Better Than Midjourney: Openjourney Stable Diffusion

In this video, the presenter introduces Openjourney, an open-source alternative to Midjourney, a paid AI stable diffusion service for generating artwork. The video demonstrates how to run Midjourney as a local service on a PC, allowing users to create unlimited free images. The presenter guides viewers through setting up the service using training data from actual Midjourney images, sourced from Hugging Face, a platform offering various models and datasets for stable diffusion. The tutorial also includes tips on using prompt sites like Creative Indie and Prompt Hero to generate detailed and specific artwork styles, showcasing the potential of AI to produce high-quality images without the need for a subscription.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Midjourney Alternative**: The speaker introduces Openjourney, an alternative to Midjourney, which is a stable diffusion website for generating artwork.
• 💵 **Cost Concerns**: Midjourney requires a monthly subscription with limited image creation based on the plan, whereas Openjourney offers a free and unlimited image generation.
• 📘 **Local Service Setup**: The tutorial explains how to run Midjourney as a local service on a PC, using training data from actual Midjourney images.
• 🔗 **Automatic 1111 Tutorial**: A prerequisite is to have followed a tutorial on setting up Automatic 1111 on a local Windows machine.
• 🤗 **Hugging Face Resource**: Hugging face is a website hosting various training datasets and models for stable diffusion, including Open Journey, an open-source model.
• 🔍 **Model Selection**: Users can search and select different models on Hugging Face, with the Open Journey model being the focus of the tutorial.
• 📂 **Easy Integration**: The Open Journey model can be downloaded and directly integrated into a local hosted version of stable diffusion using Automatic 1111.
• 📈 **Image Quality Enhancement**: The process involves using a high-res fix and an upscaler to increase the resolution of generated images for better detail.
• 📝 **Prompt Crafting**: The importance of crafting good prompts for stable diffusion is emphasized, with resources like Creative Indie and Prompt Hero providing examples and guidance.
• 🧩 **Stylizing with Artists**: Selecting an artist in the prompt can stylize the generated images in the style of that artist's work, leading to highly detailed and specific images.
• 🔧 **Refining the Process**: Once a good prompt is found, it can be refined to achieve the exact look the user is after, using the local service to iterate and perfect the results.

Q & A

What is mid-journey and what does it offer?

Mid-journey is an artificial intelligence stable diffusion website that allows users to connect to Discord and generate artwork. However, it requires a monthly subscription and has a limited number of images that can be created based on the subscription plan.

What is the main issue with using mid-journey?

The primary problem with mid-journey is that it is not free; users have to pay a monthly subscription, and there is a limit to the number of images they can create depending on their subscription plan.

How does one run mid-journey as a local service on a PC?

To run mid-journey as a local service, one needs to follow a tutorial on setting up automatic 1111 on a local Windows machine and then use a local hosted version of stable diffusion with a downloaded open source mid-journey trained model from hugging face.

What is hugging face and how is it related to mid-journey?

Hugging face is a website that hosts various training datasets, models, and other resources for stable diffusion. It provides an open source mid-journey trained model called open Journey, which can be downloaded and used locally with automatic 1111.

What are the benefits of using the open Journey model?

Open Journey is an open source alternative to mid-journey that allows users to generate unlimited free images on their local PC without the need for a subscription. The results are based on training data from actual mid-journey images, making them very similar.

How does one find and use different models on hugging face?

To find and use different models on hugging face, one can search for 'open Journey' or other related terms in the models section. Once a desired model is found, users can download the checkpoint file and add it to their stable diffusion install directory.

What is a prompt and how is it used in stable diffusion?

A prompt is a description or a set of instructions that guide the stable diffusion model to generate specific types of images. Users can input prompts into automatic 1111 to generate images that match the described style or theme.

How can one refine the results obtained from stable diffusion?

To refine the results, users can adjust the prompt, modify the sampling method, change the number of sampling steps, and use tools like the high-res fix and upscalers to improve the quality and detail of the generated images.

What is the role of negative prompts in stable diffusion?

Negative prompts are used to specify what unwanted elements or qualities should be avoided in the generated images. This helps the model to generate images that are more aligned with the user's preferences.

How can one find good prompts for stable diffusion?

One can find good prompts on websites like creative indie, which has a list of mid-journey style prompts, or prompt hero, which provides a section on the best open Journey prompts including details like resolution, seed, steps, and sampling method.

What are some of the styles and themes that can be generated using stable diffusion with the open Journey model?

With the open Journey model, users can generate a variety of styles and themes such as surreal underwater worlds, historical epic battle scenes, steampunk airships, highly detailed robots, and photorealistic portraits in the style of specific artists.

How does the process of generating images with stable diffusion help artists and creators?

