ENGINEER Your Midjourney Prompts with SEEDS

Summary

This video explains how to test the impact of different words and phrases in a Midjourney prompt using seed numbers. It demonstrates isolating variables by changing one word at a time while keeping the seed number constant to see the effect. The video also shows how to use permutations to quickly test batches of similar words. Overall, it provides tips on prompt engineering to understand what matters most to Midjourney when generating images.

Takeaways

• Use the same seed number when testing different words in a prompt
• Isolate variables by changing just one word and keeping everything else the same
• Seeds give similar shapes between prompts, not identical images
• Testing excitement vs disappointment showed clear emotional differences
• Artist names may not always be needed in prompts
• Seeds don't guarantee consistency across prompts
• Seeds are specific to Midjourney versions
• Reply vs react give different interfaces in Discord
• Make sure to use the plain envelope emoji
• Use permutations to quickly test batches of similar words

Q & A

How can you test which words matter most in a Midjourney prompt?

Use seed numbers to isolate variables. Change one word at a time while keeping the seed number the same to see the effect on the generated image.

What do seed numbers ensure when testing prompts?

Seed numbers ensure you get a similar overall shape or composition between images, allowing for a controlled test.

Why test excitement vs disappointment?

Testing emotional words like excitement vs disappointment clearly shows Midjourney's interpretation of emotions through the facial expressions and body language in generated images.

Do you always need to include an artist's name in a prompt?

No, testing shows including specific artists in prompts does not always change the output, so their names may not be needed.

Can the same seed number guarantee identical images across prompts?

No, seeds do not guarantee consistency across different prompts, only rough similarity in composition.

Do seeds work across Midjourney versions?

No, seeds are specific to their Midjourney version and will not generate the same images if the version changes.

How can you find the seed number for an existing image?

React to the image using the plain envelope emoji in Discord (not reply) and Midjourney's bot will message you the seed number.

What are permutations useful for?

Permutations allow quickly testing batches of similar words to see if different phrasing substantially changes the meanings for Midjourney.

What should you check if having issues with seeds?

Make sure to allow DMs from strangers, react to images instead of replying, and use the plain envelope emoji.

How can seeds help in prompt engineering?

Seeds allow methodically testing which words have an impact by isolating variables, helping construct more effective prompts.

Outlines

00:00

Isolating Variables to Understand Prompt Effects

This paragraph explains how you can isolate variables in a prompt by keeping the seed number constant and changing a word or phrase to see its effect. It demonstrates this by testing whether "gai group" impacts the output image.

05:01

Testing Multiple Similar Words Quickly

This paragraph shows how you can use permutations to test batches of similar words quickly in a prompt. It gives an example with words like "speeding", "rushing", "racing", "hurrying" to see if they make a difference.

10:03

Testing Adjectives and Art Styles

This paragraph recommends testing adjectives and art styles using seed testing. It shows examples of testing "excited" vs "disappointed" and an artist's name to see their impact.

Keywords

💡prompt engineering

Prompt engineering refers to carefully crafting prompts to get better results from AI image generators like Midjourney. It involves testing different words and phrases to understand their impact on the final image. The video demonstrates techniques like isolating variables, using seed numbers, and testing permutations to systematically engineer better prompts. Prompt engineering allows users to refine prompts to align outputs with their creative vision.

💡seed number

Seed numbers are the unique numbers associated with each generated image. By specifying the same seed number when testing variations of a prompt, users can better isolate the impact of individual changes. For example, the video shows how removing one phrase from a prompt while keeping the seed number constant clearly demonstrates that phrase's effect on the output. Seed numbers also allow recreation of specific images. However, they do not guarantee consistency across prompts or versions.

💡isolating variables

Isolating variables means changing one element of a prompt while keeping all else constant. For example, the video shows removing one keyword from a prompt while retaining the same seed number. This technique reveals the impact of that specific keyword. Isolating variables by controlling prompt elements and seed numbers is key to systematic prompt engineering.

💡permutations

Permutations allow efficiently testing multiple prompt variations in batch. By enclosing variants in curly brackets and delimiting with commas, users can generate images for all permutations in one run. For example, the video shows testing hairstyle variants for a female warrior prompt. Permutations enable rapid prompt testing.

