SmartGallery DAM | Digital Asset Manager for ComfyUI & AI Creators

Quick Start

Install in minutes

Choose your platform. No heavy database servers required. SmartGallery self-initializes everything.

Requirements: Python 3.9+ · FFmpeg/FFprobe (recommended for video) · Works on Windows, macOS, Linux. Does not require ComfyUI to be running.

🪟 Windows

🍎 macOS

🐧 Linux

🐳 Docker

1. Clone & Setup

Option A: Git (recommended)

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

Option B: Download the ZIP from Releases, extract, and run the pip commands above.

2. Create your launch script

Create run_smartgallery.bat in the folder and edit the paths:

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

:: --- CONFIGURATION: replace with your real paths ---
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 as needed:
::   --admin-pass yourpassword   set the admin password (username will be: admin)
::   --force-login               require login even on local network
::   --exhibition                start in Exhibition Mode instead of Main Interface
::   --port 8190                 use a different port (e.g. for a second Exhibition instance)
::   --enable-guest-login        allow anonymous access in Exhibition

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

⚠️ Use forward slashes on Windows

Always use / in paths, even on Windows. e.g. C:/ComfyUI/output not C:\ComfyUI\output

3. Update

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

1. Clone & Setup

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

2. Create your launch script

#!/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 as needed:
#   --admin-pass yourpassword   set the admin password (username will be: admin)
#   --force-login               require login even on local network
#   --exhibition                start in Exhibition Mode instead of Main Interface
#   --port 8190                 use a different port (e.g. for a second Exhibition instance)
#   --enable-guest-login        allow anonymous access in Exhibition

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

Make it executable: chmod +x run_smartgallery.sh then run: ./run_smartgallery.sh

Install FFmpeg via Homebrew: brew install ffmpeg

3. Update

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

1. Clone & Setup

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

2. Create your launch script

#!/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 as needed:
#   --admin-pass yourpassword   set the admin password (username will be: admin)
#   --force-login               require login even on local network
#   --exhibition                start in Exhibition Mode instead of Main Interface
#   --port 8190                 use a different port (e.g. for a second Exhibition instance)
#   --enable-guest-login        allow anonymous access in Exhibition

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

chmod +x run_smartgallery.sh then ./run_smartgallery.sh

3. Update

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

🎖️ Special thanks to Martial Michel (@mmartial) for orchestrating Docker support and contributing to the core application logic.

Pre-built image available on DockerHub and Unraid Community Apps.

1. Run

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 \
  -p 8189:8189 \
  -e WANTED_UID=`id -u` \
  -e WANTED_GID=`id -g` \
  # --- OPTIONAL LAUNCH PARAMETERS via CLI_ARGS ---
  # Uncomment and edit the line below to enable additional features:
  # -e CLI_ARGS="--admin-pass yourpassword --force-login"
  #
  # Available parameters (combine as needed in CLI_ARGS):
  #   --admin-pass yourpassword   set the admin password (username will be: admin)
  #   --force-login               require login even on local network
  #   --exhibition                start in Exhibition Mode (use a different -p port, e.g. 8190:8189)
  #   --enable-guest-login        allow anonymous access in Exhibition
  mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery

2. Update

# Pull latest image
docker pull mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery

# Stop and remove the old container
docker stop smartgallery && docker rm smartgallery

# Re-run with the same docker run command above

For the full Docker guide including docker-compose and advanced options, see DOCKER_HELP.md on GitHub.

🚀 Launch Parameters

Main interface

All parameters are optional. Launched with no flags, the main interface runs on port 8189 and treats you as system admin automatically when accessed from the local network.

Flag	Required	Description
`--port <number>`	Optional	Override the default port (8189). Use a different port to run the main interface and Exhibition at the same time.
`--admin-pass <pwd>`	Optional*	Set or reset the Admin password. Required whenever you need user management: creating accounts, assigning roles, managing access. Without it, user management is unavailable. Must be at least 8 characters. Once set, log in with username `admin` (lowercase, fixed) and this password.
`--force-login`	Optional*	Enforces authentication on the main interface. Must always be combined with `--admin-pass`. Use when accessing the main interface from outside the local network or from a shared server.

* --admin-pass and --force-login are individually optional but must be used together when either is specified.

⚠️ Exposing the main interface outside your local network? Always use --admin-pass and --force-login together, without exception. This applies in every scenario where the main interface is reachable from the internet: checking your gallery from your phone while you are out, a remote STAFF member working from home, a geographically distributed team. Without these two flags the interface is open to anyone who finds the URL. With them, every access requires a valid login.

