In the Middle of Midjourney Training

My notes on Midjourney training deep dive

Mastering Midjourney Image Generation on Discord

Introduction

This chapter explores the process of generating images using Midjourney on Discord. It guides you through the necessary steps from account creation to advanced features for image creation, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the platform.

Creating a Discord Account

Start by creating an account on Discord, then proceed to Midjourney's website to join the beta. Since Midjourney operates via a Discord bot, having a Discord account is essential for image generation.

Subscription Levels and Privacy Settings

Midjourney offers four subscription tiers: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Mega, each with varying features and capabilities.

• Basic Plan: Ideal for casual users, with limited fast hours and job capacity.

• Standard Plan: Provides more fast hours and job capacity.

• Pro Plan: Includes stealth image generation for privacy, along with the features of the Standard plan.

• Mega Plan: The most comprehensive plan with the highest number of fast hours and advanced features.

Pro or higher plans are necessary for private image prompts and content, crucial for businesses or sensitive projects.

Setting Up Channels

Once your plan is selected, set up a server in Discord for project organization. This involves creating the server, adding the Midjourney bot, and organizing your workspace into different channels for various types of projects or styles.

Prompting in Channels

Use channels to organize and execute image prompts effectively. This includes using the '/imagine' command within a channel and understanding prompt structures for desired results.

Pinning Prompts and Referencing Images

Employ pinning of important prompts and results for easy future referencing. This technique is vital for maintaining an organized workflow, especially when handling numerous prompts and projects.

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This section provides an in-depth guide on utilizing Midjourney for image generation within Discord, covering settings, website navigation, archiving, collections, and the use of the Explorer and Prompt features.

Discord Settings

Exploration of Midjourney settings within Discord is crucial. The focus is on understanding the default settings and how to modify them for optimal use. Key settings include model selection, style adjustments, public mode configuration, and variation modes (high and low). Understanding how to change these settings and the implications of each change is essential for tailored image generation.

Mid-Journey Website

The Midjourney website serves as a personal gallery where all generated images, including upscales, are saved. Even if a Discord channel is deleted, the images remain accessible in the gallery. The website offers detailed views of each image, including the prompt used, image size, generation type, and mode. Additional features include similar image suggestions, image favoriting, rating for better training of Midjourney’s models, and high-resolution downloads directly from the gallery.

Archive and Downloading

The archive section of the Midjourney website stores a complete history of all generated images. Users can navigate this archive by date and download images in bulk. The downloading feature is highly flexible, allowing for batch downloads and selective downloads based on specific criteria, like image type or generation date.

Collections

Collections in Midjourney offer a way to organize images and prompts into themed galleries or mood boards. Users can add any image to a collection, allowing for easy retrieval and reference. This feature enhances the organizational capability of the user, aiding in managing large volumes of generated images.

Explorer and Prompt

The Explorer function on the Midjourney website showcases the highest-rated images across all users, serving as a source of inspiration and idea generation. It allows users to view and save prompts from these images, offering an opportunity to learn from popular trends and styles. The Prompt feature is integral to generating images, and understanding its nuances, such as the inclusion of specific terms or styles, can greatly enhance the outcome of the generated images.

Techniques in Image Generation with Midjourney

This chapter delves into advanced commands and techniques in Midjourney, enhancing your skills in image generation. It covers image blending, aspect ratio adjustments, and innovative features like the 'describe' command.

Image Blending and Aspect Ratios

Understanding how to blend images effectively in Midjourney is crucial. The blend command allows blending up to five images. When blending, ensure that the aspect ratio of the blend matches the images used. However, for more control and flexibility, including the ability to blend more images and add text prompts, use image URLs in a standard imagine command.

Adjusting Aspect Ratios

Aspect ratio plays a significant role in image generation. Blended images should have similar aspect ratios to avoid issues like black bars or distorted outputs. When adjusting aspect ratios, particularly different from the original images, expect alterations in the final image. Consistency in aspect ratios across blended images is key for optimal results.

Blending Images Found Online

Blending images from online sources involves copying their URLs and using them in an imagine command. This method allows blending diverse images while maintaining control over aspect ratios and additional text prompts. It's an effective way to create unique compositions from existing online imagery.

