Comfy-Org/ComfyUI-Manager

Fork 0

mirror of https://github.com/Comfy-Org/ComfyUI-Manager.git synced 2026-11-04 23:37:31 +00:00

[GH-ISSUE #3171] [Desktop] Provide a supported native directory-picker API for custom nodes/extensions #1115

New issue

Open

opened 2026-10-27 21:25:54 +00:00 by bsakaguchi · 0 comments

bsakaguchi commented

2026-10-27 21:25:54 +00:00

Owner

Originally created by @cogfilms-3D on GitHub (Aug 15, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/Comfy-Org/ComfyUI-Manager/issues/3171

Description

I am developing a ComfyUI custom node which needs to allow the user to select a filesystem directory for saving generated assets.

The node is called Production Slate V4 and is intended for production workflow management. It creates a project/scene directory structure and saves rendered images directly to the selected filesystem location.

I have been testing this under ComfyUI Desktop on Windows 11.

The problem is that browser-based directory selection and the current window.__comfyDesktop2 bridge do not appear to provide a suitable documented API for a custom node to obtain a normal filesystem path from a native folder picker.

I believe ComfyUI Desktop should provide a supported, narrowly scoped native directory-picker API for custom node JavaScript extensions.

I am not suggesting that arbitrary Electron filesystem APIs should be exposed to custom nodes. A restricted API which opens the native directory-selection dialog and returns the user-selected path would provide the required functionality while maintaining a sensible security boundary.

Environment

Operating system: Windows 11

ComfyUI: 0.33.1

ComfyUI Desktop: Desktop installation

Python: 3.12.9

PyTorch: 2.10.0+cu130

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB

Frontend: ComfyUI Desktop frontend

The ComfyUI startup configuration includes:

--feature-flag show_signin_button=true
--base-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI
--user-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\user
--database-url sqlite:///C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\user\comfyui.db
--port 8000
--enable-manager
--extra-model-paths-config C:\Users\colin\AppData\Roaming\Comfy Desktop\shared_model_paths.yaml
--input-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\input
--output-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\output

Expected behaviour

A custom-node JavaScript extension should have a supported way to do something equivalent to:

const selectedPath = await nativeDirectoryPicker();

where:

The user clicks a Browse button supplied by the custom node.
ComfyUI Desktop opens the normal native operating-system folder picker.
The user selects a directory.
The native picker returns the selected filesystem path.
The custom node can place that path into its node widget.

For example:

Browse
   ↓
Windows native folder picker
   ↓
F:\AI_Films
   ↓
output_root = F:\AI_Films

The Python backend can then use the path normally.

Actual behaviour

The current window.__comfyDesktop2 object is available to custom-node JavaScript, but it does not expose a directory-picker function.

I tested the object and obtained the following available functions/objects:

isRemote
openModelAccessPage
downloadModel
downloadAsset
pauseDownload
resumeDownload
cancelDownload
onDownloadProgress
reportTheme
openTerminal
Terminal
Logs
Telemetry

There is no:

showDirectoryPicker

or equivalent filesystem directory-selection function.

Our diagnostic therefore reports:

__comfyDesktop2 FOUND
showDirectoryPicker() is NOT available.
Investigation

Investigation

I initially attempted to use the browser API:

window.showDirectoryPicker()

However, this does not provide the same useful result for this application as a native Desktop API returning a normal filesystem path.

I then investigated whether ComfyUI Desktop exposes a native Electron bridge.

window.__comfyDesktop2 is present, confirming that the Desktop host bridge is available.

However, showDirectoryPicker() is not part of the exposed bridge.

Interestingly, the current Comfy Desktop source appears to contain a native directory-picker implementation internally.

The current Desktop source contains:

showDirectoryPicker: (): Promise<string> => {
    return ipcRenderer.invoke(IPC_CHANNELS.SHOW_DIRECTORY_PICKER);
},

and the Desktop constants contain:

SHOW_DIRECTORY_PICKER: 'show-directory-picker'

This suggests that the native capability exists within the Desktop application but is not currently exposed through the window.__comfyDesktop2 interface available to custom-node extensions.

Why this matters for custom nodes

There are many legitimate uses for a native directory picker in custom nodes, including:

output directory selection
project directory selection
batch processing directories
asset libraries
dataset locations
video/image production workflows
external model or resource locations
project management tools

For example, my Production Slate node currently needs to create:

F:\AI_Films
└── Working Title
    └── SC001
        ├── TKR_SC001_SH001A_260814_001.png
        ├── TKR_SC001_SH001A_260814_002.png
        └── ...

The user should be able to select F:\AI_Films using a normal native folder-selection dialog rather than having to manually type the path.

