ControlNet Preprocess SoftEdge

May 1, 2025

ControlNet Preprocess SoftEdge extracts smoother, more organic edge structure from an input image for ControlNet conditioning. It is useful when the goal is to preserve contours and layout without the harsh binary boundaries of Canny, especially for painterly, naturalistic, or softer illustration workflows.

soft-edge-detection

Vintage Synthesizer Catalog Cleanup Guide$0.0006~3s

Try in Playground

import { createClient } from '@runware/sdk'

const client = await createClient({ apiKey: process.env.RUNWARE_API_KEY })
await client.connect()

const [result] = await client.run({
  model: 'runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge',
  inputs: {
    image: 'https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/ace1715c-d664-4c90-a40d-5f85043ae1d9.jpg'
  }
})

import asyncio
import os

from runware import Runware


async def main():
    async with Runware(api_key=os.environ["RUNWARE_API_KEY"]) as client:
        results = await client.run({
            "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
            "inputs": {
                "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/ace1715c-d664-4c90-a40d-5f85043ae1d9.jpg"
            }
        })


asyncio.run(main())

curl https://api.runware.ai/v1 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RUNWARE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[
    {
      "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
      "taskUUID": "ec1b33f6-a82c-4baa-aab8-bc6fe413477b",
      "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
      "inputs": {
        "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/ace1715c-d664-4c90-a40d-5f85043ae1d9.jpg"
      }
    }
  ]'

runware run runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge \
  inputs.image=https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/ace1715c-d664-4c90-a40d-5f85043ae1d9.jpg

{
  "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
  "taskUUID": "ec1b33f6-a82c-4baa-aab8-bc6fe413477b",
  "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
  "inputs": {
    "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/ace1715c-d664-4c90-a40d-5f85043ae1d9.jpg"
  }
}

Response

{
  "taskType": "imageControlNetPreProcess",
  "taskUUID": "ec1b33f6-a82c-4baa-aab8-bc6fe413477b",
  "guideImageURL": "https://im.runware.ai/image/os/a02d21/ws/3/ii/ea785fb2-5f96-4568-ad64-9ce4ccbe282e.jpg",
  "cost": 0.0006,
  "guideImageUUID": "ea785fb2-5f96-4568-ad64-9ce4ccbe282e",
  "inputImageUUID": "5c29412d-16a6-4271-a066-a58c3e701eb3"
}

soft-edge-detection

Harbor Pilot Headshot Edge Guide$0.0006~4s

Try in Playground

import { createClient } from '@runware/sdk'

const client = await createClient({ apiKey: process.env.RUNWARE_API_KEY })
await client.connect()

const [result] = await client.run({
  model: 'runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge',
  inputs: {
    image: 'https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/8cb8d284-70d1-46a5-a682-d3a77e5dab97.jpg'
  }
})

import asyncio
import os

from runware import Runware


async def main():
    async with Runware(api_key=os.environ["RUNWARE_API_KEY"]) as client:
        results = await client.run({
            "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
            "inputs": {
                "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/8cb8d284-70d1-46a5-a682-d3a77e5dab97.jpg"
            }
        })


asyncio.run(main())

curl https://api.runware.ai/v1 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RUNWARE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[
    {
      "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
      "taskUUID": "4fb56e07-2c40-45a6-915e-eab905685abe",
      "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
      "inputs": {
        "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/8cb8d284-70d1-46a5-a682-d3a77e5dab97.jpg"
      }
    }
  ]'

runware run runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge \
  inputs.image=https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/8cb8d284-70d1-46a5-a682-d3a77e5dab97.jpg

{
  "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
  "taskUUID": "4fb56e07-2c40-45a6-915e-eab905685abe",
  "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
  "inputs": {
    "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/8cb8d284-70d1-46a5-a682-d3a77e5dab97.jpg"
  }
}

