Exploring Midjourney V7: Early Thoughts and New Features

Midjourney Version 7 is here. This is a first look at some of the new features and what they mean for how you create images.

It's early days, and figuring out the best ways to use everything will take time. Here are some initial impressions based on early testing.

Personalization is On By Default

One big change in V7 is that personalization is turned on automatically for the model. To make it work for you, you need to rate images. This helps the system understand your taste.

The personalization page is updated and seems faster. Once you've rated enough images, you can select your profile or different mood boards when you create an image. This could help guide V7 toward the styles and looks you prefer.

Introducing Draft Mode

Version 7 launches with two modes: Draft and Standard. Draft mode is designed for speed.

• It's currently much faster for generating initial images.

• It costs less than standard V6 jobs.

• It changes the workflow, especially on the website.

Conversational Input in Draft Mode

In draft mode, the prompt bar on the website acts differently. Instead of needing a perfect prompt right away, you can type more conversationally. You can say things like "make it Wonder Woman" after generating an image of Batman.

The idea is to quickly draft many ideas. Once you get an image you like, you can use the "Enhance" or "Vary" buttons on that image. This supposedly rerenders it in a higher quality mode.

This is a big shift from previous versions where you focused on crafting precise prompts. It will take some getting used to, as you've spent years learning how to talk *to* the bot with crafted words, not have it interpret conversational input.

Note that this conversational feature seems one-way for now; it won't talk back to you. You can even use voice input if you prefer.

Getting lots of quick drafts is great for exploring ideas quickly. If you want a tool that helps you manage many variations and tests efficiently, explore the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT. It can streamline workflows for trying different ideas quickly.

Standard Mode and Cost

The other mode is Standard. Currently, V7 Standard mode only runs in Turbo speed. There is no 'normal' speed option available yet; Midjourney says they are still optimizing it.

Be aware that Turbo mode costs more than the old V6 normal speed. Draft jobs cost less than the old V6 speed. If you use Standard mode right now, it will consume your fast hours quicker than V6 used to.

Early Testing and Impressions

Trying out V7 shows varied results and some unexpected behaviors.

Generating Images

Initial tests with simple prompts like "neon Batman" and "Wonder Woman" in draft mode were incredibly fast.

Images like "Hulk" with neon glow also generated rapidly. The conversational input worked to switch subjects.

However, using "Enhance" on a draft image sometimes created a different picture rather than just improving the quality of the original draft image. This suggests "Enhance" might rerun the prompt in Standard mode based on the input that created the draft, rather than just upscaling the draft itself.

Varying draft images (Subtle or Strong) also created new results in some cases, not direct variations of the original draft.

Parameters

Tests using parameters like `--stylize` and `--chaos` produced results that seemed to follow the parameter values, although the visual quality varied. High stylize values (e.g., 300, 800, 1000) created some interesting, highly interpreted images.

Style References and Mood Boards

Character reference is currently not available in V7. This is a feature that needs more time for development.

Style references (`--sref`) can be used. Early tests with style references yielded mixed, sometimes poor results, even when using the `--sw` (style weight) parameter at a high value like 1000. Switching out of draft mode improved style reference results significantly, suggesting draft mode might affect how style references are interpreted.

Using personalize mood boards seems promising, especially when combined with draft mode for fast checks. Permutations combined with mood boards also worked very quickly in draft mode and showed potential, although enhancing them in Standard mode was needed for better quality on some results.

Managing different style references, parameters, and versions can become complicated. Automating these tests can save a lot of time. Check out the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT to see how it can help you run multiple tests efficiently.

Version Testing Confusion

Testing the same prompt with different versions (6.1 vs. 7) using `{6.1, 7}` syntax showed unexpected behavior with personalization turning on randomly even when not explicitly requested. This highlights that the interaction between personalization, modes (Draft/Standard), and version selection is still being figured out.

What's Next?

Midjourney has indicated they will be adding new features and improvements frequently over the next couple of months. A major upcoming feature is the return of Character and Object reference for V7.

Conclusion

Midjourney V7 is a significant update, bringing exciting new features like default personalization, a high-speed draft mode with conversational input, and a simplified interface for some tasks.

However, it's clear this is just the beginning. The workflow changes, especially with draft mode and personalization being on by default, will require users to adapt and experiment. Early testing shows that while speed is impressive in draft mode, optimal quality might require using Standard mode or enhancing drafts.

Figuring out the best way to use V7, its modes, and features like style references will take time and exploration. Talking with other users and sharing discoveries will be helpful.

For those who regularly test various prompts, styles, and parameters, the new modes in V7 add layers of complexity. Streamline your process and manage your results with tools designed for efficiency. Learn more about how the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT can assist your V7 explorations.