Frequently Asked Questions
This page covers common account, creation, task, and troubleshooting questions for the unified platform. Start with Getting Started. Current model capabilities are shown in the settings page.
What are the capability boundaries?
- The platform centrally schedules upstream media models; availability, speed, and policy vary by current capability state.
- Long-form work still needs review of episodes, assets, and key story beats.
- Video models differ in reference images, duration, first/last frames, audio, and regional support.
- Regular users do not install servers, maintain databases, or configure provider keys. The platform operates HTTPS, storage, backups, and resources.
Registration, sign-in, and platform service
How do regular users start?
Register or sign in with a unified platform account using an email verification code. The account center manages profile, password reset, and sessions. Open Zai from the home page and provide an idea, long text, source file, image attachment, or product goal.
What if the platform page or request fails?
Check your session, platform status, and network. Record the request/task ID shown by the page; inspect a task error for a single-project failure, or contact platform support for persistent errors. Never upload environment files or paste keys into chat.
What is the default account? How do I reset a password?
Sign in with the email used for registration. Use the login page to request a verification code and reset the password. Contact support if email delivery or session security is abnormal.
How are platform updates handled? Will projects disappear?
The platform team handles releases, migrations, backups, and rollback. Releases verify projects, tasks, versions, and exports; users do not operate servers. Provide project and task IDs if an update causes an issue.
Where are projects and configuration stored?
The platform team backs up database, project metadata, media, task audits, and required configuration. A project ZIP is for single-project transfer or post-production and does not include accounts, subscriptions, credits, global model configuration, or platform audits.
Creation assistant
What credentials do I need?
Only a unified platform account is required. Zai dialogue, text/image/video/TTS capabilities, credits, and task resources are platform-managed; provider credentials, routing, and concurrency are administrator concerns.
How do I start or resume creation?
Open Zai on the home page or inside a project and say what you want, “start production,” or “continue.” It checks project state, resumes unfinished stages, and waits at script, asset, or storyboard review gates.
What should I do about old Agent startup errors?
Messages such as Failed to start Claude Code or Control request timeout are not user deployment steps. Record the request/task ID and time and contact support; operators use the internal bridge runbook.
Providers, models, and APIs
Which providers and models are supported?
Use the current model list and capability flags in settings. A connected provider does not make every model or input available; capabilities are checked per model.
How should I fill in a Base URL?
Regular users do not fill in a Base URL. Administrators configure endpoints using restricted runbooks and official provider contracts.
How do I add a custom provider?
Custom providers are not exposed to regular users. Platform administrators perform security review, capability registration, real-task validation, and cancellation/retry checks.
What if a model is missing or returns model_not_found?
The platform runtime registry controls the model list. Record the project, task, and time and contact support; administrators then verify declaration, permissions, and endpoint.
Why can a connection test pass while generation fails?
A connection test covers basic connectivity, not a real media generation. Check the selected model, reference inputs, and task error, then contact support if it persists.
What about 401/403, 429, or a timeout?
Record the request/task ID and time. Operators inspect credentials, permissions, queue, concurrency, network, and upstream state. A read timeout can mean the upstream task was already created; do not blindly resubmit.
Projects and tasks
How do modes and routes work? Can I change them?
Content mode (drama, narration, or ad) controls script structure and can be adjusted in project settings. The generation route (storyboard or reference_video) is immutable after creation. Grid is an option within the storyboard route, not a third route.
Which source formats are supported?
.txt, .md, .docx, .epub, and .pdf are supported. Home and project conversations also accept long text and image attachments. Sources are persisted before you choose extraction, summarization, normalization, or reference-only handling. OCR scanned PDFs first; convert legacy .doc to .docx.
Why can’t the next stage start?
Check script preprocessing and review, asset definitions and images, required storyboards or references, and running tasks. The timeline, source page, and task error identify the missing prerequisite more precisely than a stage number.
What should I do when a task queues, fails, cancels, or the service recovers?
Image, video, and audio use independent channels. Cancellation and recovery rebuild only cancelled or missing child tasks and reuse completed work. After an interruption, the platform resumes work with an upstream task ID when possible. Retry only the affected work; selected reruns create a new version for review before activation.
Visuals, video, and sound
How do I improve character consistency?
Review identity traits and front/side/back/head-and-shoulders character views first. The global asset library supports search, paging, reuse, and association. Regenerate a view or the set, or restore a definition from history; existing media is never silently overwritten.
How do I keep adjacent shots coherent?
Lock assets and storyboards first, and keep place, time, clothing, and character descriptions consistent. Storyboard routes use adjacent storyboard continuity; important transitions can use a model with last-frame support or post-production.
How do first and last frames work?
The storyboard image is the first frame on a storyboard route. A last frame works only when the selected model declares support. Changing a frame does not update an existing video automatically.
Why is a person in a scene design?
Scene prompts request no people, but image models may not fully comply. Regenerate or edit the scene image; scene designs and storyboards have different purposes.
Does ZaiDrama support voice-over?
Standalone narration TTS is available for narration mode. When available, the presentation player can switch between native audio and project TTS and show subtitles.
Credits, data, and export
Where can I see credits and usage?
The account center shows subscription, credits, and usage; projects and tasks retain call details. Validate a few shots before batch generation and review each gate before expanding.
How does a project ZIP differ from a platform backup?
A project ZIP exports one project and optional version history. It excludes accounts, subscriptions, credits, global model configuration, other projects, and platform task audits; the platform team owns disaster recovery.
Why is a clip missing from an export?
Exports include successful resources recorded in the project manifest. Inspect the task error, fill only the missing work, and download again.
Is there a mobile app?
ZaiDrama is a unified web platform without a standalone iOS or Android app. Mobile browsers can access it, but complex timeline editing and batch production are better on desktop.
Can I use or modify it commercially?
ZaiDrama is released under AGPL-3.0, with attribution and modification notices in NOTICE. The ZaiDrama name and logo are not covered by AGPL-3.0.
Quality and credit best practices
- Test a few shots for style, references, duration, and policy limits.
- Confirm characters, scenes, and props before batch storyboards.
- Keep adjacent-shot descriptions consistent.
- Reference only assets needed by the shot.
- Use last-frame models or post-production for important transitions.
- Use account credits and task details to define a safe production scope.