smalldiffusion

A lightweight diffusion library for training and sampling from diffusion and flow models. Features:

• Designed for ease of experimentation when training new models or developing new samplers
• Dataset support: 2D toy datasets, pixel and latent-space image datasets
• Example training code (with close to SOTA FID): FashionMNIST, CIFAR10, Imagenet
• Models: MLP, U-Net and DiT
• Supports multiple parameterizations: score-, flow- or data-prediction
• Small but extensible core: less than 100 lines of code for training and sampling

To install from pypi:

pip install smalldiffusion

For local development with uv:

uv sync --extra dev --extra test --extra examples
uv run pytest

Toy models

To train and sample from the Swissroll toy dataset in 10 lines of code (see examples/toyexample.ipynb for a detailed guide):

from torch.utils.data import DataLoader
from smalldiffusion import Swissroll, TimeInputMLP, ScheduleLogLinear, training_loop, samples

dataset  = Swissroll(np.pi/2, 5*np.pi, 100)
loader   = DataLoader(dataset, batch_size=2048)
model    = TimeInputMLP(hidden_dims=(16,128,128,128,128,16))
schedule = ScheduleLogLinear(N=200, sigma_min=0.005, sigma_max=10)
trainer  = training_loop(loader, model, schedule, epochs=15000)
losses   = [ns.loss.item() for ns in trainer]
*xt, x0  = samples(model, schedule.sample_sigmas(20), gam=2)

Results on various toy datasets:

Conditional training and sampling with classifier-free guidance

We can also train conditional diffusion models and sample from them using classifier-free guidance. In examples/cond_tree_model.ipynb, samples from each class in the 2D tree dataset are represented with a different color.

Diffusion transformer

We provide a concise implementation of the diffusion transformer introduced in [Peebles and Xie 2022].

DiT on ImageNet with flow matching

We provide an example script for training a DiT-B/2 model on ImageNet 256×256 using the flow matching formulation in the latent space of Stable Diffusion's VAE. The script trains on precomputed VAE latents and supports multi-GPU training via accelerate:

uv run accelerate config
uv run accelerate launch examples/imagenet_dit.py

After training for 400k steps (~10 hours on 8 GPUs), the model achieves an unconditional FID of around 27, compared to 33 for SiT and 43 for DiT.

FashionMNIST dataset

To train a diffusion transformer model on the FashionMNIST dataset and generate a batch of samples (after first running uv run accelerate config):

uv run accelerate launch examples/fashion_mnist_dit.py

With the provided default parameters and training on a single GPU for around 2 hours, the model can achieve a FID score of around 5-6, producing the following generated outputs:

U-Net models

The same code can be used to train U-Net-based models.

uv run accelerate launch examples/fashion_mnist_unet.py

We also provide example code to train a U-Net on the CIFAR-10 dataset, with an unconditional FID of around 3-4:

uv run accelerate launch examples/cifar_unet.py

StableDiffusion

smalldiffusion's sampler works with any pretrained diffusion model, and supports DDPM, DDIM as well as accelerated sampling algorithms. In examples/diffusers_wrapper.py, we provide a simple wrapper for any pretrained huggingface diffusers latent diffusion model, enabling sampling from pretrained models with only a few lines of code:

from diffusers_wrapper import ModelLatentDiffusion
from smalldiffusion import ScheduleLDM, samples

schedule = ScheduleLDM(1000)
model    = ModelLatentDiffusion('stabilityai/stable-diffusion-2-1-base')
model.set_text_condition('An astronaut riding a horse')
*xts, x0 = samples(model, schedule.sample_sigmas(50))
decoded  = model.decode_latents(x0)

It is easy to experiment with different sampler parameters and sampling schedules, as demonstrated in examples/stablediffusion.py. A few examples on tweaking the parameter gam:

How to use

The core of smalldiffusion depends on the interaction between data, model and schedule objects. Here we give a specification of these objects. For a detailed introduction to diffusion models and the notation used in the code, see the accompanying tutorial.

