CNAPS Studio User Guides

The complete guide to building AI-powered image, video, and audio workflows.

CNAPS Studio is a no-code AI platform for image, video, and audio work. Start on Home: pick a card, and a finished AI task runs for you — background removal, upscaling, poster generation, transcription, and more. When you want to change how a task works, open that same card on the canvas and rewire it yourself. This guide covers everything from your first card to batch processing.

Table of Contents

1. What is CNAPS Studio?
2. Home — Pick a Card, Get a Result
3. Understanding the Basics
4. Platform Guide
5. Common Challenges & Solutions
6. API Integration
7. MCP Guide
8. n8n Guide
9. Zapier Guide
10. Glossary
11. Additional Resources

What is CNAPS Studio?

Two ways to use it

Who It's For

What Problems It Solves

Pricing & Plans

Home — Pick a Card, Get a Result

Home is where you land. Every card is a complete AI task that has already been built and tested for you — no canvas, no connections, no setup.

How it works:

1. Find a card. Scroll the gallery, or type what you want in the search bar at the top — "make my video sharper", "remove the background", "poster of me".
2. Open it. Every card opens with a finished example already on screen, so you can see exactly what it produces before you run anything yourself.
3. Swap in your own input on the right — text, an image, an audio file, or a video.
4. Click Run again. Your result replaces the example.
5. Download what you like. Everything you make is also saved under My Work → My Creations.

Good to know:

• New cards land continuously. Search is the fastest way to find one — the gallery is built to keep growing.
• Works on mobile — browse cards, upload, run, and download results from your phone.
• Some cards run several AI models at once and show the results side by side, so you can compare and keep the one you prefer. Turn Words into 4K Images, for example, returns three.
• Each card shows an estimated run time before you start.
• Need more control? Click Open in CNAPS Studio on any card to load that card's actual workflow onto the canvas. It is the fastest way to learn how flows are built — and the way to customize one.

Understanding the Basics

New here? Complete the Quickstart Guide first — your first result takes about 30 seconds, and your first flow comes right after.

What is a flow?

A flow is a series of connected steps that process your data automatically. Each step is called a node, and nodes are connected by lines that show how data moves.

Think of it like a factory assembly line:

1. Raw materials enter (Input)
2. Each station does one job (AI Models & Tools)
3. Finished product exits (Output)

Node types

Input Nodes (data entry)

• Image Loader — upload images (JPG, PNG, WEBP, AVIF)
• Text Input — enter text data
• Video Loader — upload video files
• Sound Loader 🆕 — drop in an audio file, or switch to the Record tab and capture straight from your microphone, with a live waveform as you go recording works in Chrome and Firefox (WebM) and in Safari (MP4)

AI Model Nodes (smart processing)

→ Browse all models: AI Model Hub

Tool Nodes (data manipulation)

• Annotation (1) — Canny Edge Annotator
• Blur & Effects (5) — Image Blur (Fast / Standard / Simple), Lens Blur, Selective Blur
• Color Adjustments (2) — Grayscale, Inverse
• Comparison (3) — Image Compare, Video Compare, Text Compare
• Image Blending (2) — Image Add, Image Multiply (now with auto-fit)
• Image Masking (5) — Masker by Class / by Coord / by Region, Manual Masker, Object Picker
• Image Resizing (3) — Resize, Conditional Resize, Resize to Match
• Layered Tools (1) — Layer Compose
• Selection & Extraction (15) — Color Pick by Class / by RGB Value, Crop by Class / by Coord / by Text, Image Selector, List Extract / List Inject, Image Gate by Text, Manual Color Picker, Manual Crop, Video Frame Extract, Video Reassemble, Video Split, Video Trim
• Text Tools (4) — Draw Text, Region Extract, Text Concatenate, Text Decorator
• Video Editing (18) — Audio Finish, Hook Teaser (Cold Open), Ken Burns (Still to Video), Narration Mux (Cold Open), Remove Dead Zone, Slice Transcript to Clips, Snap Segments to Speech, Video Caption, Video Clean Span, Video Concat, Video Constraint Map, Video EDL, Video EDL Planner, Video Narrate (Qwen3), Video Reframe (9:16), Video SFX, Video Speed, Video Subtitle (Spoken)

Output Nodes (View Results)

Where you see the final results.

