How to Install & Use Stable Diffusion on Windows in 2024 (Easy Way)

Summary

The video script provides a step-by-step guide on installing and using stable diffusion models through Comfy UI, an easier alternative to the traditional Python method. It covers the installation of Comfy UI, downloading and placement of necessary files, and generating images using the stable diffusion model. The script also introduces additional features like custom nodes and higher quality models available on Civit AI, emphasizing the ease of use and powerful capabilities of the system.

Takeaways

• 🔧 Installation of Comfy UI is recommended for easier setup compared to Python, making Stable Diffusion accessible to users with lower technical knowledge.
• 💻 Comfy UI can be found by searching its name on Google, and the first link provides a direct download link.
• 📂 After downloading, extract the ZIP file and move the folder to a suitable location, such as 'AI' in the Documents folder for better organization.
• 🖥️ Users should choose the appropriate 'run' file based on their hardware, either 'run CPU' or 'run Nvidia GPU', with the latter requiring at least 8 GB of VRAM.
• 🔄 To check VRAM, users can use the 'DXDiag' tool on Windows by typing 'dxdiag' in the Run dialog box and looking at the display information.
• 🔗 The video provides a link to download Comfy UI on Mac, which is slightly different but still functional.
• 📦 Downloading the necessary Stable Diffusion models, including the base and refiner models, is crucial for image generation, with file sizes ranging from 6 GB to 30 minutes depending on internet speed.
• 🗂️ The downloaded models need to be placed in the 'checkpoints' folder within the Comfy UI directory for proper functionality.
• 🎨 Image generation involves using the 'run Nvidia GPU' application, loading a checkpoint, and entering prompts into the Comfy UI interface.
• 🔄 Custom nodes can be installed via the Comfy UI manager to enhance Stable Diffusion's capabilities, with a variety of nodes available for different tasks.
• 🌐 Users can test custom models on Civit AI before downloading them to ensure they meet their quality expectations and to avoid lengthy download times.

Q & A

What are the two methods mentioned in the script for installing Stable Diffusion?

The two methods mentioned are installing through Python, which is considered the hard way, and using Comfy UI, which is described as the easy way.

Why is Comfy UI recommended for users with low technical knowledge?

Comfy UI is recommended for users with low technical knowledge because it simplifies the installation process and makes it more accessible, requiring just a few downloads and setup steps rather than dealing with complex Python installations.

What is the approximate size of the Comfy UI download file?

The Comfy UI download file is around 1.4 GB.

What are the two run files that users should look out for in the extracted Comfy UI folder?

The two run files are 'run CPU' and 'run Nvidia GPU'.

What is the minimum VRAM requirement for the model used in the script?

The model used in the script requires around 8 GB of VRAM.

How can users check their GPU's VRAM?

Users can check their VRAM by pressing Windows + R, typing 'dxdiag', clicking OK, clicking on 'Yes', and then checking the 'Display' tab to see the VRAM information.

What is the first model that needs to be downloaded for Stable Diffusion?

The first model to download is the 'stable diffusion XL base 1.0'.

Where should the downloaded models be placed in the Comfy UI folder structure?

The downloaded models should be placed in the 'models' folder within the Comfy UI directory, specifically in the 'checkpoints' subfolder.

How does the script suggest generating an image with Stable Diffusion?

To generate an image, users should click on 'run Nvidia GPU', open the interface in a web browser, load a checkpoint, enter a prompt into the 'CLIP text' field, set the desired image parameters, and then click on 'Q prompt' to start the image generation process.

What is the purpose of the 'Comfy UI manager'?

The 'Comfy UI manager' is used to install additional custom nodes and extensions that can enhance the functionality of the Stable Diffusion interface and allow users to perform more complex tasks.

How can users test a model before downloading it on Civit AI?

Users can test a model on Civit AI by using the 'run model' feature, which allows them to generate an image with the model without having to download it first.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Installing Comfy UI for Stable Diffusion

The paragraph explains the process of installing Comfy UI, an easier alternative to the traditional Python installation for Stable Diffusion. It highlights the simplicity of using Comfy UI and guides the user through the installation steps, including downloading the software, extracting the ZIP file, and placing it in the appropriate directory. The importance of checking VRAM requirements for running the Nvidia GPU version is also discussed, as well as the necessity of downloading additional packages upon the first run of the Nvidia GPU executable.

