ComfyUI Checkpoint Rotation Node

A custom node for ComfyUI that enables automatic checkpoint rotation during batch image generation. This allows you to generate images using multiple different model checkpoints in a single workflow, automatically switching between them based on your specified interval.

Features

• Automatic Checkpoint Rotation: Switch between checkpoints every N images
• Subfolder Selection: Choose checkpoints from specific subfolders in your models directory
• Multiple Rotation Modes:
  • Sequential: Cycle through checkpoints in order
  • Random: Randomly select checkpoints (with seed for reproducibility)
  • Shuffle: Randomize order once, then cycle through
• Checkpoint Filtering: Filter checkpoints by name pattern
• Batch Index Tracking: Helper nodes to track generation progress
• Smart Caching: Efficient checkpoint discovery with caching

Use Case Example

Generate 20 images with checkpoint changes every 4 images:

• Batch Count: 20 images
• Change Interval: 4 images
• Result: 5 different checkpoints used (changing every 4 images)

Installation

Method 1: Git Clone (Recommended)

1. Navigate to your ComfyUI custom nodes directory:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes/

2. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/trunksn1/comfyui-change-checkpoint-randomly.git

3. Restart ComfyUI

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Download this repository as ZIP
2. Extract to ComfyUI/custom_nodes/comfyui-change-checkpoint-randomly/
3. Restart ComfyUI

Verify Installation

After restarting ComfyUI, you should see these new nodes in the node menu:

• Checkpoint Rotation Loader (under loaders)
• Batch Index Counter (under utils)
• Simple Counter (under utils)

Look for the success message in the console:

[ComfyUI] Checkpoint Rotation Node loaded successfully!

Node Reference

1. Checkpoint Rotation Loader

The main node that loads checkpoints with rotation logic.

Location: Add Nodes → loaders → Checkpoint Rotation Loader

Inputs:

• subfolder (STRING): Path to checkpoint subfolder relative to models/checkpoints/
  • Leave empty "" to use root checkpoints folder
  • Example: "sd15", "sdxl/anime", "realistic"
• change_interval (INT): Number of images to generate before switching checkpoint
  • Default: 1
  • Example: 4 means change checkpoint every 4 images
• batch_index (INT): Current position in batch generation
  • Connect to Batch Index Counter node for automatic tracking
  • Manual: increment this value in your workflow
• rotation_mode (COMBO): How to select the next checkpoint
  • sequential: Cycle through in alphabetical order
  • random: Random selection (seed-based)
  • shuffle: Shuffle list once, then cycle
• seed (INT): Random seed for random and shuffle modes
  • Same seed = same checkpoint sequence
  • Different seed = different sequence
• checkpoint_filter (STRING, optional): Filter checkpoints by name
  • Example: "anime" only loads checkpoints with "anime" in filename
  • Case-insensitive substring match

Outputs:

• model: Loaded model (connect to KSampler)
• clip: CLIP model (connect to CLIP Text Encode)
• vae: VAE model (connect to VAE Decode)
• checkpoint_name: Name of current checkpoint (for display/logging)
• info: Detailed information about current rotation state

2. Batch Index Counter

Helper node to automatically track and increment batch index.

Location: Add Nodes → utils → Batch Index Counter

Inputs:

• action (COMBO): What to do with the counter
  • increment: Add to counter
  • set: Set to specific value
  • reset: Reset to 0
• counter_id (STRING, optional): Unique identifier for this counter
  • Default: "default"
  • Use different IDs for multiple independent counters
• set_value (INT): Value to set when action is "set"
• increment_by (INT): Amount to increment (default: 1)

Outputs:

• batch_index: Current counter value (connect to Checkpoint Rotation node)
• info: Information string about counter state

3. Simple Counter

Basic counter that outputs sequential numbers.

Location: Add Nodes → utils → Simple Counter

Inputs:

• start (INT): Starting value (default: 0)
• step (INT): Increment amount (default: 1)

Outputs:

• value: Current counter value

Usage Examples

Example 1: Basic Rotation with Loop

Generate 20 images, changing checkpoint every 4 images:

[Batch Index Counter]
  action: increment
  increment_by: 1
  └─→ batch_index

[Checkpoint Rotation Loader]
  subfolder: "sdxl"
  change_interval: 4
  batch_index: (from counter)
  rotation_mode: sequential
  └─→ model, clip, vae

[CLIP Text Encode (Positive)]
  clip: (from rotation loader)
  text: "your prompt"

[CLIP Text Encode (Negative)]
  clip: (from rotation loader)
  text: "negative prompt"

[KSampler]
  model: (from rotation loader)
  batch_size: 1  ← Important: use 1 for rotation to work
  └─→ latent

[VAE Decode]
  vae: (from rotation loader)
  samples: (from sampler)
  └─→ image

[Save Image]
  images: (from decoder)

Workflow Notes:

• Set KSampler batch_size: 1 to generate images one at a time
• Wrap the entire workflow in a loop (20 iterations)
• Batch Index Counter automatically increments each iteration
• Checkpoint changes every 4 iterations (4, 8, 12, 16, 20)

Example 2: Random Rotation with Seed Control

Same setup as Example 1, but with random checkpoint selection:

[Checkpoint Rotation Loader]
  subfolder: "realistic"
  change_interval: 5
  rotation_mode: random
  seed: 12345  ← Controls which checkpoints are selected

Result: Different seed values produce different checkpoint sequences, but the same seed always produces the same sequence.

