modbender VLM Run CLI
Chat with VLM Run's Orion visual AI agent via CLI.
Setup
uv venv && source .venv/bin/activate
uv pip install "vlmrun[cli]"
Environment Variables
You must load the following variables in your environment so that the CLI can use them. You may load the ./env file to your environment.
| Variable | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
VLMRUN_API_KEY |
Required | Your VLM Run API key (required) |
VLMRUN_BASE_URL |
Optional | Base URL (default: https://agent.vlm.run/v1) |
VLMRUN_CACHE_DIR |
Optional | Cache directory (default: ~/.vlmrun/cache/artifacts/) |
Command
vlmrun chat "<prompt>" -i input.jpg [options]
Options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-p, --prompt |
Prompt text, file path, or stdin |
-i, --input |
Input file(s) - images, videos, docs (repeatable) |
-o, --output |
Artifact directory (default: ~/.vlmrun/cache/artifacts/) |
-m, --model |
vlmrun-orion-1:fast, vlmrun-orion-1:auto (default), vlmrun-orion-1:pro |
-s, --session |
Optional session ID to continue a previous session |
-j, --json |
Raw JSON output |
-ns, --no-stream |
Disable streaming |
-nd, --no-download |
Skip artifact download |
Examples
Images
vlmrun chat "Describe what you see in this image in detail" -i photo.jpg
vlmrun chat "Detect and list all objects visible in this scene" -i scene.jpg
vlmrun chat "Extract all text and numbers from this document image" -i document.png
vlmrun chat "Compare these two images and describe the differences" -i before.jpg -i after.jpg
Image Generation
vlmrun chat "Generate a photorealistic image of a cozy cabin in a snowy forest at sunset" -o ./generated
vlmrun chat "Remove the background from this product image and make it transparent" -i product.jpg -o ./output
Video
vlmrun chat "Summarize the key points discussed in this meeting video" -i meeting.mp4
vlmrun chat "Find the top 3 highlight moments and create short clips from them" -i sports.mp4
vlmrun chat "Transcribe this lecture with timestamps for each section" -i lecture.mp4 --json
Video Generation
vlmrun chat "Generate a 5-second video of ocean waves crashing on a rocky beach at golden hour" -o ./videos
vlmrun chat "Create a smooth slow-motion video from this image" -i ocean.jpg -o ./output
Documents
vlmrun chat "Extract the vendor name, line items, and total amount" -i invoice.pdf --json
vlmrun chat "Summarize the key terms and obligations in this contract" -i contract.pdf
Prompt Sources
# Direct prompt
vlmrun chat "What objects and people are visible in this image?" -i photo.jpg
# Prompt from file
vlmrun chat -p long_prompt.txt -i photo.jpg
# Prompt from stdin
echo "Describe this image in detail" | vlmrun chat - -i photo.jpg
Continuing a previous session
If you want to keep the past conversation and generated artifacts in context, you can use the -s flag to continue a previous session using the session ID generated when you started the session.
# Start a new session of an image generation task where a new character is generated
vlmrun chat "Create an iconic scene of a ninja in a forest, practicing his skills with a katana?" -i photo.jpg
# Use the previous chat session in context to retain the same character and scene context (where the session ID is <session_id>)
vlmrun chat "Create a new scene with the same character meditating under a tree" -i photo.jpg -s <session_id>
Skipping artifact download
If you want to skip the artifact download, you can use the -nd flag.
vlmrun chat "What objects and people are visible in this image?" -i photo.jpg -nd
Notes
- Use
-o ./<directory>to save generated artifacts (images, videos) relative to your current working directory - Without
-o, artifacts save to~/.vlmrun/cache/artifacts/<session_id>/ - Multiple input files upload concurrently