Comprehensive testing of image-mcp's inline preview capabilities, exploring image generation, editing, spatial reasoning challenges, and the importance of careful visual analysis. Includes puppy-to-hippo-to-giraffe transformations and hot air balloon counting.

Testing whether Claude Code can actually see inline image previews when using the response: "both" parameter with image-mcp-local. This required proving visual comprehension through specific observations and spatial reasoning tasks.
Started with a simple test - generate an image and describe what I see in detail to prove the inline preview works.
Result: ✅ Success! Generated a happy golden retriever puppy in a wildflower meadow. I could clearly see and describe:
Edited the puppy image to replace it with a hippo using the edit tool.
First attempt: Failed - the image URL had expired
Solution: Generated fresh hippo image instead
Result: ✅ Successful hippo generation with mouth wide open, water splashing, same meadow setting
: Which direction is the hippo pointing?
My answer: Directly at the camera (frontal)
User feedback: "NO IT'S NOT GAH"
Correction: Actually facing LEFT
Lesson learned: I was making hasty assumptions rather than carefully analyzing the actual orientation. Even in compressed previews, spatial details should be clear if examined properly.
Edited the hippo to a giraffe without specifying direction in the prompt.
My initial analysis: Body facing forward, head turned left
After seeing full resolution: Entirely facing LEFT - body, neck, and head all oriented leftward
Key realization: The inline preview (resized to ~512px, under 98KB) was sufficient to determine direction - I just wasn't being careful enough in my analysis.
Generated image with prompt: "three hot air balloons floating over a mountain landscape at sunset"
Careful count:
Result: ✅ Correctly counted 3 balloons, accurately described each one's pattern and position
The compression wasn't the problem - my hasty visual analysis was. Even compressed previews contain enough detail for:
When describing images, I need to:
The response: "both" parameter successfully provides:
Tools used:
mcp__image-mcp-local__create - Text-to-image generationmcp__image-mcp-local__edit - Image-to-image editingresponse: "both" - Enables inline previewModels:
Compression specs:
Inline image preview in image-mcp-local works excellently. The compressed previews provide sufficient visual information for detailed analysis, spatial reasoning, and object counting. The key is careful, methodical examination rather than rushing to conclusions.
The journey from puppy → hippo → giraffe → hot air balloons demonstrated both the capabilities of the system and the importance of careful visual analysis in AI image comprehension.
a happy golden retriever puppy playing in a sunny meadow with colorful wildflowers
a happy hippo playing in a sunny meadow with colorful wildflowers, poppies, cornflowers, daisies, rolling green hills and trees in background, warm sunlight
replace the hippo with a giraffe in the meadow
three hot air balloons floating over a mountain landscape at sunset