As a developer (and indie hacker), I've always been obsessed with building tools. Lately, I’ve been fascinated by the AI space, especially the wild tech that can turn 2D images into 3D models.
For so long, 3D modeling has been locked away inside pro software like Blender or Maya, with a massive learning curve. But what if... we could make it as simple as uploading a file?
The New Toy: Tencent Hunyuan 3D
Recently, I've been keeping a close eye on the Tencent Hunyuan 3D model.
What caught my eye about it was:
Multi-modal Input: It doesn't just support "single image-to-3d," it also supports "multi-view"—letting you upload front, side, and back shots of an object for a much more accurate model.
PBR Materials: It can auto-generate PBR (Physically-Based Rendering) textures, meaning the models look realistic and can be dropped right into a game engine.
High Fidelity: The docs (and my tests) show it's incredibly good at handling sharp edges and geometric structures.
When I saw this powerful model (and its available API), I immediately thought, "This is way too cool to just live in a technical paper."
The Idea: A "Homepage is the Product" Tool
I wanted to build a pure SaaS tool. The kind you land on and can immediately use .
My goal: Create an Image to 3D converter that anyone can use—whether they're a 3D printing hobbyist, a game dev, or just curious.
Introducing: My SaaS Baby, Image3D AI
So, after many late nights and countless cups of coffee, I'm super excited to show you the project:
It's a clean, no-fluff SaaS that puts the power of Hunyuan 3D right in your browser.
The Cool Features
Dual Generation Modes You can choose "Single Image" (perfect for logos, sketches) or "Multi-view" (for real-world objects, way more accurate).
Pro Parameter Control You can select different generation modes:
Normal: Balances quality and speed.
Low Poly: Generates an optimized, low-polygon mesh (game devs love this).
Geometry: Creates a textureless "white model," perfect for 3D printing (image to stl).
Multi-Format Export (The Big One!) This might be the most important part. You can export your generated model as:
.STL (for all the 3D printing folks)
.OBJ (for traditional 3D editing)
.GLB (the future! It's the standard for Web and AR, packing all textures inside)
The Tech Stack
I know this is what you're waiting for 😉. This is a 100% Jamstack-powered project:
Frontend: Next.js + Tailwind CSS (using shadcn/ui)
3D Viewer: @react-three/fiber (R3F)
Backend/API: Next.js API Routes (Serverless Functions)
Deployment: Vercel
The AI Core: The Tencent Hunyuan 3D API
Come Try It Out! (Please!)
This has been an incredible learning process for me, especially figuring out the 3D interaction and optimizing the API calls.
I would be absolutely thrilled if you'd come try it out and give me some feedback!
Visit the site: https://www.aiimageto3d.com
Try uploading your company logo.
Try taking pics of a coffee mug on your desk (using multi-view).
All feedback is welcome! What features should I build next? (I'm thinking batch processing...)
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
You built an Image-to-3D SaaS using Tencent’s Hunyuan 3D AI, enabling users to convert images into detailed 3D models quickly, efficiently, and with high-quality output for creative and tech applications.
Spot on! 🎯 That was exactly the goal—to make high-quality 3D creation accessible without the steep learning curve. Thanks for checking it out!
This is super cool. I do a lot of 3D printing and being able to go from a simple sketch directly to an .STL file is a huge time-saver. Just tried the demo on your site and it's slick.
Quick question: are the generated STL files generally watertight and manifold-ready for printing?
Thanks! Glad you like the demo.
Regarding your question: Yes! When you select the "Geometry" mode (which creates the white model), the AI is optimized to generate a continuous, watertight mesh that is generally ready for slicers immediately.
For very complex organic shapes, I always recommend a quick pass through a slicer repair tool just in case, but our goal is to make them print-ready out of the box. Let me know if you print something! 🖨️