# MiniMax H3 Max Camera Controls

> MiniMax H3 Max video from a start frame with scripted camera motion — 2-12 keyframes set the camera angle, height, and distance over time. Leave the prompt blank to freeze the scene and move only the camera. Up to 15s at 1080p.

## Overview

- **Model ID**: `minimax-h3-max-camera-controls`
- **Workflow**: `minimax/h3-max/camera-controls`
- **Provider**: MiniMax
- **Category**: Image → Video (video)
- **Output**: A video URL.
- **Tags**: camera controls, image input, 1080p, 5-15 sec
- **Unified endpoint**: `POST https://api.picsart.com/workflows/v1/models/execute` (model id in the body)
- **Compatibility endpoint**: `POST https://api.picsart.com/workflows/minimax/h3-max/camera-controls/execute` (vendor's own parameters)
- **Execution**: long-running — use the async submit/poll pair or the SDK, which polls for you
- **Model page**: https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls

## Pricing

Rates are in USD. Every row below is an exact rate for the settings it names — the columns are the settings that change the price for this model. Every response reports what was actually charged in `response.usage.credits`.

| Tier | Rate |
| --- | --- |
| 480p | $0.03 / sec |
| 768p | $0.048 / sec |
| 1080p | $0.096 / sec |

Published rates. Volume pricing, invoicing and annual agreements: https://picsart.com/api-platform/contact-sales

## Authentication

The SDK and the REST API authenticate with a Picsart API key sent as a bearer token. Create a key in the console at https://picsart.com/api-platform/dashboard/api-keys, keep it in a server-side environment variable, and never ship it in browser code or commit it.

```bash
export PICSART_API_KEY="YOUR_KEY"
```

```http
Authorization: Bearer $PICSART_API_KEY
```

The CLI and the MCP server do not use an API key: `gen-ai login` signs in through the browser once per machine and stores a token locally.

## Interfaces

- **SDK** — `@picsart/ai-sdk` (TypeScript, Node 20+, ESM). Type-safe `ai.generate()` / `ai.generateText()` with per-model parameter types; polls long jobs for you.
- **REST** — the API gateway at `https://api.picsart.com`. Sync `/execute`, or async `/submit` + `/{taskId}/result`.
- **CLI** — `@picsart/gen-ai` (`gen-ai`). Generate from a terminal, quote cost before spending, emit JSON for pipelines.
- **MCP** — the same models inside Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf and other MCP hosts. Setup: https://picsart.com/gen-ai-mcp/

```bash
npm install @picsart/ai-sdk      # SDK
npm install -g @picsart/gen-ai   # CLI (also drives the MCP server)
```

## Unified API (recommended)

One parameter set, used by the SDK and by REST alike: the names below are what `ai.generate('minimax-h3-max-camera-controls', …)` takes, and what goes inside the inner `params` of a REST call. Over REST the model id travels in the body, not the path — one workflow, `v1/models`, fronts the whole catalogue.

### Execution modes

- **Sync** — `POST /workflows/v1/models/execute` returns the result in one call. Only for jobs that finish within ~20 seconds; otherwise it times out.
- **Async** — `POST /workflows/v1/models/submit` returns a task id; poll `GET /workflows/v1/models/{taskId}/result` until `response.status` is `COMPLETED` or `FAILED`. Task statuses: `ACCEPTED` · `IN_PROGRESS` · `COMPLETED` · `FAILED`.
- **SDK** — `ai.generate()` always awaits the finished result; polling is hidden.

Video jobs routinely outrun the sync limit: use async over REST, or the SDK, which polls for you.

