v2.3.3 - Fix Node Import Paths (Issue #3)

Release Notes v2.3.3 - Fix Node Import Paths (Issue #3)

Overview

This release fixes Issue #3, which caused only one node (Model Patch Memory Cleaner) to be visible in ComfyUI after updating, despite the repository containing four nodes.

Problem Description

Symptom

After updating the ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager custom node, users reported that only one node (Model Patch Memory Cleaner) was visible in ComfyUI's node palette, even though the repository contains four nodes:

1. Memory Manager
2. Safe Memory Manager
3. Purge VRAM V2 (DisTorchPurgeVRAMV2)
4. Patch Sage Attention DM

Root Causes

The issue had two root causes:

1. Incorrect Import Paths

After refactoring the project structure to move node files into a nodes/ subdirectory, the import statements in __init__.py were not updated to reflect the new directory structure.

Before refactoring:

ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager/
├── __init__.py
├── memory_manager.py
├── purge_vram.py
└── sa.py

After refactoring:

ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager/
├── __init__.py
└── nodes/
    ├── memory_manager.py
    ├── purge_vram.py
    └── sa.py

The code was still trying to import from the root directory:

# ❌ INCORRECT (Before Fix)
from .memory_manager import MemoryManager, SafeMemoryManager, any
from .purge_vram import DisTorchPurgeVRAMV2
from .sa import PatchSageAttentionDM

2. Missing __init__.py in nodes/ Directory

Even after fixing the import paths, the nodes/ directory was missing an __init__.py file, which is required for Python to recognize it as a package. Without this file, relative imports (like from .nodes.memory_manager import ...) fail silently.

Solution

Fix 1: Corrected Import Paths

Updated all import statements to point to the nodes/ subdirectory:

# ✅ CORRECT (After Fix)
from .nodes.memory_manager import MemoryManager, SafeMemoryManager, any
from .nodes.purge_vram import DisTorchPurgeVRAMV2
from .nodes.sa import PatchSageAttentionDM

Fix 2: Added nodes/__init__.py

Created nodes/__init__.py to make the nodes/ directory a proper Python package:

# nodes/__init__.py
# Nodes package for ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager
# This file makes the nodes directory a Python package

Fix 3: Added Debug Logging

Added comprehensive debug logging to help diagnose import issues:

• Import Success Logging: Logs when imports succeed
• Import Failure Logging: Logs detailed error messages when imports fail
• Node Registration Logging: Logs which nodes are successfully registered
• Registration Summary: Logs the complete list of registered nodes

Example debug output:

[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Successfully imported MemoryManager and SafeMemoryManager from .nodes.memory_manager
[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Successfully imported DisTorchPurgeVRAMV2 from .nodes.purge_vram
[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Successfully imported PatchSageAttentionDM from .nodes.sa
[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Registered MemoryManager node
[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Registered SafeMemoryManager node
[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Registered DisTorchPurgeVRAMV2 node
[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Registered PatchSageAttentionDM node
[ComfyUI-DistorchMemoryManager] Total registered nodes: ['ModelPatchMemoryCleaner', 'MemoryManager', 'SafeMemoryManager', 'DisTorchPurgeVRAMV2', 'PatchSageAttentionDM']

Technical Details

Why __init__.py is Required

In Python, a directory must contain an __init__.py file to be recognized as a package. Without it:

• Relative imports (.nodes.memory_manager) fail
• The directory is treated as a namespace package (Python 3.3+) or not recognized at all (Python < 3.3)
• Import errors occur silently in some cases

Import Mechanism

The code uses a two-level try-except pattern for robustness:

try:
    from .nodes.memory_manager import ...  # Relative import (preferred)
except ImportError:
    try:
        from nodes.memory_manager import ...  # Absolute import (fallback)
    except ImportError:
        # Set to None if both fail

Why two levels?

1. First attempt (relative): Works when the package is properly installed and imported as a module
2. Second attempt (absolute): Works in edge cases where the relative import fails but the absolute path is in sys.path
3. Fallback: Prevents NameError if both imports fail, allowing the code to continue executing

Changes Made

Files Modified

1. __init__.py

   • Updated import paths from .memory_manager to .nodes.memory_manager
   • Updated import paths from .purge_vram to .nodes.purge_vram
   • Updated import paths from .sa to .nodes.sa
   • Added comprehensive debug logging for imports and node registration

2. nodes/__init__.py (NEW FILE)

   • Created to make nodes/ directory a proper Python package
   • Required for relative imports to work correctly

Verification

How to Verify the Fix

1. Check ComfyUI Console Output

   • Start ComfyUI and check the console for debug messages
   • Should see "Successfully imported" messages for all four nodes
   • Should see "Registered" messages for all four nodes
   • Should see the complete list of registered nodes

2. Check ComfyUI Node Palette

   • Open ComfyUI
   • Search for "Memory" category
   • Should see all 4 nodes listed:
     • Memory Manager
     • Safe Memory Manager
     • LayerUtility: Purge VRAM V2
     • Patch Sage Attention DM
   • Model Patch Memory Cleaner should also be visible

3. Test Node Functionality

   • Add each node to a workflow
   • Verify that all nodes function correctly
   • Check that no import errors appear in the console

Expected Behavior After Fix

• ✅ All 4 nodes appear in ComfyUI's node palette under the "Memory" category
• ✅ No import errors in ComfyUI console
• ✅ All nodes function correctly when used in workflows
• ✅ Debug logging provides clear information about import and registration status

Impact

Before Fix

• ❌ Only 1 node visible (Model Patch Memory Cleaner)
• ❌ 3 nodes missing (Memory Manager, Safe Memory Manager, Purge VRAM V2, Patch Sage Attention DM)
• ❌ Users unable to use missing nodes
• ❌ Silent failure (no error messages)
• ❌ Difficult to diagnose the problem

After Fix

• ✅ All 4 nodes visible
• ✅ All nodes functional
• ✅ Users can access all features
• ✅ Proper error handling maintained
• ✅ Debug logging helps diagnose future issues

Related Information

• Issue: GitHub Issue #3
• Fixed Files:
  • __init__.py (import paths and debug logging)
  • nodes/__init__.py (new file)
• Documentation: See ISSUE_3_FIX_DOCUMENTATION.md for complete technical details

Summary

This release fixes a critical bug that prevented three of four custom nodes from being visible in ComfyUI. The fix involved:

1. Correcting import paths to reflect the new nodes/ directory structure
2. Adding nodes/__init__.py to make the directory a proper Python package
3. Adding debug logging to help diagnose future import issues

Key Takeaway: When refactoring project structure, always:

• Update import paths immediately
• Ensure all subdirectories have __init__.py files if they contain Python modules
• Add debug logging to help diagnose issues
• Test thoroughly after structural changes