Add cross-workflow image channel system with ImageReceiver node

Named channels allow PreviewToLoad to send images to a shared channel
(stored in channels.json) that ImageReceiver nodes can read from,
enabling cross-workflow image passing without brittle node IDs.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

image_preview.py

@@ -13,6 +13,55 @@ import node_helpers
 from comfy.cli_args import args
 from comfy_execution.graph_utils import ExecutionBlocker
 
+try:
+    from server import PromptServer
+    from aiohttp import web
+except ImportError:
+    PromptServer = None
+
+CHANNELS_FILE = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "channels.json")
+
+
+def _read_channels():
+    if os.path.exists(CHANNELS_FILE):
+        try:
+            with open(CHANNELS_FILE, "r") as f:
+                return json.load(f)
+        except (json.JSONDecodeError, ValueError):
+            return {}
+    return {}
+
+
+def _write_channels(data):
+    with open(CHANNELS_FILE, "w") as f:
+        json.dump(data, f, indent=2)
+
+
+if PromptServer is not None:
+    @PromptServer.instance.routes.post("/jdl/channel/send")
+    async def channel_send(request):
+        body = await request.json()
+        channel = body.get("channel", "default")
+        filename = body.get("filename", "")
+        if not filename:
+            return web.json_response({"error": "filename required"}, status=400)
+        channels = _read_channels()
+        channels[channel] = filename
+        _write_channels(channels)
+        return web.json_response({"ok": True, "channel": channel, "filename": filename})
+
+    @PromptServer.instance.routes.get("/jdl/channel/receive")
+    async def channel_receive(request):
+        channel = request.query.get("channel", "default")
+        channels = _read_channels()
+        filename = channels.get(channel, "")
+        return web.json_response({"channel": channel, "filename": filename})
+
+    @PromptServer.instance.routes.get("/jdl/channel/list")
+    async def channel_list(request):
+        channels = _read_channels()
+        return web.json_response({"channels": list(channels.keys())})
+
 
 class JDL_PreviewToLoad:
     """Previews an image and saves a copy to input/ for use by LoadImage nodes."""
@@ -120,30 +169,8 @@ class JDL_PreviewToLoad:
         return {"ui": {"images": results, "input_filename": [input_filename]}}
 
 
-class JDL_LoadImage:
+def _load_image_from_path(image_path):
-    """Load an image from the input directory with an active switch to skip downstream execution."""
+    """Shared helper: load an image file and return (IMAGE tensor, MASK tensor)."""
-
-    @classmethod
-    def INPUT_TYPES(s):
-        input_dir = folder_paths.get_input_directory()
-        files = [f for f in os.listdir(input_dir) if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(input_dir, f))]
-        files = folder_paths.filter_files_content_types(files, ["image"])
-        return {
-            "required": {
-                "image": (sorted(files), {"image_upload": True}),
-                "active": ("BOOLEAN", {"default": True}),
-            },
-        }
-
-    RETURN_TYPES = ("IMAGE", "MASK")
-    FUNCTION = "load_image"
-    CATEGORY = "utils/image"
-
-    def load_image(self, image, active):
-        if not active:
-            return (ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None))
-
-        image_path = folder_paths.get_annotated_filepath(image)
     img = node_helpers.pillow(Image.open, image_path)
 
     output_images = []
@@ -189,6 +216,33 @@ class JDL_LoadImage:
 
     return (output_image, output_mask)
 
+
+class JDL_LoadImage:
+    """Load an image from the input directory with an active switch to skip downstream execution."""
+
+    @classmethod
+    def INPUT_TYPES(s):
+        input_dir = folder_paths.get_input_directory()
+        files = [f for f in os.listdir(input_dir) if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(input_dir, f))]
+        files = folder_paths.filter_files_content_types(files, ["image"])
+        return {
+            "required": {
+                "image": (sorted(files), {"image_upload": True}),
+                "active": ("BOOLEAN", {"default": True}),
+            },
+        }
+
+    RETURN_TYPES = ("IMAGE", "MASK")
+    FUNCTION = "load_image"
+    CATEGORY = "utils/image"
+
+    def load_image(self, image, active):
+        if not active:
+            return (ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None))
+
+        image_path = folder_paths.get_annotated_filepath(image)
+        return _load_image_from_path(image_path)
+
     @classmethod
     def IS_CHANGED(s, image, active):
         if not active:
@@ -208,12 +262,61 @@ class JDL_LoadImage:
         return True
 
 
+class JDL_ImageReceiver:
+    """Load an image from a named channel (cross-workflow image passing)."""
+
+    @classmethod
+    def INPUT_TYPES(s):
+        return {
+            "required": {
+                "channel": ("STRING", {"default": "default"}),
+                "active": ("BOOLEAN", {"default": True}),
+            },
+        }
+
+    RETURN_TYPES = ("IMAGE", "MASK", "STRING")
+    RETURN_NAMES = ("image", "mask", "filename")
+    FUNCTION = "receive"
+    CATEGORY = "utils/image"
+
+    def receive(self, channel, active):
+        if not active:
+            return (ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None))
+
+        channels = _read_channels()
+        filename = channels.get(channel, "")
+        if not filename:
+            return (ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None))
+
+        input_dir = folder_paths.get_input_directory()
+        image_path = os.path.join(input_dir, filename)
+        if not os.path.isfile(image_path):
+            return (ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None), ExecutionBlocker(None))
+
+        output_image, output_mask = _load_image_from_path(image_path)
+        return (output_image, output_mask, filename)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def IS_CHANGED(s, channel, active):
+        if not active:
+            return "inactive"
+        channels = _read_channels()
+        filename = channels.get(channel, "")
+        return hashlib.sha256(filename.encode()).hexdigest()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def VALIDATE_INPUTS(s, channel, active):
+        return True
+
+
 NODE_CLASS_MAPPINGS = {
     "JDL_PreviewToLoad": JDL_PreviewToLoad,
     "JDL_LoadImage": JDL_LoadImage,
+    "JDL_ImageReceiver": JDL_ImageReceiver,
 }
 
 NODE_DISPLAY_NAME_MAPPINGS = {
     "JDL_PreviewToLoad": "Preview to Load Image",
     "JDL_LoadImage": "Load Image (Active Switch)",
+    "JDL_ImageReceiver": "Image Receiver (Channel)",
 }

web/image_preview.js

@@ -53,6 +53,34 @@ app.registerExtension({
                 app.graph.setDirtyCanvas(true, true);
             });
 
+            this.addWidget("text", "channel", "default", () => {});
+
+            this.addWidget("button", "Send to Channel", null, () => {
+                const channelWidget = this.widgets?.find(w => w.name === "channel");
+                const channel = channelWidget?.value || "default";
+
+                const filename = this.last_input_filename;
+                if (!filename) {
+                    console.warn("[PreviewToLoad] No filename available. Run the workflow first.");
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                fetch("/jdl/channel/send", {
+                    method: "POST",
+                    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+                    body: JSON.stringify({ channel, filename }),
+                })
+                .then(r => r.json())
+                .then(data => {
+                    if (data.ok) {
+                        console.log(`[PreviewToLoad] Sent "${filename}" to channel "${channel}"`);
+                    } else {
+                        console.warn("[PreviewToLoad] Channel send failed:", data.error);
+                    }
+                })
+                .catch(err => console.error("[PreviewToLoad] Channel send error:", err));
+            });
+
             this.setSize(this.computeSize());
         };