SmartGallery DAM

The local-first Digital Asset Manager that works with ComfyUI, and survives without it.
Bridging the gap between your creative workflow and professional client approval.

• Search 50,000 generations by prompt, model, LoRA, or comments in milliseconds.
• Organize your gallery seamlessly across physical folders and nested virtual collections.
• (NEW) OmniQuery: Ask complex questions to your database in plain English using AI.
• (NEW) LoRA Synergy™: Stop guessing compatibility. Let the system scan your safetensors and auto-wire your graph locally.
• Remix workflows with The Nodepad: Generate directly from your gallery without opening ComfyUI. Build custom dashboards, edit raw JSON with live server dictionary lookups, and queue jobs in the background. ▶️
• Share curated work with clients without exposing a single node, and let them rate and comment on your creations.
• Compare two generations side-by-side with an automatic parameter diff.
• Cull batches from your laptop or also from your phone while ComfyUI is still generating.

🌐 smartgallerydam.com · full documentation, wiki and feature reference · ▶️ Presentation Video

ComfyUI-Aware. ComfyUI-Independent.

SmartGallery DAM runs as a fully independent process, outside ComfyUI's environment. It keeps indexing and organizing your library whether ComfyUI is up, down, updating, or completely uninstalled. No custom node, no shared dependencies.

SmartGallery DAM is ComfyUI-aware (it reads workflows, extracts prompts, understands models and LoRAs) but ComfyUI-independent by design. Your DAM outlives any tool it connects to.

What this means in practice:

• ComfyUI is broken after a Python update? SmartGallery keeps running.
• Run it alongside ComfyUI on the same machine on a different port. Or install it on a separate machine or laptop and just link the output folder over the network.
• You switched tools entirely? SmartGallery works on any folder of media. It was never ComfyUI-only to begin with.

The Best Mobile Experience in Its Class

We are not aware of any other self-hosted media manager with a mobile interface this good.

SmartGallery DAM was built responsive from day one, not as an afterthought.

This is cross-platform in the full sense: Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, accessible from any browser on any device on your network, including tablets and smartphones.

Why SmartGallery?

Table of Contents

1. OVERVIEW & CONCEPTS
   • 1.1 What is SmartGallery DAM?
   • 1.2 What's New in v2.15
   • 1.3 Core Features
   • 1.4 Use Case Scenarios
2. SETUP & CONFIGURATION
   • 2.1 Installation
   • 2.2 Launch Parameters
   • 2.3 FFmpeg Integration
3. INTERFACE WALKTHROUGH
   • 3.1 The Main Workspace (Creator Hub)
     • 3.1.1 Sidebar Navigation
     • 3.1.2 Top Toolbar & Global Actions
     • 3.1.3 Search & Filters
     • 3.1.4 OmniQuery – AI-Powered SQL Explorer (NEW)
     • 3.1.5 Gallery Grid & Focus Mode
     • 3.1.6 Batch Selection Bar
   • 3.2 Advanced Media Inspection
     • 3.2.1 The Lightbox (Media Viewer)
     • 3.2.2 ComfyUI Node Summary (📝)
     • 3.2.3 Remix Workflow & The { } Nodepad (✦)
     • 3.2.4 LoRA Synergy™ (NEW)
     • 3.2.5 Compare Mode
     • 3.2.6 Video Storyboard
   • 3.3 Digital Asset Management (DAM) & Communication
     • 3.3.1 Virtual Collections & Sharing
     • 3.3.2 Pipeline Status Tags
     • 3.3.3 Ratings & Comments
   • 3.4 User Management & Access Control
   • 3.5 The Exhibition Portal (Client Hub)
4. ADVANCED TOPICS & REFERENCE
   • 4.1 Sharing Online
   • 4.2 Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
   • 4.3 Experimental Features
   • 4.4 Philosophy, Feedback & License

1. OVERVIEW & CONCEPTS

1.1 What is SmartGallery DAM?

SmartGallery DAM is the evolution of SmartGallery for ComfyUI. What started as a fast local gallery for browsing outputs has grown into a powerful and easy-to-use Digital Asset Management system.

Evolve your workflow from a simple collection of files into a structured, searchable library. Designed for individual creators and professional teams, this platform is ridiculously simple to use, yet powerful enough to act as the ultimate file manager for your generations. Every asset is automatically indexed, linked to its original generative parameters, and ready for secure review. The system is open-source, private, and entirely local: no cloud dependencies and no recurring costs.

Who is this for?