💡consistency

Consistency refers to getting the same or similar outputs for the same prompts. The video stresses that seed numbers do not guarantee consistency across prompts or versions. True consistency requires fine-tuned prompt engineering based on extensive testing. Seeds lock in some elements but other factors like training data affect outputs.

💡degeneration

Degeneration refers to how AI systems can produce inappropriate, biased or nonsensical outputs if not carefully constrained. For example, the video shows degeneration in different versions for the same prompt-seed combination. Proper prompt formulation is required to avoid degeneration.

💡multi-prompting

Multi-prompting involves chaining two or more prompts together to get final outputs. The video notes that seeds behave somewhat differently with multi-prompting versus single prompts. Proper prompt engineering for multi-prompts may require separate strategies.

💡data-driven prompting

The video advocates a data-driven approach to prompt engineering based on systematically testing variations. This allows determining which terms are important vs. extraneous. Good prompt engineering relies on isolating variables and analyzing impact on outputs.

💡effective prompting

Effective prompting produces outputs that align with the user's creative vision. The video provides guidance for phrasing prompts well. But prompt engineering involves iterative testing to determine optimal prompts on a case-by-case basis.

💡cadence

Cadence refers to the optimal length and level of detail for prompts. The video recommends a separate video on cadence, emphasizing that effective prompting requires testing prompt formulations, not just using keywords.

Highlights

Seeds allow you to isolate variables in prompts to test the effect of individual words on image generation

By keeping the seed number the same but changing a word, you can see if that word makes a difference in the AI's interpretation

Use permutations with squiggly brackets to test batches of similar words quickly in prompts

Seed testing works well for art styles and artists to see if including their names matters to the AI

Seeds do not guarantee consistency across prompts or image upscales

The same seed number behaves differently across mid-journey versions

Make sure to allow DMs from strangers to access seed numbers from the AI

React to images with the envelope emoji, not reply, to get the seed number

Use the plain envelope emoji, not other envelope variants, to get seeds

Seeds act differently with multi-prompting, saving that advanced method for later

