Text to Image generation app for you that uses Fal.ai's SDXL model via DigitalOcean's serverless inference API.

A web application that generates images using Fal.ai's Stable Diffusion XL model via DigitalOcean's Serverless Inference API.

• 🎨 Generate high-quality images from text prompts
• ⚡ Fast SDXL model for quick generation
• 🎛️ Advanced controls (inference steps, guidance scale)
• 📥 Download generated images
• 🌐 Responsive web interface
• ☁️ Deploy to DigitalOcean App Platform

1. DigitalOcean Account with access to Gradient AI Platform
2. Opt-in to Fal.ai models in DigitalOcean console:
   • Go to: https://cloud.digitalocean.com/account/feature-preview?feature=fal-models
   • Enable the feature preview
3. API Access Token from DigitalOcean

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd fal-ai-image-generator

npm install

Create a .env file in the root directory:

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env and add your DigitalOcean API key:

MODEL_ACCESS_KEY=your_digitalocean_api_key_here
PORT=3000

To get your API key:

• Go to: https://cloud.digitalocean.com/account/api/tokens
• Click "Generate New Token"
• Give it a name and select appropriate scopes
• Copy the token and paste it in your .env file

# Development mode (with auto-restart)
npm run dev

# Production mode
npm start

Open your browser and navigate to: http://localhost:3000

fal-ai-image-generator/
├── server.js           # Express backend server
├── public/
│   └── index.html      # Frontend interface
├── package.json        # Node.js dependencies
├── .env.example        # Environment variables template
├── .gitignore         # Git ignore file
└── README.md          # This file

1. Push your code to GitHub

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin <your-github-repo-url>
git push -u origin main

2. Create a new App on DigitalOcean

   • Go to: https://cloud.digitalocean.com/apps
   • Click "Create App"
   • Select "GitHub" as the source
   • Choose your repository
   • DigitalOcean will auto-detect the Node.js app

3. Configure the App

   • Name: fal-ai-image-generator
   • Region: Choose closest to you
   • Plan: Basic ($5/month minimum)
   • Environment Variables: Add MODEL_ACCESS_KEY
   • Build Command: npm install
   • Run Command: npm start
   • HTTP Port: 3000

4. Add Environment Variable

   • In the App settings, go to "Settings" → "App-Level Environment Variables"
   • Add: MODEL_ACCESS_KEY = your_digitalocean_api_key

5. Deploy

   • Click "Create Resources"
   • Wait for deployment to complete
   • Your app will be available at: https://your-app-name.ondigitalocean.app

# Install doctl
# macOS: brew install doctl
# Other: https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/how-to/install/

# Authenticate
doctl auth init

# Create app.yaml configuration file
cat > app.yaml << EOF
name: fal-ai-image-generator
region: nyc
services:
- name: web
  github:
    repo: your-username/your-repo
    branch: main
  build_command: npm install
  run_command: npm start
  http_port: 3000
  environment_slug: node-js
  instance_count: 1
  instance_size_slug: basic-xxs
  envs:
  - key: MODEL_ACCESS_KEY
    value: your_digitalocean_api_key
    type: SECRET
EOF

# Deploy
doctl apps create --spec app.yaml

Generate an image from a text prompt.

Request Body:

{
  "prompt": "A futuristic city at sunset",
  "num_inference_steps": 4,
  "guidance_scale": 3.5,
  "num_images": 1
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "images": [
      {
        "url": "https://...",
        "width": 1024,
        "height": 768
      }
    ]
  }
}

Health check endpoint.

Response:

{
  "status": "healthy",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"
}

• num_inference_steps (1-8): Higher values = better quality but slower (default: 4)
• guidance_scale (1-10): How closely to follow the prompt (default: 3.5)
• output_format: Image aspect ratio (default: landscape_4_3)
• num_images (1-4): Number of images to generate (default: 1)

• Make sure you've created a .env file with your API key
• Check that the environment variable is set correctly in DigitalOcean App Platform

• The model might be cold-starting (first request can take longer)
• Try again in a few seconds
• Check DigitalOcean's status page for any API issues

• Check that you've opted into the Fal.ai models feature preview
• Verify your API key has the correct permissions
• Check the server logs for detailed error messages

• DigitalOcean App Platform automatically sets the PORT environment variable
• The app is configured to use process.env.PORT or default to 3000

• DigitalOcean App Platform: $5-12/month (Basic plan)
• API Calls: Check current pricing at https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/gradient-ai-platform
• First-time users: May qualify for credits

• DigitalOcean Gradient AI Platform Docs
• Serverless Inference API
• Fal.ai Documentation
• Blog Post: Fal.ai on DigitalOcean

MIT

For issues and questions:

• GitHub Issues: Create an issue in this repository
• DigitalOcean Support: https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/
• Community: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/