The AI Artist. You run ComfyUI all day. Your output folder has tens of thousands of files and you can never find anything. SmartGallery lives outside that chaos. It indexes every generation with its full workflow, lets you search by prompt, model or LoRA, and lets you cull while batches are still running. When ComfyUI breaks, SmartGallery doesn't even blink.

The Creative Pro or Team. You deliver AI visuals to clients. Sharing via Google Drive or Dropbox feels unprofessional. SmartGallery gives you an optional Exhibition portal where clients rate and comment on images in real time, while your prompts and workflows stay completely invisible to them. Launch it only when you have a delivery to share.

Everyone else. You just want to organize photos, videos, or art and share them nicely. SmartGallery works with any folder on your system.

The Remote or Multi-Machine User. You want your gallery on a dedicated machine (a laptop, a NAS, a home server) without installing ComfyUI there. Install SmartGallery on that machine, link your ComfyUI output folder over the network, and access the full DAM from any browser, on any device, including your phone.

1.2 What's New in v2.15

• 🧠 OmniQuery (AI-Powered SQL Explorer): Ask complex questions to your DAM. Use natural language via an LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to query your database with cross-table logic that goes way beyond simple UI filters.
• 🔌 LoRA Synergy™: A fully offline LoRA matchmaker built into the Nodepad. It reads your LoRAs' safetensors headers to guarantee checkpoint compatibility, suggests trigger words based on your history, and auto-wires the ComfyUI nodes perfectly.
• 🌳 Nested Collections: Virtual albums just got a major upgrade. You can now arrange your virtual Collections in a nested tree structure (parent/child relationship), keeping complex projects beautifully organized.

Note: Read the Full Changelog so you don't miss out on all the quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes!

1.3 Core Features

1.4 Use Case Scenarios

SmartGallery has two interfaces: the Main Interface (your personal workspace) and Exhibition (an optional sharing portal for clients, collaborators, or friends). They are completely independent. You can run just the Main Interface forever and never touch Exhibition. You can launch Exhibition only when you have something to share and shut it down when the review is over. Neither requires the other to be running.

python smartgallery.py

python smartgallery.py --port 8189 --admin-pass yourpassword --force-login

python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword

python smartgallery.py --port 8189 --admin-pass yourpassword --force-login

python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword --blind-rating

2. SETUP & CONFIGURATION

2.1 Installation

Requirements:

• Portable/Docker Installation: No installation required. Everything is pre-configured (Python is already embedded).
• Manual Installation: Python 3.10+ installed on your system.
• Strongly Recommended: FFmpeg/FFprobe (for advanced video features).

Choose your platform below and expand to view the installation instructions:

git clone https://github.com/biagiomaf/smart-comfyui-gallery
cd smart-comfyui-gallery
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

@echo off
cd /d %~dp0
call venv\Scripts\activate.bat

:: --- CONFIGURATION: replace with your real paths ---
:: Use forward slashes (/) even on Windows
set "BASE_OUTPUT_PATH=C:/Path/To/ComfyUI/output"
set "BASE_INPUT_PATH=C:/Path/To/ComfyUI/input"
set "BASE_SMARTGALLERY_PATH=C:/Path/To/ComfyUI/output"
set "FFPROBE_MANUAL_PATH=C:/Path/To/ffmpeg/bin/ffprobe.exe"
set SERVER_PORT=8189

:: --- OPTIONAL LAUNCH PARAMETERS ---
:: Add any of the following to the python command below depending on your scenario:
::
::   --admin-pass yourpassword   Set the admin password (log in as: admin / yourpassword)
::   --force-login               Require login on the Main Interface (use with --admin-pass)
::   --exhibition                Start in Exhibition Mode instead of the Main Interface
::   --port 8190                 Use a different port (default: 8189)
::   --enable-guest-login        Allow anonymous guest access in Exhibition
::   --blind-rating              Hide global averages to prevent user bias
::
:: Example – Main Interface with login enforced:
::   python smartgallery.py --port 8189 --admin-pass yourpassword --force-login
::
:: Example – Exhibition on port 8190 with Blind Rating:
::   python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword --blind-rating

:: --- START ---
python smartgallery.py
pause

cd smart-comfyui-gallery
git pull
venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

git clone https://github.com/biagiomaf/smart-comfyui-gallery
cd smart-comfyui-gallery
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