Exhibition instance

Flag	Required	Description
`--exhibition`	✓ Yes	Start in Exhibition Mode. Disables physical folder browsing; only Exhibition Ready collections are visible.
`--admin-pass <pwd>`	✓ Yes	Set or reset the Admin password. Required to enable user management and protect the instance. Must be at least 8 characters. Once set, log in with username `admin` (lowercase, fixed) and this password.
`--port <number>`	✓ Yes	Override the default port (8189). A different port is required to run Exhibition alongside the main interface simultaneously.
`--enable-guest-login`	Optional	Shows a "Login as Guest" button on the auth screen. No account needed to browse Exhibition.

💡 Main interface and Exhibition: independent instances

SmartGallery has two interfaces: the Main Interface (your personal workspace) and Exhibition (the sharing portal). They are completely independent. Run one or both, whenever you need them. Neither requires the other to be active.

Scenario 1: Solo user, no sharing needed

If you used SmartGallery v1 as an advanced file manager and have no need to share your work, nothing changes. Launch it exactly as before, with no extra parameters:

python smartgallery.py

What is new in v2 that you can start using immediately, without any additional setup:

Virtual Collections: group files from different folders into named albums without moving anything on disk. Open the Collections tab in the left sidebar and click + to create one.
Status tags: mark any image with a workflow state using keys 1 to 5. For example, press 3 to flag a file as "To Edit" and come back to it later. Browse all files with a given status from the Status tab in the sidebar.
Ratings and personal notes: press G on any image in the grid or lightbox to open the Details panel. Assign a 1 to 5 star rating and write a note to yourself. These notes are searchable: use the comment keyword filter to find any image by words you wrote in your own comments.
Clean export: if you want to send a file to someone without exposing your ComfyUI workflow and models, press Shift+W. You get a pixel-perfect copy with all metadata stripped.

Scenario 2: Sharing your work via Exhibition

Exhibition is a separate, read-only portal you share with clients, collaborators, or anyone you want to show your work to. Here is how to set it up from scratch.

Step 1: Launch the Main Interface with authentication. Add --admin-pass and --force-login to your existing launch script or run:

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

Step 2: Create Collections and mark them as Exhibition Ready. In the left sidebar, open the Collections tab and click +. Give each collection a name (e.g. "Interiors", "Exteriors", "Project X") and toggle it as Exhibition Ready if you want it visible in Exhibition. You can change this setting at any time. Add files to the collections you want to expose.

Step 3: Create user accounts. Click the user management icon at the bottom of the sidebar. Create an account for each person who will access Exhibition. For clients and external viewers, assign the role CUSTOMER or USER. Share their credentials and the Exhibition URL with them directly.

Step 4: Launch Exhibition. Open a second terminal or script and run:

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

Share http://youraddress:8190 with your users. They will see only the Exhibition Ready collections, with no prompts, no workflow data, and no folder structure. They can leave star ratings and comments on individual images. You can read and reply to their feedback from the Main Interface at any time.

You do not need to run both instances at the same time permanently. Launch Exhibition only when you have something to share, and shut it down when the review session is over. The two instances are independent: the parameters shown above are the only additions to your existing launch script. All other paths and settings you already have configured remain unchanged.

Scenario 3: Small team working together

The team lead runs the Main Interface with --force-login and --admin-pass so the workspace is password-protected. Each team member gets a STAFF account and logs into the same Main Interface remotely to review files, apply status tags, and leave internal comments on specific images.

When work is ready for a client, a CUSTOMER account is created, the relevant Collections are marked as Exhibition Ready, and Exhibition is launched on a separate port. The client gets a clean view with no access to the production workspace.

Admin, MANAGER, and STAFF can also log into Exhibition to see exactly what the client sees. All feedback runs through the same database, with no file transfers, no email threads, and no ZIP files.

The two instances can run at the same time from two separate terminals or scripts, or independently whenever needed. The parameters below are all you need to add to your existing launch command:

Python: two terminals or scripts

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

# Terminal 2: Exhibition (launch only when needed)
python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword

Docker: same image, launched twice

# 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" \
  -p 8190:8189 \
  mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery

Docker port mapping: the syntax is HOST:CONTAINER. Both containers run internally on port 8189, but are reachable at :8189 and :8190 respectively on your machine. They share the same data volumes, so files, tags, and collections are visible in both.

🔧 Reverse Proxy

A reverse proxy lets you serve SmartGallery over a clean URL or on port 80/443. Configure one block per instance: main interface on 8189, Exhibition on 8190.

Nginx

Apache

# 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;
}

Requires mod_proxy and mod_proxy_http enabled.

# 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>

🌍 Sharing Exhibition Over the Internet (No IT Required)

If you don't have a server or a domain name but want to share your Exhibition with someone outside your home network, the simplest approach is a tunnel service. These tools create a temporary public URL that forwards to your local machine: no router configuration, no static IP, no hosting fees.

Recommended: ngrok

Works on Windows, macOS and Linux. Free tier is enough for personal use. Creates a public https:// URL that forwards to your local Exhibition port.

