feat: improve BRIA RMBG 2.0 transformers compatibility and error handling

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ description = "Photoshop-like layered canvas editor to your ComfyUI workflow. Th
 version = "1.5.13"
 license = { text = "MIT License" }
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
-dependencies = ["torch", "torchvision", "huggingface_hub", "aiohttp", "numpy", "tqdm", "Pillow", "transformers>=4.50.3", "kornia"]
+dependencies = ["torch", "torchvision", "huggingface_hub", "aiohttp", "numpy", "tqdm", "Pillow", "transformers", "kornia"]
 
 [project.urls]
 Repository = "https://github.com/Azornes/Comfyui-LayerForge"

python/matting/__init__.py

@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ from .backends.rmbg import (
     _find_existing_rmbg_model,
     _find_local_rmbg_model,
     _get_rmbg_model_loader,
+    _get_rmbg_model_status_message,
+    _get_rmbg_transformers_status,
     _get_rmbg_remote_model,
     _is_rmbg_model_directory,
 )
@@ -79,6 +81,8 @@ __all__ = [
     "_get_comfy_birefnet_loader",
     "_get_rmbg_model_directory",
     "_get_rmbg_model_loader",
+    "_get_rmbg_model_status_message",
+    "_get_rmbg_transformers_status",
     "_get_rmbg_remote_model",
     "_is_native_birefnet_checkpoint",
     "_is_rmbg_model_directory",

python/matting/api.py

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from .backends.rmbg import (
     _find_existing_rmbg_model,
     _find_local_rmbg_model,
     _get_rmbg_model_loader,
+    _get_rmbg_model_status_message,
     _get_rmbg_remote_model,
 )
 from .options import _get_birefnet_model_options
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ async def check_matting_model(request):
                 return _matting_status_response(
                     False,
                     "unsupported_rmbg",
-                    "BRIA RMBG 2.0 requires the 'transformers' package in the active ComfyUI environment.",
+                    _get_rmbg_model_status_message(),
                     model_path=requested_model,
                     models=model_options,
                 )

python/matting/backends/rmbg.py

@@ -12,15 +12,72 @@ from ..catalog import _RMBG_MODEL_CATALOG, _RMBG_REMOTE_PREFIX
 from ..paths import _get_rmbg_model_directory
 
 
+def _get_rmbg_transformers_status():
+    """Inspect the installed Transformers API without changing the environment."""
+    try:
+        import transformers
+    except ModuleNotFoundError as error:
+        if error.name == "transformers":
+            return {
+                "loader": None,
+                "message": (
+                    "BRIA RMBG 2.0 requires the 'transformers' package in the active ComfyUI environment. "
+                    "Install or update it manually if you want to use this model."
+                ),
+            }
+        return {
+            "loader": None,
+            "message": (
+                "The installed Transformers package could not be loaded for BRIA RMBG 2.0: "
+                f"{error}. Check the active ComfyUI environment and update Transformers manually if needed."
+            ),
+        }
+    except Exception as error:
+        return {
+            "loader": None,
+            "message": (
+                "The installed Transformers package could not be loaded for BRIA RMBG 2.0: "
+                f"{error}. Update Transformers manually if needed."
+            ),
+        }
+
+    version = getattr(transformers, "__version__", "unknown")
+    try:
+        loader = getattr(transformers, "AutoModelForImageSegmentation", None)
+        from_pretrained = getattr(loader, "from_pretrained", None)
+    except Exception as error:
+        return {
+            "loader": None,
+            "message": (
+                f"Installed Transformers version {version} is not supported for BRIA RMBG 2.0: {error}. "
+                "Update Transformers manually if you want to use this model."
+            ),
+        }
+
+    if not callable(loader) or not callable(from_pretrained):
+        return {
+            "loader": None,
+            "message": (
+                f"Installed Transformers version {version} is not supported for BRIA RMBG 2.0. "
+                "It does not provide the required AutoModelForImageSegmentation API. "
+                "Update Transformers manually if you want to use this model."
+            ),
+        }
+
+    return {"loader": loader, "message": None, "version": version}
+
+
 def _get_rmbg_model_loader():
     """Return the Transformers loader used by BRIA RMBG 2.0, when installed."""
-    try:
-        from transformers import AutoModelForImageSegmentation
+    status = _get_rmbg_transformers_status()
+    if status["loader"] is None:
+        log.debug(status["message"])
+    return status["loader"]
 
