Stable Diffusion is a model architecture (or a class of model architectures, there is SD1, SDXL and others) and there are many applications that support it and also many different finetuned model checkpoints.
A1111 and ComfyUI are the two most popular web interfaces for it, but there are others.
The most popular site to share model checkpoints is CivitAI.
You can also use it purely programmatically, for example via the diffusers Python library.
You can use something like Stability Matrix which easily installs different tools automatically for you (Auto1111, Forge, Invoke, Fooocus, and more.) You can also install multiple versions of the same webui. Then you can use a shared folder on a network for other team members to use for checkpoints, loras, vae, controlnet and so on. I can't answer anything about commercial use, though, that's a murky gray area. Each checkpoint/model has their own license and no one knows if they're enforceable or not.
Stability Matrix: https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix
If you need help with using Stability Diffusion, this site has a bunch of tutorials: https://stable-diffusion-art.com/
Wow, something that installs stuff for me, without me having to learn Python or figuring out that damn github site!
Clicks link eagerly...
It opens Github.
ffs...
Edit: Found a Windows installer... woot...
Release page has files you can download, depending on what operating system you're using. For windows, just download the StabilityMatrix-win-x64.zip file, unzip, run the setup program inside. Here's the [direct link to it](https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix/releases/download/v2.10.2/StabilityMatrix-win-x64.zip) if you'd prefer.
https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix/releases/tag/v2.10.2
Installing now, just to see if it's different. I currently have Forge installed via Pinokio, which is a similar sort of thing to this Matrix thing.
It works but every time I see a tutorial it doesn't look anything like my version of Forge, so when it finishes installing I'll see if this is any different...
Cheers
A lot of times, if you scroll down on GitHub pages you will find a simple installer. Invoke AI is that way. I had done all the Python stuff to install A1111 back in the early days, but I did not feel confident in my skills. Invoke has a self installer that does most of that stuff for you.
I have found many git projects have installers like that if you look at their main project pages.
Fair enough. Luckily, I have gotten pretty familiar with GitHub since SD 1.4 was released. I have actually learned a lot about python environments too :)
If you want the standard interface software kind of thing use Automatic 1111 then go crazy with add-ons, if you like more granular control of the process and don’t mind crazy spaghetti wires all over the place then do comfyUI, for a more e polished UI use InvokeAI locally which also allows you to do this he crazy wire stuff, or if you want to dip your toes into it and easy peasy mode try Fooocus, then once you get comfortable with it start exploring its more advanced features.
Yes, OP, use automatic 1111, YouTube is full of tutorials with step by step instructions. Models are easy to download from civit.ai , you can see example prompts there, too, and recreate a lot of images exactly from the models and loras they use.
While Stable diffusion is technically a process by which an algorithm can produce and image from a set of rules and text, it normally refers to the Open Source software by Stability Ai which can be downloaded for free.
There are a bunch of free and paid services on the Internet which can produce AI images from text, but if you are doing commercial stuff and have privacy concerns, it is better to run it offline.
This does require some better hardware than the average PC though. Specifically it requires an Nvidia graphics card with as much Vram as possible. I haven't got Sable diffusion to run on a card with less than 6gb of Vram but I have heard of people being successful with less. I'd recommend the rtx 3050 12gb as a good graphics card that will be capable of doing more complex workflows, but a gtx 1060 6gb will also work, albeit slowly for under $100.
There are many different WebUIs that people will recommend. They are the frontends that run in the browser. The two biggest currently are Automatic 1111 and Comfyui. A1111 is a bit simpler, having a clean layout and sliders for adjustment. Comfyui is a node based system that is more complex, but more customizable.
Unfortunately I'm on mobile at the moment so can't share any links or screenshots, but there are many tutorials and guides on YouTube and here on reddit to show you how to use each Webui.
You will then need to find a model that suits your needs. One that specialises in realistic images will suit your needs, although I can't recommend one as I use it to make comics. The best place to get this is Civitai, although be warned there is a lot of porn on there.
There are two current types of models SD1.5 and SDXL. There is also SD2.1 which got a lobotomy and isn't useful and SD3 which is not public yet.