#!/bin/bash
source venv/bin/activate

# Fix for "Too many open files" on macOS
ulimit -n 4096

# --- CONFIGURATION: replace with your real paths ---
export BASE_OUTPUT_PATH="$HOME/ComfyUI/output"
export BASE_INPUT_PATH="$HOME/ComfyUI/input"
export BASE_SMARTGALLERY_PATH="$HOME/ComfyUI/output"
export FFPROBE_MANUAL_PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin/ffprobe"
export SERVER_PORT=8189

# --- OPTIONAL LAUNCH PARAMETERS ---
# Add any of the following to the python command below depending on your scenario:
#
#   --admin-pass yourpassword   Set the admin password (log in as: admin / yourpassword)
#   --force-login               Require login on the Main Interface (use with --admin-pass)
#   --exhibition                Start in Exhibition Mode instead of the Main Interface
#   --port 8190                 Use a different port (default: 8189)
#   --enable-guest-login        Allow anonymous guest access in Exhibition
#   --blind-rating              Hide global averages to prevent user bias
#
# Example – Main Interface with login enforced:
#   python smartgallery.py --port 8189 --admin-pass yourpassword --force-login
#
# Example – Exhibition on port 8190 with Blind Rating:
#   python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword --blind-rating

# --- START ---
python smartgallery.py

cd smart-comfyui-gallery && git pull
source venv/bin/activate && pip install -r requirements.txt

git clone https://github.com/biagiomaf/smart-comfyui-gallery
cd smart-comfyui-gallery
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

#!/bin/bash
source venv/bin/activate

# --- CONFIGURATION: replace with your real paths ---
export BASE_OUTPUT_PATH="$HOME/ComfyUI/output"
export BASE_INPUT_PATH="$HOME/ComfyUI/input"
export BASE_SMARTGALLERY_PATH="$HOME/ComfyUI/output"
export FFPROBE_MANUAL_PATH="/usr/bin/ffprobe"
export SERVER_PORT=8189

# --- OPTIONAL LAUNCH PARAMETERS ---
# Add any of the following to the python command below depending on your scenario:
#
#   --admin-pass yourpassword   Set the admin password (log in as: admin / yourpassword)
#   --force-login               Require login on the Main Interface (use with --admin-pass)
#   --exhibition                Start in Exhibition Mode instead of the Main Interface
#   --port 8190                 Use a different port (default: 8189)
#   --enable-guest-login        Allow anonymous guest access in Exhibition
#   --blind-rating              Hide global averages to prevent user bias
#
# Example – Main Interface with login enforced:
#   python smartgallery.py --port 8189 --admin-pass yourpassword --force-login
#
# Example – Exhibition on port 8190:
#   python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword --blind-rating

# --- START ---
python smartgallery.py

cd smart-comfyui-gallery && git pull
source venv/bin/activate && pip install -r requirements.txt

docker run \
  --name smartgallery \
  -v /your/host/output:/mnt/output \
  -v /your/host/input:/mnt/input \
  -v /your/host/SmartGallery:/mnt/SmartGallery \
  -e BASE_OUTPUT_PATH=/mnt/output \
  -e BASE_INPUT_PATH=/mnt/input \
  -e BASE_SMARTGALLERY_PATH=/mnt/SmartGallery \
  -e WANTED_UID=`id -u` \
  -e WANTED_GID=`id -g` \
  # -e CLI_ARGS="..."   # Optional: add launch parameters here (see below)
  -p 8189:8189 \
  mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery

docker pull mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery
docker stop smartgallery && docker rm smartgallery
# Re-run the docker run command above

Once installed, open SmartGallery at:

http://127.0.0.1:8189/galleryout

[!IMPORTANT] When you update to a new version:

• For Portable Installations: Simply download the new version, extract it, and overwrite your existing files. Remember to keep your existing launch scripts (.bat or .sh files) to preserve your custom paths and settings.

• For Docker Installations: Pull the latest image and restart your container. Your configuration is preserved via your volume mappings.

• For Manual Installations: Remember to keep your existing launch scripts (.bat or .sh files). After updating your files, refresh your environment dependencies by running:

  pip install -r requirements.txt
  

2.2 Launch Parameters

The Main Interface and Exhibition are completely independent. You can run just one, both at the same time, or alternate between them. Neither requires the other to be running.