The process of generating images with stable diffusion can serve as a tool for artists and creators to explore new styles, get inspiration, and even produce unique artwork for their projects without the limitations of traditional mediums.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Running Mid-Journey as a Local Service for Free Artwork

The video begins with the presenter introducing an alternative to the Mid-Journey AI stable diffusion website, which typically requires a paid subscription. The presenter demonstrates how to run Mid-Journey as a local service on a PC to generate unlimited free images, using training data from actual Mid-Journey images. This process involves downloading an open-source Mid-Journey trained model from Hugging Face and integrating it with a local hosted version of stable diffusion using a tool like automatic 1111. The presenter also mentions the need to have followed a previous tutorial on setting up automatic 1111 on a local Windows machine. The video continues with a demonstration of the process, including downloading the model, installing it, and using it to generate images with various prompts and settings.

05:01

🖼️ Exploring Generated Artwork with Mid-Journey Model

The presenter showcases several examples of artwork generated using the Mid-Journey model with different prompts and styles. They discuss the process of refining prompts to achieve desired results and mention the use of specific artists' names in prompts to stylize the generated images. The video highlights the intricate details and the epic battle scenes created, as well as steampunk airships in the style of Jules Verne. The presenter also provides tips on using websites like Prompt Hero to find and refine prompts for generating specific styles of images. They share their experiences with various prompts, including a highly detailed robot and a photorealistic portrait of a young South Korean girl, and discuss the results and the process of fine-tuning the prompts for better outcomes.

Keywords

Mid-journey

Mid-journey is an artificial intelligence stable diffusion website that allows users to connect to Discord and generate pieces of artwork. It is mentioned as a starting point for the video's discussion, highlighting its subscription-based model and the limitations that come with different pricing plans.

Stable Diffusion

Stable diffusion refers to a type of AI model used for generating images from textual descriptions. It is the core technology behind the artwork generation discussed in the video, and the process of running it as a local service is a key part of the tutorial.

Discord

Discord is a communication platform that allows text, voice, and video conversations. In the context of the video, it is used as a means to connect with the mid-journey service for generating artwork.

Monthly Subscription

A monthly subscription is a payment model where users pay a recurring fee to access a service or product. The video discusses the cost associated with using mid-journey, which requires a monthly subscription with varying levels of access based on the plan chosen.

Hugging Face

Hugging Face is a website that hosts various AI models and datasets for machine learning tasks, including stable diffusion models. It is highlighted in the video as a resource for finding and downloading the open Journey model to use with local stable diffusion setups.

Open Journey

Open Journey is an open-source model trained on mid-journey data, which allows users to generate images similar to those produced by mid-journey but without the need for a subscription. It is a central element in the video's demonstration of how to achieve free, unlimited image generation.

Automatic 1111

Automatic 1111 refers to a local hosting service for AI models like stable diffusion. The video provides a tutorial on how to set this up on a Windows machine to run mid-journey as a local service, enabling free image generation.

Checkpoint File

A checkpoint file in the context of AI models is a saved state of the model's training, which can be loaded to continue training or to use the model for inference. The video instructs viewers on downloading and using a checkpoint file for the open Journey model.

Prompts

Prompts are textual descriptions used to guide the AI in generating specific types of images. The video discusses various sources for finding and creating prompts, which are crucial for steering the output of the stable diffusion models.

Creative Indie

Creative Indie is a website mentioned in the video that provides a list of mid-journey style prompts. It is an example of a resource that can be used to find inspiration for generating artwork with stable diffusion.

High-Res Fix and Upscaling

High-Res Fix and Upscaling refer to techniques used to improve the resolution of generated images. The video describes using an ESRGAN 4X upscaler to increase the resolution from the default size, resulting in more detailed images.

Prompt Hero

Prompt Hero is a website that offers a collection of the best open Journey prompts and other resources to help users construct effective prompts for image generation. It is presented as a tool to find successful prompts and understand the parameters that led to their creation.

Highlights

Introduction to a superior alternative to Midjourney, offering similar AI-powered art creation but without the subscription cost.

Overview of Midjourney as an AI stable diffusion platform requiring paid subscription for artwork generation.

Guide on setting up a local service to run Midjourney-like AI for generating unlimited free images using a PC.

Explanation of using the Open Journey model from Hugging Face to integrate with local stable diffusion setup.

Details on downloading and installing the Open Journey checkpoint file for use in stable diffusion.

Insight into the variety of Midjourney-trained models available on Hugging Face for diverse artistic outputs.

Demonstration of the potential of the local setup by generating art from Midjourney style prompts.

Exploration of the Creative Indie website for acquiring Midjourney prompts and generating similar artwork locally.

Walkthrough of using a surreal underwater world prompt and achieving detailed artistic results.

Description of generating a historical epic battle scene in the style of Frank Frazetta with intricate details.

Creation of steampunk airship art in the style of Jules Verne showcasing highly detailed imagery.

Introduction to Prompt Hero for accessing a curated list of effective prompts for Open Journey model.

Showcase of using a detailed robot prompt from Prompt Hero to generate precise cyborg images.

Evaluation of generated images using a prompt for a young South Korean girl in Midjourney V4 style, assessing the realism and detail.

Summary of the benefits of using a local AI setup like Midjourney for creating detailed and personalized art for free.