Using the 'Describe' Feature

The describe command in Midjourney is a powerful tool for generating prompt ideas. By uploading an image, Midjourney suggests prompts that could produce similar images. This feature not only provides inspiration but also helps understand how different elements and styles are interpreted by Midjourney’s AI.

Analyzing Prompts and Weights

Understanding the weight and impact of each term in a prompt is crucial for precise image generation. The 'shorten' command in Midjourney helps analyze and simplify prompts, highlighting the most influential terms. This feature is invaluable for refining prompts and achieving desired image qualities more efficiently.

Assignment Walkthrough

This section provides a practical walkthrough of an assignment, demonstrating the application of the discussed techniques. It involves creating two distinct prompts, blending them, and using the 'describe' and 'shorten' commands to refine and analyze the results. This exercise offers hands-on experience in effectively utilizing Midjourney’s advanced features.

{era}, {photo_style}, {film_stock}, {camera_angle}, {subject}, {subject_description}, {location}, {lighting}, {mood} --ar N:N --s N

Utilizing Midjourney Job ID with the /show Command

The /show command in Midjourney, used within a Discord channel where MidJourney is enabled, is a powerful tool leveraging the unique job ID of an image. This command allows for various functionalities including:

• Moving a Job: You can move a generated job to another server or channel.

• Reviving Lost Jobs: It helps in retrieving jobs that might have been lost or misplaced.

• Refreshing Old Jobs: Use this command to refresh an old job, enabling the creation of new variations, upscaling, or the application of newer parameters and features.

• Regenerating Jobs: This command allows for the complete regeneration of any job. Additionally, using the envelope emoji (✉️) as a reaction can forward a finished job to direct messages. This DM includes vital information like the image's seed number and its job ID, enhancing ease of access and sharing capabilities.

Discord Emoji Reaction for Forwarding Jobs

Utilizing the envelope emoji (✉️) reaction on a finished job in Discord automatically forwards it to your direct messages. This feature is particularly useful for keeping a personal record of your creations. It’s important to note that this emoji reaction is intended for jobs initiated by you, ensuring a streamlined and personalized experience.

/info Command for Job and Subscription Information

The /info command in MidJourney provides comprehensive information regarding your current activities and subscription status. This includes details on queued and running jobs, your subscription type, renewal date, and more. This command is essential for managing and tracking your MidJourney activities and subscription details.

Turbo Mode in MidJourney

Turbo mode is an advanced feature that utilizes a high-speed experimental GPU pool. Jobs executed in Turbo mode generate up to four times faster compared to the standard Fast Mode but consume twice the subscription GPU minutes. This mode is particularly useful for quick image generation and is available with Midjourney Model Versions 5, 5.1, and 5.2.

Sticky Style Feature

Sticky Style is a convenient feature in MidJourney that saves the last --style parameter used in your personal suffix. By turning on 📌Sticky Style via the /settings command, you eliminate the need to repeatedly type the style code for future prompts. Once enabled, simply typing your prompt will automatically append your preferred style code, streamlining the prompting process.

Mastering Mid-Journey Parameters and Commands

Aspect Ratios and Parameters

• Aspect ratios significantly impact the appearance of generated images.

• Default is square (1:1). To change, use the parameter --ar, followed by width:height (e.g., 16:9, 4:5).

• Aspect ratios must be whole numbers. They are vital for realistic image generation, especially for specific subjects like landscapes.

Zoom Parameter

• Mid Journey 5.2 introduces a custom zoom feature, allowing changes to aspect ratios between prompts.

• Custom zoom can extend the sides or top/bottom of an image, drastically altering its composition.

Randomness and Image Generation

• The --weird parameter (0 to 3000 range) adds unconventional aesthetics to images.

• Pairing --weird with the --stylized parameter balances creative and realistic elements.

• Using --weird can lead to varied results, necessitating experimentation to find the right balance.

The Weird Parameter

• The --weird parameter infuses offbeat qualities into images.

• It works alongside the --stylized parameter for nuanced control.

• Matching the --weird and --stylized values (e.g., 250 each) can yield balanced results.

Stylized Parameter

• Controls the artistic influence in image generation.

• Ranges from 0 to 1000; higher values increase artistic rendition, while lower values adhere more closely to prompts.

• In version 5.2, the parameter is more sensitive, allowing finer control over the artistic influence.

Chaos Parameter

• Adds variance to image grids.

• Ideal for introducing randomness, with a recommended starting range of 0 to 10.