• Image Viewer — display processed images (resizable)
• Text Viewer — display text results and data
• Video Viewer — display generated/processed videos
• Sound Output 🆕 — play the resulting audio, with its waveform displayed

AI-Generated Content Labels

When your flow uses AI models to generate or manipulate content, CNAPS Studio automatically labels the output — both in the viewer and in downloaded files.

Chain detection: If your flow has FLUX (image gen) → BiRefNet (segmentation) → Output, the segmentation output still shows the "AI-generated · FLUX Schnell" badge because the upstream chain contains generation. The badge tracks the earliest AI generation step in the flow.

Why it's there:

• EU AI Act Article 50 requires AI-generated content to be identifiable
• The badge tells anyone viewing the output that it came from an AI model — useful for compliance, journalism ethics, and end-user trust
• CNAPS also embeds machine-readable provenance metadata in downloaded files

When it appears:

• ✅ Flow includes any generative model (image generation, image editing, video generation, TTS, multimodal LLM, image captioning)
• ✅ Flow includes OCR (labeled as "AI-extracted" not "generated" — to preserve accuracy)
• ❌ Pure utility flows (upscaling, denoising, resize, blur, object detection) — no badge

Connecting Nodes: The Color System

Nodes have colored connection points (called "ports") showing what data type they handle:

• 🔵 Blue dots = Image data
• 🔴 Red dots = Text data
• Light Blue dots = Video data
• 🟢 Green dots 🆕 = Audio data
• Multiple colors = Nodes that handle more than one type

Understanding Usage Capacity

CNAPS Studio measures your usage by GPU processing time - essentially, how much computing power your flows consume.

• Each plan includes a set amount of usage capacity
• Complex AI models use more capacity than simple tools
• Capacity resets every 5 hours (rolling window)
• Monitor real-time usage: your avatar → Usage
• If you exceed capacity: processing pauses until the next reset, or upgrade for more

Ultimate Privacy Protection — One-Click Anonymization

A standalone web app for privacy-safe images — no workflow, no setup:

1. Upload an image (PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, BMP — up to 10 MB)
2. Choose what to hide: Face, Tattoo, License Plate, Person, Logo, Text, or Custom (type anything)
3. Get your anonymized image back on the same page

Platform Guide

Interface Overview

Two panels run the whole product: the left sidebar takes you between Home, the canvas, and your work; the avatar menu in the top right holds your workspace, billing, and account settings.

→ New user? Complete the Quickstart Guide to familiarize yourself with the interface.

Left Sidebar (Navigation)

• Home — the card gallery, with search at the top. See the Home section above.
• CNAPS Studio — the full canvas. Opens a new blank flow where you can drag, connect, and configure nodes yourself.
• Community — flows published by other users. Fork any of them into your own workspace, then run or modify them.

• My Work
• My Creations — every result you've made from a card on Home
• My Flows — your flow library, with thumbnails, status, permissions, model counts, and last-modified dates. Search flows by name in real time, and Shift-click to multi-select for bulk delete or share. Per-flow actions: Add to Batch Run, Share, Publish to Community, Fork, Delete

• Batch Runs — monitor batch executions, preview inputs/outputs, download results as ZIP

• Shared with me — flows others have shared with you

• API Key — generate keys for programmatic access (needed for Batch Run via API)
• → See details: API Integration section below

At the bottom of the sidebar

• Appearance — switch the whole interface between Light, Dark, and System (System follows your operating system setting)
• Guides — opens this documentation site

Collapse the sidebar with the toggle next to the logo when you want more room for the canvas.

Account & Workspace Menu (top right)

Click your avatar in the top-right corner.

Workspaces

• Workspace switcher — switch between workspaces, or create a new one with + Business Workspace
• Personal - For Free, Starter, and Pro users
• Business - For Business users. You can create a business/team workspace here once you subscribe to the Business pricing plan.
• Workspace Settings — four tabs: General, Billing, Usage, and Integrations
• General

1. Workspace Icon: Upload a custom icon to personalize your workspace
2. Workspace Name: Give your workspace a unique name
3. Handle: A unique, taggable @username (e.g., @creator) for CNAPS Community
4. Workspace Type: Displays whether this is a Personal or Business workspace
5. Your Role: Displays your role within the workspace (relevant for Business plan team members)
• Billing

1. View your current subscription plan and manage billing, upgrades, downgrades, or cancellations.
2. Also linked directly in the avatar menu as a shortcut.
• Usage