05:01

📦 Downloading and Configuring Stable Diffusion Models

This paragraph details the steps to download and configure Stable Diffusion models, including the Stable Diffusion XL base and refiner models. It provides instructions on where to place the downloaded files within the AI documents folder and emphasizes the importance of having a high-speed internet connection due to the large file sizes. The paragraph also mentions the option to download an additional model, the Think Diffusion XL, and encourages users to follow the provided links in the description for a smoother installation process.

10:02

🖼️ Generating Images with Stable Diffusion

The focus of this paragraph is on generating images using the installed Stable Diffusion models. It walks the user through the process of loading checkpoints, setting up prompts, and adjusting parameters such as image resolution and batch size. The paragraph explains the role of the K sampler in creating the image and the potential need for additional installations during the process. It also touches on the differences in prompting style compared to chat GBT and showcases the quality of images that can be produced using the base model.

🔧 Customizing Comfy UI with Add-ons

This paragraph discusses the customization of Comfy UI through the installation of add-ons, specifically custom nodes. It guides the user on how to access the Comfy UI manager on GitHub, install custom nodes via the terminal, and restart the UI for the changes to take effect. The paragraph provides examples of different nodes, such as the reactor and open pose, and explains how they can be utilized within the UI. It also introduces Civit AI as a platform for downloading custom models, testing them before installation, and achieving higher quality outputs.

Keywords

💡Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is a type of artificial intelligence model used for generating images from text prompts. It is the central technology discussed in the video, with the aim of teaching viewers how to install and use it for image generation. The script details the process of installing various components and models to utilize Stable Diffusion effectively.

💡Comfy UI

Comfy UI is a user-friendly interface designed to simplify the process of using Stable Diffusion for those without extensive technical knowledge. It is highlighted in the script as the recommended method for installing and running Stable Diffusion, as opposed to the more complex Python installation process.

💡Installation

Installation refers to the process of downloading and setting up software or applications on a computer. In the context of the video, it involves the detailed steps required to install Comfy UI and Stable Diffusion models to enable image generation.

💡Nvidia GPU

Nvidia GPU refers to a graphics processing unit manufactured by Nvidia, which is used for rendering images, videos, and animations. The script emphasizes the importance of having an Nvidia GPU with sufficient VRAM (video random-access memory) to run the Stable Diffusion model effectively.

💡VRAM

VRAM, or video random-access memory, is the memory used to store image data for the GPU. In the context of the video, it is crucial to have enough VRAM to support the image generation capabilities of Stable Diffusion, with a specific requirement of 8 GB for the model discussed.

💡Checkpoints

Checkpoints in the context of AI models like Stable Diffusion refer to the intermediate or final states of the model's training that can be saved and reloaded. These checkpoints are used to continue training or to generate images from text prompts.

💡Prompts

Prompts are the text inputs provided to Stable Diffusion to guide the generation of specific images. They can be positive (describing what is wanted) or negative (describing what should be excluded). The quality of the generated images depends on the clarity and specificity of the prompts.

💡Custom Nodes

Custom nodes are additional functionalities or extensions that can be installed in Comfy UI to enhance the capabilities of Stable Diffusion. These nodes can perform various tasks, such as face swapping or pose application, to improve or diversify the image generation process.

💡Civit AI

Civit AI is a platform mentioned in the video that provides a variety of custom models for Stable Diffusion. Users can download these models or test them directly on the platform to improve the quality of image generation.

💡Image Generation

Image generation is the process of creating visual content using AI models like Stable Diffusion. It involves inputting text prompts and using the AI's capabilities to produce corresponding images, which can be refined and enhanced through various settings and additional models.

💡GitHub

GitHub is a web-based hosting service for version control and collaboration that is used by developers. In the video, it is mentioned as the platform where the Comfy UI manager's source code is hosted, and from where custom nodes can be installed into the Comfy UI.

Highlights

The introduction of an easy method to install and use stable, diffusion models through a comfy UI, which simplifies the process for users with low technical knowledge.

Comparing the hard way of installation through Python, which the speaker has tried twice without success, to the easy way through the comfy UI.

The recommendation to use Comfy UI due to its ease of use compared to the traditional method of downloading through Python.

A detailed step-by-step guide on how to install Comfy UI, including searching on Google and downloading the software.

The importance of checking the system's VRAM before proceeding with the installation, especially for users with an Nvidia graphics card or an M1/M2 Mac.

Instructions on how to find out the VRAM capacity by using the Windows R command and DXDAG tool.

The process of installing stable, diffusion models, including downloading the stable, diffusion XL base and refiner, and the file sizes involved.

