🧠 AI - Antigravity - Credit usage (2026 Edition)#

Managing AI usage in 2026 requires balancing three distinct “wallets” provided by the Google AI Pro subscription. This note outlines how to maximize uptime and minimize credit burn while working on complex projects like Epic 3.

📂 The Three Wallets#

The Weekly Lockout: If your total usage over 7 days exceeds a hidden threshold, the 5-hour refill stops, and you are locked out for several days. This is when you must tap into your Credits or Cloud balance.

🛠️ How to use the $10 Developer Credit#

The $10 credit is the most valuable because it is “Use it or Lose it” every month. Use this before touching your 1,000 AI credits.

Step 1: Claim the Benefit#

1. Visit the Google Developer Program Benefits.
2. Click Redeem on the “Cloud Credits” tile.
3. Apply it to your primary Google Cloud billing account.

Step 2: Connect to Antigravity#

1. In Antigravity, go to Settings > Models.
2. Scroll to Custom API Integration.
3. Select Google Vertex AI.
4. Enter your Project ID.
5. Antigravity will now bill your “High Reasoning” tasks to that $10 credit instead of your personal AI credits.

📈 Optimization Strategy: The “High-Low” Method#

To avoid burning your ~$15 CAD (1,000 credits) too quickly:

Phase 1: The Architect (High Cost)#

• Model: Gemini 3.1 Pro (High)
• Mode: Planning Mode
• Goal: Analyze Mission.md, define Epics, and handle complex SwiftData logic.
• Credit Tip: Use the $10 Cloud Credit for this phase.

Phase 2: The Worker (Medium Cost)#

• Model: Gemini 3.1 Pro (Low)
• Mode: Fast Mode
• Goal: Execute code fixes (e.g., adding Codable to enums).
• Credit Tip: This is the “daily driver.” Switch to this the moment the plan is approved.

Phase 3: The Polisher (Low Cost)#

• Model: Gemini 3 Flash
• Mode: Fast Mode
• Goal: Writing documentation, CSS tweaks, or fixing typos.
• Credit Tip: Flash costs ~0.01 credits per prompt. Use it for everything that doesn’t require “deep thinking.”

💡 Pro-Tips for Obsidian Users#

• Chat Recycling: Start a new chat for every new Phase or Epic. Long chats increase the “Input Token” bill exponentially because the AI re-reads everything in the history for every new message.
• Visual Context: Uploading a screenshot costs only 258 tokens (~0.005 credits). It is much cheaper than writing a long explanation of a UI bug.
• The Overage Toggle: In Antigravity Settings, set AI Credit Overages to “Always” only when you have a deadline. Otherwise, keep it on “Never” to prevent accidental background credit burn.

📋 Current Project Status: Epic 3#

• SwiftData Models Audit (Codable conformance)
• ExportManager Implementation