SUPIR First Stage (Denoiser) Node Documentation

Overview

The SUPIR First Stage (Denoiser) node is a critical component in the ComfyUI SUPIR upscaler workflow. This node acts as a denoising stage within the SUPIR framework, utilizing a specialized denoise encoder Variational Autoencoder (VAE). This process is distinct from the Gradio demo's use of "first stage" for Llava preprocessing. In ComfyUI, this node can be utilized independently or as part of a comprehensive image processing pipeline, allowing for integration with other nodes to achieve various preprocessing effects.

Functionality

The SUPIR First Stage node is primarily responsible for:

• Denoising: It applies a denoising process to input images, a key step in improving the image quality during upscaling.
• VAE Usage: Utilizes a custom VAE for the denoising process, distinguishing its procedure from other traditional methods.

Input Specifications

The SUPIR First Stage node accepts the following inputs:

• Image Input: The primary input is the image that needs to be denoised. It is essential for the node to function, as it will apply the denoising process to this image.
• Optional Control Inputs: Depending on the broader workflow, additional inputs such as control settings from preceding nodes might influence the processing within the denoising stage.

Output Specifications

The outputs produced by the SUPIR First Stage node include:

• Denoised Image: The primary output of this node is the denoised version of the input image. This output can then be passed onto subsequent nodes for further processing, such as encoding or additional upscaling.

Workflow Integration

In ComfyUI workflows, the SUPIR First Stage node can be utilized in the following ways:

• Standalone Denoising: It can serve as a standalone node in workflows where only denoising is required without further image manipulation or upscaling.
• Part of a Pipeline: Typically, it's used as part of a larger image restoration and enhancement pipeline, where it cooperates with nodes like the SUPIR Encode and Decode nodes, among others.
• Customization and Skipping: Users have the flexibility to bypass this node or replace it with other preprocessing nodes, allowing for custom workflows tailored to specific needs or hardware constraints.

Special Features and Considerations

• Hardware Efficiency: The node is designed with efficient memory usage in mind. It supports a wide range of hardware configurations, providing flexibility for users to operate on different scales of input resolutions and sizes, contingent on GPU and system RAM availability.

• FP8 Compatibility: The node is compatible with FP8 for the UNet, ensuring efficient VRAM usage, but users are advised to use tiled_vae for the VAE to prevent artifacts.

• Custom Model Support: By utilizing the settings of the selected SDXL checkpoint, the SUPIR First Stage node is adaptable to different model configurations, negating the need for separate CLIP models.

• Memory Management: Users should be mindful of their hardware configuration—particular attention should be given to VRAM and system RAM capacities, especially when processing high-resolution images.

By incorporating the SUPIR First Stage node into their workflows, users can significantly enhance the quality of image restoration processes, leveraging its advanced denoising capabilities to achieve superior results. For further resources and updates on models, users might want to explore additional repositories such as those on Hugging Face and check for any updates that could enhance performance or compatibility.