Editing a previous generation tweaks the take instead of rewriting the brief
edit_previous_generation is a delta on something you already made. A new prompt from scratch is a different charge.
Editing a previous generation tweaks the take instead of rewriting the brief. Already made something close? Tweak it instead of starting over. edit_previous_generation takes a generation_id, a new_prompt that states the change, and an optional keep_style. remake_generation is the supporting redo: same brief, new sample. Using either as a fresh generate from a rewritten paragraph wastes credits by resampling every variable that was already right.
Edit or redo a previous generation is the named capability. You can say "that last one" or "the video from earlier." The agent resolves it from history. You do not need to paste an ID.
Two verbs, one capability
Edit when one thing is wrong and you can name it: warmer light, no text on the left, product faces camera. You state the delta. You do not restate the original brief.
Remake when the brief was fine and this roll was not. No new theory about the prompt. New sample, optionally a different model or more variation.
Restart is not this job. Restart is a new generate because the instruction was wrong. If you would not miss this take, you are not editing it.
Priced like a new generation on the model used. That is why the verb matters. An edit still costs a generation. It costs less risk than a rewrite that blows the composition. It does not cost nothing.
What wastes credits
A full prompt rewrite on an 80% result. You add golden hour, accidentally drop the product, and get a prettier picture of the wrong object. Two generations in, further from the target. The edit job exists to keep the fifteen things you did not complain about.
Extend, upscale, or restyle named as "fix it." Extend a video continues motion. Upscale a video raises resolution. A photo restyle from a new reference is a different image-edit. "Fix it" is not a tool. Name the object: this generation, this delta.
Editing a file that is not a generation. An upload, a slideshow slide, a timeline in the editor — those have their own edit paths. This capability is for something the agent already generated.
QC-as-edit. If you do not know whether it matched the prompt, get AI feedback on a generation first. Editing blind is a paid guess.
The test
Is the thing that is wrong in the output, or in the instruction?
Output-wrong, localized: edit. Output-wrong, unlucky roll: remake. Instruction-wrong: new generate. If you cannot point at a previous generation, you are not in this job yet. Find something I made before is the search. This is one named agent job. Using it for a different job wastes credits.
FAQ
Do I need the generation ID?
No. "That last image" or "the video from earlier" is enough. The agent resolves it. If it is older than this chat, describe the subject rather than hunting a UUID.
Is a remake cheaper than an edit?
Both are priced like a generation on the model used. Remake is not a discount. It is a different sampling choice. Pick it because the brief is right, not because it sounds free.
Can I change models on a remake?
Yes. Ask to remake with a different model. That is still this capability (remake_generation), not a new brief. If you also change what the shot is, you have restarted.
Why not always restart so I can "improve the prompt"?
Because a rewritten prompt is a fresh roll of every variable, including the ones that were already correct. Improve the prompt when the instruction was the defect. When the picture is the defect, edit or remake the picture.