Step 1: Install ngrok

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install ngrok

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

Step 2: Start your Exhibition instance, then open the tunnel

ngrok http 8190

ngrok will print a URL like https://a1b2c3d4.ngrok.io. Share that link with your client. It stays active as long as you keep ngrok running. On the free tier the URL changes every time you restart ngrok.

Alternatives to ngrok

If ngrok doesn't suit you, these tools work the same way:

Cloudflare Tunnel (free, no bandwidth limit, permanent URL even on free plan): best for long-term sharing. Requires a free Cloudflare account.
Tailscale: connects your devices in a private network. Better for sharing with people you trust (family, collaborators) rather than anonymous clients.
Localtunnel (npx localtunnel --port 8190): no account needed, truly instant, but less stable for long sessions.

💡 Tip: You can tunnel either or both ports. Exhibition (8190) is for clients and guests. Main interface (8189) is password-protected and perfectly usable remotely, handy for culling from your phone or working with a distributed team. Tunnel what you need.

Docker users: the same tools work exactly the same way. Run your Exhibition container with -p 8190:8189, then point ngrok or Cloudflare Tunnel at port 8190 on your host machine.

🎬 FFmpeg Notes

FFmpeg is required for video workflow extraction and transcoding. Common ffprobe paths:

Platform	Default path
Windows	`C:/ffmpeg/bin/ffprobe.exe`
Linux	`/usr/bin/ffprobe`
macOS (Homebrew)	`/opt/homebrew/bin/ffprobe`

Download: ffmpeg.org

🐳 Docker users: nothing to install. The official Docker image (mmartial/smart-comfyui-gallery) already includes FFmpeg and ffprobe. Video transcoding and storyboard generation work out of the box with no additional configuration.

📌 Always check the GitHub repository for the latest releases, changelogs, and updated installation notes: github.com/biagiomaf/smart-comfyui-gallery/releases →

Complete Reference

The Full Wiki

Every feature, every shortcut, every configuration option. For the latest additions and changelogs, always refer to the GitHub repository.

1. Live Workspace

The Left Sidebar: Three Tabs Auto-Watch & Real-Time Culling File Operations & Uploads UI & Focus Mode Batch Selection Bar Lightbox (Media Viewer)

2. Organization

Virtual Collections Status Tags (Team) External Drive Mounting

3. Search & Filter

Advanced Filtering

4. Workflow Intelligence

Node Summary & Extraction Comparison Engine Clean Export

5. Media Tools

Video Transcoding & Storyboards

6. Exhibition & Collaboration

Exhibition Mode Setup Ratings & Comments Message Visibility & DMs

7. Access Control

Roles & Permissions (ACL) User Management

8. Reference

Complete Keyboard Shortcuts

1. The Live Workspace

If you are coming from v1.x, you will notice that the left sidebar has grown. What used to be just a folder tree is now split into three tabs, each giving you a different way to navigate your entire library:

Sidebar with three tabs: Folders, Collections, Status

The three-tab sidebar: Folders, Collections, and Status.

Folders: the familiar directory tree you already know. Browse your ComfyUI output folders, any mounted external drive, or any folder you have pointed SmartGallery at.
Status: navigate by workflow state. Click any color label (Approved, Review, To Edit, Rejected, Select) to instantly see all files carrying that status, across every folder at once.
Collections: navigate your virtual albums. Private collections are visible only to you and your team; Exhibition Ready collections are the ones you expose in Exhibition for clients and guests.

The three tabs give you three completely different lenses on the same library. You can go from "show me everything I marked for review today" to "show me what my client will see" in a single click.

⚡ Auto-Watch & Real-Time Culling

SmartGallery is designed to be used while ComfyUI is generating. You never have to wait for a batch to finish to start curating.

Enabling Auto-Watch:

Click the ⋮ (three-dot) button next to the Refresh button in the top-right toolbar.
Open the Auto-Watch popover and enable the toggle.
Set your polling interval (e.g., 10 seconds).
New files appear in the grid the moment ComfyUI saves them. Your scroll position is never disturbed.

Auto-Watch: enable the toggle and set an interval. A pulsing red dot confirms it's active.

The culling loop: As images appear, hover and press Del to trash bad seeds instantly, or F to favorite the keepers. Apply status tags with 1–5. Move selects to a folder with M. Everything happens live, in parallel with generation.

📦 File Operations & Uploads

SmartGallery acts as a full file manager for single files or massive batches.

Selection:

Hover and click the ✓ checkmark top-left, or press X / Space.
Range select: Select one file, hold Shift, and click another. Everything between gets selected.
Ctrl+A to select all. Esc to deselect all.

Operations (on selection):

Move / Copy to Folder: Click the ⋮ in the selection bar. A modal shows your full folder tree.
Download as ZIP: Generates an archive on the fly. Shortcut: Z.
Delete: Permanent by default. Set the DELETE_TO environment variable to redirect deletes to a Trash folder instead.
Upload External Files: Click "Upload" to import images generated elsewhere. If they contain ComfyUI metadata, SmartGallery extracts and displays the full workflow automatically.

🎨 UI Customization & Focus Mode

Focus Mode: Press Q to hide all sidebars and toolbars. Maximum screen space for pure curation. In Focus Mode, clicking an image selects it (instead of opening it); press V or Enter to open the Lightbox.
Compact Thumbnails: Click ⚙️ Options → toggle Thumbnail Size to Compact. Fit significantly more images on screen at once.
Video Autoplay: Press P to toggle. Turn off when browsing hundreds of videos to save CPU/bandwidth.
Sort Options: Sort the grid by Date (📅), Name (🔤), Rating (⭐), or Comments (💬). Clicking Comments twice toggles between Most Discussed and Recent Activity (newest first).

Focus OFF: hover cards and metadata visible.

Focus ON: clean grid with fuchsia selection borders.

📋 Batch Selection Bar

Select any image with the ✓ checkmark (or press X / Space in Focus Mode) to activate the floating batch bar at the bottom of the screen.

Batch selection bar: context menu open with all available batch actions.

Available batch actions:

✕ Deselect All: Clears the selection.
↔️ Range Select: Appears when exactly 2 files are selected. Selects all files between them in the current view.
⭐ Add Favorite: Marks all selected files as favorites.
🏷 Set Status Y: Applies a pipeline color tag to the entire batch at once.
📚 Add/Remove from Collections A: Opens a modal to add or remove the batch from any virtual album.
⚖️ Compare Selected: Opens split-screen comparison (requires exactly 2 files selected).
🏅 Rate Selected Shift+R: Apply a 1–5 star rating to multiple files in a single action.
📁 Move / Copy: Transfer files to another physical folder.
📦 Download as Zip Z: Packages the selection into a downloadable .zip file.
🗑️ Delete Selected: Permanently deletes the selected files (requires confirmation).

Open the full-screen Lightbox with V or Enter. When Focus Mode is OFF, clicking an image directly also works. Inside the Lightbox you can pan and zoom freely.

Lightbox Viewer

The Lightbox: Node Summary (left), full resolution image (center), Ratings & Comments panel (right).

The Lightbox toolbar with all action buttons.

Key Lightbox actions:

Navigate: ← / → to move between files. The grid order is preserved.
Zoom & Pan: + / - to zoom; drag to pan; 0 to reset.
Rotate: T rotates 90° — the rotation is visual only (non-destructive).
Download original: S downloads the original file with all embedded metadata intact.
Clean Export: Shift+W downloads a pixel-perfect copy stripped of all prompts, workflow data and EXIF. Safe to send to anyone.
Node Summary: N opens the full ComfyUI generation dashboard.
Ratings & Comments: G opens the side panel for rating and messaging.
Download / Copy Workflow: W to download the raw .json workflow; C to copy it to clipboard for direct paste into ComfyUI.
Rename: R renames the file on disk immediately.
Move: M closes the Lightbox and opens the Move File dialog.
Video Storyboard: E generates the 11-frame storyboard grid (videos only).
Open in New Tab: O opens the full-resolution file in a new browser tab.
Clean View: H hides all toolbar buttons for distraction-free viewing. Press again to restore.
Quick Menu: / opens a touch-friendly list of all available commands and shortcuts.
Close: Esc returns to the grid.

2. Organization (DAM)

🗂️ Virtual Collections (Exhibition Ready / Private)

Group files from different physical folders into unified albums, without duplicating a single byte on disk. The physical files stay where they are.

Collections sidebar tab and Manage Collections modal.

Create: Go to the "Collections" tab in the left sidebar and click the + button.
Visibility toggle: Mark a collection as "Exhibition Ready" to make it visible in Exhibition Mode. Private/unmarked collections are completely invisible to guests.
Assign files: Select files → click the 🏷️ icon in the bottom bar → click a collection.
Remove from collection: Select a file inside a collection and press U. The physical file is untouched.

Collections are perfect for building client presentation albums, curated portfolios, or thematic series, all from your existing output folders.

🏷️ Status Tags (Team Workflow)

Color-coded visual traffic lights for your entire team. Essential for review pipelines: anyone with main interface access sees the status at a glance.

The Status tab: all five pipeline states.

Vertical color bars indicate status on thumbnails.

Applying Status Tags:

Hover over any image (or select multiple), then press:

1 → Approved (Green strip)
2 → Review (Yellow strip)
3 → To Edit (Blue strip)
4 → Rejected (Red strip)
5 → Select (Purple strip)
0 → Remove status

💽 External Drive Mounting (Agnostic DAM)

SmartGallery is not restricted to ComfyUI. Mount any folder from your system or network.

How to mount:

Go to the "Folders" tab in the left sidebar.
Click the 🔗 Link icon in the toolbar.
A file browser opens. Navigate to any folder on your system (external drive, NAS, reference library…).
Give it a name and click "Create Link".

SmartGallery creates a safe Symlink/Junction. The folder appears in your sidebar with a 🔗 icon. All DAM features (Tags, Collections, Search) work on these files without moving them.

3. Search & Filtering

Click the 🔍 Filters button in the top toolbar to open the advanced search panel.

The Filters panel: search scope, multi-keyword fields, and sort options.

Scope: "Current Folder" for local search, or "Global" to search across your entire database instantly. Toggle "Include Subfolders" for recursive search within the current folder.
Multi-keyword logic — applies to Prompt Keywords, Workflow Files, and Comment Keywords:
- Use , (comma) for AND — e.g., red, car must contain both
- Use ; (semicolon) for OR — e.g., cat; dog contains either
- Use ! (exclamation) for NOT — e.g., flux, !lora finds flux but excludes lora
- Wrap in " " for Exact Match — e.g., "man" prevents matching woman (works also with NOT, e.g., !"bad anatomy")
Prompt Keywords: Type words from your positive or negative prompts (e.g., cyberpunk, neon).
Workflow Files: Find images generated with a specific Checkpoint or LoRA (e.g., sdxl_base.safetensors).
Comment Keywords: Search inside the text of any comment left by anyone, whether from the main interface or Exhibition (e.g., make it brighter, approved). Your entire feedback history is instantly searchable.
Technical Filters: Date ranges, file extensions, Favorites Only, No Workflow attached.
Sort Options: By date, name, rating, or comment count, ascending or descending. A dedicated Last Commented sort orders files by the most recent comment activity, newest first. Useful for Admin and Staff to instantly surface the latest feedback left by clients, guests or friends without manually hunting through the grid.

4. Workflow Intelligence

📝 Node Summary Dashboard

SmartGallery reads the embedded JSON workflow from generated images and videos, then presents it as a clean, readable dashboard.

Node Summary dashboard: generation parameters at a glance.
Raw Node List: complete scrollable list of every node in the workflow graph.

Open: Hover over an image and press N, or click the 📝 icon in the Lightbox toolbar.
Positive & Negative Prompts: Displayed cleanly with a one-click Copy button for each.
Generation Parameters: Seed (with a copy button), CFG, Steps, Sampler, Scheduler, and Resolution.
Active LoRAs: Every LoRA used in the workflow, listed with its weight.
Source Media (Inputs): If your workflow used Image2Image, ControlNet, or Video inputs, this section shows the source media directly inside the panel — you can view and download the original input files without leaving SmartGallery.
Raw Node List: A complete, scrollable list of every single node in the ComfyUI graph and all its parameters. Useful for deep debugging or full workflow reconstruction.
Download Workflow JSON: Press W to download the raw .json workflow file.
Copy Workflow JSON: Press C to copy to clipboard and paste directly back into ComfyUI.
Supports uploaded files: If you upload an image generated by someone else, SmartGallery extracts the workflow from it automatically.

⚖️ Comparison Engine (A/B + Parameter Diff)

Find out exactly what changed between any two generations.

Compare Mode

Compare Mode: A/B visual slider and Parameter Differences table.

How to compare:

Select exactly 2 images using the checkmarks.
Click the ⚖️ Compare Selected button in the bottom selection bar.
An interactive A/B slider opens with synchronized zoom and pan.
Click "Parameter Differences" at the bottom for a table showing only the values that changed (e.g., Seed: 123 → 456, CFG: 7 → 9).

🛡️ Clean Export: Share the Image, Not the Recipe

When you need to share an image outside of Exhibition Mode without risking your workflow data.

How to use: Select an image and press Shift+W, or click the 🛡️ icon in the Lightbox. SmartGallery reconstructs the image pixel-by-pixel, stripping all EXIF data and embedded ComfyUI workflows, then downloads a pristine, safe copy to your computer.

Role-based protection: In Exhibition Mode, this stripping is automatic and enforced by role. CUSTOMER and GUEST roles can never access original files with workflow data, even if they try to download directly.

5. Media Tools

🎬 Video Transcoding

SmartGallery uses FFmpeg to handle heavy or unsupported video formats.

Supported natively: MP4, WEBM, GIF.
Auto-transcoded on the fly: ProRes, MKV, AVI, MOV are transcoded in the background for smooth browser playback.
Autoplay toggle: Press P to toggle video autoplay in the grid. Disable when viewing hundreds of videos to save resources.

🎞️ Video Storyboards

Review long video files instantly without scrubbing.

Video Storyboard: 11 evenly-spaced frames extracted from the video.

How to use: Open a video in the Lightbox and press E (or click the filmstrip icon). The system extracts 11 evenly-spaced frames and presents them in a grid. Click any frame to view it full resolution with timestamp data.

6. Exhibition Mode & Collaboration

🎭 Exhibition Mode Setup

Exhibition Mode transforms SmartGallery into a secure, read-only client portal. Physical folder browsing is disabled, workflows are hidden, and only Exhibition Ready collections are visible.

Use cases: Client approval portals, family photo sharing, art portfolio showcases, team review sessions: anything where you want a clean presentation without exposing your tools.

Launch Exhibition alongside your main interface:

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

# Exhibition
python smartgallery.py --exhibition --port 8190 --admin-pass yourpassword --enable-guest-login

For Docker, use -p 8189:8189 for the main interface and -p 8190:8189 for Exhibition. Both containers share the same data volumes. See the Installation section for the full Docker dual-instance setup.

Exhibition Ready vs Private Collections: Only collections explicitly marked "Exhibition Ready" in the Tag Manager appear in Exhibition. Everything else is completely invisible.
Guest login: Add --enable-guest-login to allow anonymous browsing without an account.
Network setup: Both ports can be exposed externally if needed. The main interface requires login and is password-protected. If you only want clients to access a curated view, expose Exhibition only. If your team works remotely or you browse from your phone, expose the main interface too. Your call.

smartgallerydam.com:8190 · Exhibition

What your client sees: a clean, secure gallery. No prompts, no workflows, no clutter.

💬 Ratings & Live Comments

Ratings and comments are not just for clients. Any logged-in user can rate and comment on images, whether they access the gallery through the main interface or through Exhibition. A solo artist can rate their own work and leave notes to themselves. A team member can flag issues. A client can approve. All from the same system, with role-appropriate visibility.

The Ratings & Comments panel showing global rating and personal vote.

Rating: 1–5 stars per user. Global average calculated and displayed instantly. Works in both the main interface and Exhibition.
Comments: Real-time, per-image. Main interface users (artists, staff) and Exhibition users (clients, friends, guests) can all post, based on their role.
Sort by rating/comments: Change the grid sort order to "Rating" or "Comments" to surface the most appreciated or most discussed assets first.
Sort by Last Commented: Orders files by most recent comment activity, newest first. Exclusively oldest-to-newest order is not available for this sort: the intent is to always surface the freshest feedback at the top. Designed for Admin and Staff to monitor the latest client or guest reactions without scrolling through the entire grid.

📨 Message Visibility: Per-Message Control

Visibility is chosen individually for each message, directly inside the comment panel. When writing a comment on any image (press G or click the 💬 icon in the Lightbox), a Target / Visibility dropdown appears above the text input, letting the author decide exactly who can read that message before posting.

Public announcements, internal team notes, and private client replies can all coexist inside the same gallery instance at the same time.

Comments thread showing visibility dropdown and badges.

Staff visibility options (Admin, Manager, Staff)

Staff members can see all messages regardless of their visibility level. When writing, they can choose from three options:

🌐 Public (Everyone): Visible to any user who can access the gallery, including guests.
🔒 Internal (Staff Only): Visible only to Admin, Manager and Staff. Ideal for technical notes, pre-delivery reviews, or any internal discussion that clients should not see.
👤 Direct Message (To User): Selecting a specific registered user from the dropdown sends a private message visible only to that user and to Staff. A quick way to trigger this is to click directly on the name of the user above one of their existing comments: the dropdown preselects them automatically.

Customer and Guest visibility options

Clients and guests cannot send direct messages to other users. When they write a comment, they choose between:

🌐 Public (Everyone): The message is visible to all gallery visitors, similar to a public comment on a social network.
🔒 Private (Staff Only): The message is marked Internal and visible only to the production team. This is how a client leaves confidential feedback without other guests seeing it.

Visual badges: Every message in the comment thread displays a colored badge next to the author's name indicating its privacy level: 🌐 Public, 🔒 Internal, or 👤 To: Name. At a glance, anyone reading the thread knows exactly who can see each part of the conversation.

127.0.0.1:8189/galleryout · Details Panel (G)

The ratings and comments panel: structured feedback on every asset, with role-aware visibility.

7. Access Control (ACL)

🔑 The System Admin

There is exactly one system admin, hardwired into SmartGallery. It is not a user profile you create: it is the built-in administrator whose password is set via the --admin-pass launch parameter. All passwords in SmartGallery, including the admin password, must be at least 8 characters long. This admin account is shared across both the main interface and Exhibition, since both instances connect to the same user management panel.

The admin username is always admin, lowercase, and cannot be changed. The only thing you set is the password via --admin-pass. When logging in, use exactly: username admin, password whatever you passed to --admin-pass.

If you launch the main interface on a local network without setting --admin-pass, SmartGallery detects this and lets you act as system admin automatically, with no login required. If SmartGallery detects that incoming requests are coming from outside the local network, it will ask you to relaunch with --admin-pass yourpassword --force-login to enforce authentication.