# Terminal 1: Main interface
python smartgallery.py --port 8189 --admin-pass yourpassword --force-login

# Terminal 2: Exhibition (launch only when needed, with Blind Rating active)
python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword --blind-rating

# Main interface container (port 8189 on host)
docker run --name smartgallery-main \
  -v /your/host/output:/mnt/output \
  -v /your/host/input:/mnt/input \
  -v /your/host/SmartGallery:/mnt/SmartGallery \
  -e BASE_OUTPUT_PATH=/mnt/output \
  -e BASE_INPUT_PATH=/mnt/input \
  -e BASE_SMARTGALLERY_PATH=/mnt/SmartGallery \
  -e WANTED_UID=`id -u` \
  -e WANTED_GID=`id -g` \
  -e CLI_ARGS="--admin-pass yourpassword --force-login" \
  -p 8189:8189 \
  mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery

# Exhibition container (port 8190 on host)
docker run --name smartgallery-exhibition \
  -v /your/host/output:/mnt/output \
  -v /your/host/input:/mnt/input \
  -v /your/host/SmartGallery:/mnt/SmartGallery \
  -e BASE_OUTPUT_PATH=/mnt/output \
  -e BASE_INPUT_PATH=/mnt/input \
  -e BASE_SMARTGALLERY_PATH=/mnt/SmartGallery \
  -e WANTED_UID=`id -u` \
  -e WANTED_GID=`id -g` \
  -e CLI_ARGS="--exhibition --admin-pass yourpassword --blind-rating" \
  -p 8190:8189 \
  mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery

2.3 FFmpeg Integration

FFmpeg is optional but strongly recommended. Without it, video files will not generate thumbnails, the storyboard feature will not work, and formats like ProRes, MKV, AVI, and MOV will not transcode for browser playback.

If you only work with images, you can skip this entirely.

set "FFPROBE_MANUAL_PATH=C:/ffmpeg/bin/ffprobe.exe"

brew install ffmpeg

export FFPROBE_MANUAL_PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin/ffprobe"

sudo apt update && sudo apt install ffmpeg

sudo dnf install ffmpeg

export FFPROBE_MANUAL_PATH="/usr/bin/ffprobe"

3. INTERFACE WALKTHROUGH

3.1 The Main Workspace (Creator Hub)

Access: http://localhost:8189/galleryout

The Main Workspace: grid view with sidebar navigation, batch selection bar at the bottom, and Workflow badges on each card. Fully responsive and functional on mobile devices.

Mobile interface	Node Summary: full workflow recall at a glance

3.1.1 Sidebar Navigation

The left sidebar contains three main tabs:

The three-tab sidebar: Folders (directory tree), Collections (virtual albums), Status (browse by pipeline state).

• 📁 Folders (Physical): Browse actual folders on your hard drive.
  • + — Create a subfolder
  • 🔗 — Mount an external drive or network folder via symlink
  • ⋮ — Rename, Delete, Unmount, or force AI Indexing on a folder
• 📚 Collections (Virtual): Virtual albums grouping files from different folders without moving them on disk.
• 🏷 Status: Browse all files by their color-coded pipeline status across every folder at once.
• 👤 User Profile (bottom): Shows your current role. Click 👥 to open User Management, × to log out.

3.1.2 Top Toolbar & Global Actions

The top toolbar: action buttons on the left, file count and sort options on the right.

• ⚙️ Options: Global settings — thumbnail size (Normal 320px / Compact 220px), video autoplay.
• ? Shortcuts: Full keyboard shortcut list for the current interface.
• ⚡ Focus (Q): Toggle Focus Mode.
• 🕵️ My Ratings: Quickly toggle between the global average rating view and your personal, blind rating view.
• 📤 Upload: Magic Upload via drag & drop. ComfyUI metadata is extracted automatically.
• ♻️ Rescan: Forces a background disk scan for externally added or modified files.

Auto-Watch & Refresh

Auto-Watch: click the ⋮ next to Refresh, enable the toggle and set an interval. A pulsing red dot confirms it's active.

• Manual Refresh: Click the 🔃 icon to instantly scan for new files.
• Auto-Watch (⋮): Silently scans in the background and injects new ComfyUI files into the grid without a page reload. Enable it while ComfyUI is generating to cull in real time.

3.1.3 Search & Filters

The Filters panel: search scope, multi-keyword fields, extensions, date range, and options.

Click 🔍 Filters to open the advanced search engine. Filters work across both physical Folders and virtual Collections.

Search Scope: Current Folder or Global (All Folders). Toggle Include Subfolders for recursive search.

Multi-Keyword Fields (Workflow Files, Prompt Keywords, Comment Keywords):

💡 Pro Tip: You can combine Exact Matches and Exclusions! Use !"bad anatomy" to completely exclude a specific phrase from your search results.

