The current landscape of AI-generated 3D models, their potential future, and the implications for Revit content creators.
Autodesk's Project Bernini is research in the area of generative AI for 3D models. Following suit of processes for AI-generated images - which take text, images and a whole bunch of parameters as input - AI-generated 3D models promise a future of creative and editable geometry that can be used as-is or modified as desired. We'll look at:
- a brief overview of the field of AI-generated 3D models
- the future and potential of this new way of modelling
- what it means for Revit content (families) and their creators
3D models? I just got used to AI-generated images...
That's fair, there are lots of new developments as part of the AI boom. Although, research has been happening in the AI-generated 3D models space since 2014, if not earlier.
What's the current state of AI-generated 3D models?
NVIDIA is one company making strides. LATTE3D - their text-to-3D generative AI model - can produce 3D models in seconds.
Leveraging NVIDIA's Edify, Shutterstock's 3D asset generator (currently in preview) looks promising as a professional-grade product. After less than 2-minutes of generation time, the interface previewed the resulting textured model and gave the option to download a .glb file. The above video shows the 3D model generated from the text prompt: a cream coloured modular lounge.
OK, but who would use these platforms?
Mostly professionals in the design, gaming and media industries. Such platforms claim to save design professionals time and money acquiring or manually creating models. However, it's worth noting that many of the platforms are still in testing stages or in their infancy.
So in the near future, I'll be able to populate my Revit project with these AI generated 3D models?
Whoa there, cowboy. Although the future looks promising, Autodesk's Project Bernini hasn't mentioned the creation of Revit families. Like the others, Project Bernini appears to be focused on generating "functional 3D structures" rather than documentation-ready parametric families that embed the logic of real-world standards and have in mind buildability and manufacturability. Not to mention such AI-generated models would likely be larger in file size and would suffer from the absence of types.
Ah - so I should stay in my Revit Content Creator's good books and buy them a coffee?
(And avoid using the word "urgent" when making content requests 😉.) If there were an interface to capture user input with standards/codes and a "prompt" outlining the required parametric behaviour of the resulting generated model, it would make everyone's job easier. (Think RevitWorks' DoorFactory as an example.)
Sounds like a million dollar idea for an app!
Maybe, but such a platform would unlikely be able to be a one-size-fits-all. Documentation standards and preferences differ between countries, companies and even individual projects within the same practice. It would be difficult to capture and translate model requirements and generate a perfect family - we haven't even talked about shared parameters, nested families, content building standards, subcategories...
Coffee?
A flat white - thanks!