# ControlNet

[ControlNet](https://huggingface.co/papers/2302.05543) steers a pretrained diffusion model with a structural control image (edges, depth, or pose) while you keep a text prompt. It freezes the base model and adds a parallel network whose residuals guide the denoiser, so you get layout control without fine-tuning.

Load a ControlNet for the control you need (for example canny), then pass it as `controlnet=` to [from_pretrained()](/docs/diffusers/main/en/api/pipelines/overview#diffusers.DiffusionPipeline.from_pretrained). Use `controlnet_conditioning_scale` to set how strongly the control steers generation.

> [!TIP]
> ControlNets are available to many models such as [Flux](../api/pipelines/controlnet_flux), [Hunyuan-DiT](../api/pipelines/controlnet_hunyuandit), [Stable Diffusion 3](../api/pipelines/controlnet_sd3), and more. The examples in this guide use Flux and Stable Diffusion XL. For T2I-Adapter on older Stable Diffusion–family checkpoints, see [Legacy adapters](./legacy_adapters#t2i-adapter). Prefer ControlNet for new controllable-generation work.

The tabs below show ControlNet for text-to-image, image-to-image, and inpainting.

Generate a canny image with [opencv-python](https://github.com/opencv/opencv-python).

```py
import cv2
import numpy as np
from PIL import Image
from diffusers.utils import load_image

original_image = load_image(
    "https://huggingface.co/datasets/huggingface/documentation-images/resolve/main/diffusers/non-enhanced-prompt.png"
)

image = np.array(original_image)

low_threshold = 100
high_threshold = 200

image = cv2.Canny(image, low_threshold, high_threshold)
image = image[:, :, None]
image = np.concatenate([image, image, image], axis=2)
canny_image = Image.fromarray(image)
```

Pass the canny image to the pipeline. Use the `controlnet_conditioning_scale` parameter to determine how much weight to assign to the control.

```py
import torch
from diffusers.utils import load_image
from diffusers import FluxControlNetPipeline, FluxControlNetModel

controlnet = FluxControlNetModel.from_pretrained(
    "InstantX/FLUX.1-dev-Controlnet-Canny", dtype=torch.bfloat16
)
pipeline = FluxControlNetPipeline.from_pretrained(
    "black-forest-labs/FLUX.1-dev", controlnet=controlnet, dtype=torch.bfloat16
).to("cuda")  # or "mps", "xpu", "cpu"

prompt = """
A photorealistic overhead image of a cat reclining sideways in a flamingo pool floatie holding a margarita. 
The cat is floating leisurely in the pool and completely relaxed and happy.
"""

pipeline(
    prompt, 
    control_image=canny_image,
    controlnet_conditioning_scale=0.5,
    num_inference_steps=50, 
    guidance_scale=3.5,
).images[0]
```

  
    
    original image
  
  
    
    canny image
  
  
    
    generated image
  

Generate a depth map with a depth estimation pipeline from Transformers.

```py
import torch
import numpy as np
from PIL import Image
from transformers import DPTImageProcessor, DPTForDepthEstimation
from diffusers import ControlNetModel, StableDiffusionXLControlNetImg2ImgPipeline, AutoencoderKL
from diffusers.utils import load_image

device = "cuda"  # or "mps", "xpu", "cpu"
depth_estimator = DPTForDepthEstimation.from_pretrained("Intel/dpt-hybrid-midas").to(device)
feature_extractor = DPTImageProcessor.from_pretrained("Intel/dpt-hybrid-midas")

def get_depth_map(image):
    image = feature_extractor(images=image, return_tensors="pt").pixel_values.to(device)
    with torch.no_grad(), torch.autocast(device):
        depth_map = depth_estimator(image).predicted_depth

    depth_map = torch.nn.functional.interpolate(
        depth_map.unsqueeze(1),
        size=(1024, 1024),
        mode="bicubic",
        align_corners=False,
    )
    depth_min = torch.amin(depth_map, dim=[1, 2, 3], keepdim=True)
    depth_max = torch.amax(depth_map, dim=[1, 2, 3], keepdim=True)
    depth_map = (depth_map - depth_min) / (depth_max - depth_min)
    image = torch.cat([depth_map] * 3, dim=1)
    image = image.permute(0, 2, 3, 1).cpu().numpy()[0]
    image = Image.fromarray((image * 255.0).clip(0, 255).astype(np.uint8))
    return image

image = load_image(
    "https://huggingface.co/datasets/huggingface/documentation-images/resolve/main/diffusers/non-enhanced-prompt.png"
).resize((1024, 1024))
depth_image = get_depth_map(image)
```

