Documentation
Everything you need to know about turning photos into 3D models with ModelMyImage.
Getting Started
Create an Account
Sign up through the homepage. You'll need an account before you can upload anything or generate models. Once you're in, you'll see your credit balance in the top navigation bar.
Credits
Every model generation costs credits. You can buy credit packs from the Pricing page — they never expire, so use them whenever you're ready. The number of credits per generation depends on which quality tier you pick.
Your First Model
- Head to the Upload page
- Drop in your reference photo (or click to browse)
- Choose your quality tier and parameters
- Hit generate and wait for processing to finish
- Download your model in whatever format you need
Uploading Images
Supported Formats
We accept JPEG, PNG, and WebP images. Maximum file size is enforced by the active upload policy and shown on the Upload page.
Tips for Better Results
Not every photo translates well to 3D. Here's what works best:
- Clean backgrounds — Solid or simple backgrounds let the system isolate your subject more accurately. Busy, cluttered scenes add noise.
- Even lighting — Soft, diffused light without harsh shadows. Avoid direct flash or strong directional light that flattens geometry.
- Full visibility — Make sure the entire object is in frame and nothing important is cut off or hidden behind other objects.
- Sharp focus — Blurry or low-resolution photos produce less detailed geometry. Use the highest resolution your camera supports.
- Multiple angles — If the object has complex geometry, multiple reference photos from different angles can improve results.
What Doesn't Work Well
- Transparent or highly reflective objects (glass, mirrors, chrome)
- Very thin structures (wire, hair, grass)
- Scenes with heavy motion blur
- Extremely low-resolution images (under 256px on any side)
Quality Tiers
ModelMyImage offers two quality tiers. Each balances speed, detail, and credit cost differently.
| Low Fidelity | High Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | ~30 seconds | ~2 minutes |
| Geometry detail | Good for simple shapes | High detail, complex surfaces |
| Texture quality | Clean, functional textures | Sharper, higher-resolution textures |
| Best for | Quick previews, simple objects | Final assets, complex models |
| Credit cost | 3 credits / image | 10 credits / image |
Low Fidelity is the fastest way to test ideas and rough geometry. High Fidelity is the better choice when you need cleaner detail for client-facing work.
Parameters
When generating a model, you can adjust:
- Quality tier — Low Fidelity or High Fidelity (see above)
- Output format — Which file format(s) to generate (see below)
Default settings work well for most use cases. Adjust them if you have specific requirements for your pipeline or software.
Processing
After you submit, you'll be taken to the processing page where you can watch progress in real time. Generation times vary based on the quality tier and current server load, but you'll always see a live status update.
If you close the tab or lose connection, don't worry. Come back later and your model will be waiting for you on the results page — we keep generated files available for download for up to 7 days.
Output Formats
ModelMyImage can export your generated models in several industry-standard formats:
| Format | Extension | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| GLB | .glb |
Web, AR, general purpose. Binary glTF — compact, widely supported. |
| USDZ | .usdz |
Apple ecosystem. AR Quick Look on iOS/macOS. |
| FBX | .fbx |
Game engines, animation software. Autodesk standard. |
| OBJ | .obj |
Legacy compatibility. Nearly universal support. |
| STL | .stl |
3D printing. Geometry only, no textures. |
Which Format Should I Use?
- Web or AR projects — GLB. It's the most portable modern format.
- iOS/Apple AR — USDZ. Required for AR Quick Look.
- Unity or Unreal Engine — FBX or GLB. Both engines handle these well.
- Rhino — GLB, OBJ, or FBX all work.
- Vectorworks — OBJ or FBX are usually the safest import options.
- Blender — GLB or FBX. Blender imports both natively.
- 3D printing — STL. