Imitatoes

Imitatoes

Build a ComfyUI “self-improving” workflow where each render is evaluated by a local vision LLM, which then edits the prompt/parameters and triggers another run. The loop repeats automatically—generate → critique → adjust → regenerate—until the model returns a done verdict or a max-iteration, producing a final image that matches a defined goal spec.

ComfyUI custom node

The ImitatoesSelfImprovingPrompt node manages the text-loop portion of the workflow by appending critique text to the prompt and signaling whether another iteration should run.

Install

Clone this repo directly into your ComfyUI custom_nodes directory (the repo folder name is already safe as a Python package):

git clone <repo-url> ComfyUI/custom_nodes/Imitatoes

Restart ComfyUI after cloning.

Find the node

• Search name: Imitatoes Self-Improving Prompt
• Category: Imitatoes

Minimal usage

• Inputs: prompt (STRING), critique (STRING), iteration (INT), max_iterations (INT), done_token (STRING)
• Outputs: prompt_out (STRING), should_continue (BOOLEAN), next_iteration (INT)

Wire prompt_out into your text encoder or prompt node, and use should_continue/next_iteration to control your loop logic.

Optional dependencies

There are no required third-party dependencies for the custom node. The automation scripts in scripts/ rely only on the Python standard library.

Example workflow

Import examples/imitatoes_self_improving_prompt.json to see a minimal workflow that showcases the node outputs.

Setup

Prerequisites:

• Python 3 (for the automation scripts and tests)
• ComfyUI (for the custom node)

Run the install script to create a local virtual environment and install dependencies from requirements.txt and requirements-dev.txt:

./scripts/install.sh

Activate the virtual environment before running scripts:

source .venv/bin/activate

Run/Validate

Use the test script to run ruff and pytest:

./scripts/test.sh

Goal

Run an external orchestration loop that drives ComfyUI’s API and a local vision model (via Ollama) to iteratively refine images until the model confirms the requirements are met or the maximum loop count is reached.

Loop behavior

• The user sets iterations per loop, which controls how many times the system generates → reviews → regenerates within a single loop.
• The user also sets a max loops value to cap how many loops can run.
• If the vision model marks the output as complete, the loop ends early and waits for further instruction.

Phase 1 — Install and verify the local vision model (Ollama)

1. Install Ollama and confirm the service is running.
2. Verify the API: http://127.0.0.1:11434.
3. Pull a vision model:
   • ollama pull llava-llama3 (fast/capable default)
   • Optional: Qwen2.5-VL for stronger vision reasoning
4. Ensure the vision API supports base64 images in the images array.

Phase 2 — Prepare the ComfyUI workflow for patching

1. Build a normal, stable workflow in ComfyUI (no loop nodes).
2. Export the workflow in API format (the /prompt JSON graph).
3. Add placeholder tokens where edits will happen:
   • Positive prompt: __PROMPT__
   • Negative prompt: __NEG__
   • Optional: __CFG__, __STEPS__, __SEED__
4. Confirm outputs are retrievable via /history/{prompt_id} and /view.

Phase 3 — Run the controller loop (Python)

Use the Python controller to orchestrate ComfyUI and Ollama:

python scripts/run_loop.py \
  --workflow workflows/imitatoes_self_improving.json \
  --prompt "your prompt" \
  --negative-prompt "your negatives" \
  --iterations-per-loop 2 \
  --max-loops 5

The controller will:

1. Load the workflow template JSON.
2. Replace tokens with the current prompt/params.
3. POST /prompt to ComfyUI.
4. Poll /history/{prompt_id} until outputs exist.
5. Download the image via /view.
6. Send the image + context to Ollama /api/chat as base64.
7. Parse the JSON response and apply patches.
8. Stop on done or when the loop limits are reached.

Required LLM response (JSON only)

{
  "done": true,
  "changes": {
    "prompt_append": "",
    "neg_append": "",
    "cfg": null,
    "steps": null,
    "seed": "keep"
  },
  "reason": "short"
}

Phase 4 — Image size guardrail

To keep payloads small and fast:

• Resize longest edge to ~768–1024px.
• Encode as JPEG quality ~85 (unless lossless is needed).

Phase 5 — Logging and traceability

Create a run folder per session and save:

• loop_01_iter_01.png
• loop_01_iter_01.json (LLM response)

This provides visibility into oscillations, seed changes, and prompt bloat.

Phase 6 — Tuning the agent behavior

• Keep edits small and targeted.
• Control seed policy (stable unless composition is wrong).
• Avoid negative prompt explosion; add only what’s visible.
• Optionally compare previous vs current and revert regressions.

Optional: in-graph loops (less recommended)

You can embed loops with:

• ControlFlowUtils
• ComfyUI-Easy-Use whileLoopEnd
• comfyui-ollama nodes

External orchestration is more robust.

Deliverables checklist

• ✅ Ollama installed + vision model pulled
• ✅ ComfyUI workflow exported with __PROMPT__ / __NEG__
• ✅ Python loop controller calling /prompt, /history, /view, /api/chat
• ✅ Iteration logs + saved images per step
• ✅ Written goal spec defining “happy”