Test adjectives like "excited" vs "disappointed" to see the AI's emotional range

Try changing just the hair style on a character to see the effect

Seeds keep similar shapes between prompts as an anchor

Don't let tiny details stop you from testing, focus on the overall vibe and goal

Take a systematic approach to prompt engineering for best results

Transcripts

take a look at these pictures and this

prompt purple and yellow abstract

collage in the style of graffiti

inspired portraiture light cyan and

black mixed patterns gai group mundane

materials Serene faces close up I got

this prompt from the describe feature

but how are we supposed to know which of

these words actually matter to the bot

well it's actually very easy to find out

and it involves the most timeless

technique in science isolating variables

we are going to keep the strongest

variable the same while changing another

to see the effect and that strong

variable is the seed number you see mid

Journey has over 4 billion seeds there

are over 4 billion outcomes for each

prompt you write and the system chooses

randomly for you every time you generate

you can react to any of your images with

the envelope emoji and the bot will send

you a seed number to that image you

created this will help you recreate a

set of images if you run the exact same

prompt with the exact same seed number

on the exact same version now that's

great and all but the true value of

seeds is to help us test out the effect

of individual words and we can do that

by specifying a seed number ourselves by

adding dash dash seed space and then a

number between 1 and 4 billion at the

end of our prompt personally based on

this prompt I wanted to know what gai

group really meant to the generation so

I'm going to run that exact same prompt

again but I'm also going to choose a

seed number to run this test on it does

not matter what seed number you choose I

literally hit random numbers on the

keyboard so these images are what this

prompt creates on seed number 686 320

pretty cool pictures but that's not what

we're here for now we are going to run

this exact prompt minus the word we're

testing which is Guai group along with

the seed number we just used this is

what it will look like every word the

same except for that word we're testing

we keep the same seed number and these

are the results I'll flip back and forth

between them but keep your eye on number

four what do you notice it's the same

right I mean as close to similar as

possible I'm talking specifically about

the lines on the skin that appears in

both of the images now what that tells

me is that gai group really had no

effect on the end result of the prompt

the results of these Generations are

practically the same granted they are

not completely the same they're not

exactly twins but when you're testing

out certain words to see if there's a

difference what we want to see is a

difference and personally I don't think

I see that here at all however using

this prompt I can show you a group of

words that do make a difference we're

running the entire original prompt here

on seed number 942 424 and this is what

it creates a bunch of beautiful faces

now what I was really wondering about

was this part of the prompt in the style

of graffiti inspired portrait how much

did that phrase affect the generation so

we're going to run that test again by

excluding that part of the prompt but we

are going to keep the same seed number

and these are the results what do you

notice I think in my opinion there is a

big difference we are no longer getting

faces in 1 2 and four sure there are

some in number three but I think the

differences between the other parts of

the grid are big enough to say that that

phrase makes a difference in fact this

is a good example of what seeds actually

do if anything they can keep a similar

shape between prompts so take a look at

number one there are some Silhouettes

here as we move from the yellow to the

purple to the black to the purple to the

yellow over to the blue now let's look

at what happens in the original prompt

with the portraiture included we have

the same color setup but faces appear

here again that tells me that something

like portraiture really matters to the

bot it sort of brings out facial

features and elements like that isn't

that interesting isn't that fascinating

that's what prompt engineering is really

about in mid Journey testing individual

words while isolating a key variable

that variable is the seed number if you

have fast hours to spare and want to run

these tests at a quicker Pace you can

write your prompts using permutations

and I think this could be good for

testing similar batches of words to see

if what you choose really matters like a

miniature superhero speeding rushing

racing hurrying down a busy Street full

of angry dinosaurs then I chose a

completely random SE number we are going

to enclose the words we want to test

within those squiggly brackets and when

we hit enter it's going to ask us if we

want to imagine all of those prompts we

can hit show prompts to see if we made

any mistake while writing it everything

looks good here we can click yes and it

will generate all of them for us again

that really just helps us speed up the

flow of these tests now do you think

there's going to be a difference between

speeding and racing down a street I

don't know but this is how you test it

here's the miniature superhero speeding

this is sort of going to be our base

canvas and we're going to compare the

other words to this generation don't

worry about tiny small details the

pictures are always going to change when

you change the prompt we're more focused

on the goal the end result what vibe did

we get from using this word and what

vibe are we going to get from using the

other word I think if we notice one of

these pictures in the grid showing up

again there really is not much of a

difference so from speeding we'll go to

rushing is there a difference what do

you notice one and two are similar four

is slightly different but three is like

the exact same I'll do a quick little

before and after Da Da Da Da like look

at that when that happens you'll know

that there is no difference between

speeding and rushing it means the same

thing to Mid journey and that's how

you're going to engineer your prompts

effectively here's the word racing and

maybe you could argue we get something

slightly different I think number one is

cool number four has its own Vibe number

two is sort of similar to the other

number threes when it comes to something

like this it's going to be a personal

decision don't let this stop you from