### Input parameters

- **`prompt`** (`string`, _optional_): Prompt
  - Max length: 50000 characters
  - e.g. "Optional — leave blank to freeze the scene and move only the camera..."
- **`startFrame`** (`string`, _required_): Start Frame
  - Accepts: image URL
- **`resolution`** (`string`, _optional_)
  - Default: `"480p"`
  - Options: `480p`, `768p`, `1080p`
- **`duration`** (`number`, _optional_)
  - Default: `5`
  - Range: 5–15 (step 1)
- **`cameraTrajectory`** (`object`, _optional_): Camera Trajectory
  - Fields: `time`, `azimuth`, `elevation`, `distance`
- **`promptExpansionMode`** (`string`, _optional_): Prompt Expansion
  - Default: `"balanced"`
  - Options: `balanced`, `quality`
- **`seed`** (`number`, _optional_)
  - Default: `-1`
  - Range: -1–2147483647
- **`enableSafetyChecker`** (`boolean`, _optional_): Safety Checker
  - Default: `true`

### Input JSON Schema

The inner `params` object. Over REST it is wrapped as `{ "params": { "model": "<id>", "params": <this> } }`; the SDK takes it directly.

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "startFrame"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "prompt": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 50000,
      "description": "Prompt"
    },
    "startFrame": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "uri",
      "description": "Start Frame"
    },
    "resolution": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "480p",
        "768p",
        "1080p"
      ],
      "default": "480p"
    },
    "duration": {
      "type": "number",
      "minimum": 5,
      "maximum": 15,
      "multipleOf": 1,
      "default": 5
    },
    "cameraTrajectory": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "time": {},
        "azimuth": {},
        "elevation": {},
        "distance": {}
      },
      "description": "Camera Trajectory"
    },
    "promptExpansionMode": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "balanced",
        "quality"
      ],
      "default": "balanced",
      "description": "Prompt Expansion"
    },
    "seed": {
      "type": "number",
      "minimum": -1,
      "maximum": 2147483647,
      "default": -1
    },
    "enableSafetyChecker": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": true,
      "description": "Safety Checker"
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}
```

### Required parameters example

The required parameters plus the defaults that shape the output, as a REST body:

```json
{
  "params": {
    "model": "minimax-h3-max-camera-controls",
    "params": {
      "prompt": "A serene mountain lake at golden hour, ultra detailed",
      "startFrame": "https://cdn.example.com/input.jpg",
      "resolution": "480p",
      "duration": 5
    }
  }
}
```

### Response

The body is the gateway's status envelope: the output is at `response.result`, next to the task id, its status and the credits charged. Asset models return `url` plus an `items` array of results.

```json
{
  "status": "success",
  "response": {
    "id": "task_abc123",
    "status": "COMPLETED",
    "result": {
      "url": "https://cdn.picsart.com/…/result",
      "items": [
        {
          "url": "https://cdn.picsart.com/…/result"
        }
      ],
      "model": "minimax-h3-max-camera-controls"
    }
  }
}
```

What `ai.generate()` / `ai.generateText()` resolve to (the envelope already unwrapped):

```json
{
  "items": [
    {
      "url": "https://cdn.picsart.com/…/result"
    }
  ],
  "model": "minimax-h3-max-camera-controls"
}
```

### Usage examples

#### TypeScript (SDK)

```typescript
import { createClient } from '@picsart/ai-sdk';

const ai = createClient({
  apiKey: process.env.PICSART_API_KEY,
  apiUrl: 'https://api.picsart.com',
});

const result = await ai.generate('minimax-h3-max-camera-controls', {
  prompt: "A serene mountain lake at golden hour, ultra detailed",
  startFrame: "https://cdn.example.com/input.jpg",
  resolution: "480p",
  duration: 5
});

console.log(result.url); // video URL
```

#### cURL (sync)

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.picsart.com/workflows/v1/models/execute' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $PICSART_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "params": {
    "model": "minimax-h3-max-camera-controls",
    "params": {
      "prompt": "A serene mountain lake at golden hour, ultra detailed",
      "startFrame": "https://cdn.example.com/input.jpg",
      "resolution": "480p",
      "duration": 5
    }
  }
}'
```

#### cURL (async: submit, then poll)

```bash
# 1. Submit the job
curl -X POST 'https://api.picsart.com/workflows/v1/models/submit' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $PICSART_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "params": {
    "model": "minimax-h3-max-camera-controls",
    "params": {
      "prompt": "A serene mountain lake at golden hour, ultra detailed",
      "startFrame": "https://cdn.example.com/input.jpg",
      "resolution": "480p",
      "duration": 5
    }
  }
}'
# → { "status": "success", "response": { "id": "task_abc123" } }

# 2. Poll until response.status is COMPLETED
curl 'https://api.picsart.com/workflows/v1/models/task_abc123/result' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $PICSART_API_KEY'
```