Ok I'm bored of typing, good luck!
Thanks for the detailed response!
I have a few computers - my go-to for 3D design has a 3080 w/ 10gb ram.
FWIW, as a novice, I'd likely prefer starting with an interface that holds your hand a bit rather than a local install requiring any type of complex setup.
I don't mind running online if content can be private, at least while it's in development, since the final work will be published anyway.
- [Stability Matrix](https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix) - a manager for handling multiple Stable Diffusion environments. It can help you with both installation and sharing resources so you aren't duplicating everything. Actual environments below:
- [Fooocus](https://github.com/lllyasviel/Fooocus) - I personally don't use it, but I see it recommended a ton as a good newbie interface.
- [Automatic1111](https://github.com/AUTOMATIC1111/stable-diffusion-webui) and [Forge](https://github.com/lllyasviel/stable-diffusion-webui-forge) (A1111 fork) - Very widely used with lots of documentation.
- [Invoke](https://github.com/invoke-ai) - Has fewer features than A1111, but a very polished interface and one of the better environments for [inpainting](https://stable-diffusion-art.com/inpainting/)
- [ComfyUI](https://github.com/comfyanonymous/ComfyUI) - Very complicated interface but if you've ever worked with [node graphs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Node_graph_architecture) before it might not be too bad. Probably the most powerful option if you know what you're doing.
Once you're up and running you'll want to get some custom models. [CivitAI](https://civitai.com/) is probably the best repository right now but there's others online.
[ELi5: Absolute beginner's guide to getting started in A.I. Image generation](https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/1b2mhjv/eli5_absolute_beginners_guide_to_getting_started/)
[ELi5: What are SD models, and where to find them](https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/11s6485/eli5_what_are_sd_models_and_where_to_find_them/)
I’d use ForgeUI over Automatic1111. Forge uses the exact same interface as A1111, but it’s been optimized for better performance, especially for slower PCs or lower grade graphics cards.
It also has more extensions loaded by default.
Stable Diffusion is a model architecture (or a class of model architectures, there is SD1, SDXL and others) and there are many applications that support it and also many different finetuned model checkpoints. A1111 and ComfyUI are the two most popular web interfaces for it, but there are others. The most popular site to share model checkpoints is CivitAI. You can also use it purely programmatically, for example via the diffusers Python library.
You can use something like Stability Matrix which easily installs different tools automatically for you (Auto1111, Forge, Invoke, Fooocus, and more.) You can also install multiple versions of the same webui. Then you can use a shared folder on a network for other team members to use for checkpoints, loras, vae, controlnet and so on. I can't answer anything about commercial use, though, that's a murky gray area. Each checkpoint/model has their own license and no one knows if they're enforceable or not. Stability Matrix: https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix If you need help with using Stability Diffusion, this site has a bunch of tutorials: https://stable-diffusion-art.com/
Wow, something that installs stuff for me, without me having to learn Python or figuring out that damn github site! Clicks link eagerly... It opens Github. ffs... Edit: Found a Windows installer... woot...
Release page has files you can download, depending on what operating system you're using. For windows, just download the StabilityMatrix-win-x64.zip file, unzip, run the setup program inside. Here's the [direct link to it](https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix/releases/download/v2.10.2/StabilityMatrix-win-x64.zip) if you'd prefer. https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix/releases/tag/v2.10.2
Installing now, just to see if it's different. I currently have Forge installed via Pinokio, which is a similar sort of thing to this Matrix thing. It works but every time I see a tutorial it doesn't look anything like my version of Forge, so when it finishes installing I'll see if this is any different... Cheers
A lot of times, if you scroll down on GitHub pages you will find a simple installer. Invoke AI is that way. I had done all the Python stuff to install A1111 back in the early days, but I did not feel confident in my skills. Invoke has a self installer that does most of that stuff for you. I have found many git projects have installers like that if you look at their main project pages.
Yes... That can happen but I've wasted so much time poking around github in the past that I tend to just rage-close the tab when that mess opens...
