Add has_intermediate_output flag for nodes with interactive UI (#13048)

comfy_api/latest/_io.py

@@ -1373,6 +1373,7 @@ class NodeInfoV1:
     price_badge: dict | None = None
     search_aliases: list[str]=None
     essentials_category: str=None
+    has_intermediate_output: bool=None
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -1496,6 +1497,16 @@ class Schema:
     """When True, all inputs from the prompt will be passed to the node as kwargs, even if not defined in the schema."""
     essentials_category: str | None = None
     """Optional category for the Essentials tab. Path-based like category field (e.g., 'Basic', 'Image Tools/Editing')."""
+    has_intermediate_output: bool=False
+    """Flags this node as having intermediate output that should persist across page refreshes.
+
+    Nodes with this flag behave like output nodes (their UI results are cached and resent
+    to the frontend) but do NOT automatically get added to the execution list. This means
+    they will only execute if they are on the dependency path of a real output node.
+
+    Use this for nodes with interactive/operable UI regions that produce intermediate outputs
+    (e.g., Image Crop, Painter) rather than final outputs (e.g., Save Image).
+    """
 
     def validate(self):
         '''Validate the schema:
@@ -1595,6 +1606,7 @@ class Schema:
             category=self.category,
             description=self.description,
             output_node=self.is_output_node,
+            has_intermediate_output=self.has_intermediate_output,
             deprecated=self.is_deprecated,
             experimental=self.is_experimental,
             dev_only=self.is_dev_only,
@@ -1886,6 +1898,14 @@ class _ComfyNodeBaseInternal(_ComfyNodeInternal):
             cls.GET_SCHEMA()
         return cls._OUTPUT_NODE
 
+    _HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT = None
+    @final
+    @classproperty
+    def HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT(cls):  # noqa
+        if cls._HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT is None:
+            cls.GET_SCHEMA()
+        return cls._HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT
+
     _INPUT_IS_LIST = None
     @final
     @classproperty
@@ -1978,6 +1998,8 @@ class _ComfyNodeBaseInternal(_ComfyNodeInternal):
             cls._API_NODE = schema.is_api_node
         if cls._OUTPUT_NODE is None:
             cls._OUTPUT_NODE = schema.is_output_node
+        if cls._HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT is None:
+            cls._HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT = schema.has_intermediate_output
         if cls._INPUT_IS_LIST is None:
             cls._INPUT_IS_LIST = schema.is_input_list
         if cls._NOT_IDEMPOTENT is None:

comfy_extras/nodes_glsl.py

@@ -813,6 +813,7 @@ class GLSLShader(io.ComfyNode):
                 "u_resolution (vec2) is always available."
             ),
             is_experimental=True,
+            has_intermediate_output=True,
             inputs=[
                 io.String.Input(
                     "fragment_shader",

comfy_extras/nodes_images.py

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ class ImageCropV2(IO.ComfyNode):
             display_name="Image Crop",
             category="image/transform",
             essentials_category="Image Tools",
+            has_intermediate_output=True,
             inputs=[
                 IO.Image.Input("image"),
                 IO.BoundingBox.Input("crop_region", component="ImageCrop"),

comfy_extras/nodes_painter.py

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class PainterNode(io.ComfyNode):
             node_id="Painter",
             display_name="Painter",
             category="image",
+            has_intermediate_output=True,
             inputs=[
                 io.Image.Input(
                     "image",

execution.py

@@ -411,6 +411,19 @@ def format_value(x):
     else:
         return str(x)
 
+def _is_intermediate_output(dynprompt, node_id):
+    class_type = dynprompt.get_node(node_id)["class_type"]
+    class_def = nodes.NODE_CLASS_MAPPINGS[class_type]
+    return getattr(class_def, 'HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT', False)
+
+def _send_cached_ui(server, node_id, display_node_id, cached, prompt_id, ui_outputs):
+    if server.client_id is None:
+        return
+    cached_ui = cached.ui or {}
+    server.send_sync("executed", { "node": node_id, "display_node": display_node_id, "output": cached_ui.get("output", None), "prompt_id": prompt_id }, server.client_id)
+    if cached.ui is not None:
+        ui_outputs[node_id] = cached.ui
+
 async def execute(server, dynprompt, caches, current_item, extra_data, executed, prompt_id, execution_list, pending_subgraph_results, pending_async_nodes, ui_outputs):
     unique_id = current_item
     real_node_id = dynprompt.get_real_node_id(unique_id)
@@ -421,11 +434,7 @@ async def execute(server, dynprompt, caches, current_item, extra_data, executed,
     class_def = nodes.NODE_CLASS_MAPPINGS[class_type]
     cached = await caches.outputs.get(unique_id)
     if cached is not None:
-        if server.client_id is not None:
-            cached_ui = cached.ui or {}
-            server.send_sync("executed", { "node": unique_id, "display_node": display_node_id, "output": cached_ui.get("output",None), "prompt_id": prompt_id }, server.client_id)
-            if cached.ui is not None:
-                ui_outputs[unique_id] = cached.ui
+        _send_cached_ui(server, unique_id, display_node_id, cached, prompt_id, ui_outputs)
         get_progress_state().finish_progress(unique_id)
         execution_list.cache_update(unique_id, cached)
         return (ExecutionResult.SUCCESS, None, None)
@@ -767,6 +776,16 @@ class PromptExecutor:
                     self.caches.outputs.poll(ram_headroom=self.cache_args["ram"])
                 else:
                     # Only execute when the while-loop ends without break
+                    # Send cached UI for intermediate output nodes that weren't executed
+                    for node_id in dynamic_prompt.all_node_ids():
+                        if node_id in executed:
+                            continue
+                        if not _is_intermediate_output(dynamic_prompt, node_id):
+                            continue
+                        cached = await self.caches.outputs.get(node_id)
+                        if cached is not None:
+                            display_node_id = dynamic_prompt.get_display_node_id(node_id)
+                            _send_cached_ui(self.server, node_id, display_node_id, cached, prompt_id, ui_node_outputs)
                     self.add_message("execution_success", { "prompt_id": prompt_id }, broadcast=False)
 
                 ui_outputs = {}

server.py

@@ -709,6 +709,11 @@ class PromptServer():
             else:
                 info['output_node'] = False
 
+            if hasattr(obj_class, 'HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT') and obj_class.HAS_INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT == True:
+                info['has_intermediate_output'] = True
+            else:
+                info['has_intermediate_output'] = False
+
             if hasattr(obj_class, 'CATEGORY'):
                 info['category'] = obj_class.CATEGORY