<h1 id="how-to-use">How to Use</h1>Inline: <code>{red|blue|green}</code> picks one option directly from your text.Files: <code>__subjects__</code> picks a random line from <code>wildcards/subjects.txt</code>.Multi-Pick: <code>__colors__+3</code> picks 3 unique colors from the file.Pattern Search: <code>__*locati*__</code> finds any file containing "locati" (like <code>locations.txt</code> or <code>old_location.txt</code>).Folder Pool: <code>__creatures/**__</code> pools every <code>.txt</code> file inside <code>wildcards/creatures/</code> — including all subfolders — into one big pool and picks from it.Whole Collection: <code>__**__</code> pools your entire wildcard library and picks from everything.Nested: You can mix them! Example: <code>{__hero__|__villain__} in __*world*__</code>.Deep Nesting: Wildcards inside wildcard files get resolved too. If <code>creatures.txt</code> contains <code>A dragon with __dragon_color__ scales</code>, the inner marker resolves automatically. Goes up to 8 levels deep, with cycle protection — files that reference each other stop cleanly instead of looping.Style Preset: The <code>style</code> dropdown prepends a style to your prompt (e.g. <code>cyberpunk style, ...</code>). Set it to <code>random</code> to roll one of 32 presets from your seed — deterministic, so the same seed always gives the same style.Browse: The <code>browse</code> dropdown lists every wildcard in your collection, subfolders included. Pick one to append a line from it, or leave it on <code>none</code>.Inventory: The second output <code>wildcard_index</code> prints your whole collection as plain text, grouped by folder. Connect it to a <code>ShowText</code> node.<hr /><h2 id="syntax-overview">Syntax Overview</h2>SyntaxWhat it does<code>{a|b|c}</code>Inline random pick<code>__name__</code>One line from <code>name.txt__name__+3</code>Three unique lines from <code>name.txt__*part*__</code>Any file matching the pattern<code>__folder/*__</code>Pool all <code>.txt</code> directly in <code>folder/__folder/**__</code>Pool all <code>.txt</code> recursively in <code>folder/__**__</code>Pool the entire wildcard collection.!<h2 id="smartwildcardloader-v3.2-update">🎲 SmartWildcardLoader — v3.2 Update</h2>✨ What's New Fixed: Underscore Names (finally!) `__my_wildcard_name__` now resolves correctly. Previous versions silently ignored wildcard names containing underscores — this was the single most common cause of unresolved markers. If you renamed files to avoid underscores, you can rename them back. New: Folder Pools Point wildcards at entire folders and have them pool together: | Syntax | Behavior | |---|---| | `__folder/name__` | Direct path lookup | | `__folder/*__` | Pools ALL .txt files directly inside `folder/` | | `__folder/**__` | Pools ALL .txt files recursively, incl. subfolders | | `____**__` | Pools your ENTIRE wildcards collection | Pooling merges every line of every matching file into one fair pool — no bias toward smaller files. New: Wildcards Inside Wildcards Lines in your wildcard files can now contain their own wildcards and `{option A|option B}` brackets. Resolution is fully recursive (up to 8 levels deep) with automatic cycle protection — files that reference each other stop cleanly instead of looping forever. New: Style Engine Built-in style dropdown with 32 presets (cinematic, cyberpunk, film noir, ukiyo-e, studio ghibli, vaporwave, dark academia and more) plus a `random` option that rolls a style from your seed — deterministic, so the same seed always yields the same style. New: Browse Dropdown A dropdown listing every available wildcard in your collection — including files in subfolders. Select one to append a pick from it to your prompt, or keep it on `none` to ignore. New: Wildcard Index Output A second output (`wildcard_index`) gives you a plain-text overview of your entire wildcard collection, grouped by folder. Pipe it into a ShowText node for a live inventory. Kept From Previous Versions - Deterministic seeding (MD5 sub-seeds): same seed = identical output - Auto-Pool: exhaust a file before repeats (history_depth 0) - `+N` syntax for multiple simultaneous picks - `{a|b}` bracket logic - History tracking with pool reset - Debug console output with timing stats 📥 Install 1. Copy `SmartWildcardLoader.py` into `ComfyUI/custom_nodes/SmartWildcardLoader/` 2. Restart ComfyUI 3. Your wildcards go in `ComfyUI/wildcards/` (created automatically, scanned recursively) ⚠️ Notes - The browse dropdown reads the filesystem when the node loads — reload the browser page after adding new .txt files to see them listed - `#` comment lines and blank lines in wildcard files are ignored - Backwards compatible: existing workflows keep working; new inputs fill with defaults, the new output can stay unconnected<h2 id="update-notes:-v1.1">Update Notes: v1.1</h2><h3 id="new-features-and-improvements:">New Features &amp; Improvements:</h3><ul><li>Recursive Search: Wildcards are now found automatically in subfolders (e.g., <code>__hero__</code> finds <code>/wildcards/rpg/hero.txt</code>).</li><li>Integrated Styles: New dropdown menu to quickly apply aesthetic styles (e.g., Psychedelic, Surreal, Cyberpunk) as a prefix.</li><li>Smart Empty-Check: The node will not process or add styles if the text input is empty, preventing accidental resource waste.</li><li>Enhanced Debugging: Console now logs the selected item, total pool size, and remaining items in the current history cycle.</li><li>Stability: Improved regex parsing and bracket <code>{a|b}</code> resolution to prevent crashes from malformed syntax.</li></ul><h2 id="smart-wildcard-loader:-quick-start">Smart Wildcard Loader: Quick Start</h2><h3 id="update-notes:-smart-wildcard-loader-(v1.03)">Update Notes: Smart Wildcard Loader (v1.03)</h3>Improved Parsing &amp; Debugging<ul><li>Robust Wildcard Handling: The parser now intelligently ignores incomplete or unclosed markers (e.g., <code>__unfinished_tag</code>), preventing prompt corruption.</li><li>Enhanced Debugging: Added console warnings for invalid markers and missing wildcard files when <code>debug</code> is enabled.</li></ul><h3 id="new-features-(v1.02)">New Features (v1.02)</h3><ul><li>Auto-Pool Mode: Set <code>history_depth</code> to 0 to automatically detect file length. It will exhaust every single line before any word repeats.</li><li>Reset Button: Use the <code>reset_history</code> toggle to instantly wipe the memory and all frequency stats.</li><li>Frequency Tracking: If <code>history_depth &gt; 0</code>, the console highlights repeated picks in RED and tells you exactly how often they have appeared.</li><li>Skip Counter: Tracks the node's "workload" by counting how many lines were skipped to respect your history settings.</li></ul><hr /><hr />Why use this?<ul><li>Total Variety: Ensures you see every single line of your wildcard files before a repeat occurs.</li><li>Deep Logic: Files can contain other tags, allowing for infinitely complex prompt chains.</li><li>Efficiency: All memory is stored in RAM. It’s fast and resets when you restart ComfyUI.</li></ul>