Security consideration

I understand that exposing Electron APIs directly to arbitrary custom-node JavaScript would have significant security implications.

I am not proposing that arbitrary filesystem APIs be exposed.

In fact, I think the restricted bridge approach is preferable.

A dedicated API such as:

window.__comfyDesktop2.showDirectoryPicker()

which:

opens a native folder-selection dialog,
requires explicit user interaction,
returns only the path selected by the user,
provides no arbitrary filesystem read/write capability,

would seem to provide a reasonable security boundary.

This would also avoid custom nodes attempting to access undocumented or private Electron functionality.

Reproduction

A minimal reproduction is:

Create a custom-node JavaScript extension

Add a button to a custom node.

Attempt to access the Desktop bridge

const desktop = window.__comfyDesktop2;


console.log(desktop);

This succeeds.

Attempt to access the directory picker
console.log(typeof desktop.showDirectoryPicker);
Result:

undefined
4. Diagnostic result

__comfyDesktop2 FOUND


showDirectoryPicker() is NOT available.

Additional testing

I also tested the possibility of using:

window.electronAPI

but the expected Electron API was not exposed in the current Desktop environment.

The current window.__comfyDesktop2 bridge was therefore investigated instead.

During this investigation I was able to establish that the Desktop application's internal native directory-picker functionality exists, but it is not exposed through the bridge available to the custom-node frontend.

Question / requested feature

Could ComfyUI Desktop expose a documented, supported native directory-picker API through the current Desktop bridge?

Something along the lines of:

const path = await window.__comfyDesktop2.showDirectoryPicker();
would solve this cleanly.

If there is already a supported API for this purpose, could it be documented for custom-node/extension developers?

If the capability is deliberately not exposed for security reasons, could you advise what the recommended mechanism is for a custom node that legitimately needs the user to select an external filesystem directory?

Relevant architectural context

I found the current ComfyUI frontend Desktop-parity discussion, which states that ComfyUI Desktop hosts the normal localhost frontend and exposes host functionality through server feature flags and window.__comfyDesktop2, and that native functionality should check the actual bridge/API capability.

This seems particularly relevant to this request because the native directory-picker capability appears to exist internally in Desktop, while the equivalent capability is not currently available to custom-node JavaScript.

Additional information

This is being encountered while developing a production-oriented custom node, rather than attempting to circumvent the ComfyUI filesystem security model.

The node already works correctly when supplied with a filesystem path manually. The only missing piece is a convenient and supported way for the user to select that path using the native Desktop UI.

I would be happy to provide the minimal custom-node test code used to reproduce this if required.