The library targets Python 3.10+ (see requires-python in pyproject.toml). After a local checkout, install everything needed for tests and examples with uv sync --all-extras (or make install-local), or install subsets with uv sync --extra dev --extra test --extra examples.

Data

For training diffusion models, smalldiffusion uses PyTorch Dataset and DataLoader batches. By default, training_loop expects each batch to be a tensor of data only. To drop labels (or otherwise map items), wrap the underlying dataset with MappedDataset(dataset, fn) so each __getitem__ returns what the loop should see.

For classifier-free guidance–style conditional training, pass conditional=True to training_loop. Each batch should then be a pair (x0, cond) (e.g. images and integer class ids); see generate_train_sample for how batches are split.

Three 2D toy datasets are provided: Swissroll, DatasaurusDozen, and TreeDataset.

Model

All model objects should subclass torch.nn.Module and integrate with the training and sampling hooks used in diffusion.py. They should define:

• input_dims: a tuple of spatial/channel dimensions for one sample (no batch dimension).
• rand_input(batchsize): i.i.d. standard normal noise with shape [batchsize, *input_dims]. You can inherit this from ModelMixin once input_dims is set.

The model forward is called as forward(x, sigma, cond=None) where:

• x has shape [B, *input_dims].
• sigma is either a scalar (shape == ()), broadcast to the whole batch, or per-sample with shape [B, 1, …, 1] matching x.
• cond is optional conditioning (e.g. class indices for CFG).

By default, ModelMixin trains the network to predict additive noise eps and implements get_loss accordingly. For other targets, compose the model class with PredX0, PredV, or PredFlow (score / v-prediction / flow-style objectives); those wrappers adjust the loss and implement predict_eps so the shared samples() loop still applies. Sampling calls predict_eps (and predict_eps_cfg when cfg_scale > 0).

Schedule

A Schedule holds a 1D tensor of sigma values (noise level or, for flow schedules, continuous time). Subclasses build that tensor; you can also instantiate Schedule(sigmas) directly. Methods:

• sample_sigmas(steps): decreasing sequence for sampling (length steps + 1, trailing spacing as in Table 2 of https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.08891).
• sample_batch(x0): random sigma for each row of batch x0, with shape broadcastable to x0 (uses batch size and device from x0).

Built-in schedules:

1. ScheduleLogLinear: simple log-spaced sigmas; strong default for toy and small models
2. ScheduleDDPM: standard pixel-space diffusion
3. ScheduleLDM: latent diffusion (Stable Diffusion–style)
4. ScheduleSigmoid: GeoDiff
5. ScheduleCosine: iDDPM
6. ScheduleFlow: flow matching with uniform time in [t_min, t_max]
7. ScheduleLogNormalFlow: extends ScheduleFlow with logit-normal times for faster training

The figure below compares several of these with default parameters (diffusion sigmas as a function of step index).

Training

training_loop is a generator that runs epochs passes over loader, using get_loss from the model’s class (so PredX0 / PredV / PredFlow work without changing the loop). It accepts optional accelerator (Hugging Face Accelerate) and conditional as above. Each step yields a namespace of locals (e.g. loss, optimizer, x0, sigma).

for ns in training_loop(loader, model, schedule):
    print(ns.loss.item())

Pass a prepared Accelerator instance to use distributed or mixed-precision training; the examples use accelerate launch for multi-GPU runs.

Sampling

samples is a generator that takes model, a decreasing list/tensor of sigmas (typically schedule.sample_sigmas(steps)), and sampler hyperparameters gam and mu. Optional arguments include batchsize, initial latent xt, conditioning cond, cfg_scale for classifier-free guidance, and accelerator. It yields successive xt states.

Common choices:

• DDPM [Ho et al.]: gam=1, mu=0.5.
• DDIM [Song et al.]: gam=1, mu=0.
• Accelerated sampling [Permenter and Yuan]: gam=2 (with mu=0).

For more detail on unifying these samplers, see Appendix A of [Permenter and Yuan].