fix(example-images): move multi→single-library consolidation to startup, eliminate per-request os.listdir()

Move reverse-migration logic from get_model_folder() (hot path, called on
every metadata/example-images request) to ExampleImagesMigration, where it
runs once at startup.  On network storage this was causing 22-38s delays
per LoRA card click.

Additionally optimize prune_stale_example_images() to read the directory
listing once instead of per image entry (O(N*M) → O(M)).  Also reorder
consolidation checks so regex filters run before filesystem stat calls.

py/utils/example_images_metadata.py

@@ -475,13 +475,19 @@ class MetadataUpdater:
             return False
 
         model_folder = get_model_folder(model_hash)
-        if not model_folder:
+        if not model_folder or not os.path.isdir(model_folder):
             return False
 
         civitai = getattr(metadata, "civitai", None)
         if not isinstance(civitai, dict):
             return False
 
+        # Read the directory listing once so every image entry reuses it.
+        try:
+            dir_entries = os.listdir(model_folder)
+        except OSError:
+            dir_entries = []
+
         has_changes = False
 
         custom_images = civitai.get("customImages")
@@ -493,24 +499,15 @@ class MetadataUpdater:
                 if not img_id:
                     continue
 
-                if not os.path.isdir(model_folder):
+                prefix = f"custom_{img_id}"
+                found = any(
+                    f.startswith(prefix) and os.path.isfile(
+                        os.path.join(model_folder, f)
+                    )
+                    for f in dir_entries
+                )
+                if not found:
                     stale.append(idx)
-                else:
-                    found = False
-                    try:
-                        prefix = f"custom_{img_id}"
-                        for fname in os.listdir(model_folder):
-                            if fname.startswith(prefix) and os.path.isfile(
-                                os.path.join(model_folder, fname)
-                            ):
-                                found = True
-                                break
-                    except OSError:
-                        stale.append(idx)
-                        continue
-
-                    if not found:
-                        stale.append(idx)
 
             if stale:
                 for idx in reversed(stale):
@@ -532,22 +529,9 @@ class MetadataUpdater:
                     # is gone.
                     continue
 
-                if not os.path.isdir(model_folder):
+                prefix = f"image_{idx}."
+                if not any(f.startswith(prefix) for f in dir_entries):
                     stale.append(idx)
-                else:
-                    found = False
-                    try:
-                        prefix = f"image_{idx}."
-                        for fname in os.listdir(model_folder):
-                            if fname.startswith(prefix):
-                                found = True
-                                break
-                    except OSError:
-                        stale.append(idx)
-                        continue
-
-                    if not found:
-                        stale.append(idx)
 
             if stale:
                 for idx in reversed(stale):

py/utils/example_images_migration.py

@@ -3,9 +3,16 @@ import logging
 import os
 import re
 import json
+import shutil
 from ..services.settings_manager import get_settings_manager
 from ..services.service_registry import ServiceRegistry
-from ..utils.example_images_paths import iter_library_roots
+from ..utils.example_images_paths import (
+    get_example_images_root,
+    is_hash_folder,
+    iter_library_roots,
+    uses_library_scoped_folders,
+    _library_folder_has_only_hash_dirs,
+)
 from ..utils.metadata_manager import MetadataManager
 from ..utils.example_images_processor import ExampleImagesProcessor
 from ..utils.constants import SUPPORTED_MEDIA_EXTENSIONS
@@ -36,6 +43,90 @@ settings = _SettingsProxy()
 class ExampleImagesMigration:
     """Handles migrations for example images naming conventions"""
     