#### CLI

```bash
gen-ai login  # once per machine
gen-ai models info minimax-h3-max-camera-controls  # this model's parameters
gen-ai pricing minimax-h3-max-camera-controls  # quote before spending credits
gen-ai generate -m minimax-h3-max-camera-controls \
  -p "A serene mountain lake at golden hour" \
  -i ./input.jpg \
  -d 5
```

## Compatibility API (vendor parameters)

Alongside the unified API, the `minimax/h3-max/camera-controls` workflow takes MiniMax's own parameters exactly as the vendor defines them — nothing renamed or reshaped. It is the shortest path onto Picsart for request bodies already written against the vendor; the trade is that a request is written for one vendor, and the result comes back in the vendor's own shape. Same authentication.

- **Endpoint**: `POST https://api.picsart.com/workflows/minimax/h3-max/camera-controls/execute` (sync) · `POST …/submit` + `GET …/{taskId}/result` (async)
- **SDK**: `ai.apis.run('minimax/h3-max/camera-controls', params, { mode })` — params forwarded verbatim

### Vendor parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `seed` | `integer` | no | — | Random seed. A random seed is selected when omitted. |
| `image_url` | `string` | yes | — | URL of the image to use as the first frame. · min 1 chars · e.g. `https://storage.googleapis.com/falserverless/example_inputs/hailuo23/pro_i2v_in.jpg` |
| `enable_safety_checker` | `boolean` | no | `true` | If set to true, the safety checker will be enabled. |
| `prompt_expansion_mode` | `string` | yes | `balanced` | How much effort to spend rewriting the prompt before generation. 'disabled' skips prompt expansion. 'balanced' returns in about a second. 'quality' spends up to ~30s on a richer prompt. · e.g. `disabled` |
| `camera_trajectory` | `H3MaxCameraKeyframe[]` | no | — | Ordered camera keyframes. The first pose is held before its time and the final pose is held for the remainder of the video. Signed full turns are preserved, with at most 32 turns of total azimuth travel. · max 12 items · e.g. `[{"azimuth":0,"time":0,"elevation":0,"distance":1},{"azimuth":45,"time":0.3,"elevation":15,"distance":0.2},{"azimuth":90,"time":0.8,"elevation":-90,"distance":1}]` |
| └ `azimuth` | `number` | yes | — | Horizontal camera angle around the subject, in degrees. |
| └ `time` | `number` | yes | — | Normalized video time, from 0 at the start to 1 at the end. · 0–1 |
| └ `elevation` | `number` | yes | — | Vertical camera angle around the subject, in degrees. · -90–90 |
| └ `distance` | `number` | yes | — | Camera distance from the subject in normalized scene units. · > 0 |
| `resolution` | `string` | no | `480P` | The native generation resolution, or 1080P latent refinement from a native 768P source. · Options: `480P`, `768P`, `1080P` |
| `prompt` | `string` | no | `The same elements in the reference are rigid. Preserve every element exactly. The entire scene is frozen. Only the camera moves. no scene motion only camera motion` | Text prompt for video generation. When omitted or blank, defaults to preserving the frozen reference scene while only the camera moves. · max 50000 chars · e.g. `Orbit precisely around the subject while preserving its identity and the scene.` |
| `sync_mode` | `boolean` | no | `false` | Return the generated video as base64 instead of a CDN URL. |
| `duration` | `number` | no | `5` | Video length in seconds. The output can run up to about 0.7 s longer than requested. · 0.92–15 |
| `options` | `object` | no | — | Platform-specific options for safety checks and Picsart Drive integration. |
| └ `safety_checks` | `object` | no | — | Safety check configuration. |
| └   `enabled` | `boolean` | no | `true` | Enable or disable text safety checks. Defaults to true. |
| └ `drive` | `object` | no | — | Picsart Drive storage options. When provided, the result will be saved to the user's Drive. |
| └   `name` | `string` | yes | — | Filename to save the result as in Picsart Drive. |
| └   `attributes` | `object` | no | — | Additional file metadata attributes. |
| └   `folder` | `object` | no | — | Destination folder in Picsart Drive. |