Extensions & Prefixes: Filter by file type or filename prefix.

Date Range: Filter by generation/upload date.

Options: Favorites Only · No Workflow.

Advanced Ratings Filtering: You can now drill down into feedback by filtering by Star Rating Ranges (e.g., select '4-5 stars' and '1-2 stars' simultaneously) and by Specific Raters to isolate feedback from key clients or team members.

Sort Buttons

Sort by Date (📅), Name (🔤), Rating (⭐), or Comments (💬).

Sorting criteria for Ratings and Comments have been upgraded with Sub-menus. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Rating or Comment buttons to effortlessly toggle between "Highest/Lowest Rated", "Not Rated", "Most/Least Discussed", or "Uncommented" items. A dedicated Newest Comments sort orders files by the most recent activity, making it perfect for Admins to surface the latest client feedback without manually hunting through the grid.

3.1.4 OmniQuery – AI-Powered SQL Explorer

If you can describe it, you can find it.
The built-in filter panel is great for everyday searches, but sometimes you need to ask complex, cross-table questions like: "Show me all videos longer than 2 minutes that have at least 3 comments mentioning 'review' and belong to a specific collection."

Click the ⚡ OmniQuery icon in the gallery toolbar to open the AI-Assisted SQL Explorer.

• Natural Language Translation: OmniQuery generates a perfect schema prompt. Copy it, paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or DeepSeek, and they will write the perfect SQL logic for you.
• Read-Only Security: You can safely let AI generate queries. OmniQuery strictly enforces SELECT statements, meaning your database can never be accidentally modified or deleted.
• Save & Reuse: Save your favorite complex queries directly on the server to run them again with one click.

👉 Read the full OmniQuery Guide for detailed instructions and examples.

3.1.5 Gallery Grid & Focus Mode

Persistent Metadata Hover Bar: Hovering over any image now reveals a sleek status bar at the bottom of the screen. It provides instant, real-time access to crucial file details including exact dimensions, calculated megapixels, file size, and current rating status without needing to open the Lightbox.

Standard Grid View (Focus Mode OFF): Hovering over an image reveals the quick-action card with Node Summary (📝), Favorite (⭐), Download (💾), Delete (🗑️). Clicking opens the Lightbox.

Standard Grid View (Focus OFF): two files selected (blue checkmarks), hover card visible, batch bar at the bottom.

Focus Mode ON (Q): Hides all UI chrome, metadata, titles, and quick-action cards. A golden star marks favorites. Selected items show a massive fuchsia border. Use keyboard arrows to navigate. Click or press V/Enter to open the Lightbox.

Focus Mode ON: all clutter removed, fuchsia border on the selected file, batch bar still accessible.

Power User Tip: Enable Auto-Watch, activate Focus Mode with Q, then use ←→ arrows + Del/F/X to blaze through a batch while it's still generating. Press I on any item to view its exact file path and linked real-source mapping (crucial for diagnosing mounted external drives).

3.1.6 Batch Selection Bar

Click the checkmark ✓ on any image (or Space/X in Focus Mode) to select it. The floating Selection Bar appears at the bottom.

Batch selection bar: 2 files selected (fuchsia borders), context menu open with all available batch actions.

3.2 Advanced Media Inspection

3.2.1 The Lightbox (Media Viewer)

Open the full-screen Lightbox with V or Enter. When Focus Mode is OFF, clicking an image also works.

The Lightbox: Node Summary panel (left), full-resolution image (center), Ratings & Comments panel (right). All three panels can be shown or hidden independently.

Enhanced Player Controls: The custom video/audio player now supports Spacebar to Play/Pause, arrow keys to seek by 5 seconds, and full volume/mute controls (Shortcut M).

Dynamic Audio Waveforms: If GENERATE_WAVEFORMS=true is set, visual audio tracks will map onto the seek bar. A dedicated amplitude slider (🌊) lets you visually boost or reduce the waveform height in real time—a rare feature that saves you from needing to regenerate the media file.

Toolbar Buttons:

3.2.2 ComfyUI Node Summary (📝)

Press N on any image (in the grid or in the Lightbox) to open the Node Summary.

Node Summary dashboard: positive prompt with one-click Copy, and all generation parameters at a glance.

Raw Node List: every single node in the ComfyUI graph (DualCLIPLoader, ConditioningZeroOut, MarkdownNote…) with all parameters.

