Load Image - drive "image" parameter with custom node output

[alexbaehr]

I'm trying to create a custom node that drives the image parameter on Load Image nodes after converting it to an input.

I'm not able to find an appropriate output type and values that will connect correctly. As I understand it the value should simply be string value of a valid relative file path selected from a list of files here .../ComfyUI/input/...

The documentation here https://comfyui-wiki.com/en/comfyui-nodes/image/load-image suggests COMBO[STRING] as input type for the parameter but a node with a RETURN_TYPES = ("COMBO[STRING]") output will not connect to the input. I've tried every permutation of this I can think of, e.g. "COMBO[STRING]", "COMBO", "STRING", "IMAGE", "COMBO[IMAGE]" and none of them connect.

I resorted to using the "any type" overload:

class AnyType(str):
    def __eq__(self, _) -> bool:
        return True
    def __ne__(self, _) -> bool:
        return False

And using it in the return types as such: RETURN_TYPES = (AnyType("*"),)
This enables connecting the node but ultimately the LoadImage node fails with the following error anyway:

* LoadImage 11:
  - Exception when validating inner node: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'endswith'

Apparently the value coming from my custom node is never applied to the image parameter of the Load Image. Can I achieve this kind of connection or is it not possible currently?

[ltdrdata]

Actually that should be
[filename1, filename2, filename3, ...]

[alexbaehr]

To clarify, I'm not trying to reproduce the Load Image node. I have no trouble creating a node that lists all the images in the inputs folder, I'd like to pass the selection in my custom node on to the Load Image node. extract the LoadImage.image input into a new node, so to speak.

combo box selections pass as single string though so the input should just be one item. It's the built in ComfyUI Load Image node that fails and reads None when any value is passed to it.

* LoadImage 11:
  - Exception when validating inner node: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'en

[ltdrdata]

Comfy-Org/rfcs#1

Once this RFC is implemented, your issue will be resolved in the correct way.

[alexbaehr]

thanks for looking into it @ltdrdata