Creating Stunning 3D Models with AI: Trends and Techniques

Review and compare the most impressive AI 3D models generators. How to generate 3D models based on text prompts? How to turn an image into a 3D mesh? How to choose the right AI generator for your project?

From blockbuster films to engaging video games, 3D models play a crucial role in creating captivating visual experiences. Architects and engineers leverage 3D models to conceptualize, design, and visualize buildings, bridges, and other architectural structure.

Making 3D models manually demands a significant investment of skill, time, and effort. 3D Artists need to master complex 3D tools like Blender * (get 10% discount per user on blenderkit.com products using this referral link), Maya, to 3Dsmax. Besides proficiency, they also need to have a comprehensive understanding of geometry, topology, and spatial relationships.

Luckily, with the advancements in technology, it is now possible to create impressive 3D assets using AI.

AI Tools for 3D Art Generation

Luma AI

Lumalabs is one of the leading tools for ai generated 3D content. The website offers several tools for generating 3D. The first one is “Capture”. Which is all about creating an entire 3D world from a few photos. The website lets you explore worlds that other users have created and some of them are truly amazing. Here is an example of an aircraft hangar scene generated using Luma AI Capture:

The second tool, and probably the most useful one in Lumalabs, is Genie. Genie lets you generate 3D assets based on text prompts. After the prompt is entered, you will get 4 low poly options to choose from. You can select one result and then do one of the following actions:

Here are a few examples we tested the website for:

1. The entered prompt was: frog in soldier uniform and the tool instantly generated 4 different low poly meshes matching this description.

Next, after clicking on the “variations” link, the tool created 4 more options similar to the selected 3D model, but with some subtle changes.

It is possible to download the 3D model at any stage of the process. The model can be of .obj , .fbx ,.stl .blend and a few other formats.

The next step would be to generate the high-poly model. This takes a lot of time. The website states it will take a few minutes. However, for me, it took much longer than that. Luckily, the tool saves the created meshes in the private area so you can just come back to it later and find the outputs there.

Pricing:

As of writing this post, Lumalabs do not have a specified price for its services. Also, there appears to be no restriction on the number of generations permitted per use. However, these conditions could potentially change in the future.

Meshy

Meshy.ai * is another leading online 3D AI generator platform. You can use it to generate 3D assets from textual prompts or from an image. The website also has a 3D texturizer tool for 3D assets.

On Meshy.ai you will also find a large library of user generated models. Which can be downloaded by premium users.

Just like lumalabs, meshy will generate 4 low poly 3D assets after the textual prompt is entered. Then you can choose to refine the low poly result of your choice.

If you choose to preview one of the generated low poly models, the editor view will show the number of vertices and faces in the current model. There are different lighting and shading options in the viewport as well.

You can download the low poly model or choose to turn it into a detailed mesh. The refining process on Meshy.ai is relatively fast. Those are the high detail results we got after a few minutes of waiting.

Pricing:

The free plan on Meshy is very limited. It takes ~25 credits to generate one refined 3D model. Current pricing plans let you generate 8 monthly free 3D models on the free plan. 40 3D models on the Pro plan and 160 3D models on the Max plan.

CSM

Another impressive 3D generator available online is CSM.ai. This platform offers various 3D generation tools. However, the majority of those are for premium users only.

Premium

To test the tool, we generated a vector image of a frog in soldier uniform using Adobe Illustrator AI. And used the generated image as a base for 3D Generation.

It took about 1-2 minutes to generate the low poly results. However, when we tried to transform them into a high poly mesh, this was the message that appeared on the screen.

It appears that despite being advertised as available to free users, the “image to 3D” tool actually requires a premium subscription to use it within a reasonable timeframe.

Pricing:

Choosing the Right AI Tools

There are a few factors to consider when deciding which is the best ai 3D generator for your project.

Techniques for Achieving Stunning Results

Achieving impressive 3D results with AI requires a mix of advanced technology, good Ui and manual 3D skills.

Not all AI generators are created the same. Each one is developed with distinct algorithms, features, and design principles tailored to specific applications and user needs. Experimenting with several AI platforms and tweaking different settings may contribute to discovering the ones that best suits your project needs.

Adding your own adjustments to AI-generated content can improve the final product, providing more control over artistic details. Manual adjustments can make sure the final model meets certain technical needs or artistic goals that automation might miss.

Challenges and Limitations

Although 3D AI generation has advanced greatly, it still faces notable challenges and limitations. One significant issue is that the accuracy and quality of the generated models can sometimes be insufficient for the detailed requirements of high-end projects. AI-generated models typically demand considerable post-production work and manual refinements. That may potentially undermine the timesaving advantages of automation.

Conclusion

Despite the challenges in creating 3D AI, it’s reached a high level of development and is advanced enough to be a helpful tool for artists. Already, it serves as a valuable tool for speeding up tasks and providing fresh perspectives. Looking into the future, as AI keeps getting better fast, it’s really exciting to imagine the amazing progress that might come in just a few months.