3D model generator from a photo - try it for free
Upload 1 to 4 photos of a piece of furniture or a decoration and AI builds a 3D model from them in FBX / GLB. You start with 20 credits and no card.
20 free credits to start, valid for 14 days. Enough for 3 models at base quality.
A 3D model generator from a photo turns a picture of an object into a file you can drop into a scene in SketchUp, 3ds Max or Blender. You do not model the mesh by hand and you do not wait for files from the manufacturer - you photograph the piece in front of you and about two minutes later you have its shape.
Raya was built for interior designers, architects and furniture companies who are missing one specific object in a project: an armchair from a client's catalogue, a lamp from a trade fair, a vase from a reference photo. Generating 3D models with AI costs from 6 credits and needs no modelling software - it runs in your browser.
How does generating 3D models from photos work?
The generator runs online, in your browser - you install nothing and you do not need a powerful computer, because the work happens on our side. You upload photos in the "Generate 3D" tab. One shot is required - the front. The other three are optional, but each one takes away something the AI would otherwise have to guess: without them the model has to invent the back and the sides of the object.
A single photo can weigh up to 10 MB. Pictures taken against a plain background, with the whole object in frame and in soft, even light work best - AI reads hard shadows and glare as shape. One careful shot gives a better model than four careless ones.
The four views the generator accepts
- 1Front - the only required shot. The whole model starts here.
- 2Left side - optional. Closes the shape on one side.
- 3Back - optional. Without it the AI invents what is behind the object.
- 4Right side - optional. Most useful for asymmetric shapes.
Every photo has to be taken from exactly the side you declare. Swapped views get glued into an object that does not exist.
Photo
AI 3D model generator - what you set before generating
Pricing is made of parts: you pay for what you switch on. A base quality model with no textures costs 6 credits, and the richest possible set costs 17. Two settings - mesh density and topology - cost nothing, and they are exactly the ones that decide whether the file can be sensibly edited later.
- +4 cr
Model quality
Standard or precise. Precise adds geometry where the fine detail sits: turned legs, upholstery texture, an openwork shade. On simple shapes the difference can be invisible, so do not switch it on by reflex.
- no extra cost
Mesh density
Three steps: around 10,000 triangles for small decorations, 50,000 for chairs and tables, 250,000 for sofas and furniture with rich detail. You match it to the size of the object, not to your budget.
- +4 cr
Textures
Without textures you get pure geometry - faster and cheaper, which makes sense when you are going to apply your own materials anyway. Standard textures (2K) add 4 credits, detailed ones (4K) - 6.
- +1 cr
PBR materials
Surfaces react to light like real ones: with reflections, gloss and matte areas. Available together with textures, it adds 1 credit.
- no extra cost
Topology
Triangles describe organic shapes better - upholstery, cushions, sculptures. Quads give a regular mesh on geometric shapes and are easier to clean up in your own software.
- no extra cost
File format
FBX / GLB to choose from. Pick FBX for 3ds Max and GLB for SketchUp - GLB is what SketchUp reads natively from the 2025 version. The format does not change the price.
Mesh density and topology have no effect on the bill, so set them for the object, not for the credits. Too dense a mesh in a small vase is just a heavier file in your scene.
Read our guide - How to generate 3D models with AI from a photo and what it costs →
How to make a 3D model from a photo step by step
Four steps, three of which take seconds. Generating itself is the longest one and it happens in the background - you do not have to watch the screen.
1Upload photos
One front shot is enough, a full set of 4 gives a more accurate model. Up to 10 MB per photo.
2Set the parameters
Quality, mesh density, textures, topology and format. The panel shows you how many credits it will take as you go.
3D modelWireframe3Generate the model
It usually takes one to two minutes. You view the finished model in your browser - rotate it and zoom in before you do anything with it.
4Download it or insert it into a scene
You download the model in FBX / GLB or insert it straight into your SketchUp project. It also stays in your account history.
20 credits to start are enough for 3 models at base quality.
Where you will use the generated 3D model
The model does not end its life in your downloads folder. Raya carries it further: into a scene in your software, into a visualization and into the next project.
The Upload 3D model tab
You can use the generated model right away in the "Upload 3D model" tab: you upload the file, set the view and get a photorealistic visualization out of it. The loop closes inside one tool - from a photo of a piece of furniture to a finished render.
Make a visualization from a model →Your modelling software
FBX / GLB open in 3ds Max, SketchUp, Blender, Rhino and most 3D software. You place the model in a scene like any other object: scale it, rotate it, swap its materials.
Open the 3D model generator →Interior visualization
Once the scene is complete, export the view and turn it into a photorealistic visualization. The same project goes through Raya from a missing piece of furniture to an image for the client.
