Image to 3D AI on Martini
Image to 3D AI on Martini takes a single still — a product shot, a character render, a set frame — and lifts it into a 3D asset preview you can rotate, re-light, and screenshot for downstream nodes. Treat it as a fast spatial draft for reference, blocking, and pre-viz, not as a clean exportable mesh pipeline for game engines or VFX finishing.
What it creates
Image to 3D AI takes a flat input image and produces a 3D representation of the main subject — typically a single hero object, character, or compact scene element. Inside Martini, the result is a viewable 3D preview rendered on the canvas: you can rotate it, frame new angles, and pull screenshots to drive the rest of your workflow. The fidelity holds up best on subjects that are clearly isolated against a clean background and lit so silhouette and depth are obvious.
For a product shot, that means turning a single hero still into a turnaround you can sample any angle from. For a character, it means lifting a portrait or full-body render into a draft 3D pose you can use as reference for animation, blocking, or repeated stills. For a set frame or interior, it means converting a single image into a rough spatial representation you can re-frame and re-shoot — useful when you need shot variety from a single hero asset.
The output is reference-grade, not finishing-grade. You should expect approximations of geometry and material — close enough for storyboards, planning, and pre-viz, but not a clean asset to ship into Unreal, Blender, or a game pipeline without manual cleanup.
Inputs and outputs
The primary input is a single image — a product photo, a character render, an interior frame — wired in from any Image node on Martini such as Nano Banana 2 or Flux. Optionally you can add a short text prompt to bias the conversion, for example specifying viewing angle, scale, or material hint. The output is a viewable 3D asset preview rendered inside the canvas, which you can rotate to capture new angles, screenshot for re-use in downstream image and video nodes, or feed as reference to a video model like Sora 2 to drive a turntable or dolly shot. Treat it as a spatial reference layer, not a downloadable mesh export.
Best workflows
- •Product turntables — lift a single packshot into a 3D preview, then sample five or six angles to feed an image or video node for marketing turntable stills.
- •Character sheets — convert a hero portrait into a 3D reference, screenshot front, side, and three-quarter views, and use them to seed consistent character generations across many shots.
- •Set blocking from a single concept frame — turn one approved set frame into a spatial draft you can re-shoot from new camera angles for storyboard variety.
- •Pre-viz for ad and short-film pipelines — feed a 3D preview screenshot into Sora 2 or Kling 3 as the first frame so the camera move stays grounded to your hero asset.
- •Reference for retouching — capture a fresh angle from the 3D preview, then send it to Nano Banana 2 to upgrade lighting, materials, or background for a final still.
- •Iteration on hero stills — branch alternative looks of the same asset by feeding the 3D preview through different image models without re-shooting from scratch.
How to use it in Martini
- 1
Add an Image node to your canvas — usually Nano Banana 2 or Flux — and generate (or upload) the source still you want to lift into 3D. Make sure the subject is clearly isolated, well-lit, and centered for the cleanest conversion.
- 2
Drop a 3D node onto the canvas, set it to Image to 3D, and connect your Image node into its input. If the model accepts a guidance prompt, add a Text node with a short hint such as the viewing angle or material so the conversion has more context.
- 3
Run the 3D node and wait for the preview to render in the canvas. Rotate the asset to inspect coverage and screenshot the angles you want to keep — these become your re-usable reference frames for the rest of the project.
- 4
Wire those screenshots back into image or video nodes. A turntable becomes a video by feeding angles into Sora 2 as sequential first frames; a character sheet becomes a consistent cast by passing each angle into Nano Banana 2 as reference for new compositions.
- 5
Save the project so the 3D preview, screenshots, and downstream nodes all live together. You can keep iterating later — swap the source image, regenerate, and the rest of the workflow updates downstream of it.
Pair with image / video models
Limitations
- !Output is a viewable 3D preview — not a clean .obj, .fbx, .glb, or USD mesh ready for Blender, Maya, Unreal, or a game pipeline.
- !Quality drops sharply when the source image has cluttered backgrounds, ambiguous depth cues, transparent materials, or many subjects sharing a frame.
- !Back-side reconstruction is inferred. Hidden surfaces are guesses, so unusual or asymmetric subjects often show artifacts on the angle furthest from the input view.
- !Materials and lighting are approximated, not physically accurate. Do not rely on the lift for color-accurate product matching or PBR-grade material work.
- !Each generation is a fresh draft. Re-running the same image will not yield identical geometry, so screenshot the angles you want before iterating again.
Related features
Related docs
Frequently asked questions
Can I download the 3D output as a mesh file?
No. The output is a viewable 3D preview inside Martini, not an exportable .obj, .fbx, or .glb. It is built for pre-viz, reference, and downstream image and video work — not for handoff into a traditional 3D pipeline.
What kind of source image works best?
A single, well-lit subject on a clean background with clear depth cues. Product photos against neutral backdrops, isolated character renders, and centered hero shots all convert well. Cluttered scenes and transparent or reflective surfaces tend to struggle.
Can I lift a full scene with multiple subjects into 3D?
It is best treated as a single-hero workflow. For multi-subject scenes, consider using Marble 3D AI to generate the environment from text or a reference image instead — the geometry will read more coherently than a multi-subject lift.
How do I get a consistent character across many shots from one image?
Lift the character into 3D, capture front, side, and three-quarter angles, and feed each angle as a reference into your image or video node. Sharing the same screenshots across shots keeps the character anchored even as scenes change.
Why does the back of my asset look strange?
Anything not visible in the source image is reconstructed by the model and is essentially an educated guess. Asymmetric or unusual subjects tend to show the most artifacts on hidden surfaces. Use front-facing angles for hero shots and treat back angles as supporting reference.
Can I pair Image to 3D with video models for animation?
Yes — capture an angle from the 3D preview and feed it into Sora 2 or Kling 3 as the first frame. The 3D reference helps anchor camera moves like turntables, dollies, and slow orbits to a consistent subject across the clip.
Ready to build with Image to 3D?
Open Martini, drop a 3D node, and chain it into your image and video pipeline. No GPU required.
Get started in dashboard