⭐ Star Image Loader Options

ComfyUI already embeds your whole workflow into every PNG you save, but pulling values back out of that metadata and into the graph is awkward - it's JSON soup until you parse it. Star Image Loader Options is the node that sits on the other end of the StarNodes metadata system: it takes the STAR_METADATA bundle that ⭐ Star Load Image+ produces, shows you everything in it, and hands the important bits back as plain strings you can actually use.

What it does

The node's own description is the cleanest summary: display all metadata stored in an image, and output the 5 custom StarMetaData values for reuse in the workflow. Those five values are the labels that ⭐ Star Save Image+ / ⭐ Star Metadata Saver Option stamp onto an image when you save it - think "batch name", "seed used", "prompt theme", whatever key/value pairs you chose to record. When you later load that PNG with Star Load Image+, its metadata output plugs straight in here, and each of the five stored values comes out on its own StarMetaData 1 through StarMetaData 5 output.

Then there's the general-purpose half. Type any key into lookup_key and the matching value appears on lookup_value - so you can pull any metadata field (the standard ComfyUI workflow string, custom fields, whatever) without fishing through raw text. And raw_json dumps the whole metadata blob as formatted JSON when you want to see absolutely everything or hand it to a text-processing node.

Inputs

• metadata - the STAR_METADATA output from ⭐ Star Load Image+. Required, and it's a custom type, so it only plugs into nodes that speak that type.
• lookup_key - optional; any metadata key name to query.

Outputs

• StarMetaData 1–StarMetaData 5 (STRING) - the five custom values, ready to wire into text displays, filename builders, or even a prompt.
• lookup_value (STRING) - the value for whatever key you typed.
• raw_json (STRING) - all metadata, formatted.

Where it fits

The workflow it completes is: generate → ⭐ Star Save Image+ with metadata → later, ⭐ Star Load Image+ → this node → rebuild the filename or conditions from what you recorded. It turns your output folder into a loose database, which is exactly what you want when you batch a hundred variations and need to know which parameters made the good one.

Installing

Part of the StarNodes pack - install Starnodes via ComfyUI Manager, or:

cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes
git clone https://github.com/Starnodes2024/ComfyUI_StarNodes
cd ComfyUI_StarNodes
pip install -r requirements.txt

Restart, then search star on the canvas. No models needed.

Common issues

If lookup_value comes back empty for a key you're sure is there, check the exact spelling - metadata keys are case-sensitive and the node matches literally. And note the metadata input is a custom type; the node won't accept a plain STRING. If you don't see the five values, the image you loaded was probably saved by a non-StarNodes save node - there are no custom StarMetaData fields in it, which is fine, the raw_json path still works.