1. Track your usage capacity consumption for the current 5-hour period. The usage bar shows what percentage you've used, with your capacity automatically resetting every 5 hours.
2. Also linked directly in the avatar menu as a shortcut.
• Integrations - connect external AI services (Claude, OpenAI, Google). External models don't consume your CNAPS capacity — they bill through your own provider accounts
• How to setup
• Get API keys from providers:
• Claude: https://console.anthropic.com/
• OpenAI: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
• Google: https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
• Paste keys on the Integrations tab
• External models become available in the Component panel

Account

• Account Settings - profile, security (password/email), activity log, and account management. Interface available in 7 languages: English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, French
• Legal - terms and privacy
• Docs - Guides · Quickstart · Models · FAQ
• Sign Out

🧩 Creating and Managing Flows

Starting a New Flow

3️⃣ Method 3: Start from a card 🆕

Open any card on Home, then click Open in CNAPS Studio. The card's real workflow lands on your canvas, fully wired and ready to run — the fastest way to see how an experienced flow is put together, and the easiest place to start customizing.

Configuring Nodes

Each node has settings that control its behavior. Configuration options appear directly on the node card when you select it.

Click any node to see its settings directly on the node card. Common options:

• Class — which object type to detect or process (e.g., "person", "car")
• Confidence Score — minimum certainty threshold (0–100%); higher = fewer but more accurate results
• Scale Factor — meaning depends on the node: an enlargement multiplier on upscaling models (e.g., 2x, 4x), or how much to downscale before blurring on Blur & Effects tools — see Glossary for exact ranges
• Kernel Size — size of processing filter; larger = stronger effect
• Diffusion Steps — refinement iterations for generative models; more = higher quality but slower
• Random Seed — same seed = identical results every time (great for testing)

Running Your Flow

Single Run (testing & development)

1. Upload input data to Input nodes
2. Verify connections
3. Click Run Flow (top right)
4. Watch progress — the currently-processing node glows
5. View results in Output nodes; click to see full detail; download if needed

Visual cues during a run: animated button states (Default → Running → Done/Failed), glowing active node, smooth step-by-step progress bars, and background execution — flows keep running even if you switch tabs.

Batch Run (Production Processing)

Process up to 100 files through the same workflow at once.

Three input modes per node:

How to run a batch:

1. Click Batch Run (top right) — one panel opens per input node (#1, #3, …)
2. Choose Batch / Shared / Flow Value per input
3. Drag & drop files or folders (up to 100 items)
4. Files in the same row are paired and run together — use Export CSV / Import CSV to reorder pairings for complex batches
5. Click Run Batch, then monitor at My Work → Batch Runs
6. The completion email now links straight to your results — one click from inbox to download
7. Download everything as a ZIP, or preview and download individual files

(Developers can also trigger batches via API — see API Integration below.)

Working with external models

Use AI services from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google without consuming your CNAPS capacity — they bill through your own provider accounts.

Current external lineup:

• Audio: Gemini TTS
• Image/Video: GPT Image, Nano Banana, Sora2, VEO, Video Analysis (Gemini), Omni
• Language: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini

Setup:

1. Get API keys — Anthropic · OpenAI · Google
2. Paste them in your avatar → Workspace Settings → Integrations
3. In the Component panel, external models show white text when ready (gray = needs API key)

Working with Claude (MCP)

CNAPS Studio integrates with Claude via MCP (Model Context Protocol) — describe what you want in plain language and Claude assembles, runs, and debugs the workflow inside the chat:

• Smart pipeline recommendations — multi-step requests like "colorize and upscale" become the correct pipeline automatically
• Context-aware model selection — e.g., PiSA-SR for quality, SMFANet+ for speed, Swin2SR for large images
• Actionable error diagnosis — plain-language explanations and fixes instead of generic failures
• End-to-end execution in chat — no need to open the Studio and click Run manually

Connecting with n8n

Trigger CNAPS Studio flows from your existing n8n automations — chain image, video, and multimodal AI processing into any n8n workflow using your CNAPS.ai API key:

• No-code trigger — kick off a CNAPS.ai flow from any n8n node (webhook, schedule, email, Slack, etc.)
• Batch and single-run support — send one file or many through the same workflow
• Pass results downstream — return the CNAPS.ai output (image URLs, extracted text, generated video) into the rest of your n8n pipeline

→ Full setup, node reference, and example recipes: see the n8n Guide.

