The Midjourney research collective, led by founder David Holz, recently launched the alpha release of Midjourney Version 6 (V6), presenting a significant upgrade to its renowned image generation AI model. The latest iteration boasts various improvements, including highly detailed and realistic images, a notable feature lacking in the previous versions.
Holz, in a message posted on the Midjourney Discord server with over 17 million members, highlighted the remarkable advancements: "This model can generate much more realistic imagery than anything we’ve released before." V6 is the third model developed from scratch on their AI superclusters, requiring nine months of dedicated effort.
Unlike previous updates, MJ V6 won't automatically take effect for users. To activate it, users need to input the slash command "/settings" in the Midjourney Discord server or a direct message to the Midjourney bot. The dropdown menu at the top must then be used to select V6. Alternatively, users can manually type "--v 6" after their prompts.
Holz outlined specific features of the new version, including:
Improved prompt following and longer prompts
Enhanced coherence and model knowledge
Improved image prompting and remix capabilities
Minor text drawing ability with specific styling options
Improved upscalers with 'subtle' and 'creative' modes
A new prompting method has also been introduced, signaling a shift from previous techniques that users employed for effective image generation.
Holz emphasized the need for users to adapt to the new prompting method of V6. He clarified that previously effective prompting tricks might no longer yield the desired results. Users are urged to be explicit about their requests and embrace a different approach when interacting with the AI model.
Avoiding irrelevant terms like "award-winning," "photorealistic," and resolution specifications
Being explicit about desired outcomes
Considering lower values of --stylize for better prompt understanding
Initial Results and User Reactions
Some power users have expressed excitement over the improvements in MJ V6. Holz acknowledged that the new version is more sensitive to prompts, encouraging users to communicate and share insights in the dedicated prompt-chat space.
While the author of this article found the initial results underwhelming, noting increased detail and more photorealistic generations, other users, such as horror director and digital artist Chris Perna, have shared vivid and detailed results on social media platforms. The early examples of text generation have also shown promising outcomes.
In conclusion, Midjourney Version 6 introduces noteworthy enhancements, requiring users to adapt to a different prompting approach. The update has received a mixed reception among users, with some praising its advancements and others finding the initial results moderately impressive.
