Getting Started
This page does one thing: get you from downloading Nephele to quickly finding out whether it fits into your illustration workflow.
技巧
You can try it free first. Downloading and the first run don't require payment; once you log in you get a daily cloud AI trial quota, and the local tools can be run right away too.
Before you download
These few items are all you need to check:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 / 11 64-bit |
| RAM | 8 GB minimum, 16 GB recommended |
| Disk | At least 8 GB free |
| Network | Required for first launch, login, and cloud AI features |
| GPU | DirectX 11 or OpenGL 3.3+ |
The installer is about 300 MB. The AI image models (auto-tagging, reverse image search, semantic search, etc.) download on demand at install time or first use, so you can fetch only the parts you need.
Install
- Download the latest
NepheleWorkshop-Setup-<version>.exefrom the home page. - Run the installer, pick a language (中文 / English), and follow the wizard.
- Launch it from the desktop shortcut, the Start menu, or
Win + R→NepheleWorkshop.
Nephele installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\NepheleWorkshop and needs no administrator rights. To uninstall, find "Nephele Workshop" under Windows Settings → Apps, or "Add/Remove Programs" in the Control Panel.
提示
The beta hasn't purchased a commercial code-signing certificate yet. Windows may show "Unknown publisher" — that's the code-signing status, not a sign the installer is from an untrusted source. Only download from nephele.arisfusion.com.
First launch
The first launch can take 10–30 seconds, because the app initializes the QML interface and the browser engine. An SSD makes this much faster.
On startup you'll go through:
- Welcome — a short intro to what Nephele does.
- Privacy consent — anonymous analytics are optional; turning them off doesn't affect features.
- Log in / sign up — only an email is required, no phone number. After login it reads your trial quota and license status automatically.
The app does not perform any account authentication before you accept the privacy terms. Networked features like cloud AI, login, and update checks require you to explicitly enter their respective flows.
Watch the Quick Start demo first
The first time you enter the workshop, a Quick Start entry appears in the top-right; the first launch also nudges you toward it.
This isn't an ordinary tutorial — it's a pre-recorded Cloud MAX demo: open it to watch Nephele break down a task, call tools, and pop up a result picker, all in the real interface. The demo uses no compute and can be closed at any time.
The two most worth watching first:
1. Multi-task reference hunting
Give it an image, and Nephele works through a task queue in order:
- Reverse-search the image's origin
- Confirm the original author
- Pull that artist's recent work
- Recommend artists with a similar style
This demo is good for seeing Nephele's core value: it doesn't just answer one line — it can chain together a sequence of tasks like "who drew this, what other references exist, who are similar artists."
Related docs: Reverse Image Search, Finding References, Talking to Nephele.
2. Finding reference images
Type something like "find me some Hatsune Miku reference images on Pixiv," and Nephele searches Pixiv, filters out a well-matched set, and pops up a picker.
This demo is good for seeing the everyday inspiration workflow: you only give keywords, and Nephele handles finding, filtering, and displaying — after which you can keep asking it to find similar ones, switch platforms, or refine the keywords.
Related docs: Finding References, Reference Board & 3D Preview, Library Indexing.
技巧
After the demo, go back to the workspace and try once with your own keywords or image. That's an easier way to understand how Nephele works than reading the feature list first.
Finding features in the main interface
| Location | Name | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Left nav | Workspace | Talk to Nephele; the Agent does the work |
| Left nav | Toolbox | The entry grid for every tool |
| Window bottom | Library | Browse local files and your Eagle library |
| Toolbox · page 1 | Creation Review | Work review, improvement directions, and market reference |
| Toolbox · page 1 | Digital Certification | Issue timestamps, generate forensic reports |
| Toolbox · page 1 | Publish & Pack | Multi-spec image output + watermarks |
| Toolbox · page 1 | Rights Evidence | Lock down infringement evidence |
| Toolbox · page 2 | Reverse Image Search | Trace an image's source and repost trail |
| Toolbox · page 2 | Library Indexing | Batch-tag your Eagle library |
| Toolbox · page 2 | Style DNA | 5-dimension style analysis, generate an artist identity card |
| Toolbox · page 2 | Aggregate Upload | Multi-platform publishing copy |
| Double-tap Ctrl | Astrolabe Quick Wheel | Quickly open the app, switch views, visit platforms |
| Toolbar top-right | "?" Guide assistant | Ask "how does this feature work" on the fly — a lightweight model answers free, escalating to the Agent when needed |
| Left nav | Settings | Account, proxy, library indexing, Eagle library path |
Frequently used tools show up automatically in the "Recent" area of the left nav, so you don't have to dig through the Toolbox every time.
FAQ
Q: Can I use it offline?
The first launch and login require a connection. After verification, the app caches license info and supports an offline grace period of up to 3 days. Local tools (library indexing, tagging, reverse image search, semantic search, watermarking, certification, file operations) run on embedded local AI models and work offline; only natural-language conversation with Nephele, account verification, and update checks need a connection.
Q: How much can I do without cloud AI?
The vast majority. Nephele embeds several local AI models (PixAI Tagger for tagging, EVA02 for reverse image search, multilingual semantic retrieval, AI-credential detection, etc.) — tagging, indexing, image search, semantic retrieval, watermarking, certification, rights protection, and file processing all run on your machine and work offline. What needs a connection is mainly the Agent capabilities: natural-language conversation with Nephele (having it plan tasks, call tools, search the web).
Q: Why is the first launch slow?
The first launch initializes the QML components and the browser engine. The AI image models are lazy-loaded — they only download or load the first time you use auto-tagging, similar-image search, or semantic retrieval.
Q: What if the app crashes or shows a white screen?
Update your GPU driver first. If that doesn't help, submit diagnostics from Self-check & Feedback, or email [email protected].
Next steps
- Feature Overview — see which illustration workflows Nephele covers
- Talking to Nephele — learn how to give the Agent instructions
- Pricing & Payment — trial, license, cloud credits, and refund rules
- How I handle your data — privacy, telemetry, and data boundaries
- Security Overview — the full chain of certification, invisible watermark, reverse search, and evidence