The explanation of where to place the downloaded model files within the AI documents folder for the comfy UI to recognize them.

A guide on how to generate an image using the installed models, including setting up the prompt, negative prompt, and other parameters.

The introduction of the Comfy UI manager and the installation of custom nodes to enhance the functionality of the stable diffusion models.

The demonstration of using custom nodes such as the reactor and open pose for unique image manipulations.

The recommendation to test custom models on Civit AI before downloading them to ensure they meet the desired quality standards.

The availability of high-quality models on Civit AI, which can be filtered by highest rated or most downloaded.

The process of testing an image model using Civit AI's free image generator before installation, to verify the output quality.

The mention of the preferred think diffusion XL model and its availability in the video description for download.

The overall tutorial's goal to empower users with the knowledge to install and use stable, diffusion models effectively and efficiently.

Transcripts

if you never installed or used stable

diffusion there is the hard way doing it

through python that I've tried two times

without success and the easy way through

comfy UI so I'll show you how to install

comy UI and show you how easy it really

is I'll show you how to install stable

diffusion models so you can generate

images how to use custom nodes to make

stable diffusion more powerful full and

by the end of this video I'll show you

how to install the highest quality

models so you can get ultimate control

just follow this tutorial step by step

so you can install and use stable

diffusion step number one install comfy

UI so just write comfy UI into Google

search and click the first link by the

way every single link is down in the

description now the reason we want to

use comfy UI is it's a lot easier the

old way of getting stable diffusion

would be to download through python that

somebody with very low technical

knowledge would have a hard time doing

with comfy UI all you have to do is just

download a couple of things and then it

will work in this node base now you

might be thinking hey this looks pretty

complicated man but actually when you

get into it it's so simple and I'll

explain everything to you in a later

step so how do we install well all you

need to do is scroll down a little bit

and you will go to the installing here

just click on direct link to download

and you will start downloading this one

is around 1.4 GB so just wait for it to

install now just go through your

downloads folder until you find this

file which is a ZIP file right click on

it click on extract all and extract then

you will get this folder I recommend

that you cut it away from the downloads

folder go to documents make a new folder

named Ai and paste it in here this will

make it easier for the later steps now

let's double click it and here there are

two run files that you need to look out

for the first one is run CPU and the

second one is run Nvidia GPU and this is

important if you have an Nvidia graphics

card the model we're going to run today

needs around 8 GB of vram and if you're

running a Mac with M1 two or three I've

left a link in the description to

download it on Mac as well it's a little

bit different but you can still get it

to work but how do you find out how much

vram you have well just click Windows R

and write DX dag click okay click on yes

and you can now see what you are working

with just click on the display in the

top and you can see I have the AMD

Radeon graphics that only has 400 MB of

vram and I have my GPU Nvidia GeForce

RTX 3070 laptop with 8 GB of vram so

check your requirements before you

continue so now that you know we can

just click on run Nvidia GPU it will for

you install a bunch of packages so it

will take a little bit of time but for

me what happens is it opens the comy UI

in my web browser but the main issue is

that if you've done every single step

now you won't actually have any models

here that you can use to generate an

image so that's

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we're going to go to step number two

