Minimal API .NET 8 and DALL-E to Generate Images | Open AI dall-e-3 #openai

Minimal API .NET 8 and DALL-E to Generate Images | Open AI dall-e-3 #openai

In this article, we'll walk through the process of creating a minimal API using .NET 8 that leverages OpenAI's DALL-E to generate images based on user input. This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of .NET and API development. Let's get started!

Step 1: Creating a New .NET Project

First, we need to create a new .NET project:

dotnet new webapi -o ImageGenerationAPI
cd ImageGenerationAPI

Once created, clean up the Program.cs by removing unnecessary lines and dependencies:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
using OpenAI.Generator;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
var app = builder.Build();

app.MapPost("/generate-image", (ImageRequest request, ImageGeneratorClient client) => (
    var options = new GenerateOptions
    {
        Quality = ImageQuality.High,
        Size = ImageSize.Medium,
        Style = ImageStyle.Natural,
        ResponseFormat = ResponseFormat.Uri
    );
    var response = client.GenerateImageAsync(request.Input, options).Result;
    return Results.Ok(response);
});

app.Run();

class ImageRequest
(
    public string Input { get; set; )
}

Step 2: Setting Up OpenAI API Key

Next, generate and configure an API key from OpenAI:

1. Visit the OpenAI platform portal.
2. Generate an API key.
3. Copy and securely store the key (you can save it in an environment variable or configuration file):

var apiKey = "your-openai-api-key";
var client = new ImageGeneratorClient(apiKey);

Step 3: Adding Necessary Dependencies

Add the required NuGet package to the project:

dotnet add package OpenAI.Generator --version (latest-version)
dotnet restore

Replace (latest-version) with the latest version number available.

Step 4: Implementing the Image Generation Logic

Next, we set up the client and image generation options:

1. Create an instance of ImageGeneratorClient using the API key.
2. Define image generation options like quality, size, style, and response format.

Here's the complete code snippet for reference:

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
using OpenAI.Generator;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
builder.Services.AddSingleton(new ImageGeneratorClient("your-openai-api-key"));

var app = builder.Build();

app.MapPost("/generate-image", async (ImageRequest request, ImageGeneratorClient client) => (
    var options = new GenerateOptions
    {
        Quality = ImageQuality.High,
        Size = ImageSize.Medium,
        Style = ImageStyle.Natural,
        ResponseFormat = ResponseFormat.Uri
    );
    try 
    (
        var response = await client.GenerateImageAsync(request.Input, options);
        return Results.Ok(response);
    )
    catch (Exception ex)
    (
        return Results.Problem(ex.Message);
    )
});

app.Run();

class ImageRequest
(
    public string Input { get; set; )
}

Step 5: Running and Testing the API

Run the application:

dotnet run

Open your browser and navigate to /swagger to access the API documentation. Test the image generation endpoint by providing a description. For example, "cat inside a car with a laptop".

Example Output

The API will return an image URL. For instance, a generated image URL might point to an image of a cat inside a car with a laptop.

Conclusion

Integrating OpenAI's DALL-E with .NET 8 to generate images is straightforward. By following these steps, you can quickly set up a minimal API that generates images based on user input.

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Keywords

• .NET 8
• Minimal API
• OpenAI
• DALL-E
• Image Generation
• ASP.NET Core
• API Key
• NuGet Package

FAQ

Q: How do I start a new .NET 8 project for this tutorial? A: Use dotnet new webapi -o ImageGenerationAPI to create a new web API project and then navigate into the directory with cd ImageGenerationAPI.

Q: Where can I get an API key for OpenAI? A: You can generate an API key from the OpenAI platform portal.

Q: What version of the OpenAI.Generator package should I use? A: Always use the latest version. You can find the latest version on the NuGet package website.

Q: How do I test the API endpoint? A: Run the application with dotnet run and navigate to /swagger in your browser to test the API endpoint.

Q: What should I do if the image URL does not show the expected content? A: Ensure your input text is clear and descriptive. You might need to experiment with different descriptions to get better results.