SmartWildcardLoader

<pre><code>## ✨ What's New

### Fixed: Underscore Names (finally!)
`__my_wildcard_name__` now resolves correctly. Previous versions silently 
ignored wildcard names containing underscores — this was the single most 
common cause of unresolved markers. If you renamed files to avoid underscores, 
you can rename them back.

### New: Folder Pools
Point wildcards at entire folders and have them pool together:

| Syntax | Behavior |
|---|---|
| `__folder/name__` | Direct path lookup |
| `__folder/*__` | Pools ALL .txt files directly inside `folder/` |
| `__folder/**__` | Pools ALL .txt files recursively, incl. subfolders |
| `____**__` | Pools your ENTIRE wildcards collection |

Pooling merges every line of every matching file into one fair pool — no bias 
toward smaller files.

### New: Wildcards Inside Wildcards
Lines in your wildcard files can now contain their own wildcards and 
`{option A|option B}` brackets. Resolution is fully recursive (up to 8 levels 
deep) with automatic cycle protection — files that reference each other 
stop cleanly instead of looping forever.

### New: Style Engine
Built-in style dropdown with 32 presets (cinematic, cyberpunk, film noir, 
ukiyo-e, studio ghibli, vaporwave, dark academia and more) plus a `random` 
option that rolls a style from your seed — deterministic, so the same seed 
always yields the same style.

### New: Browse Dropdown
A dropdown listing every available wildcard in your collection — including 
files in subfolders. Select one to append a pick from it to your prompt, or 
keep it on `none` to ignore.

### New: Wildcard Index Output
A second output (`wildcard_index`) gives you a plain-text overview of your 
entire wildcard collection, grouped by folder. Pipe it into a ShowText node 
for a live inventory.

## 🔒 Kept From Previous Versions
- Deterministic seeding (MD5 sub-seeds): same seed = identical output
- Auto-Pool: exhaust a file before repeats (history_depth 0)
- `+N` syntax for multiple simultaneous picks
- `{a|b}` bracket logic
- History tracking with pool reset
- Debug console output with timing stats

## 📥 Install
1. Copy `SmartWildcardLoader.py` into `ComfyUI/custom_nodes/SmartWildcardLoader/`
2. Restart ComfyUI
3. Your wildcards go in `ComfyUI/wildcards/` (created automatically, 
 scanned recursively)

## ⚠️ Notes
- The browse dropdown reads the filesystem when the node loads — reload the 
 browser page after adding new .txt files to see them listed
- `#` comment lines and blank lines in wildcard files are ignored
- Backwards compatible: existing workflows keep working; new inputs fill 
 with defaults, the new output can stay unconnected</code></pre>

Files with SHA256: 0278939618cf3c3975cdaf8fe8ad12cb699d547076a88f671938f4bc9793efb5