Connecting with Zapier

Run CNAPS Studio flows as steps inside a Zap, alongside the 9,000+ apps Zapier already automates:

• Any trigger, any destination — start from Gmail, Slack, Airtable, Shopify, a form, or a schedule, then send results wherever they need to go
• Predictable, repeatable runs — you pick the tools and their order when you build the Zap, so every run behaves identically
• Sign in with OAuth — connect with your CNAPS.ai account; no API key to paste, store, or rotate

→ Full setup, field mapping, and known pitfalls: see the Zapier Guide.

Common Challenges & Solutions

This section addresses the most frequent issues users encounter, especially those new to AI workflows.

Challenge #1: "I don't understand what to do"

This is the #1 feedback from beginners. You're not alone! Here's a structured approach to overcome this:

First: Complete the Quickstart If you haven't already, go through our Quickstart Guide. Building that first simple flow gives you essential hands-on experience.

Learning strategy on the canvas:

1. Phase 1 — Don't build from scratch yet. Open a sample template, click Run Flow with defaults, and watch what each node produces.
2. Phase 2 — Make small changes. Change just ONE thing (input image, one setting, one class name), run again, compare.
3. Phase 3 — Build your own. Start with 3–4 nodes (Input → One AI Model → Output), get it working, then add complexity gradually.

Common confusion points:

• Which AI model should I use? Start with 🔥 Hot Models, compare 2–3 similar ones, check star ratings, and read the AI Model Hub
• What do these settings mean? Start with defaults; change one at a time; see the Glossary below
• What connects where? Match the colors, data flows left → right, Input → Processing → Output
• Flow not doing what I expected? Add Output nodes after EACH step to see intermediate results

Still stuck? Watch video tutorials or browse CNAPS Community for working examples to fork.

Challenge #2: "The AI model didn't work as I expected"

This is common because AI models have different training and vocabularies.

Solution 1: Try Different Models

CNAPS Studio provides multiple models for similar tasks:

Solution 2: Resize Strategically

Many models work best at specific sizes:

• 512x512: Most computer vision models
• 1024x1024: Higher resolution models
• Original size: OCR, text extraction

If detection fails:

• Try resizing to 512x512 or 1024x1024
• Very large images might lose accuracy
• Very small images might miss detail

Challenge #3: "My flow is taking too long"

Long processing times usually have specific causes with specific solutions.

Common Causes & Fixes:

Cause 1: Processing Very Large Images

Symptoms:

• Single image takes 30+ seconds
• GPU usage maxed out
• Slow progress through nodes

Solution: Resize BEFORE processing:

Input → Resize (512x512) → [AI Models] → Upscale → Output

Why this works:

• Most AI models are optimized for 512x or 1024x
• Smaller inputs process 10x faster
• Upscale at the END to restore quality
• No visible quality loss for most tasks

Cause 2: Chaining Multiple Upscaling Models

Symptoms:

• Flow takes minutes per image
• Multiple upscalers in sequence
• Capacity depletes quickly

Problem flow:

Input → 4x Upscale → 4x Upscale → 2x Upscale = 32x total (extremely slow)

Solution: Only upscale once at the end:

Input → [Process at 512x] → Single 2x Upscale → Output

If you need 4x:

• Use one 4x upscaler, OR
• Use two 2x upscalers maximum
• Never more than 2 upscalers total

Cause 3: Using Too Many Heavy Models

Heavy models:

• Upscalers (PiSA-SR, FlashVSR, SeedVR2, SparkVSR)
• Generative models (Image/Video Generation, Object Removal)
• Complex segmentation

Solution: Simplify your flow:

• Remove redundant processing steps
• Use lighter models where possible
• Test each model individually first
• Consider if you need ALL those steps

Cause 4: Batch Processing Large Numbers

Symptoms:

• Batch run shows "Processing" for hours
• Hundreds of files in queue

This is actually normal!

