I'm working on a small AI Discord Community you can join here: <a target="_blank" rel="ugc" href="https://discord.gg/ehhMrD4PQT">https://discord.gg/ehhMrD4PQT</a><hr />My Very First VAE Merge, which is found in one of my models on my old account. Feel free to test and/or use them. V3 is what I originally wanted the VAE to be, a VAE that adds subtle contrast/saturation/brightness.This will not fix an already overfitted/overbaked image as it's a VAE. Also the VAEs may effect images a bit too much for you personally, especially if you're doing hires/upscale/etc with IMG2IMG, but if you like the those images go for it. Works best for TXT2IMG. I personally like the VAEs for TXT2IMG mainly, and IM2IMG if the image is washed.Also VAE has a tendency to fix some minor background stuff sometimes, due to it properly doing that artifact/noise in that spot. Finetuned VAE basically has slightly different lighting contrast is pretty similar. Finetune V2.0 settings from the script vibe-coded by Claude Sonnet 4.5 that I used:<pre><code>- GPU: RTX 3060 12GB
- VAE Used: The Base Crystal VAE Merge on this page
- Dataset Total: 251 images (Overkill but Good for Variety)
- Resolution: 1024x1024
- Batch size: 2
- Epochs: 5 - Ended up choosing epoch 1 on testing, due to PC shutting off at epoch 3/5)
- Learning rate: 5e-6 (0.000005)
- Training mode: Decoder-only
- Optimizer: AdamW
- Loss: MSE reconstruction</code></pre>Note: Still doesn't do well in hires only for dark lighting images.All Finetune V2.5 settings:<pre><code>- GPU: RTX 3060 12GB
- VAE Used: The Base Crystal VAE Merge on this page
- Dataset Total: 55 images
- Resolution: 1024x1024
- Batch size: 1
- Epochs: 1
- Learning rate: 1e-5 (0.00001)
- Training mode: Decoder-only
- Optimizer: AdamW</code></pre>Note: Was gonna make a SD1.5 version but decided not to since they'd be extremely similar. Re-Categorized due to tool due to me wondering what the Google AI overview thought was a asset. This is what the AI Overview thought is a asset: <img src="https://image.civitai.com/xG1nkqKTMzGDvpLrqFT7WA/99a2abee-85b2-4e91-9db2-a8bac201f8bb/width=525/99a2abee-85b2-4e91-9db2-a8bac201f8bb.jpeg" />This is what the AI Overview thought is a tool:<img src="https://image.civitai.com/xG1nkqKTMzGDvpLrqFT7WA/1295fbd3-a19d-4bef-b3eb-15889c94d2a9/width=525/1295fbd3-a19d-4bef-b3eb-15889c94d2a9.jpeg" />

Crystal - VAE [SDXL/Illustrious]

Edited the saturation, brightness and contrast, slightly of V2.5.Settings used for the saturation, brightness and contrasted: -5% brightness, 10% contrast, 2% saturation. I recommend using this for final hires/upscale OR base image OR if you know how to use this VAE you can hires/upscale with it.Note: Also likes to add stuff if you hires with it. According to redactedpaws.

crystalVAESDXL_vaeV3.safetensors

VAE V3

VAE V2.5

VAE V2

VAE V1

NuRay is a coalesced melting pot of several of my prior model merge families, which has once more outpaced its various component models. Drawing primarily from SteinIllustrious NuRay, this one carries the torch forward for that particular experiment, featuring a wide variety of capabilities, which I have attempted to capture across my sample images and their included prompts. This merge family will primarily be made up of a wider collection of experimental models resulting the features in the ForgeUI extensions Merge Block Weighted and SuperMerger, which I have begun using to draw out the potential of my older models and combinations of them. These models may be similar to each other, or may fall outside my preferred 'incremental' improvement method if they don't really fit anywhere else. Suggested settings: DDPM sampler, 36-50 steps, CFG scale of 4.5-6, Align Your Steps GITS scheduler. If your UI does not have these, Euler A produces similar, but less creative, results, as will other schedulers. A basic VAE should be baked in, but you can use any SDXL/Illustrious VAE that you prefer.

NuRay

Initial upload. No early access nonsense, as always.

nuray_v10.safetensors

CrystalVAE30_00001_.safetensors

v1.0

A versatile and artistic Illustrious model merge family primarily based on ZU_KI's fantastic ZUKI anime ILL model. As always, this merge is tuned to my personal aesthetic preferences, and simply happens to give me the best (in my opinion) outputs from an Illustrious-based model architecture.

SteinIllustrious

Several months worth of changes, mostly from experimenting with Merge Block Weighted and SuperMerger settings between my various model families; I'd give a more specific changelog, if it wasn't a maze of several thousand settings every time. This is a blend between SteinIllustrious (latest version), Augenstein (prototype for V6, will be coming soon), and Furstein (adds more anthro/furry compatibility.) New details, new proportions, new scenery, and plenty of functionality.

Files with SHA256: d9640d3b815115b0ea2cd98dd88caa79e8e966abd0522f88d4ee202c750c57e7