• Higher chaos values lead to less predictable results, potentially straying from the initial prompt.

No Parameter

• The --no parameter eliminates unwanted elements (e.g., --no fruit removes fruit).

• It effectively adds a negative weight to specified elements, ensuring they don't appear in generated images.

• This parameter is crucial for refining images and removing specific colors or objects.

Version Parameter

• Selects the Mid-Journey model version for image generation (--v).

• Different versions interpret prompts distinctively, influencing the aesthetic outcomes.

• Regularly testing prompts against various versions (e.g., v5, 5.1, 5.2) can reveal the best fit for desired results.

Tile Parameter

• Creates repeating patterns and textures.

• Useful for designs where seamless integration in a pattern is essential, like wallpapers or textiles.

• Compatible with all Mid-Journey models, enhancing pattern-based creative projects.

Stop Parameter

• Determines when image generation halts (--stop).

• Lower values result in blurrier, less detailed images.

• Rarely used, but can introduce desired effects like graininess or blur in certain creative contexts.

Quality Parameter

• Affects the level of detail in generated images (--q).

• Lower values (e.g., 0.25, 0.5) save GPU minutes but yield less detailed images.

• Useful for quick tests or conserving resources, with the option to enhance quality for final selections.

Video Parameter

• Generates a video of the image creation process (--video).

• Offers insight into how images evolve from blurry beginnings to detailed final results.

• Useful as a creative tool to observe and understand the generation process in motion.

Turbo, Fast, and Relax Modes

• Modes dictate the speed of image generation.

• --turbo for rapid results, --fast for standard speed, --relax for slower, resource-conserving generation.

• Parameters allow on-the-fly mode selection for individual prompts, optimizing for speed or resource usage.

Repeat Function

• Repeats a prompt multiple times (--repeat or --r).

• Enables generation of multiple variations for enhanced exploration and curation.

• Particularly effective for finalizing prompts and exploring a wide range of potential outcomes.

This chapter provides an in-depth understanding of various parameters and commands in Mid-Journey, essential for mastering the nuances of AI-driven image generation. Each parameter offers unique control over the aesthetics, composition, and efficiency of the image generation process, allowing for precise customization and exploration.

Mastering the 'Weird' Parameter in Image Generation

Introduction

• The 'weird' parameter in image generation tools introduces unique, offbeat qualities to images. This feature is relatively new and experimental.

Adjusting the Aspect Ratio and Adding Weird

• Aspect ratio impacts image composition. For cinematic prompts, a 16:9 ratio is suitable.

• The 'weird' parameter (range 0 to 3000) is added to prompts to introduce variability. It can significantly alter subjects and settings, even at low values.

Combining Weird and Stylize

• Combining 'weird' with 'stylize' parameters balances unusual qualities with detailed polish.

• This combination allows for creative exploration while maintaining image clarity and detail.

Balancing Weird and Stylize

• A balance between 'weird' and 'stylize' enhances image diversity and quality.

• Equal values of 'weird' and 'stylize' often produce balanced, aesthetically pleasing results.

Exploring Different Combinations

• Experimenting with various levels of 'weird' and 'stylize' reveals their impact on image aesthetics.

• Higher values of 'weird' introduce more radical changes, while 'stylize' maintains or enhances detail.

Weird at Maximum Level with Stylize

• At maximum 'weird' levels, images can become highly unconventional.

• Pairing high 'weird' values with moderate 'stylize' values can produce striking, yet coherent images.

Results and Observations

• The impact of 'weird' varies with prompt specificity and complexity.

• Even at high values, 'weird' maintains the core elements of the prompt but introduces creative deviations.

Playing with Contradictory Terms

• Using contradictory terms in prompts with the 'weird' parameter can yield surreal, unexpected results.

• This approach is effective for generating creative, abstract imagery.

Experimenting with Different Weird Values

• Lower 'weird' values subtly alter subjects and compositions.

• Higher values significantly deviate from the original prompt, offering a wide spectrum of creative possibilities.

Conclusion

• The 'weird' parameter is a powerful tool for adding creativity and variety to image generation.

• Understanding its interaction with other parameters like 'stylize' and aspect ratio is key to mastering image generation techniques.

• Continued experimentation with different values and combinations will enhance the creative process, leading to unique and compelling visual results.