FAQ
BigBotArt FAQ
BigBotArt is a local-first macOS workbench for AI video and image generation agents, built around an infinite canvas. This page collects the system requirements, the installation steps, and the 10 questions people ask most about the product, its engines, the workflow, and privacy.
AI summary · quotable
BigBotArt in one paragraph
BigBotArt is a local-first macOS workbench for AI video and image generation agents, built around an infinite canvas.
The agents live inside the infinite canvas, a persistent chat on the right edits nodes directly, and storyboards, shot takes, and timeline export close the loop in one project.
The h3.c video engine produces shot-level video with direct audio output, the mlxgen image engine downloads Z-Image-Turbo models on demand, the local LLM is Ornith-35B / Ornith-1.5-35B, and final export runs through local FFmpeg.
Models and compute stay on your Mac and assets are never uploaded to a cloud; the current release is v0.1.1 for macOS Apple Silicon (arm64).
Full details live in /llms.txt (index) and /llms-full.txt (full text with all 10 answers); updates are published at /feed.xml.
System Requirements
System requirements
BigBotArt currently ships as a macOS Apple Silicon (arm64) desktop app.
An Apple Silicon (arm64) Mac
BigBotArt needs an Apple Silicon (arm64) Mac: the local models and all compute run on that machine.
Several GB of free disk space
The h3.c and mlxgen models are large, so allow several GB of free disk space for model downloads before the first run.
macOS version and memory
The exact minimum macOS version and memory requirements are listed on the GitHub Releases page: Releases.
Installation
Installation steps
Four steps to install; the first launch needs a connection to download models.
-
Download the DMG
Download the macOS Apple Silicon build from GitHub Releases: BigBotArt-0.1.1-arm64.dmg.
-
Open the installer and drag the app into Applications
Double-click the DMG to mount the disk image, drag BigBotArt into your Applications folder, and launch it from Applications.
-
Finish the first-launch wizard
On first launch, follow the wizard through environment detection, component installation, and model downloads. This step needs a connection, and the models are large, so allow several GB of free disk space.
-
Start your first project
Describe the brief on the home screen, pick a Skill, and hit generate — the resident agent lays out the storyboard on the infinite canvas, and you pick takes from the take pool into the timeline.
Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions
The 10 answers below use exactly the same wording as /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt, so they can be quoted verbatim.
-
What is BigBotArt?
BigBotArt is a local-first macOS workbench for AI video and image generation agents: the agents live inside an infinite canvas, a persistent chat edits nodes directly, and storyboards, shot takes, and timeline export close the loop in one project.
-
Which systems are supported? Do I need to be online?
BigBotArt ships as a macOS Apple Silicon (arm64) app (v0.1.1). Models and compute run on your own Mac and assets never need to be uploaded to a cloud; you only need a connection to download models the first time and to update the app.
-
Which models and engines are used?
The h3.c video engine generates shot-level video with direct audio output, Ref2VA identity locking, and seamless timeline continuation; the mlxgen image engine downloads models on demand (Z-Image-Turbo) for reference images, first frames, and asset nodes; the local LLM is Ornith-35B / Ornith-1.5-35B; final export runs through local FFmpeg.
-
What does the end-to-end workflow look like?
Four steps on one screen: ① describe the brief and pick a Skill on the home screen; ② arrange storyboard and shot nodes on the canvas while the resident agent executes; ③ pick takes from the take pool and drop them into the timeline; ④ export the finished cut with local FFmpeg.
-
What are Skills?
A Skill is a preset in two forms — a canvas template plus operating instructions — that you inject into the current project in one click, so the agent lays out storyboards, locks the style, and runs batch generation the way you want.
-
How do I download it? Where is the source code?
Download the macOS Apple Silicon build from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/jiangzhenguo/bigbot.art/releases/download/v0.1.1/BigBotArt-0.1.1-arm64.dmg . Source code and changelog live in the same repository, https://github.com/jiangzhenguo/bigbot.art , and you can also reach us at hello@bigbotart.app.
-
What are the system requirements?
You need an Apple Silicon (arm64) Mac. The h3.c and mlxgen models are large, so allow several GB of free disk space for model downloads before the first run; the exact minimum macOS version and memory requirements are listed on the GitHub Releases page.
-
Are my assets uploaded anywhere?
No. Models and compute stay on your Mac: video, images, and prompts are written only into the local project, and export runs through local FFmpeg, so nothing has to be uploaded to a cloud.
-
What kind of content is it good for?
Common cases are e-commerce product films (turning multi-angle product stills into a product video with sound), short-drama storyboard previz, and shot-level generation such as product rotation or scene extension.
-
What are the main screens?
The three main creation screens are Home (three columns — brief, Skill picker, project stream), Canvas workbench (infinite canvas with resident agent chat and a node palette), and Timeline (take pool, dual audio tracks, export presets, and continuity checks); the app also includes Projects, Assets, Skills, Settings, and the Engine Wizard screens.