Getting More From Midjourney V5.2: New Features Explained

Midjourney is always improving, and version 5.2 brought some important updates for creating AI images. This guide covers the key changes in V5.2, including the new zoom out feature, different variation types, and tips for getting more consistent results.

We'll look at how these features work and how you can use them to make your AI art even better. From expanding your scenes to understanding what makes prompts work, V5.2 offers new ways to create stunning visuals.

Midjourney V5.2: What's Different?

When you use Midjourney now, you're likely already using V5.2 because it's the default setting. You can check this by typing `/settings` in Discord.

Compared to the previous version, V5.2 often creates sharper images that look a bit better overall. It's also better at handling light and shadows, which is great if you're creating portraits or scenes with specific lighting.

Prompt understanding also improved. V5.2 does a better job of figuring out what you mean when you type your requests.

There are still some small issues, like hands holding things, but many parts of the system are getting better.

Understanding the New Zoom Out Feature

The biggest new addition in Midjourney V5.2 is the zoom out feature. Think of it like zooming your camera out from a photo you already have. It adds new details to the edges of your image to fill the space.

After you upscale an image you like, you'll see some new buttons below it. These include "Zoom Out 1.5x" and "Zoom Out 2x". Clicking these makes Midjourney generate a larger version of your image, adding content outside the original frame.

Using Custom Zoom

Beyond the quick buttons, there's also a "Custom Zoom" option. This gives you more control.

• First, generate an image with your initial prompt.

• Upscale the image you want to work with.

• Click the "Custom Zoom" button below the upscaled image.

• A box will pop up. You can change the zoom value here (the default is 2, but you can try 1.7 or other values).

• Midjourney will create new images based on your custom zoom setting.

The custom zoom tool is powerful because you can also change the prompt or adjust the aspect ratio while zooming out. This lets you add new elements to the scene as it expands.

You can even use this feature to create cool "infinite zoom" video effects by repeatedly zooming out and then using a tool like RunwayML to smooth the transitions between frames.

New Variation Modes

Midjourney V5.2 also changed how variations work. After upscaling an image, you'll see "Vary (Strong)" and "Vary (Subtle)" options.

• Vary (Strong): This makes bigger changes to your original image, giving you results that might be quite different.

• Vary (Subtle): This keeps the changes small, so the new images are much closer to the original.

If you enable "Remix mode" in your settings (`/settings`), you can also edit your prompt when creating variations. This lets you guide the changes more directly.

Exploring Stylize and Weird Parameters

The `--stylize` parameter now has a stronger effect. You can set it to values between 0 and 1000. Lower values tend to give a more artistic or dreamy look, while higher values can make images look sharper and more realistic.

A new experimental parameter is `--weird`. Adding this makes your images look more unusual or offbeat. You can combine `--weird` with `--stylize` for unique results. Values between 250 and 500 for `--weird` are often recommended.

Mastering these parameters can feel like a lot to remember and manage manually. If you find yourself typing the same commands or managing many variations, consider looking into automation tools. The Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT is designed to simplify some of these repetitive tasks and help you manage your workflow.

Optimizing Your Prompts with Shorten

Midjourney V5.2 includes a `--shorten` command. Type `/shorten` followed by your prompt, and Midjourney will analyze it. It suggests words that are more important to the algorithm and which ones are less impactful.

Clicking "Show Details" gives you specific feedback on how Midjourney ranks the words in your prompt. Using this can help you write more effective prompts by focusing on the words that matter most.

Based on analysis, words like 'cinematic', 'subject', 'action', and specific details about cameras or locations often carry more weight in Midjourney's process.

Creating Consistent Characters

One common goal is creating the same character in different images. The new custom zoom feature can help here. Start with a portrait of your character, then use custom zoom to zoom out and change the scene while keeping the character in frame.

For even more consistency, especially with faces, you can use a face swap method. This usually involves setting up a Discord server, adding a face swapper bot, saving a "face ID" for your character (or your own face), and then using commands to apply that face to images you generate.

Managing face IDs and applying them across many generations can get complicated. The Midjourney Automation Suite by TitanXT offers features that can help streamline the process of creating images with consistent elements, saving you time and effort compared to doing it all manually in Discord.

Conclusion

Midjourney V5.2 brings significant improvements and new features that enhance the creative process. The zoom out tool offers new ways to frame and expand images, while updated variation modes and parameters like stylize and weird provide more control over the final look.

Understanding how to optimize prompts and techniques for character consistency helps you get closer to your creative vision.

If you're creating a lot of images or working on projects that require consistency and efficient prompt management, exploring tools like the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT might be a valuable step to make your workflow smoother.