ControlNet Union Pro SDXL in ComfyUI
Single unified ControlNet weight handling OpenPose, depth, canny, lineart, and tile conditioning in one file. Requires Adds ~1.5 GB to base SDXL run VRAM and loads from models/controlnet/.
Updated Oct 17, 2026 · 1 min read
- Model Family
- xinsir / ControlNet
- VRAM Target
- Adds ~1.5 GB to base SDXL run
- ComfyUI Folder
- models/controlnet/
- Precision
- FP16 safetensors
- Default Sampler
- Matches base checkpoint sampler, strength 0.65–0.85
Where to place ControlNet Union Pro SDXL weights on Windows
Single unified ControlNet weight handling OpenPose, depth, canny, lineart, and tile conditioning in one file.
Place the primary `.safetensors` or `.gguf` weight file inside `models/controlnet/` inside your ComfyUI directory, or point extra_model_paths.yaml to your existing shared models drive.
After moving the file, press **R** on the ComfyUI Studio canvas (or click Refresh) so the loader dropdown lists the new checkpoint immediately without restarting the server.
Recommended loader nodes and sampler settings
- **Precision & Memory:** FP16 safetensors. Cards at the lower end of Adds ~1.5 GB to base SDXL run should pair this model with FP8 or GGUF quantization and VAE Decode (Tiled).
- **Sampler & Scheduler:** Matches base checkpoint sampler, strength 0.65–0.85. Wire the model output into KSampler and connect the matching CLIP and VAE streams.
- **Installer:** If you have not set up the desktop environment yet, get the Windows build at /download.
ControlNet Union Pro SDXL Quick Reference for ComfyUI Windows
| Parameter | Recommended Setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Target Directory | models/controlnet/ | Refresh canvas with R key after copying |
| VRAM Tier | Adds ~1.5 GB to base SDXL run | Use --lowvram or GGUF Q4 on 8 GB cards |
| Weight Format | FP16 safetensors | Never load untrusted .ckpt pickle files |
| Sampler Recipe | Matches base checkpoint sampler, strength 0.65–0.85 | Wire through core KSampler node |
FAQs
Which folder does ControlNet Union Pro SDXL go into in ComfyUI?
Put ControlNet Union Pro SDXL inside `models/controlnet/` in your ComfyUI installation, then press R on the canvas to refresh node dropdowns.
Can I run ControlNet Union Pro SDXL on an 8 GB NVIDIA GPU?
Yes — use FP8 or GGUF Q4/Q5 weights via ComfyUI-GGUF and keep tiled VAE decoding enabled so peak VRAM stays under 8 GB.
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