👥 Roles & Permissions

All user accounts beyond the system admin are assigned one of the following roles. The role determines which interface they can access and what they can do.

Role	Main Interface	Exhibition	Workflows visible	Downloads	User management
Admin (system)	✓	✓	✓ Full	Original + Workflow	✓ Both interfaces
MANAGER	✓	✓	✓ Full	Original + Workflow	✓ Both interfaces
STAFF	✓	✓	✓ Full	Original + Workflow	✗ No
FRIEND	✗	✓	✓ In file metadata	Original (with embedded metadata)	✗ No
USER	✗	✓	✗ Hidden	Metadata-stripped only	✗ No
CUSTOMER / GUEST	✗	✓	✗ Hidden	Metadata-stripped only	✗ No

Main interface access is restricted to Admin, MANAGER and STAFF. FRIEND, USER, CUSTOMER and GUEST can only access Exhibition.

What "workflow visible" means for FRIEND: FRIEND can download the original file with all its embedded metadata intact. The ComfyUI workflow data is stored inside the file itself: in the metadata of PNG images, but also inside video files and other supported formats. This means a FRIEND can load the file into a workflow inspector tool or into the SmartGallery main interface to read the full generation parameters. What FRIEND does not have is the Node Summary panel or a standalone JSON workflow download: those are exclusive to the main interface. USER, CUSTOMER and GUEST receive files with all metadata stripped, so no workflow can be extracted from their downloads.

👥 User Management

The user management panel is shared between the main interface and Exhibition. Both instances connect to the same user database. It is accessible to Admin and MANAGER from either interface. STAFF has no access to user management.

User Management

User Management panel: role permissions table and user creation form.

Create user accounts and assign roles on the fly.
Generate invite links for clients, no email server required.
Reset passwords and change roles at any time.
Moderate comments: Admin and MANAGER can see and delete all messages across both interfaces.

User management is activated automatically when running with --exhibition or --admin-pass + --force-login. In default single-user mode on a local network with no flags set, authentication is not required and you operate as system admin.

8. Complete Keyboard Shortcuts

SmartGallery is designed for a fully keyboard-driven workflow. Shortcuts are split between the Main Interface and the Exhibition Portal.

🌍 Global Controls (Main Interface)

These work anywhere in the application as long as you are not typing in a text field.

Shortcut	Action
`?`	Open Shortcuts Help panel
`Q`	Toggle Focus Mode (hides UI, enables keyboard-only grid navigation)
`T`	Scroll to Top and open Search / Filters panel
`P`	Toggle Video Autoplay on / off
`L`	Refresh view and sync with disk
`K`	Open Rescan Folder modal
`Ctrl+A`	Select all files in current view
`Esc`	Close any modal / overlay / menu, or deselect all
`Home` / `End`	Scroll instantly to top / bottom
`PgUp` / `PgDn`	Scroll page by page

▦ Grid View: Single Item Actions

Hover over an item, or navigate to it with arrow keys while Focus Mode is active.

Shortcut	Action
`V` or `Enter`	Open Lightbox (full screen view)
`X` or `Space`	Select / Deselect item
`N`	View Node Summary (ComfyUI generation data)
`F`	Toggle Favorite ⭐
`A`	Add to / Remove from Virtual Collection
`W`	Download Workflow JSON
`Shift+W`	Clean Export: download file with all metadata stripped
`C`	Copy Workflow JSON to Clipboard
`S`	Download original media file
`R`	Rename file
`E`	Generate Video Storyboard (videos only)
`G`	Open Details Panel: rate the image, post or read comments, view collections it belongs to
`Shift+R`	Batch Rate: Opens the batch rating modal for selected files in the grid
`Del`	Quick delete (sends to trash)

🖱️ Grid View: Selection and Batch Actions

Shortcut	Action
`Click`	Focus Mode off: opens Lightbox. Focus Mode on: selects item.
`Ctrl+Click`	Add single item to selection
`Shift+Click`	Select a range between two files
`A`	Add / Remove selection to / from a Collection
`Y`	Open Status Tagging modal
`M`	Move selected files to another folder
`U`	Remove selection from current Virtual Collection
`Shift+R`	Batch Rate: Opens the batch rating modal for selected files in the grid
`Z`	Download selection as a .zip archive
`Del`	Delete entire selection
`Esc`	Deselect all

🏷️ Status Tags

Works on a single hovered item or a batch selection.