The dashboard shows:

• Positive & Negative Prompts — with one-click Copy buttons
• Generation Parameters — Seed (with copy button), Steps, CFG, Sampler, Scheduler, Resolution
• Active LoRAs — all LoRAs used and their weights
• Source Media (Inputs) — if the workflow used Image2Image, ControlNet, or Video inputs, the source media is displayed and downloadable directly from this panel
• Raw Node List — complete scrollable list of every node in the workflow graph

3.2.3 Remix Workflow & The { } Nodepad (✦)

The Philosophy: "Suffer Only Once on the Canvas"
ComfyUI is incredibly powerful, but its node-based interface can be overwhelming. The philosophy behind the Remix feature is simple: endure building your perfect node setup once. Once you generate your media, let SmartGallery steal its "soul", extract the parameters, and save it as a clean Template. You will never have to look at the node canvas again. ▶️ Video

The Remix Engine: select an image, press B, and gain full control over the generation pipeline.

Getting started is immediate: just select an image or video in your gallery and press B. SmartGallery dynamically adapts to your workflow's complexity, offering three distinct spaces to work in:

1️⃣ Simple Tweaks: 📝 Auto-Form

This is the engine room. SmartGallery aggressively scans the embedded workflow and automatically exposes the most important editable parameters (Prompts, Seeds, Steps, Denoise, Dimensions, etc.).
Best for: Basic workflows where you just need to change the prompt and hit the 🚀 Queue button.

2️⃣ Build Your Dashboard: 🛠️ My Panel

If your Auto-Form is cluttered, build your own interface! Click the 📌 Pin icon next to the inputs you care about in the Auto-Form. Switch to My Panel, and you will find a clean dashboard populated exclusively with your pinned fields. Use the ↕ Reorder button to drag and drop them into a perfect sequence.
Best for: Creating a clean, distraction-free generator isolating just the key parameters needed for daily operations.

3️⃣ Pro Control: { } The Nodepad (The Game Changer)

No other software on the market offers this level of control. The Nodepad is a revolutionary raw JSON editor designed for power users and prompt engineers. If a custom node isn't supported by the Auto-Form, edit its raw JSON directly here.

• Live Dictionary Lookup: As long as your ComfyUI server is online, the Nodepad directly interrogates it. Click on any node, and SmartGallery instantly downloads the official definitions and allowed options for that specific node directly from the ComfyUI backend.
• The Magic Injector: You don't have to type strict JSON manually. The Nodepad generates visual UI elements—like Comboboxes for node options, or Upload buttons for images/videos. Select a value, and watch the underlying JSON rewrite and format itself magically!
• Intelligent JSON Formatting: The Nodepad visually converts escaped characters into physical newlines for easy reading, then automatically sanitizes them back into valid \n code upon saving to prevent ComfyUI syntax errors.
• The "Favorite" Node System: If a custom node is too complex, open it in the Nodepad and click ⭐ Favorite. That entire node will instantly become a "Quick Edit" button inside your clean My Panel dashboard!

The Workflow Library & Queueing

Once you have pinned your fields and favorited your complex nodes inside My Panel, click ⭐ Save to Library. You can recall these templates at any time from the main Tools menu without needing a source image. When ready, set your Generation Count, toggle the Random Seed, and click 🚀 Queue to send the jobs to ComfyUI in the background.

Video Companion PNGs & Autofix

Video files (MP4/WebM) generated by ComfyUI sometimes lack the full "API Workflow" data required for direct queuing. If you see a warning, just click the blue 🔍 Find companion PNG button. SmartGallery will automatically locate the VHS sidecar image, extract the hidden data, and restore your ability to queue the video directly!

3.2.4 LoRA Synergy™

Stop guessing which LoRA goes with which checkpoint. Let SmartGallery tell you.

LoRA Synergy is a zero-API, fully offline LoRA matchmaker and injector built directly into SmartGallery's Remix Workflow → Nodepad.

• Intelligent Architecture Matchmaker: It scans the actual .safetensors files on your disk, reads their metadata, and cross-references their base architecture (SD1.5, SDXL, Flux) against the checkpoint currently loaded in your workflow. Your LoRAs are instantly bucketed into 🟢 Perfect Matches or ⛔ Incompatible.
• Memory Triggers: Forgetting trigger words ruins generations. Synergy surfaces official CivitAI triggers and pulls historical ones you've used in the past, saving them to a floating "Memory Widget" ready to be pasted.
• Auto-Wiring: Click Execute Synergy and the system will instantly chain the LoraLoader node and automatically rewire every downstream MODEL and CLIP connection for you. Zero spaghetti routing.
• ComfyUI-Lora-Manager Integration: Automatically detects if you use willmiao's LoRA Manager, unlocking rich thumbnails and direct CivitAI deep-links inside the panel.