Originally created by @cogfilms-3D on GitHub (Aug 15, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/Comfy-Org/ComfyUI-Manager/issues/3171 ### Description I am developing a ComfyUI custom node which needs to allow the user to select a filesystem directory for saving generated assets. The node is called Production Slate V4 and is intended for production workflow management. It creates a project/scene directory structure and saves rendered images directly to the selected filesystem location. I have been testing this under ComfyUI Desktop on Windows 11. The problem is that browser-based directory selection and the current window.__comfyDesktop2 bridge do not appear to provide a suitable documented API for a custom node to obtain a normal filesystem path from a native folder picker. I believe ComfyUI Desktop should provide a supported, narrowly scoped native directory-picker API for custom node JavaScript extensions. I am not suggesting that arbitrary Electron filesystem APIs should be exposed to custom nodes. A restricted API which opens the native directory-selection dialog and returns the user-selected path would provide the required functionality while maintaining a sensible security boundary. ### Environment Operating system: Windows 11 ComfyUI: 0.33.1 ComfyUI Desktop: Desktop installation Python: 3.12.9 PyTorch: 2.10.0+cu130 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB Frontend: ComfyUI Desktop frontend The ComfyUI startup configuration includes: ``` --feature-flag show_signin_button=true --base-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI --user-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\user --database-url sqlite:///C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\user\comfyui.db --port 8000 --enable-manager --extra-model-paths-config C:\Users\colin\AppData\Roaming\Comfy Desktop\shared_model_paths.yaml --input-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\input --output-directory C:\Users\colin\Documents\ComfyUI\output ``` ### Expected behaviour A custom-node JavaScript extension should have a supported way to do something equivalent to: `const selectedPath = await nativeDirectoryPicker();` where: 1. The user clicks a Browse button supplied by the custom node. 2. ComfyUI Desktop opens the normal native operating-system folder picker. 3. The user selects a directory. 4. The native picker returns the selected filesystem path. 5. The custom node can place that path into its node widget. For example: ``` Browse ↓ Windows native folder picker ↓ F:\AI_Films ↓ output_root = F:\AI_Films ``` The Python backend can then use the path normally. ### Actual behaviour The current window.__comfyDesktop2 object is available to custom-node JavaScript, but it does not expose a directory-picker function. I tested the object and obtained the following available functions/objects: ``` isRemote openModelAccessPage downloadModel downloadAsset pauseDownload resumeDownload cancelDownload onDownloadProgress reportTheme openTerminal Terminal Logs Telemetry ``` There is no: `showDirectoryPicker` or equivalent filesystem directory-selection function. Our diagnostic therefore reports: ``` __comfyDesktop2 FOUND showDirectoryPicker() is NOT available. Investigation ``` ### Investigation I initially attempted to use the browser API: `window.showDirectoryPicker()` However, this does not provide the same useful result for this application as a native Desktop API returning a normal filesystem path. I then investigated whether ComfyUI Desktop exposes a native Electron bridge. window.__comfyDesktop2 is present, confirming that the Desktop host bridge is available. However, showDirectoryPicker() is not part of the exposed bridge. Interestingly, the current Comfy Desktop source appears to contain a native directory-picker implementation internally. The current Desktop source contains: ``` showDirectoryPicker: (): Promise<string> => { return ipcRenderer.invoke(IPC_CHANNELS.SHOW_DIRECTORY_PICKER); }, ``` and the Desktop constants contain: `SHOW_DIRECTORY_PICKER: 'show-directory-picker'` This suggests that the native capability exists within the Desktop application but is not currently exposed through the window.__comfyDesktop2 interface available to custom-node extensions. ### Why this matters for custom nodes There are many legitimate uses for a native directory picker in custom nodes, including: - output directory selection - project directory selection - batch processing directories - asset libraries - dataset locations - video/image production workflows - external model or resource locations - project management tools For example, my Production Slate node currently needs to create: ``` F:\AI_Films └── Working Title └── SC001 ├── TKR_SC001_SH001A_260814_001.png ├── TKR_SC001_SH001A_260814_002.png └── ... ``` The user should be able to select F:\AI_Films using a normal native folder-selection dialog rather than having to manually type the path. ### Security consideration I understand that exposing Electron APIs directly to arbitrary custom-node JavaScript would have significant security implications. I am not proposing that arbitrary filesystem APIs be exposed. In fact, I think the restricted bridge approach is preferable. A dedicated API such as: `window.__comfyDesktop2.showDirectoryPicker()` which: - opens a native folder-selection dialog, - requires explicit user interaction, - returns only the path selected by the user, - provides no arbitrary filesystem read/write capability, would seem to provide a reasonable security boundary. This would also avoid custom nodes attempting to access undocumented or private Electron functionality. ### Reproduction A minimal reproduction is: 1. Create a custom-node JavaScript extension Add a button to a custom node. 2. Attempt to access the Desktop bridge ``` const desktop = window.__comfyDesktop2; console.log(desktop); ``` This succeeds. 3. Attempt to access the directory picker `console.log(typeof desktop.showDirectoryPicker); ` Result: `undefined` 4. Diagnostic result ``` __comfyDesktop2 FOUND showDirectoryPicker() is NOT available. ``` ### Additional testing I also tested the possibility of using: `window.electronAPI` but the expected Electron API was not exposed in the current Desktop environment. The current window.__comfyDesktop2 bridge was therefore investigated instead. During this investigation I was able to establish that the Desktop application's internal native directory-picker functionality exists, but it is not exposed through the bridge available to the custom-node frontend. ### Question / requested feature Could ComfyUI Desktop expose a documented, supported native directory-picker API through the current Desktop bridge? Something along the lines of: `const path = await window.__comfyDesktop2.showDirectoryPicker(); ` would solve this cleanly. If there is already a supported API for this purpose, could it be documented for custom-node/extension developers? If the capability is deliberately not exposed for security reasons, could you advise what the recommended mechanism is for a custom node that legitimately needs the user to select an external filesystem directory? ### Relevant architectural context I found the current ComfyUI frontend Desktop-parity discussion, which states that ComfyUI Desktop hosts the normal localhost frontend and exposes host functionality through server feature flags and window.__comfyDesktop2, and that native functionality should check the actual bridge/API capability. This seems particularly relevant to this request because the native directory-picker capability appears to exist internally in Desktop, while the equivalent capability is not currently available to custom-node JavaScript. Additional information This is being encountered while developing a production-oriented custom node, rather than attempting to circumvent the ComfyUI filesystem security model. The node already works correctly when supplied with a filesystem path manually. The only missing piece is a convenient and supported way for the user to select that path using the native Desktop UI. I would be happy to provide the minimal custom-node test code used to reproduce this if required.

bsakaguchi referenced this issue

2026-10-28 21:03:37 +00:00

[PR #1115] [MERGED] Fix link in FunAudioLLM #1719