From download
to your first image.
Install CHROMAi, activate your 3-day trial, and connect the providers you want to use.
Install the Windows app.
- Open the beta page, enter your invitation answer, add your name and click Download to get CHROMAi-Windows-Beta.zip.
- Right-click the ZIP in File Explorer and choose Extract All.
- Run CHROMAi-Beta-Setup-0.9.8.exe from the extracted folder. Setup installs CHROMAi for your Windows account and adds a Start-menu shortcut. Internet is needed if Microsoft WebView2 must be installed.
- Open CHROMAi Beta from the Start menu and activate your trial. You do not need Python or Node.js.
Windows 10/11 on an Intel or AMD 64-bit PC. macOS, Linux, iOS and Android are not supported by this desktop beta; Windows ARM has not been verified. Internet is required for first activation, AI generation and updates. Rhino 8 is needed only for the Rhino connection. Imported images can be used without Rhino.
This beta is not yet code-signed. Windows may show an unknown-publisher or SmartScreen warning. If your organisation blocks the app, ask IT; do not disable security controls.
Future updates
Version 0.9.4 checks for newer releases while the app is open and shows a notice with a link to the beta download. Updates are installed manually; the app does not replace itself automatically. Close CHROMAi before running a newer installer. Projects and saved settings are stored separately from the installed application and are retained.
If the app cannot start, send your CHROMAi contact the contents of %LOCALAPPDATA%\CHROMAi Test\startup-error.txt, if present, with any secrets removed.
Start your 3 days when you are ready.
- Open the CHROMAi beta access page. Enter the answer provided with your invitation.
- Your key appears immediately after the correct answer. Copy the code in this format:
CHROMAI-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX - Return to CHROMAi, paste the key into the licence field and activate. Internet is required for this first activation.
- The 3-day countdown starts in the app on activation, not when the website issues the code. You can see the remaining time in the app.
Returning in the same browser recovers your assigned key. The key links to your computer automatically on first activation. Reinstalling or entering that key again does not restart an activated trial. Short keys require this updated tester edition; older builds accept the original long keys.
Create a key, then connect it.
- Sign in to the OpenAI API platform. Select the intended organisation and project; a separate test project makes usage easier to track.
- Open API billing and arrange API funding as your account requires. Check the account’s usage and spending controls before generating images.
- Open API keys and create a project secret key, named something recognisable such as CHROMAi Beta. Use a project API key, not an admin key. Copy and store it securely.
- In CHROMAi, open Settings. Set API provider to OpenAI, paste the key into API key, then choose Connect & verify.
- Wait for confirmation, then choose Save. In Image or Image Editor, select OpenAI as the model/provider.
For a first paid test, submit one image. Successful key verification does not guarantee access to every model or sufficient balance for generation. Check API billing separately from any ChatGPT subscription.
Official guidance: OpenAI API quickstart · API keys, projects and spending controls.
Connect your upscaler.
- Sign in to Magnific. Open the user menu, then organisation Settings → API Keys. Depending on your account, API management may appear in the subscription panel or the legacy API dashboard.
- Create an API key named CHROMAi Beta. Copy the API key, not the webhook signing secret. Magnific says these secrets are shown only once.
- Check that your plan includes API access and enough credits. Magnific API operations consume credits; web-app unlimited usage does not mean unlimited API calls. If API Keys is unavailable, ask Magnific support or your organisation administrator about access.
- In CHROMAi, open Settings → Magnific upscaler. Paste into Magnific API key and choose Connect & verify Magnific, then Save.
- Open Image Enhancer, import or select an image, choose Precision or Creative, and start with one 2× upscale.
Official guidance: Magnific API setup and billing · Current API pricing.
Bring in your cameras.
- Open your model in Rhino 8 and keep both Rhino and CHROMAi running.
- In CHROMAi, open or create the project you want to work in. Click the Rhino connection/status button in the top bar.
- Choose Copy connection command. Paste that complete command into Rhino’s command bar and run it.
- Return to the same CHROMAi project and wait for the connected status. In Image, choose Refresh cameras to import the saved views. You can also use Live View and save a camera from it.
- Select one camera, check its Original preview, enter a prompt, choose the provider and generate one image.
The connection belongs to the selected project and Rhino document. After changing projects, opening another model or restarting Rhino, copy and run the connection command again if the status is disconnected. If the Original preview is wrong, correct the view before paying for a render.
Update inside CHROMAi.
From version 0.9.7, the installed Windows app checks for new releases every 60 seconds while online. From 0.9.8, each release notification appears only once, remembered across app restarts.
- Choose Update now in the notification. The package downloads and is verified inside CHROMAi.
- Finish or stop active renders, then choose Install and restart.
- CHROMAi closes, runs the installer and reopens. Your projects, settings and activation are retained.
Versions 0.9.6 and earlier need one final manual upgrade from this site to gain the in-app updater. Download and extract the ZIP, close CHROMAi, and run the installer. Updates do not restart or extend your trial. Windows may still display security prompts while the beta is unsigned.
A quick check before retrying.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Invalid short licence | Use the updated tester ZIP, paste the whole code and use the computer where you first activated this key. |
| Could not reach OpenAI / Magnific | Check your internet connection and provider status. On an office network, ask IT whether provider requests are blocked. Do not change the key just because of a temporary connection failure. |
| API key rejected / 401 | Confirm the key belongs to the selected provider, has not expired or been revoked, and was pasted without extra text. For Magnific, do not use the webhook secret. |
| Credits required / quota / 402 or 429 | Check the relevant provider’s billing and usage pages. A rate limit may need time to reset; insufficient credit needs funding. Avoid repeated submissions while a job may still be running. |
| Access denied / 403 | Check project permissions, model availability and any verification requirement shown by the provider. Ask the organisation administrator if using a company account. |
| Rhino disconnected / no cameras | Check the active Rhino file, rerun this project’s connection command and refresh cameras. Ensure there are saved views, or try saving one from Live View. |
When reporting a problem, send the app version, the feature, the exact error and a screenshot with secrets hidden. Never send your provider API keys.
Keep access under your control.
CHROMAi saves provider keys with Windows encryption on your computer. Enter them only in the desktop app’s Settings, not in prompts or the beta website. Images are sent to the provider selected for the requested operation; use files you are authorised to upload. Revoke a key in the provider dashboard if it is exposed or no longer needed.
You can save this guide as a PDF using your browser’s Print → Save as PDF. Provider pages and account menus can change; the official links above are the reference for current access and billing.