Generate visualizations →
Everything happens on one account and out of one pool of credits.
Generate 3D models without leaving SketchUp
You do not have to switch to a browser. The Raya panel works inside SketchUp: you upload a photo, choose the settings and the model appears in the same window you design in.
Insert into a scene with one button
From SketchUp 2025 on, the "Insert into scene" button places the finished model into your project with textures correctly mapped, with no exporting and importing of files. In earlier versions you download the file and import it manually.
The same account and the same pool of credits
The plugin signs in to your Raya account, so models generated in SketchUp land in the same history as those from the browser and draw on the same pool of credits.
Why a designer needs a 3D model generator
Not to replace modelling. To stop a project from stalling on one object that is in no library.
Furniture outside the library
The manufacturer sent catalogue photos but no models. Instead of waiting for files from the supplier, you make the model yourself, from material you already have.
Prototypes and one-off builds
Made-to-measure furniture, a piece of joinery, a second-hand object - things nobody has ever modelled, because they exist in a single copy.
Your own product in a scene
Furniture companies photograph what they manufacture. Those same photos become models that go into room visualizations and sales material.
Two minutes instead of an evening
Rebuilding an armchair from references by hand is a few hours of work. Here it is the length of one break, and you see the result before you decide whether to use it.
Examples of 3D models generated from photos
Every one of these models came from ordinary photos of an object, with no manual modelling. Drag the slider to see the wireframe hidden under the texture.
Leather sofa
A large, creased leather shape - here the look of the finished model is decided mostly by textures, not by the number of faces.
Wooden chair
Hard geometry and a pronounced grain - a case where higher model quality pays off, so the curved backrest does not lose its shape.
Velvet tub chair
Tufting, buttons and turned legs - a lot of small detail on a small shape, which is a test for the geometry alone.
Ceramic vase
A smooth, symmetrical shape with no pattern - you see the geometry itself on it, because the texture hides nothing.
Free 3D model generator from a photo - what you get to start
You create an account without a card and get 20 credits valid for 14 days. Generating a 3D model at base quality costs 6 credits, so you start with 3 models to generate and view in the 3D preview - on your own photos, not on our examples.
The pool is shared across the whole account, so you use the same credits for interior visualizations, editing finished renders or moodboards. You order nothing up front and nothing renews by itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can I generate 3D models with AI for free?
Once you create an account you get 20 credits valid for 14 days and you give no card. A base quality model costs 6 credits, so the free pool covers 3 models to generate and view in the 3D preview. That is a test on your own photos, not a demo on someone else's examples.
Can I make a 3D model from photos online, without installing software?
Yes. The 3D model generator from photos runs online, in your browser, whatever system you are on - all the work happens on our servers, so you install nothing and you need no graphics card for modelling. An account and photos are enough. If you work in SketchUp, you also have the same generator inside our free plugin, without switching to a browser.
Is a model from the generator suitable for 3D printing?
The generator returns FBX / GLB, not STL - you can convert the file for free at convert3d.org. It is worth knowing what this mesh is built for, though: for visualization, that is for how the object looks, not for how it prints. The model rebuilds the shape seen from the outside and we do not guarantee that it is watertight and free of the errors a slicer objects to. Before printing you almost always have to repair it in mesh repair software.
Quads or triangles - which topology should I pick?
Triangles describe organic shapes better: upholstery, cushions, sculptures, soft backrests. Quads give a cleaner, regular mesh on geometric shapes - coffee tables, lamps, modular furniture - and are easier to clean up if you intend to edit the model in your own software. The choice does not change the price, so go by the shape of the object, not by the bill.
What mesh density should I set?
Low, around 10,000 triangles, is enough for small decorations: vases, candlesticks, figurines. Medium, 50,000, is the default and a good choice for chairs and tables. High, 250,000, makes sense for large objects with fine detail - sofas, carved furniture, upholstery with stitching. Density does not affect the price, but it does affect the weight of your scene.
Which objects are suitable for generating 3D models from photos?
Ideally the ones you can photograph whole and walk around: armchairs, chairs, tables, lamps, vases, sculptures, decorations. The generator rebuilds a shape seen from the outside, so you will not make a whole room with it - model the walls and the layout in your own software and leave the furnishings to AI.
In what format will I download the generated 3D model?
FBX / GLB are available. FBX suits 3ds Max, GLB suits SketchUp - and GLB is exactly what SketchUp reads natively from the 2025 version, which is why the model goes straight into a scene. Other extensions, including OBJ and STL, you get with a free conversion at convert3d.org.
Make your first 3D model from a photo 
20 credits to start, with no card. Enough for 3 models at base quality.
Start for free