How to Download and Use Custom Models in ComfyUI: A Comprehensive Guide

When working with AI image generation, the flexibility to use custom models is crucial for achieving desired results. If you’ve deployed the ComfyUI: Stable Diffusion AI Image Generation Made Simple VM solution provided by Techlatest.net, this guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of downloading and using new models or checkpoints.

By default, the VM comes preloaded with the SDXL Base 1.0 checkpoint model. However, the real power of ComfyUI lies in its ability to work with various other models. Let’s explore how you can download, install, and start using custom models in your ComfyUI setup.

Table of Contents

1. Prerequisites
2. Connecting to the SSH Terminal
3. Navigating to the Checkpoints Directory
4. Downloading Custom Models
5. Refreshing ComfyUI to Load the New Model
6. Troubleshooting Common Issues
7. Final Thoughts

Prerequisites

The concepts and demos used in this blogpost require ComfyUI setup.

If you are looking to setup ComfyUI, Techlatest.net provides out of the box setup of ComfyUI on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.

Please follow the below links for the step-by-step guide to set up ComfyUI on your choice of cloud platform.

For ComfyUI: AWS, GCP & Azure.

• You’ve deployed the ComfyUI VM solution from Techlatest.net.
• Access credentials for SSH are available.
• You have a stable internet connection to download models.

Understanding Model Types

Before diving into the download process, it’s essential to understand the types of models you might want to use:

• Stable Diffusion Checkpoints: These are the primary models used for generating images. They can be downloaded from various sources like Hugging Face and CivitAI.
• LoRA Models: These are lightweight models that can fine-tune existing checkpoints.
• ControlNet Models: Used for controlling image generation with additional parameters.
• Embeddings and VAEs: These enhance the model’s ability to understand and generate complex images.

Step-by-Step Guide to Downloading Models

1. Connecting to the SSH Terminal

To connect to the VM via SSH:

• Refer to the Getting Started Guide provided by your respective cloud provider.

Once connected, you’ll land in the VM’s home directory.

2. Navigating to the Checkpoints Directory

All model checkpoints for ComfyUI are stored in a specific directory. To navigate to this directory, run:

cd /home/ubuntu/setup/ComfyUI/models/checkpoints

This is where all downloaded checkpoints will be saved. Use the ls command to view existing files:

ls

If everything is set up correctly, you should see the SDXL Base 1.0 checkpoint model.

3. Downloading Custom Models

ComfyUI supports a variety of Stable Diffusion models, which can be downloaded from sources like Hugging Face. Let’s go through the process of downloading a model using wget.

Step 1: Find the Model URL

• Visit Hugging Face.
• Navigate to the Models page.
• Use the search bar to locate your desired model. For instance, search for “Stable Cascade” and select the stabilityai/stable-cascade model.

Step 2: Copy the Model URL

• Go to the model’s details page.
• Open the Files and Versions tab.
• Locate the desired checkpoint in the ComfyUI Checkpoints folder.
• Copy the download link for the checkpoint.

Step 3: Download the Model

Use the wget command to download the model directly to your VM:

wget https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/stable-cascade/resolve/main/comfyui_checkpoints/stable_cascade_stage_b.safetensorsReplace the URL above with the download link for your selected model.

Replace the URL above with the download link for your selected model.

Step 4: Verify the Download

Once the download is complete, verify its presence in the directory:

ls

You should see the downloaded model file listed.

4. Refreshing ComfyUI to Load the New Model

Now that your custom model is downloaded, follow these steps to make it available in ComfyUI:

• Open your ComfyUI interface in a web browser.
• Refresh the page.
• Navigate to the Checkpoints dropdown menu in the interface.
• Select the newly downloaded checkpoint (e.g., Stable Cascade).

Conclusion

With the ability to download and use custom models, your ComfyUI deployment can now harness the power of a wide array of Stable Diffusion checkpoints. Whether you’re experimenting with artistic styles or creating photorealistic imagery, custom models provide the flexibility to achieve your creative goals.

Thank you so much for reading 💖

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