using different adjectives in your

prompts but if you ever want to be sure

of what you did this is how you would

test it and finally here is hurrying I

think you could argue that these are

different enough to place them in their

own category I like number two a lot now

that's what the process will look like

when you're testing similar words but I

think this whole thing works even better

when you test a bigger dichotomy like

stock photography of an excited old man

when he sees who is at the door we lock

in the seed number and we get these

pictures pretty cool same seed number

same prompts except we're going to be

using the word disappointed instead of

excited and these are what we get same

similar groupings of the old man but the

feeling the expression has completely

changed and this is a fun way to see how

mid journei interprets the adjectives

you use I also recommend testing art

styles or artists in the same way

because there are over 4 billion seeds

the only way to test a prompt accurately

is to keep the seed the same if you

don't any differences you notice between

prompts could be entirely random like

one in four billion random and some of

you might not be comfortable using

artists in your prompt so this is how

you would test whether you really need

their name or not like here I found this

prompt and described a man and his

grandson standing by the side of a

street in the style of lazette model

intuitive gestures 1920s Yankee core

candid photojournalism childlike

innocence photo montage but it appears

as though LTE model is a real person an

Austrian born American photographer so

I'm going to run this prompt using her

name and a specific seed number this is

what we get running the same prompt

without her name on the same seed number

and this is what we get I think this

proves that her name does not really

matter that much to the rest of the

prompt and therefore you might be more

comfortable leaving her name out of it

that's the power of seeds that's how we

can really know what we're doing

permutations and Seed testing works

great when you're trying to prompt for a

person like here a Fierce Female warrior

prepares for a battle on a beach the

weather is overcast I want to see The

Prompt just like that but I also want to

see what the prompt looks like when I

adjust her hairstyle so I start the

permutation with a squiggly bracket I

use a comma and I'm going to say the

female Warrior has then I'm going to

place another open squiggly bracket and

I'm going to list my hairstyles french

braided hair pigtail hair pink and blue

hair red hair green hair burning flaming

sparkling fire y hair and finally

cartoon anime hair I'm going to close

that with a squiggly bracket and I'm

going to close the whole thing with

another squiggly bracket that's a little

Advanced way of using permutations don't

worry about that too much for now just

remember that what you're testing goes

inside of squiggly brackets and then

we're going to test it on seed

364-7974 here's the first foundational

prompt Fierce Female warrior weather is

overcast cool pictures sure why not but

now we get into the tests the Female

warrior has French braided hair I think

these look pretty amazing I love number

two a bunch it's that specific hairstyle

same promp same seed number except we

have the warrior has pink and blue hair

these are pretty cool here's pigtail

hair and I don't think I worded that

quite correctly the results weren't

great it's not what I was looking for

here it is with green hair I like these

a lot as well red hair looks great

cartoon anime hair didn't seem to do

anything I'll make a note of that now I

know that's not the right word words to

use whatever I was describing and then

we have burning flaming sparkling fiery

hair and these are great number two

might be a little too much I like the

idea though right now there are a few

more quick notes about seeds in case

you're wondering cinematic still of a

dog wizard casting a spell through its

mouth seed 935 893 pretty cool pictures

what I want to point out is that

rrolling this prompt will give you an

entirely new seed number even if you

specify a seed number up here you you

see the seed number didn't show up in

the prompt even though that it's showing

we made it from the previous seed number

now we're going to react to this image

with the envelope emoji and if you've

done this enough times you can actually

just rightclick on an image and the

envelope Emoji should be there for you

so we see that that grid was created

with this new seed number however what

you need to know is that the seed of an

upscale is the same seed as the grid

meaning that four different images will

have the same seed number and that's why

seeds are not the answer to consistency

across prompts portrait of a female

crime scene investigator with platinum

blonde hair and a dark green lab coat

seed

72497 these are the women it generates

if we keep that heart of the prompt and

add a new action with the same seed

number we are not going to get these

same people same start of the prompt but

then I added the female is trying to

plead her innocence with a robot police

officer same seed number and now these

are different women seeds do not

guarantee consistency they barely

guarantee the same shape of what you're

going for don't let anyone tell you that

seeds are the answer to consistency I

just want to be clear on that seeds are

also only applicable to their current

version same prompt same seeds in

different versions will generate

completely different images the

degeneration of society version 6 seed

2854 239 cool right great here's the

same prompt in 5.2 5.0 4 and three this

seed number does not matter when you're

changing versions of mid Journey seeds

also act a little funny when you're

using multi- prompting but that's a

little complicated for this video so

we'll save that for another time if

you're having trouble with any of this I

have some quick troubleshooting advice

for you if you want to find your seed

numbers make sure you go into your

settings and allow DMS from strangers so

the bot can message you furthermore make

sure you are reacting to an image not

replying to it this is reacting it'll

bring up this list replying will bring

you down here to the prompt box we do

not want that and the last thing make

sure you are using the plain envelope

Emoji these other ones will not work

running these tests are great but if you

want to know the best Cadence for your

prompt like how long should it be and

where should you add details I think you

should watch this video right here I

hope you're doing well take care and

I'll see you next time peace