### Example request body

```json
{
  "params": {
    "image_url": "https://storage.googleapis.com/falserverless/example_inputs/hailuo23/pro_i2v_in.jpg",
    "prompt_expansion_mode": "disabled",
    "prompt": "Orbit precisely around the subject while preserving its identity and the scene."
  }
}
```

### Usage examples

#### TypeScript (`ai.apis.run`)

```typescript
import { createClient, ApiRunMode } from '@picsart/ai-sdk';

const ai = createClient({
  apiKey: process.env.PICSART_API_KEY,
  apiUrl: 'https://api.picsart.com',
});

// Calls the 'minimax/h3-max/camera-controls' workflow directly — params are sent as-is.
const { result, usage } = await ai.apis.run('minimax/h3-max/camera-controls', {
  image_url: "https://storage.googleapis.com/falserverless/example_inputs/hailuo23/pro_i2v_in.jpg",
  prompt_expansion_mode: "disabled",
  prompt: "Orbit precisely around the subject while preserving its identity and the scene."
}, {
  mode: ApiRunMode.SYNC,
});

console.log(result); // workflow-specific output
console.log(usage?.credits); // amount charged, in $
```

#### cURL (sync)

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.picsart.com/workflows/minimax/h3-max/camera-controls/execute' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $PICSART_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "params": {
    "image_url": "https://storage.googleapis.com/falserverless/example_inputs/hailuo23/pro_i2v_in.jpg",
    "prompt_expansion_mode": "disabled",
    "prompt": "Orbit precisely around the subject while preserving its identity and the scene."
  }
}'
```

#### cURL (async: submit, then poll)

```bash
# 1. Submit the job
curl -X POST 'https://api.picsart.com/workflows/minimax/h3-max/camera-controls/submit' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $PICSART_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "params": {
    "image_url": "https://storage.googleapis.com/falserverless/example_inputs/hailuo23/pro_i2v_in.jpg",
    "prompt_expansion_mode": "disabled",
    "prompt": "Orbit precisely around the subject while preserving its identity and the scene."
  }
}'
# → { "status": "success", "response": { "id": "wf_abc123" } }

# 2. Poll until response.status is COMPLETED
curl 'https://api.picsart.com/workflows/minimax/h3-max/camera-controls/wf_abc123/result' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $PICSART_API_KEY'
```

### Response

Over HTTP the vendor-shaped result arrives inside the gateway envelope at `response.result`:

```json
{
  "status": "success",
  "response": {
    "id": "wf_abc123",
    "status": "COMPLETED",
    "result": {
      "timings": {},
      "video": {
        "file_name": "z9RV14K95DvU.png",
        "url": "https://cdn.picsart.com/…/result.mp4",
        "content_type": "image/png",
        "file_size": 4404019
      },
      "expanded_prompt": "…"
    }
  }
}
```

`ai.apis.run()` unwraps that envelope and resolves to `{ result, usage }`:

```json
{
  "result": {
    "timings": {},
    "video": {
      "file_name": "z9RV14K95DvU.png",
      "url": "https://cdn.picsart.com/…/result.mp4",
      "content_type": "image/png",
      "file_size": 4404019
    },
    "expanded_prompt": "…"
  }
}
```

## Additional resources

- Model page: https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls
- Try it: https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls/playground
- SDK: https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls/sdk
- REST API (unified): https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls/api
- Compatibility API (vendor parameters): https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls/advanced
- Pricing: https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls/pricing
- This document: https://picsart.com/api-platform/models/minimax-h3-max-camera-controls/llms.txt
- All models: https://picsart.com/api-platform/models
- Docs — quickstart https://picsart.com/api-platform/docs/quickstart, authentication https://picsart.com/api-platform/docs/authentication, SDK https://picsart.com/api-platform/docs/sdk, REST https://picsart.com/api-platform/docs/api-reference, CLI https://picsart.com/api-platform/docs/cli, MCP https://picsart.com/api-platform/docs/mcp
- CLI reference: https://picsart.github.io/picsart-mcp-cli-docs/guide/introduction