Shortcut	Action
`1`	Set Approved (Green)
`2`	Set Review (Yellow)
`3`	Set To Edit (Blue)
`4`	Set Rejected (Red)
`5`	Set Select (Purple)
`0`	Reset / Clear Status

🖼️ Lightbox View

Shortcut	Action
`←` / `→`	Navigate previous / next media
`+` / `-`	Zoom in / out
`0`	Reset zoom and pan to fit screen
`Mouse Drag`	Pan zoomed image
`T`	Rotate media 90°
`H`	Hide / Show UI (clean view)
`/`	Open interactive Quick Menu
`O`	Open full-resolution file in new tab
`N`	View Node Summary
`F`	Toggle Favorite
`A`	Add to / Remove from Collection
`Y`	Set Status Tag
`G`	Open Ratings and Comments Panel
`W`	Download Workflow JSON
`Shift+W`	Clean Export (no metadata)
`C`	Copy Workflow JSON
`R`	Rename file
`E`	Generate Video Storyboard
`M`	Move file
`S`	Download media
`Del`	Delete file
`Esc` or `V`	Close Lightbox

⚖️ Special Modes

Context	Shortcut	Action
Compare Mode	`+` / `-`	Synchronized zoom in / out
Compare Mode	`0`	Reset zoom
Compare Mode	`I`	Toggle Parameter Differences panel
Storyboard	`←` / `→`	Navigate frames when a frame is zoomed in
Both	`Esc`	Close current mode

🎨 Exhibition Portal Shortcuts

These shortcuts are active in the client-facing Exhibition interface (exhibition.html). Simplified for a smooth viewing experience.

Grid Navigation
Shortcut	Action
`←` `↑` `→` `↓`	Move keyboard focus across the grid
`Enter` or `V`	Open selected item in Theater (Lightbox)
`Home` / `End`	Jump to first / last item
`PgUp` / `PgDn`	Scroll page rapidly
`?`	Open Shortcuts Help panel

Quick Rating (Grid and Theater)
Shortcut	Action
`1` to `5`	Rate current item from 1 to 5 stars
`0`	Clear / Remove your rating

Theater (Lightbox) Viewer
Shortcut	Action
`←` / `→`	Navigate previous / next media
`/`	Open Quick Action Menu
`H`	Toggle Toolbar (clean view)
`G`	Toggle Ratings and Comments Panel
`T`	Rotate media 90°
`+` / `-`	Zoom in / out
`0`	Reset zoom and rotation
`Mouse Drag`	Pan zoomed image
`S`	Download media
`O`	Open full-resolution file in new tab
`Esc`	Close Theater

Something missing?

This wiki is updated with each release. For the most current features, flags, and changelogs, always check the official repository.

View on GitHub

You generate a lot. You deserve better tools.

The AI Artist

The Creative Pro / Team

Everyone Else

Understand the big picture first

Your gallery just grew up.

Runs with ComfyUI. Runs without it. Always runs.

Exhibition isn't just for clients.

Everything your AI workflow actually needs

Real-Time Culling While ComfyUI Generates

Live Chat & Rating Engine

Mount Any Drive, Instantly

True Mobile-First Design

Your Prompts Stay Private

Stop Sending Messy ZIP Files

Blazing Fast

Parameter Diff Engine

Video Intelligence

⚙️ Architecture & Tech Stack

From Main Interface to Client Portal

Your Familiar Workspace, Now Evolved

The Secure Sharing Portal

Install in minutes

1. Clone & Setup

2. Create your launch script

⚠️ Use forward slashes on Windows

3. Update

1. Clone & Setup

2. Create your launch script

3. Update

1. Clone & Setup

2. Create your launch script

3. Update

🎖️ Special thanks to Martial Michel (@mmartial) for orchestrating Docker support and contributing to the core application logic.

1. Run

2. Update

🚀 Launch Parameters

Main interface

Exhibition instance

💡 Main interface and Exhibition: independent instances

🔧 Reverse Proxy

🌍 Sharing Exhibition Over the Internet (No IT Required)

Recommended: ngrok

Alternatives to ngrok

🎬 FFmpeg Notes

The Full Wiki

1. Live Workspace

2. Organization

3. Search & Filter

4. Workflow Intelligence

5. Media Tools

6. Exhibition & Collaboration

7. Access Control

8. Reference

1. The Live Workspace

🗃️ The Left Sidebar: Three Tabs

⚡ Auto-Watch & Real-Time Culling

Enabling Auto-Watch:

📦 File Operations & Uploads

Selection:

Operations (on selection):

🎨 UI Customization & Focus Mode

📋 Batch Selection Bar

Available batch actions:

🖼️ Lightbox (Full-Screen Media Viewer)

Key Lightbox actions:

2. Organization (DAM)

🗂️ Virtual Collections (Exhibition Ready / Private)

🏷️ Status Tags (Team Workflow)

Applying Status Tags:

💽 External Drive Mounting (Agnostic DAM)

How to mount:

3. Search & Filtering

4. Workflow Intelligence

📝 Node Summary Dashboard

⚖️ Comparison Engine (A/B + Parameter Diff)

How to compare:

🛡️ Clean Export: Share the Image, Not the Recipe

5. Media Tools

🎬 Video Transcoding