Response

{
  "taskType": "imageControlNetPreProcess",
  "taskUUID": "4fb56e07-2c40-45a6-915e-eab905685abe",
  "guideImageURL": "https://im.runware.ai/image/os/a03d21/ws/3/ii/1dfe2475-5b56-43de-a76e-28937b0207ca.jpg",
  "cost": 0.0006,
  "guideImageUUID": "1dfe2475-5b56-43de-a76e-28937b0207ca",
  "inputImageUUID": "f6f5aece-4768-4fcc-93b3-745acb4663c3"
}

soft-edge-detection

Espresso Machine Colorway Edge Guide$0.0006~4s

Try in Playground

import { createClient } from '@runware/sdk'

const client = await createClient({ apiKey: process.env.RUNWARE_API_KEY })
await client.connect()

const [result] = await client.run({
  model: 'runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge',
  inputs: {
    image: 'https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/a3cf5f9b-2d12-4da2-bb3e-7485a1d8b7f6.jpg'
  }
})

import asyncio
import os

from runware import Runware


async def main():
    async with Runware(api_key=os.environ["RUNWARE_API_KEY"]) as client:
        results = await client.run({
            "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
            "inputs": {
                "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/a3cf5f9b-2d12-4da2-bb3e-7485a1d8b7f6.jpg"
            }
        })


asyncio.run(main())

curl https://api.runware.ai/v1 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RUNWARE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[
    {
      "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
      "taskUUID": "9e73b552-47f4-4414-81d1-ab09b95d2ed1",
      "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
      "inputs": {
        "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/a3cf5f9b-2d12-4da2-bb3e-7485a1d8b7f6.jpg"
      }
    }
  ]'

runware run runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge \
  inputs.image=https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/a3cf5f9b-2d12-4da2-bb3e-7485a1d8b7f6.jpg

{
  "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
  "taskUUID": "9e73b552-47f4-4414-81d1-ab09b95d2ed1",
  "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
  "inputs": {
    "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/a3cf5f9b-2d12-4da2-bb3e-7485a1d8b7f6.jpg"
  }
}

Response

{
  "taskType": "imageControlNetPreProcess",
  "taskUUID": "9e73b552-47f4-4414-81d1-ab09b95d2ed1",
  "guideImageURL": "https://im.runware.ai/image/os/a05d22/ws/3/ii/f7ff03b5-5c91-45ff-925a-068ea31714b7.jpg",
  "cost": 0.0006,
  "guideImageUUID": "f7ff03b5-5c91-45ff-925a-068ea31714b7",
  "inputImageUUID": "e1439521-25ae-4bdd-b077-884d8a8f099c"
}

soft-edge-detection

Alpine Tram Heritage Lithograph$0.0006~4s

Try in Playground

import { createClient } from '@runware/sdk'

const client = await createClient({ apiKey: process.env.RUNWARE_API_KEY })
await client.connect()

const [result] = await client.run({
  model: 'runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge',
  inputs: {
    image: 'https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/dac8c60e-bd4f-4c72-ae7a-84babd93fec9.jpg'
  }
})

import asyncio
import os

from runware import Runware


async def main():
    async with Runware(api_key=os.environ["RUNWARE_API_KEY"]) as client:
        results = await client.run({
            "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
            "inputs": {
                "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/dac8c60e-bd4f-4c72-ae7a-84babd93fec9.jpg"
            }
        })


asyncio.run(main())

curl https://api.runware.ai/v1 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RUNWARE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[
    {
      "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
      "taskUUID": "b21163c1-1628-431a-8a43-9a36797190bb",
      "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
      "inputs": {
        "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/dac8c60e-bd4f-4c72-ae7a-84babd93fec9.jpg"
      }
    }
  ]'

runware run runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge \
  inputs.image=https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/dac8c60e-bd4f-4c72-ae7a-84babd93fec9.jpg

{
  "taskType": "controlNetPreprocess",
  "taskUUID": "b21163c1-1628-431a-8a43-9a36797190bb",
  "model": "runware:controlnet-preprocess@softedge",
  "inputs": {
    "image": "https://assets.runware.ai/assets/inputs/dac8c60e-bd4f-4c72-ae7a-84babd93fec9.jpg"
  }
}

Response

{
  "taskType": "imageControlNetPreProcess",
  "taskUUID": "b21163c1-1628-431a-8a43-9a36797190bb",
  "guideImageURL": "https://im.runware.ai/image/os/a01d21/ws/3/ii/dc15cc8d-f3c7-49d7-80f8-9761ccbfe949.jpg",
  "cost": 0.0006,
  "guideImageUUID": "dc15cc8d-f3c7-49d7-80f8-9761ccbfe949",
  "inputImageUUID": "0893e3c0-6da5-4b9f-9c8c-160c348b281c"
}