Example 3: Using Subfolder Filters

Load only specific checkpoint types:

[Checkpoint Rotation Loader]
  subfolder: "sdxl"
  checkpoint_filter: "turbo"  ← Only loads checkpoints with "turbo" in name
  change_interval: 2
  rotation_mode: sequential

Example 4: Multiple Independent Counters

Use different counters for different purposes:

[Batch Index Counter A]
  counter_id: "main"
  action: increment
  └─→ for main checkpoint rotation

[Batch Index Counter B]
  counter_id: "secondary"
  action: increment
  increment_by: 2
  └─→ for different rotation speed

Workflow Setup Guide

Step-by-Step: Creating a Rotation Workflow

1. Add Batch Index Counter:

   • Right-click → Add Node → utils → Batch Index Counter
   • Set action to "increment"

2. Add Checkpoint Rotation Loader:

   • Right-click → Add Node → loaders → Checkpoint Rotation Loader
   • Connect batch_index output from counter to batch_index input
   • Set subfolder to your checkpoint folder (or leave empty for root)
   • Set change_interval to desired number (e.g., 4 for every 4 images)
   • Choose rotation_mode (sequential recommended for first try)

3. Connect to Your Workflow:

   • Connect model output to KSampler
   • Connect clip output to CLIP Text Encode nodes
   • Connect vae output to VAE Decode

4. Set Up Loop (Important!):

   • Use ComfyUI's loop nodes or queue multiple prompts
   • Set KSampler batch_size: 1 (critical for rotation)
   • Loop for total number of images you want

5. Run Workflow:

   • Execute the workflow
   • Checkpoint will automatically rotate based on your settings
   • Watch console for rotation messages

Troubleshooting

No Checkpoints Found

Problem: Error message "No checkpoints found in: [folder]"

Solutions:

• Verify the subfolder path is correct relative to models/checkpoints/
• Check that checkpoint files exist in the folder (.safetensors, .ckpt, .pt, .pth)
• Leave subfolder empty to use root checkpoints folder
• Check console for exact error message

Checkpoint Not Changing

Problem: Same checkpoint used for all images

Solutions:

• Verify batch_index is incrementing (check counter output)
• Set KSampler batch_size: 1 (batches of images use same checkpoint)
• Ensure change_interval is less than total images
• Check that multiple checkpoints exist in selected folder

Path/Import Errors

Problem: Module import errors on startup

Solutions:

• Ensure all files are in correct locations
• Restart ComfyUI completely
• Check Python path has no special characters
• Verify file permissions are correct

Model Loading Errors

Problem: "Failed to load checkpoint" errors

Solutions:

• Verify checkpoint files are not corrupted
• Ensure sufficient disk space
• Check that checkpoint is compatible with ComfyUI
• Try loading checkpoint manually with default loader first

Folder Structure

comfyui-change-checkpoint-randomly/
├── __init__.py              # Main node registration
├── nodes/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── checkpoint_rotation.py   # Main rotation logic
│   └── batch_counter.py         # Counter helpers
├── utils/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── checkpoint_utils.py      # Checkpoint operations
│   └── path_utils.py            # Path handling
├── examples/
│   └── example_workflow.json    # Example workflow
├── README.md                    # This file
└── IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md       # Development plan

Technical Details

How Rotation Works

The node calculates which checkpoint to use based on:

rotation_index = (batch_index // change_interval) % num_checkpoints

Example:

• 5 checkpoints available: [A, B, C, D, E]
• change_interval = 4
• Batch indices 0-3: checkpoint A
• Batch indices 4-7: checkpoint B
• Batch indices 8-11: checkpoint C
• And so on...

Supported File Types

• .safetensors (recommended)
• .ckpt
• .pt
• .pth

Performance Notes

• Caching: Checkpoint lists are cached per subfolder for performance
• Memory: Only one checkpoint loaded at a time
• Scanning: Recursive folder scanning may be slow with many files

Roadmap / Future Features

• Visual checkpoint selector UI
• Checkpoint preview thumbnails
• Weighted rotation (use some checkpoints more than others)
• Conditional rotation based on quality metrics
• Multi-folder support
• Checkpoint metadata display
• Generation history tracking
• Integration with ComfyUI Manager

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

Support

• Issues: Report bugs on GitHub Issues
• Discussions: Ask questions in GitHub Discussions
• ComfyUI Discord: Get help from the community

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Credits

• Author: Claude AI Assistant
• Version: 1.0.0
• Created: 2025-11-05

Changelog

Version 1.0.0 (2025-11-05)

• Initial release
• Checkpoint rotation with multiple modes
• Batch index tracking
• Subfolder and filter support
• Comprehensive documentation

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Note: This node requires a workflow setup that generates images iteratively (one at a time or in small batches). Using large batch sizes in KSampler will use the same checkpoint for the entire batch. Use loops or queue multiple prompts for best results.