use `utf_16_be` as primary metadata decoding

Signed-off-by: Vladimir Mandic <mandic00@live.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 # Change Log for SD.Next
 
-## Blockers
+## Update for 2025-08-08
 
-- Qwen with offloading: <https://github.com/huggingface/diffusers/issues/12066> 
-
-## Update for 2025-08-07
-
-### Highlights for 2025-08-07
+### Highlights for 2025-08-08
 
 Several new and updated models: [Qwen-Image](https://qwenlm.github.io/blog/qwen-image/), [FLUX.1-Krea-Dev](https://www.krea.ai/blog/flux-krea-open-source-release), [Chroma](https://huggingface.co/lodestones/Chroma), [SkyReels-V2](https://huggingface.co/Skywork/SkyReels-V2-DF-14B-720P-Diffusers), [Wan-VACE](https://huggingface.co/Wan-AI/Wan2.1-VACE-14B-diffusers)  
 Plus continuing with major **UI** work, there is new embedded **Docs/Wiki** search, redesigned real-time **hints**, built-in **GPU monitor**, **CivitAI** integration and more!  
@@ -106,6 +102,7 @@ And (*as always*) many bugfixes and improvements to existing features!
   - fix openvino backend failing to compile  
   - fix nunchaku fallback on unsupported model  
   - fix nunchaku windows download links  
+  - use `utf_16_be` as primary metadata decoding  
   - reapply offloading on ipadapter load  
   - api set default script-name  
   - avoid forced gc and rely on thresholds  

cli/image-exif.py

@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ class Exif: # pylint: disable=single-string-used-for-slots
 
     def decode(self, s: bytes):
         remove_prefix = lambda text, prefix: text[len(prefix):] if text.startswith(prefix) else text # pylint: disable=unnecessary-lambda-assignment
-        for encoding in ['utf-8', 'utf-16', 'ascii', 'latin_1', 'cp1252', 'cp437']: # try different encodings
+        # from encodings.aliases import aliases
+        # cp = list(set(aliases.values()))
+        for encoding in ['utf_16_be', 'utf-8', 'utf-16', 'ascii', 'latin_1', 'cp1252', 'cp437']: # try different encodings
+        # for encoding in cp:
             try:
                 s = remove_prefix(s, b'UNICODE')
                 s = remove_prefix(s, b'ASCII')

installer.py

@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ def check_diffusers():
     t_start = time.time()
     if args.skip_all or args.skip_git:
         return
-    sha = '7ea065c5070a5278259e6f1effa9dccea232e62a' # diffusers commit hash
+    sha = '7b10e4ae65cc5830c581fba58638f5afb6e587cf' # diffusers commit hash
     pkg = pkg_resources.working_set.by_key.get('diffusers', None)
     minor = int(pkg.version.split('.')[1] if pkg is not None else -1)
     cur = opts.get('diffusers_version', '') if minor > -1 else ''

modules/images.py

@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def save_image(image,
 
 def safe_decode_string(s: bytes):
     remove_prefix = lambda text, prefix: text[len(prefix):] if text.startswith(prefix) else text # pylint: disable=unnecessary-lambda-assignment
-    for encoding in ['utf-8', 'utf-16', 'ascii', 'latin_1', 'cp1252', 'cp437']: # try different encodings
+    for encoding in ['utf_16_be', 'utf-8', 'utf-16', 'ascii', 'latin_1', 'cp1252', 'cp437']: # try different encodings
         try:
             s = remove_prefix(s, b'UNICODE')
             s = remove_prefix(s, b'ASCII')