Generate Images with Microsoft Foundry — foundry

Generate images with an image-generation deployment such as a GPT-image-series model. Returns a tibble with base64-encoded image data, a URL only if a legacy deployment returned one, and metadata about the generation.

Usage

foundry_image(
  prompt,
  model = NULL,
  n = 1L,
  size = "1024x1024",
  quality = NULL,
  style = NULL,
  response_format = NULL,
  output_format = NULL,
  output_compression = NULL,
  background = NULL,
  moderation = NULL,
  api = c("v1", "deployment"),
  api_key = NULL,
  token = NULL,
  api_version = NULL
)

Arguments

prompt: Character. A text description of the desired image(s).
model: Character. The image-generation deployment name, for example a GPT-image-series deployment. Defaults to the environment variable AZURE_FOUNDRY_IMAGE_MODEL.
n: Integer. Number of images to generate (1-10). Default: 1.
size: Character. The size of the generated image(s). This version of foundryR accepts "auto", "1024x1024", "1536x1024", and "1024x1536" for GPT-image models. GPT-Image-2 and GPT-Image-2.5 support custom dimensions in the service, but this version validates only these fixed sizes. Older "256x256", "512x512", "1792x1024", and "1024x1792" sizes applied to retired DALL-E models.
quality: Character. The quality of the image. GPT-image models support "auto", "low", "medium", and "high". "standard" and "hd" applied to retired DALL-E 3 deployments. GPT-Image-2.5 also supports "xhigh" and "max" in the service, but this version of foundryR does not yet accept those values.
style: Character. Optional DALL-E style, "vivid" or "natural". DALL-E models were retired by Azure on March 4, 2026; this argument is kept for compatibility with legacy deployments.
response_format: Character. Optional legacy DALL-E response format, "url" or "b64_json". DALL-E models were retired by Azure on March 4, 2026; GPT-image models return base64 image data.
output_format: Character. Optional v1 image output format, "png", "jpeg", or "webp".
output_compression: Integer. Optional v1 compression level from 0 to 100 for "jpeg" or "webp" output.
background: Character. Optional v1 background mode: "transparent", "opaque", or "auto".
moderation: Character. Optional v1 moderation level: "low" or "auto".
api: Character. API shape to use. "v1" uses /openai/v1/images/generations; "deployment" uses the legacy /openai/deployments/{deployment}/images/generations endpoint.
api_key: Character. Optional API key override.
token: Character. Optional bearer token override.
api_version: Character. Optional API version override.

Value

A tibble with columns:

prompt: Character. The original prompt provided.
revised_prompt: Character. Revised prompt when the service returns one, usually NA for GPT-image models.
url: Character. URL to the generated image, NA unless a legacy deployment returns a URL.
b64_json: Character. Base64-encoded image data.
output_format: Character. Requested or returned output format.
created: POSIXct. Timestamp when the image was created.
raw_image: List. Raw image object returned by the service.

Details

Model Requirements: The model parameter must be an image-capable deployment such as a GPT-image-series deployment. Chat models cannot generate images. Azure retired DALL-E 3 on March 4, 2026; see https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/foundry/openai/how-to/dall-e.

Size Availability:

GPT-image models in this version of foundryR: auto, 1024x1024, 1536x1024, 1024x1536.
GPT-Image-2 and GPT-Image-2.5 support custom dimensions in the service, but this version validates only the fixed sizes above.
Retired DALL-E models used older sizes such as 256x256, 512x512, 1792x1024, and 1024x1792.

GPT-image results are returned as base64 image data. Use foundry_save_image() to decode and write them to disk; saving base64 data requires the base64enc package.

Examples

if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
# Requires a configured Azure image endpoint and credentials,
# plus an image-generation deployment.
# Generate a single image
result <- foundry_image("A sunset over mountains", model = "gpt-image-2")

# View the base64 image data
result$b64_json

# Generate a smaller JPEG output
result <- foundry_image(
  "A futuristic cityscape",
  model = "gpt-image-2",
  quality = "low",
  output_format = "jpeg",
  output_compression = 60
)

# Save an image to disk
result <- foundry_image("A cat wearing a hat", model = "gpt-image-2")
local({
  path <- tempfile(fileext = ".png")
  on.exit(unlink(path))
  foundry_save_image(result, path)
})
} # }