+    @staticmethod
+    def _consolidate_library_folders():
+        """Move hash folders from library-named subdirectories back to root.
+
+        When a user switches from multi-library mode back to single-library
+        mode, example images previously stored under e.g.
+        ``<root>/default/<hash>/`` need to be moved back to
+        ``<root>/<hash>/``.  Running this once at startup removes the need
+        for ``get_model_folder()`` to perform directory scans on every
+        request.
+        """
+        if uses_library_scoped_folders():
+            return
+
+        root = get_example_images_root()
+        if not root or not os.path.isdir(root):
+            return
+
+        moved: list[str] = []
+        cleaned: list[str] = []
+
+        try:
+            for entry in os.listdir(root):
+                # Fast regex checks first — no filesystem I/O.
+                if is_hash_folder(entry) or entry == "_deleted":
+                    continue
+
+                entry_path = os.path.join(root, entry)
+                if not os.path.isdir(entry_path):
+                    continue
+                if not _library_folder_has_only_hash_dirs(entry_path):
+                    continue
+
+                try:
+                    for hash_entry in os.listdir(entry_path):
+                        hash_path = os.path.join(entry_path, hash_entry)
+                        if not os.path.isdir(hash_path) or not is_hash_folder(hash_entry):
+                            continue
+                        target = os.path.join(root, hash_entry)
+                        if not os.path.exists(target):
+                            try:
+                                shutil.move(hash_path, target)
+                                moved.append(hash_entry)
+                            except (OSError, shutil.Error) as exc:
+                                logger.error(
+                                    "Failed to move '%s' → '%s': %s",
+                                    hash_path, target, exc,
+                                )
+                except OSError as exc:
+                    logger.error(
+                        "Failed to list library subdirectory '%s': %s",
+                        entry_path, exc,
+                    )
+
+                try:
+                    remaining = os.listdir(entry_path)
+                except OSError:
+                    remaining = []
+                if not remaining:
+                    try:
+                        os.rmdir(entry_path)
+                        cleaned.append(entry)
+                    except OSError as exc:
+                        logger.debug(
+                            "Could not remove empty library dir '%s': %s",
+                            entry_path, exc,
+                        )
+        except OSError as exc:
+            logger.error(
+                "Failed to list example images root during consolidation: %s",
+                exc,
+            )
+
+        if moved:
+            logger.info(
+                "Consolidated %d example image folder(s) to root",
+                len(moved),
+            )
+        if cleaned:
+            logger.info(
+                "Removed %d empty library directories",
+                len(cleaned),
+            )
+
     @staticmethod
     async def check_and_run_migrations():
         """Check if migrations are needed and run them in background"""
@@ -44,6 +135,10 @@ class ExampleImagesMigration:
             logger.debug("No example images path configured or path doesn't exist, skipping migrations")
             return
 
+        # Run library-to-root consolidation once at startup so the hot
+        # path (get_model_folder) stays a pure-path computation.
+        ExampleImagesMigration._consolidate_library_folders()
+
         for library_name, library_path in iter_library_roots():
             if not library_path or not os.path.exists(library_path):
                 continue

py/utils/example_images_paths.py

@@ -83,7 +83,12 @@ def ensure_library_root_exists(library_name: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
 
 
 def get_model_folder(model_hash: str, library_name: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
-    """Return the folder path for a model's example images."""
+    """Return the folder path for a model's example images.
+
+    Multi-library ↔ single-library consolidation is handled once at startup by
+    ``ExampleImagesMigration._consolidate_library_folders`` — this function is a
+    pure path computation on the hot path (no directory scans).
+    """
 
     if not model_hash:
         return ""
@@ -113,35 +118,6 @@ def get_model_folder(model_hash: str, library_name: Optional[str] = None) -> str
                     exc,
                 )
                 return legacy_folder
-    elif not os.path.exists(resolved_folder):
-        # Reverse migration: when consolidating from multi-library to
-        # single-library mode (e.g. after "default" was cleaned up), look
-        # for existing example images inside library-named subdirectories
-        # and bring them back to the root level.
-        root = get_example_images_root()
-        if root:
-            try:
-                for entry in os.listdir(root):
-                    entry_path = os.path.join(root, entry)
-                    if not os.path.isdir(entry_path):
-                        continue
-                    if is_hash_folder(entry) or entry == "_deleted":
-                        continue
-                    if not _library_folder_has_only_hash_dirs(entry_path):
-                        continue
-                    legacy = os.path.join(entry_path, normalized_hash)
-                    if os.path.exists(legacy):
-                        shutil.move(legacy, resolved_folder)
-                        logger.info(
-                            "Consolidated example images from '%s' to '%s'",
-                            legacy, resolved_folder,
-                        )
-                        break
-            except OSError as exc:
-                logger.error(
-                    "Failed to consolidate example images during "
-                    "library merge: %s", exc,
-                )
 
     return resolved_folder