Tencent's Hunyuan3D 2.0: Revolutionizing 3D Design with AI

Tencent introduces 'Hunyuan3D 2.0' AI that speeds up 3D design from days to seconds

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Tencent has unveiled "Hunyuan3D 2.0" today, an AI system that turns single images or text descriptions into detailed 3D models within seconds. The system makes a typically lengthy process -- one that can take skilled artists days or weeks -- into a rapid, automated task. Following its predecessor, this new version of the model is available as an open-source project on both Hugging Face and GitHub, making the technology immediately accessible to developers and researchers worldwide. "Creating high-quality 3D assets is a time-intensive process for artists, making automatic generation a long-term goal for researchers," notes the research team in their technical report. The upgraded system builds upon its predecessor's foundation while introducing significant improvements in speed and quality. How Hunyuan3D 2.0 turns images into 3D models Hunyuan3D 2.0 uses two main components: Hunyuan3D-DiT creates the basic shape, while Hunyuan3D-Paint adds surface details. The system first makes multiple 2D views of an object, then builds these into a complete 3D model. A new guidance system ensures all views of the object match -- solving a common problem in AI-generated 3D models. "We position cameras at specific heights to capture the maximum visible area of each object," the researchers explain. This approach, combined with their method of mixing different viewpoints, helps the system capture details that other models often miss, especially on the tops and bottoms of objects. Faster and more accurate: What sets Hunyuan3D 2.0 apart The technical results are impressive. Hunyuan3D 2.0 produces more accurate and visually appealing models than existing systems, according to standard industry measurements. The standard version creates a complete 3D model in about 25 seconds, while a smaller, faster version works in just 10 seconds. What sets Hunyuan3D 2.0 apart is its ability to handle both text and image inputs, making it more versatile than previous solutions. The system also introduces innovative features like "adaptive classifier-free guidance" and "hybrid inputs" that help ensure consistency and detail in the generated 3D models. According to their published benchmarks, Hunyuan3D 2.0 achieves a CLIP score of 0.809, surpassing both open-source and proprietary alternatives. The technology introduces significant improvements in texture synthesis and geometric accuracy, outperforming existing solutions across all standard industry metrics. The system's key technical advance is its ability to create high-resolution models without requiring massive computing power. The team developed a new way to increase detail while keeping processing demands manageable -- a frequent limitation of other 3D AI systems. Bringing 3D modeling tools to more industries These advances matter for many industries. Game developers can quickly create test versions of characters and environments. Online stores could show products in 3D. Movie studios could preview special effects more efficiently. Tencent has shared nearly all parts of their system through Hugging Face, a platform for AI tools. Developers can now use the code to create 3D models that work with standard design software, making it practical for immediate use in professional settings. While this technology marks a significant step forward in automated 3D creation, it raises questions about how artists will work in the future. Tencent sees Hunyuan3D 2.0 not as a replacement for human artists, but as a tool that handles technical tasks while creators focus on artistic decisions. As 3D content becomes increasingly central to gaming, shopping, and entertainment, tools like Hunyuan3D 2.0 suggest a future where creating virtual worlds is as simple as describing them. The challenge ahead may not be generating 3D models, but deciding what to do with them.

Tencent's open-source AI 3D generator could reshape game development

The march of generative AI continues to set new milestones for creative tools. After AI image generators and video generators, 3D visuals are widely seen as the next frontier. And on that front, the Chinese tech giant Tencent has just made a another leap forward. Hunyuan3D 2.0 appears to be able to generate 3D assets from 2D images with much better quality than its predecessor and many other image-to-3D tools. And it can even animate them. Some are already suggesting that it could revolutionise VFX and game development. Only this week, we saw an example of the power of Tencent's HunyuanVideo in the form of a viral short that put Keanu Reeves in Severance. Now Tencent's dropped an updated version of its open-source AI 3D generator Hunyuan3D. Hunyuan3D 2.0 uses two AI models: Hunyuan3D-DiT to generate the 3D assets and Hunyuan3D-Paint to add textures for improved surface detail. Users provide a 2D reference image and the tool makes multiple 2D views object and builds them into a 3D model. Cameras at specific heights capture the maximum visible area, capturing details that may be missed on other models, particularly at the top and bottom of objects. A guidance system is designed to improve consistency by ensuring every view matches up. Finally, Hunyuan3D-Studio will allow meshes to be edited and animated in a single workspace. The output appears to be much improved from the previous model if not as good as Microsoft's Trellis. It also appears to be very fast, generating a 3D model in around 25 seconds (or 10 seconds with a smaller version). That could make it a game-changer for ecommerce, VFX previews and game development, where it could allow test versions of characters to be created more quickly. It could also serve for 3D-printable TTRPG assets.