-        return AutoModelForImageSegmentation
-    except Exception as error:
-        log.debug(f"BRIA RMBG 2.0 Transformers loader is unavailable: {error}")
-        return None
+
+def _get_rmbg_model_status_message():
+    """Return an actionable message for a missing or incompatible Transformers install."""
+    return _get_rmbg_transformers_status()["message"]
 
 
 def _is_rmbg_model_directory(path):
@@ -142,23 +199,29 @@ class RMBG2Model:
 
     @classmethod
     def load(cls, model_directory):
-        loader = _get_rmbg_model_loader()
+        status = _get_rmbg_transformers_status()
+        loader = status["loader"]
         if loader is None:
-            raise RuntimeError(
-                "BRIA RMBG 2.0 requires the 'transformers' package. "
-                "Install the LayerForge requirements in the ComfyUI environment."
-            )
+            raise RuntimeError(status["message"])
 
         cache_key = os.path.normcase(os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(model_directory)))
         with cls._model_cache_lock:
             if cache_key not in cls._model_cache:
                 device = _get_rmbg_device()
                 log.info(f"Loading BRIA RMBG 2.0 from {model_directory} on {device}")
-                model = loader.from_pretrained(
-                    model_directory,
-                    trust_remote_code=True,
-                    local_files_only=True,
-                )
+                try:
+                    model = loader.from_pretrained(
+                        model_directory,
+                        trust_remote_code=True,
+                        local_files_only=True,
+                    )
+                except Exception as error:
+                    version = status.get("version", "unknown")
+                    raise RuntimeError(
+                        f"BRIA RMBG 2.0 could not be loaded with installed Transformers version {version}. "
+                        "This version may not support the model's remote code; update Transformers manually "
+                        f"if needed. Original error: {error}"
+                    ) from error
                 model.eval().to(device)
                 cls._model_cache[cache_key] = cls(model, device)
             else:
@@ -230,6 +293,8 @@ __all__ = [
     "_find_existing_rmbg_model",
     "_find_local_rmbg_model",
     "_get_rmbg_model_loader",
+    "_get_rmbg_model_status_message",
+    "_get_rmbg_transformers_status",
     "_get_rmbg_remote_model",
     "_is_rmbg_model_directory",
 ]

python/matting/service.py

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from .backends.rmbg import (
     _ensure_rmbg_model,
     _find_local_rmbg_model,
     _get_rmbg_model_loader,
+    _get_rmbg_model_status_message,
     _get_rmbg_remote_model,
 )
 
@@ -39,10 +40,7 @@ class BiRefNetMatting:
 
         if rmbg_model or local_rmbg_path:
             if _get_rmbg_model_loader() is None:
-                raise RuntimeError(
-                    "BRIA RMBG 2.0 requires the 'transformers' package. "
-                    "Install the LayerForge requirements in the active ComfyUI environment."
-                )
+                raise RuntimeError(_get_rmbg_model_status_message())
             model_directory = _ensure_rmbg_model(model_path)
             self.model = RMBG2Model.load(model_directory)
             self.model_path = model_directory

requirements.txt

@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ aiohttp
 numpy
 tqdm
 Pillow
-transformers>=4.50.3
+transformers
 kornia

src/CanvasView.ts

@@ -826,6 +826,10 @@ async function createCanvasWidget(node: ComfyNode, widget: any, app: ComfyApp):
                                     case 'unsupported_comfyui':
                                         showErrorNotification(modelStatus.message, 8000);
                                         return;
+
+                                    case 'unsupported_rmbg':
+                                        showErrorNotification(modelStatus.message, 8000);
+                                        return;
                                     
                                     case 'not_downloaded':
                                         showWarningNotification(modelStatus.message || "The selected background-removal model will be downloaded automatically.", 7000);

tests/test_entrypoint_integration.py

@@ -745,6 +745,21 @@ def test_rmbg_model_status_does_not_require_native_birefnet_loader(layerforge_ru
     assert status.payload["model_path"] == "remote:rmbg_2_0"
 
 
+def test_rmbg_reports_an_unsupported_transformers_api(layerforge_runtime, monkeypatch):
+    rmbg_module = layerforge_runtime.matting_rmbg
+    transformers = ModuleType("transformers")
+    transformers.__version__ = "0.0-test"
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "transformers", transformers)
+
+    status = rmbg_module._get_rmbg_transformers_status()
+
+    assert status["loader"] is None
+    assert "0.0-test" in status["message"]
+    assert "not supported" in status["message"]
+    assert "AutoModelForImageSegmentation" in status["message"]
+    assert rmbg_module._get_rmbg_model_loader() is None
+
+
 def test_legacy_automatic_checkpoint_is_not_migrated(layerforge_runtime, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     birefnet_module = layerforge_runtime.matting_birefnet
     model_dir = Path(tmp_path) / "models" / "background_removal"