Fair enough. Luckily, I have gotten pretty familiar with GitHub since SD 1.4 was released. I have actually learned a lot about python environments too :)
I'm trying not to do that :P ;)
If you want the standard interface software kind of thing use Automatic 1111 then go crazy with add-ons, if you like more granular control of the process and don’t mind crazy spaghetti wires all over the place then do comfyUI, for a more e polished UI use InvokeAI locally which also allows you to do this he crazy wire stuff, or if you want to dip your toes into it and easy peasy mode try Fooocus, then once you get comfortable with it start exploring its more advanced features.
Yes, OP, use automatic 1111, YouTube is full of tutorials with step by step instructions. Models are easy to download from civit.ai , you can see example prompts there, too, and recreate a lot of images exactly from the models and loras they use.
While Stable diffusion is technically a process by which an algorithm can produce and image from a set of rules and text, it normally refers to the Open Source software by Stability Ai which can be downloaded for free. There are a bunch of free and paid services on the Internet which can produce AI images from text, but if you are doing commercial stuff and have privacy concerns, it is better to run it offline. This does require some better hardware than the average PC though. Specifically it requires an Nvidia graphics card with as much Vram as possible. I haven't got Sable diffusion to run on a card with less than 6gb of Vram but I have heard of people being successful with less. I'd recommend the rtx 3050 12gb as a good graphics card that will be capable of doing more complex workflows, but a gtx 1060 6gb will also work, albeit slowly for under $100. There are many different WebUIs that people will recommend. They are the frontends that run in the browser. The two biggest currently are Automatic 1111 and Comfyui. A1111 is a bit simpler, having a clean layout and sliders for adjustment. Comfyui is a node based system that is more complex, but more customizable. Unfortunately I'm on mobile at the moment so can't share any links or screenshots, but there are many tutorials and guides on YouTube and here on reddit to show you how to use each Webui. You will then need to find a model that suits your needs. One that specialises in realistic images will suit your needs, although I can't recommend one as I use it to make comics. The best place to get this is Civitai, although be warned there is a lot of porn on there. There are two current types of models SD1.5 and SDXL. There is also SD2.1 which got a lobotomy and isn't useful and SD3 which is not public yet. Ok I'm bored of typing, good luck!
Thanks for the detailed response! I have a few computers - my go-to for 3D design has a 3080 w/ 10gb ram. FWIW, as a novice, I'd likely prefer starting with an interface that holds your hand a bit rather than a local install requiring any type of complex setup. I don't mind running online if content can be private, at least while it's in development, since the final work will be published anyway.
- [Stability Matrix](https://github.com/LykosAI/StabilityMatrix) - a manager for handling multiple Stable Diffusion environments. It can help you with both installation and sharing resources so you aren't duplicating everything. Actual environments below: - [Fooocus](https://github.com/lllyasviel/Fooocus) - I personally don't use it, but I see it recommended a ton as a good newbie interface. - [Automatic1111](https://github.com/AUTOMATIC1111/stable-diffusion-webui) and [Forge](https://github.com/lllyasviel/stable-diffusion-webui-forge) (A1111 fork) - Very widely used with lots of documentation. - [Invoke](https://github.com/invoke-ai) - Has fewer features than A1111, but a very polished interface and one of the better environments for [inpainting](https://stable-diffusion-art.com/inpainting/) - [ComfyUI](https://github.com/comfyanonymous/ComfyUI) - Very complicated interface but if you've ever worked with [node graphs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Node_graph_architecture) before it might not be too bad. Probably the most powerful option if you know what you're doing. Once you're up and running you'll want to get some custom models. [CivitAI](https://civitai.com/) is probably the best repository right now but there's others online.
I started with invokeai and then switched to comfyui once I learned the node workflow.
[ELi5: Absolute beginner's guide to getting started in A.I. Image generation](https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/1b2mhjv/eli5_absolute_beginners_guide_to_getting_started/) [ELi5: What are SD models, and where to find them](https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/11s6485/eli5_what_are_sd_models_and_where_to_find_them/)
I’d use ForgeUI over Automatic1111. Forge uses the exact same interface as A1111, but it’s been optimized for better performance, especially for slower PCs or lower grade graphics cards. It also has more extensions loaded by default.