Frequently asked questions

Using Blokjutsu

Is it really free? Yes. Blokjutsu, MOSS-Image’s code, and its model weights are all open source under the Apache License 2.0. See Credits and licenses.

Can I use the pictures commercially? MOSS-Image’s weights are released under the Apache License 2.0, which does not restrict what you make with them. You are responsible for what your pictures show, as with any tool. This is not legal advice.

Does it work on Intel Macs, Windows, or Linux? No: it needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later). Windows and Linux versions are planned.

How long does a picture take? From ten seconds to forty-five minutes, depending on the image size, the number of steps, and the speed of your Mac. See the measured times in Speed and memory.

Why does it need so much memory? The model is large: about 15 billion numbers in all, and it uses about 30 GB of memory while it works. That is why Blokjutsu needs a Mac with at least 32 GB, and 48 GB or more is comfortable. See What you need and Speed and memory.

Why are two pictures with the same prompt different? Each picture starts from a different random seed. Use the same Seed to repeat a picture, or Variations to stay close to one.

Can it make video? Not yet.

Why the name? Blok is Danish for block and jutsu (術) Japanese for art: the art of the block, after the way MOSS-Image builds an image from blocks of pixels. See Etymology and Design inspiration.

When something goes wrong

Where do I look first? Help → Show Log opens Blokjutsu’s log, which shows errors in full. Please include the end of it in a bug report.

It says “The model is not downloaded yet.” Use File → Download Model…. If you downloaded it before, it fetches only what’s missing.

A download failed or stopped. Click Try again or Resume; it continues where it stopped. Show details in the download window says what went wrong.

Pictures take very long, or my Mac becomes sluggish. Memory is short. Turn on Low memory, close other large apps, and use smaller sizes. See Speed and memory.

Describing or enhancing seems to run forever. With Think first on it can take several minutes; the token count shows it’s working. Turn Think first off for quicker answers.

Blokjutsu won’t open. Download it again and replace the copy in Applications. If it still won’t open, the reason is at the end of console.log in the logs folder of ~/Library/Application Support/Blokjutsu.noindex; include it when you report the problem.

Why does opening it again just bring the window forward? Only one Blokjutsu runs at a time, on purpose.

How do I reset the settings? Blokjutsu keeps them in one file, settings.json: the controls as you last left them (prompt included), the Output folder, the appearance, and Blokjutsu → Settings…. To put them all back to their defaults:

  1. Quit Blokjutsu.
  2. In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder…, type ~/Library/Application Support/Blokjutsu.noindex, and press Return.
  3. Move settings.json to the Trash.

Your pictures and the downloaded models are kept. To delete your pictures, use Delete all history; to remove everything, see Uninstalling.

How do I report a problem? Open an issue at github.com/formdo/blokjutsu/issues with what you did, what happened, your Mac model and memory, and the end of the log.