👉 Read the full LoRA Synergy Guide for detailed instructions and Docker/custom-path configurations.

3.2.5 Compare Mode

Select exactly 2 files, click ⋮ in the Selection Bar → Compare Selected.

Compare Mode: drag the central handle to compare the two images. The Parameter Differences table below shows only the values that changed between the two generations.

• Visual Slider: Drag the central handle to compare. Videos synchronize automatically.
• Parameter Differences (I): Table showing only the parameters that changed (e.g., CFG: 4.0 → 8.0, different prompt, different LoRA weights).

3.2.6 Video Storyboard (🎞)

Press E in the Lightbox on any video file.

Video Storyboard: 11 perfectly spaced frames extracted from the video. Click any frame to zoom in with timestamp data.

SmartGallery uses FFmpeg to extract 11 perfectly spaced frames and display them in a grid, letting you evaluate the entire motion arc and consistency at a glance — without scrubbing.

3.3 Digital Asset Management (DAM) & Communication

3.3.1 Virtual Collections & Sharing

Collections are virtual albums — group files from different physical folders without moving them on disk.

NEW in v2.15: Nested Collections (Trees) 🌳 Your collections no longer have to be a flat list. You can now create sub-collections arranged in a hierarchical folder-like structure. Perfect for managing complex client projects with multiple revisions or separate thematic drops.

Left: Collections sidebar tab with the context menu (Rename, Set as Exhibition Ready, Delete). Right: Manage Collections modal — add or remove the selected file from any collection, with pending changes shown.

• Create: Collections tab in the sidebar → + → name it → choose Public, Private, or select specific users. You can also drag and drop collections into one another to build a tree hierarchy.
• Add files: Select files → click 📚 in the Selection Bar or press A.
• Untag (U): Remove files from the current collection without deleting them from disk.

Exhibition Ready vs. Private vs. Shared

Click ⋮ next to any collection to manage visibility:

• Private (default): Strictly internal. Invisible to clients and guests.
• Exhibition Ready 👁: Pushed to the Exhibition Portal, visible to ALL clients and guests.
• Shared Access 👥: Click "Share / Permissions" to assign a collection exclusively to specific clients or users.

3.3.2 Pipeline Status Tags

The Status tab: all five pipeline states with their color coding and the keyboard shortcut for each.

The Status tab in the sidebar lets you browse all files at a given pipeline stage, across every folder at once.

How to assign: hover over an image (or select a batch) and press:

A vertical color bar on the left edge of each thumbnail indicates the file's pipeline status. No bar = no status assigned.

You can also use Y to open the tagging modal on a batch selection. Status tags are entirely optional.

3.3.3 Ratings & Comments (⭐💬)

Both interfaces share a unified communication database. Press G on any image to open the Ratings & Comments panel.

The Ratings & Comments panel: Global Rating (average of all users), your personal vote with Reset button, file's collections and pipeline status, and comment thread.

Ratings & Transparency

• Click ⭐ stars (1–5) to cast a personal vote. Click 🗑 Reset to remove it.
• Global Rating = average of all users (staff + clients in Exhibition).
• Rating Details (👁️): Click the "Details" icon next to the global rating to see exactly who voted and what rating they gave.
• Blind Rating Mode: Use --blind-rating at launch to force users to rate without seeing the global average, eliminating group bias.
• Batch rating: select multiple files → press Shift+R.

Comments & Visibility

Comments thread: a STAFF Direct Message (To: John Doe) and a Private (Staff Only) message from the client. The visibility dropdown is open showing all options.

When writing a comment, choose who can read it from the dropdown:

Every message displays a colored badge showing its visibility at a glance. Comment text is fully searchable from the Filters panel.

3.4 User Management & Access Control

If you work alone, skip this section — the system works without it.

User Management panel: role permissions table (Admin/Manager/Staff, Friend, User/Customer/Guest), user registration form, and login timestamp tracking.

Click the 👥 icon at the bottom of the sidebar to open the User Management panel.

Role Permissions

• admin: The built-in root user. Case-sensitive — always lowercase. Password set via --admin-pass.
• MANAGER / STAFF: Full access to Main Interface. Can read and respond to all comments.
• FRIEND: Exhibition only. Downloads original files (metadata intact, but Node Summary panel not available).
• USER / CUSTOMER / GUEST: Exhibition only. All downloads are metadata-stripped — no workflow can be recovered even with external tools.
• Guest (anonymous): With --enable-guest-login, anonymous users browse Exhibition without an account; they choose a nickname before posting their first comment.