Pass the depth map to the pipeline. Use the `controlnet_conditioning_scale` parameter to determine how much weight to assign to the control.

```py
controlnet = ControlNetModel.from_pretrained(
    "diffusers/controlnet-depth-sdxl-1.0-small",
    dtype=torch.float16,
)
vae = AutoencoderKL.from_pretrained("madebyollin/sdxl-vae-fp16-fix", dtype=torch.float16)
pipeline = StableDiffusionXLControlNetImg2ImgPipeline.from_pretrained(
    "stabilityai/stable-diffusion-xl-base-1.0",
    controlnet=controlnet,
    vae=vae,
    dtype=torch.float16,
).to(device)

prompt = """
A photorealistic overhead image of a cat reclining sideways in a flamingo pool floatie holding a margarita. 
The cat is floating leisurely in the pool and completely relaxed and happy.
"""
controlnet_conditioning_scale = 0.5
pipeline(
    prompt,
    image=image,
    control_image=depth_image,
    controlnet_conditioning_scale=controlnet_conditioning_scale,
    strength=0.99,
    num_inference_steps=100,
).images[0]
```

  
    
    original image
  
  
    
    depth map
  
   
    
    generated image
  

Generate a mask image that marks which pixels to replace, then pass it as `mask_image` with the control image.

```py
import cv2
import torch
import numpy as np
from PIL import Image
from diffusers.utils import load_image
from diffusers import StableDiffusionXLControlNetInpaintPipeline, ControlNetModel

init_image = load_image(
    "https://huggingface.co/datasets/huggingface/documentation-images/resolve/main/diffusers/non-enhanced-prompt.png"
)
init_image = init_image.resize((1024, 1024))
mask_image = load_image(
    "https://huggingface.co/datasets/huggingface/documentation-images/resolve/main/diffusers/cat_mask.png"
)
mask_image = mask_image.resize((1024, 1024))

def make_canny_condition(image):
    image = np.array(image)
    image = cv2.Canny(image, 100, 200)
    image = image[:, :, None]
    image = np.concatenate([image, image, image], axis=2)
    image = Image.fromarray(image)
    return image

control_image = make_canny_condition(init_image)
```

Pass the mask and control image to the pipeline. Use the `controlnet_conditioning_scale` parameter to determine how much weight to assign to the control.

```py
controlnet = ControlNetModel.from_pretrained(
    "diffusers/controlnet-canny-sdxl-1.0", dtype=torch.float16
)
pipeline = StableDiffusionXLControlNetInpaintPipeline.from_pretrained(
    "stabilityai/stable-diffusion-xl-base-1.0", controlnet=controlnet, dtype=torch.float16
).to("cuda")  # or "mps", "xpu", "cpu"
pipeline(
    "a cute and fluffy bunny rabbit",
    num_inference_steps=100,
    strength=0.99,
    controlnet_conditioning_scale=0.5,
    image=init_image,
    mask_image=mask_image,
    control_image=control_image,
).images[0]
```

  
    
    original image
  
  
    
    mask image
  
   
    
