Quick Start

This guide will help you install Renku, set up your workspace, configure API keys, and generate your first AI-powered video.

Prerequisites

Before installing Renku, ensure you have:

• Node.js 18+ - Download from nodejs.org
• pnpm - Install with npm install -g pnpm

Installation

Install the Renku CLI globally:

npm install -g @renku/cli

Verify the installation:

renku --version

Create a Workspace

Initialize a new Renku workspace:

renku init --root-folder=/path/to/your/workspace

For example:

renku init --root-folder=~/renku-projects

This creates:

• ~/.config/renku/cli-config.json - Configuration file
• {workspace}/builds/ - Directory for generated movie outputs
• {workspace}/catalog/blueprints/ - Bundled blueprint templates

Configure API Keys

Renku uses multiple AI providers. You’ll need API keys for the providers used by your chosen blueprint.

Required Providers

Most blueprints require:

Provider	Purpose	Get API Key
OpenAI	Script generation, prompt creation	platform.openai.com
Replicate	Video, audio, image generation	replicate.com

Optional providers:

• fal.ai - Alternative video/image models
• ElevenLabs - High-quality voice synthesis

Set Environment Variables

Create a .env file in your workspace or export variables directly:

# Required
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
export REPLICATE_API_TOKEN=r8_...

# Optional
export FAL_KEY=...
export ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=...

Run Your First Blueprint

1. Choose a Blueprint

List available blueprints:

renku blueprints:list

For this tutorial, we’ll use the audio-only blueprint which generates narrated audio segments.

2. Create an Inputs File

Each blueprint has an input template. Copy it to create your inputs file:

cp {workspace}/catalog/blueprints/audio-only/input-template.yaml ./my-inputs.yaml

Edit my-inputs.yaml with your content:

inputs:
  InquiryPrompt: "Explain the water cycle for middle school students"
  Duration: 60
  NumOfSegments: 3
  VoiceId: "Wise_Woman"
  Emotion: "neutral"

3. Validate with Dry Run

Before using real API credits, validate your setup with a dry run:

renku generate \
  --inputs=./my-inputs.yaml \
  --blueprint={workspace}/catalog/blueprints/audio-only/audio-only.yaml \
  --dry-run

The dry run:

• Validates your blueprint and inputs
• Shows the execution plan
• Creates mock artifacts (no API calls)

4. Run Full Generation

When you’re ready, run the full generation:

renku generate \
  --inputs=./my-inputs.yaml \
  --blueprint={workspace}/catalog/blueprints/audio-only/audio-only.yaml

Watch as Renku:

1. Generates a narration script using OpenAI
2. Creates audio for each segment using your chosen voice
3. Saves all artifacts to the build directory

5. View the Results

Open the generated content in the viewer:

renku viewer:view --last

This starts a local viewer server and opens your browser to preview the generated content.

Understanding the Output

After generation, your workspace contains:

{workspace}/
├── builds/
│   └── movie-{id}/
│       ├── blobs/           # Generated files (audio, images, etc.)
│       ├── manifests/       # Artifact metadata
│       ├── events/          # Execution logs
│       └── runs/            # Execution plans
└── movies/
    └── movie-{id}/          # Friendly view with symlinks
        ├── Script.txt       # Generated narration script
        ├── Segment_0.mp3    # Audio for segment 0
        ├── Segment_1.mp3    # Audio for segment 1
        └── Segment_2.mp3    # Audio for segment 2

The movies/ directory contains human-readable symlinks to your generated content.

Next Steps

You’ve successfully generated your first AI video content with Renku!

Explore More Blueprints

Try other bundled blueprints:

renku blueprints:list
renku blueprints:describe {workspace}/catalog/blueprints/video-only/video-only.yaml

Learn the Workflow

Read the Usage Guide to learn:

• How to edit and iterate on generated content
• Using layer-by-layer generation for cost control
• Browsing available models and producers

Deep Dive

For advanced users:

• CLI Reference - Complete command documentation
• Blueprint Authoring - Create custom workflows

Troubleshooting

Missing API Credentials

Error: OPENAI_API_KEY not found

Solution: Export your API key or add it to a .env file in your workspace.

Blueprint Not Found

Error: Blueprint file not found

Solution: Use the full path to the blueprint file. After renku init, blueprints are in {workspace}/catalog/blueprints/.

Provider Rate Limits

If you hit rate limits, wait a few minutes and try again. Consider using --up-to-layer to generate in stages.

Dry Run Works, Real Run Fails

Check that:

1. All required API keys are set
2. Your API accounts have sufficient credits
3. The model names in the inputs file are valid

Run renku producers:list --blueprint=<path> to see available models and check for missing tokens.