User Analytics

The User Manager panel now displays the Last Login timestamp for every user. You can easily sort the user list by this timestamp, making it incredibly easy for admins to monitor client activity and see exactly who has recently engaged with the Exhibition portal.

Creating a User Account

Fill in: User ID (login name) · Password (min. 8 chars) · Full Name (display name) · Email (optional) · Phone (optional) · Role · Expiration (optional) · Active toggle.

3.5 The Exhibition Portal (Client Hub)

Access: Launch with --exhibition, typically on port 8190.

3.5.1 Exhibition Interface Overview

The Exhibition Portal: clean, curated grid showing only assigned/public collections. Each card shows the rating and comment count. No prompts, no folders, no workflow data visible.

The Exhibition portal is designed for non-technical users — clients, art directors, friends.

• Strictly Read-Only: Guests can vote and comment; they cannot delete, move, rename, or alter files.
• Metadata Stripped: Workflows, prompts, and EXIF are completely hidden. Downloads are always clean.
• Curated View: Guests see only public collections OR collections explicitly shared with them by the Admin.
• Blind Rating System: If the server is launched with --blind-rating, clients will only see their own ratings, ensuring completely unbiased feedback.

Grid & Navigation:

• Sidebar: Switch between collections, search by collection name.
• Sorting: Newest · Top Rated · Latest Commented · Most Commented · A-Z.
• Media Cards: Each thumbnail shows the global average rating (★) and comment count (💬).

3.5.2 Theater Mode (Exhibition Lightbox)

Theater Mode: full-resolution image with the Ratings & Comments panel open. Shows the global average rating, the user's personal vote, and a comment thread with visibility badges.

Clicking any image opens it in the Theater — the Exhibition's version of the Lightbox.

• Media Controls: Zoom (+/-), Rotate (T), Download (S), Open in New Tab (O).
• Rating & Comment Panel (G):
  • Rate 1–5 stars by clicking or pressing 1–5 on keyboard; 0 to clear.
  • Read messages addressed to you and public messages.
  • Post comments as Public (everyone) or Private (staff only).
• Mobile: Comments panel collapsed by default; tap 💬 Show Comments to expand.

4. ADVANCED TOPICS & REFERENCE

4.1 Sharing Online

By default SmartGallery runs on your local network. If you want to reach it from outside your home or share Exhibition with clients over the internet, you have two options: a reverse proxy (if you have a server or VPS with a domain), or a tunnel service (if you just want to share quickly with no server).

In both cases: Exhibition (port 8190) is designed for external access. The Main Interface (port 8189) can also be exposed externally, but always use --admin-pass and --force-login when you do.

# Main Interface (port 8189)
location /studio/ {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8189/galleryout/;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}

# Exhibition (port 8190)
location /gallery/ {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8190/galleryout/;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
}

# Main Interface (port 8189)
<Location "/studio/">
    ProxyPreserveHost On
    ProxyPass http://127.0.0.1:8189/galleryout/
    ProxyPassReverse http://127.0.0.1:8189/galleryout/
</Location>

# Exhibition (port 8190)
<Location "/gallery/">
    ProxyPreserveHost On
    ProxyPass http://127.0.0.1:8190/galleryout/
    ProxyPassReverse http://127.0.0.1:8190/galleryout/
</Location>

# macOS
brew install ngrok

# Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)
curl -sSL https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com/ngrok.asc | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ngrok.asc
echo "deb https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com buster main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ngrok.list
sudo apt update && sudo apt install ngrok

# Windows: download the .exe from ngrok.com/download

ngrok http 8190

4.2 Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

4.3 Experimental Features

The /experiments folder contains beta versions and hotfixes under active development.

Use at your own risk. Always back up before testing.

4.4 Philosophy, Feedback & License

Philosophy

Local-first. Privacy-first. Minimal dependencies. Cross-platform. Cross-device. No forced upgrades. No vendor lock-in.

Contributing and Feedback

Issues, ideas, and pull requests are welcome.

• Open an issue
• Fork, branch, PR

License

MIT License. See LICENSE

🎞️ Presentation Video

(Click on the image to play the video)

smartgallerydam.com · full documentation, wiki and feature reference

Made for the ComfyUI community and every digital creator who takes their work seriously.