    generated image
  

## Multi-ControlNet

Compose several ControlNets (for example canny + depth) by passing them as a list. Mask overlapping regions when you can, and tune each `controlnet_conditioning_scale`. Build `canny_image` with OpenCV Canny (as in text-to-image) and `depth_image` with DPT (as in image-to-image). Resize every control image to the pipeline size before you call the pipeline.

```py
import cv2
import torch
import numpy as np
from PIL import Image
from transformers import DPTImageProcessor, DPTForDepthEstimation
from diffusers import StableDiffusionXLControlNetPipeline, ControlNetModel, AutoencoderKL
from diffusers.utils import load_image

original_image = load_image(
    "https://huggingface.co/datasets/huggingface/documentation-images/resolve/main/diffusers/non-enhanced-prompt.png"
)
image = np.array(original_image)
canny_image = Image.fromarray(
    np.concatenate([cv2.Canny(image, 100, 200)[:, :, None]] * 3, axis=2)
)

device = "cuda"  # or "mps", "xpu", "cpu"
depth_estimator = DPTForDepthEstimation.from_pretrained("Intel/dpt-hybrid-midas").to(device)
feature_extractor = DPTImageProcessor.from_pretrained("Intel/dpt-hybrid-midas")

def get_depth_map(image):
    image = feature_extractor(images=image, return_tensors="pt").pixel_values.to(device)
    with torch.no_grad(), torch.autocast(device):
        depth_map = depth_estimator(image).predicted_depth

    depth_map = torch.nn.functional.interpolate(
        depth_map.unsqueeze(1),
        size=(1024, 1024),
        mode="bicubic",
        align_corners=False,
    )
    depth_min = torch.amin(depth_map, dim=[1, 2, 3], keepdim=True)
    depth_max = torch.amax(depth_map, dim=[1, 2, 3], keepdim=True)
    depth_map = (depth_map - depth_min) / (depth_max - depth_min)
    image = torch.cat([depth_map] * 3, dim=1)
    image = image.permute(0, 2, 3, 1).cpu().numpy()[0]
    image = Image.fromarray((image * 255.0).clip(0, 255).astype(np.uint8))
    return image

depth_image = get_depth_map(original_image.resize((1024, 1024)))

controlnets = [
    ControlNetModel.from_pretrained(
        "diffusers/controlnet-canny-sdxl-1.0", dtype=torch.float16
    ),
    ControlNetModel.from_pretrained(
        "diffusers/controlnet-depth-sdxl-1.0-small", dtype=torch.float16
    ),
]

vae = AutoencoderKL.from_pretrained("madebyollin/sdxl-vae-fp16-fix", dtype=torch.float16)
pipeline = StableDiffusionXLControlNetPipeline.from_pretrained(
    "stabilityai/stable-diffusion-xl-base-1.0", controlnet=controlnets, vae=vae, dtype=torch.float16
).to(device)

prompt = """
a relaxed rabbit sitting on a striped towel next to a pool with a tropical drink nearby, 
bright sunny day, vacation scene, 35mm photograph, film, professional, 4k, highly detailed
"""
negative_prompt = "lowres, bad anatomy, worst quality, low quality, deformed, ugly"

images = [canny_image.resize((1024, 1024)), depth_image.resize((1024, 1024))]

pipeline(
    prompt,
    negative_prompt=negative_prompt,
    image=images,
    num_inference_steps=100,
    controlnet_conditioning_scale=[0.5, 0.5],
).images[0]
```

  
    
    canny image
  
  
    
    depth map
  
   
    
    generated image
  

## Guess mode

[Guess mode](https://github.com/lllyasviel/ControlNet/discussions/188) generates an image from a control alone when you don't have (or don't want) a text prompt. It scales ControlNet residuals by block depth, from about `0.1` in early down blocks up to `1.0` at the mid block. That keeps early layers from over-constraining while deeper blocks still carry the structure.

```py
import torch
from diffusers.utils import load_image
from diffusers import StableDiffusionXLControlNetPipeline, ControlNetModel

controlnet = ControlNetModel.from_pretrained(
  "diffusers/controlnet-canny-sdxl-1.0", dtype=torch.float16
)
pipeline = StableDiffusionXLControlNetPipeline.from_pretrained(
  "stabilityai/stable-diffusion-xl-base-1.0",
  controlnet=controlnet,
  dtype=torch.float16
).to("cuda")  # or "mps", "xpu", "cpu"

canny_image = load_image("https://huggingface.co/datasets/huggingface/documentation-images/resolve/main/diffusers/canny-cat.png")
pipeline(
  "",
  image=canny_image,
  guess_mode=True
).images[0]
```

  
    
    canny image
  
  
    
    generated image