install stable diffusion the first thing

we're going to download is the stable

diffusion XL base 1.0 again links to all

of them are in the description below and

all you need to do is go down and

download this one called save tensors

now the file size is quite high on this

so depending on your internet speed this

might take some time for me it took

around 30 minutes and all you need to do

is click on this download file now I'll

show you actually a better model that I

like more but this is the original

stable diffusion base so if you want the

raw unfiltered base this is the one to

get now the second thing you need to

download is the stable diffusion refiner

so I'm just going to scroll down a

little bit and here you see the same

thing happen we're going to download the

first one save tensor and click on this

download button again this is 6 GB so it

might take some time the last thing is

the sdxl V once again just start

scrolling down and let's download this

one a little lower file size on this

just click the download file and if

you're downloading all these models now

I would recommend also downloading this

think diffusion XL model that I'll show

you later in this video but if you're

but if you're following step by step I

highly recommend to follow the link in

the description and download this as

well once the files are downloaded I

need to show you where to put them so

let's imagine these are the files I'm

just going to cut them then we go inside

of the the AI documents click on config

UI then click on models then click

checkpoints this is where you're going

to paste the base and the refiner now we

only have the v file left so I'm going

to cut that away from this folder go

back one step to the models again then

scroll down until we find V now just

paste your v in here if you've come this

far you're doing amazing all you need to

do is Step number three generate the

image now that everything is installed

we just click on run Nvidia GPU again

this screen will load for a bit and then

you'll open this in your Chrome if it

doesn't open automatically just take

this HTTP link and copy and paste it to

your browser now let's the fun begin and

if you think this looks very complicated

it really isn't and once you get a hang

of it maybe you'll actually like this a

lot better than other interfaces but

let's start at the beginning where we

load a checkpoint since you loaded them

into the model folder before you can see

that they are now here the base and the

refiner so we'll just use the base now

you can see this clip path goes up to

this clip text en code prompt this is

the positive prompt or basically what

you want it to make so let's go simple

red apple right below it you have the

negative prompt this is things that you

don't want to be in the image so you

could say blur noise and things like

this now here you see the image you will

generate I have it set to 1280 by 720

and the batch size is four meaning I'll

generate four Images I'm going to put it

on one because it's faster to generate

then we go over to the actual K sampler

this is what actually creates your image

the recommended settings is to go the

older sample name steps between 20 and

30 CFG I like around 8 to 10 10 and the

rest I keep on default now we can create

our first image by just clicking this Q

prompt now you'll see it starts loading

with a green kind of stroke around it

sometimes this might load for a while

and that's when you can take up this

terminal and it will see that it's

trying to fetch some data right now and

sometimes you might even have to install

some stuff so just be patient let it

load and now it moved to the next step

where it's actually reading our prompt

it then has moved to the K sampler and

you will soon start to see a bar in the

top start to fill as you can see it's

downloading some things and just like

that our first image is generated the

first one always takes a little longer

let's try another prompt like a man

showing an iPad to the camera and let's

Q prompt again this time will be a lot

faster and depending on how many images

you are generating and the file size

this will take shorter or longer just

like that it goes into the VA code and

we get the new image as you can see this

is the quality that you get from the

base model and if you're used to

prompting inside of chat gbt it takes a

little bit of a different prompting

style but let me show you some good

results with my favorite model in a

minute just one more example like a

gorgeous Viking woman at the top of the

mountain Q prompt it's loading again and

here is the final image a woman that

looks like she would carry you into bed

but is that all you can do with comfy Ai

and how do we actually get the best

output that's why we have step number

four comfy UI manager just go to the

comfy UI manager on GitHub because this

is where we're going to install a bunch

of add-ons and this is by far the

easiest way to do it just scroll a

little bit down and the first step is to

get to the CD custom nodes ter terminal

as you can see this is inside of comy UI

then custom nodes then you just want to

rightclick and click on open Terminal as

you can see we're now running inside of

the correct folder now just copy this

git clone and paste it right in here

click on enter and it will take a little

bit to install now you can close it now

we just go to config UI and click on

restart now you can see that we have

this manager button in the bottom right

and the most important button here is

install custom nodes as you can see they

have hundreds of different custom nodes

that you can install to do different

things for you for example if I search

reactor this is a node that I was

playing with yesterday the fast and

simple R like face swap extension node

so you can just click on install here

then we can search for open pose where

you can apply a pose of a character and

then you'll actually render out that

post for the character once they're

installed you can now right click add

node and you have your new nodes you

downloaded here for example reactor you

have three different nodes that you now

have access to that have these inputs

and outputs for example to use this fast

face swap they need an image so we're

going to use this as the input image we

need to rightclick add node image and

load image where I'm going to upload an

image of my face something like this put

the image into the source image then in

the save image I'm just going to drag

over this one now we can change the

prompt we cue The Prompt you'll now see

that it's also having this green circle

around it before and here is the image

we got yeah we definitely need some

prompting help and I guess is this

supposed to be me that's why we go to

the last step to get higher quality just

go to civit ai.com because this is where

you can download a lot of custom models

and get exactly what you're looking for

just click on the models tab in the top

then we can filter by highest rated most

downloaded and you'll see the top models

here I tested a bunch of them and I

believe there's one thing that you

should do before you start installing

and that is to actually test them on

civit AI itself say you like this model

for example instead of downloading it

being 6 GB and taking a little bit of

time you can actually click on this run

model and go to cart which is a free

image generator and now you can just run

the same prompt Again by clicking here

and test the entire model I'm just going

to run it and just like that we tested

the model even before downloading it so

you can get higher quality images this

think diffusion XL I'll leave in the

description down below because it's my

favorite and once you've downloaded it

just put it into the models folder that

we did for the Bas and the refin ER so

you now know how to install and use

stable diffusion like the video see the

description below and I'll see you in

next video