  do {
    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 3000));
    for await (const g of client.generations.list({ workspace_id, limit: 10 })) {
      if (g.run_id === gen.run_id) { result = g; break; }
    }
    console.log("Status:", result?.status, result?.progress);
  } while (result && (result.status === "pending" || result.status === "running"));


  return result?.outputs; // [{ output_id, type: "imageUrl", url }]
}
```

## Tips

- `type` must be exactly one of `image`, `video`, `audio`, or `text` — not a model family like `t2i` or `text-to-image`.
- `model` must be a `model_id` from `client.models.list(...)`. If you see *“Model … is not available”*, list models for the same `type` and retry with one of the returned IDs. Omit `model` to use the workspace default.
- `workspace_id` and `project_id` are both required. The generation shows up on that project’s canvas in FLORA.
- Output URLs are long-lived but not permanent — download anything you need to keep.

## Related

- [Discover and run](/mcp/recipes/discover-and-run/index.md) — the saved-Technique path.
- [Models](/guides/models/index.md) — discover model IDs and their parameters.
- [Tools reference](/mcp/tools/index.md) — the full `client.*` surface available inside `execute`.