Understanding:

• Batch processing is meant for unattended operation
• Large batches naturally take time
• System processes files sequentially
• Progress shown in Batch Runs page

Solutions:

• ✅ Expected: Let it run (check back later)
• ✅ Faster: Break into smaller batches (50-100 files)
• ✅ Overnight: Schedule during off-hours

Optimization Tips:

For Faster Processing:

1. Resize to 512x as first step
2. Use 2x upscaling instead of 4x
3. Minimize number of AI models in chain
4. Test on small batches first
5. Remove unnecessary processing steps

For Quality vs Speed Trade-offs:

• Prioritize speed: Resize smaller, use 2x upscale, fewer models
• Prioritize quality: Larger inputs, 4x upscale, more refinement
• Balance: 512x processing + single 2x upscale works for most

Challenge #4: "I exceeded my usage capacity"

Your capacity resets every 5 hours automatically, but here's what to do:

Immediate Solutions:

Option 1: Wait for Reset

• Check My Work → Usage for timer
• Capacity resets every 5 hours (rolling window)
• Plan work around reset schedule

Option 2: Upgrade Your Plan

• Your avatar → Billing
• Higher tiers = more capacity per 5-hour period
• Compare plans to see limits

Optimize Your Flows:

• Resize images to 512x before processing
• Use 2x upscaling instead of 4x when possible
• Remove unnecessary model chaining
• Test with small batches first

Spread Usage Throughout Day:

• Don't process everything at once
• Utilize the 5-hour reset cycle
• Process in smaller batches across resets

Reserve Capacity:

• Save capacity for critical work
• Process non-urgent items during off-peak
• Monitor usage regularly

Track Patterns:

• Your avatar → Usage shows historical data
• Identify which flows consume most capacity
• Optimize high-usage workflows

Challenge #5: "The output looks wrong or unexpected"

Systematic Troubleshooting:

Step 1: Check Each Node Individually

Add temporary Output nodes after each step:

Input → [Output 1] → Model A → [Output 2] → Model B → [Output 3] → Final Output

Process:

1. Run the flow
2. Check Output 1: Is the input correct?
3. Check Output 2: Did Model A work correctly?
4. Check Output 3: Did Model B work correctly?
5. Identify WHERE things go wrong

Step 2: Check Input Quality

Your input affects output quality:

✅ Good inputs:

• Clear, well-lit images
• Reasonable file size and resolution
• Correct format (JPG or PNG)
• Not heavily compressed or corrupted

❌ Bad inputs:

• Extremely dark or bright images
• Tiny thumbnail-sized images
• Heavily compressed or degraded
• Wrong file format

Quick test: Try the flow with a sample image from a template to see if it works correctly.

Step 3: Try Different Models

If one model produces poor results:

1. Swap it for an alternative model (same category)
2. Try models with higher star ratings
3. Compare results between 2-3 options
4. Different models have different strengths

Step 4: Simplify and Rebuild

If output is completely unexpected:

1. Create a new blank flow
2. Add just Input → Problematic Model → Output
3. Test if model works in isolation
4. Gradually add back other nodes
5. Identify which combination causes issues

API Integration

Getting Your API Key

Managing Your API Keys

After creating a key, you can see it listed in the API Key menu with three options:

• Deactivate - Use when you temporarily want to stop using a key without deleting it
• Regenerate - Use when you think your key might be compromised or want to update it
• Delete - Use when you no longer need this key

Web console only. API keys can only be created, viewed, regenerated, and deleted here in the web console. Key management is deliberately not exposed as an MCP tool or API endpoint, so an automated agent cannot issue itself a new key or delete one you depend on.

MCP Guide

Connect Claude to CNAPS Studio via MCP and build workflows through natural language — no clicking through the interface, no manual node-wiring. The server exposes 33 tools, identical whether you connect via OAuth or an API key. The full setup guide, tool reference, and example recipes are on the dedicated page below:

n8n Guide

Trigger CNAPS Studio flows from your existing n8n automations. Chain CNAPS image, video, OCR, and multimodal AI models into any n8n workflow using your CNAPS API key — no code required. The full setup guide, node reference, and example recipes are on the dedicated page below:

Zapier Guide

Run CNAPS Studio flows from Zapier and connect them to the 9,000+ apps Zapier already automates. The MCP Client integration exposes all 33 tools as Zap actions over OAuth, so a fixed pipeline runs the same way every time — upload a file, build a flow, return the result. The full setup guide, field-mapping reference, and known pitfalls are on the dedicated page below:

Glossary

Additional Resources

Getting Started:

• Video tutorials
• CNAPS Community

Last Updated: Sep 2nd, 2026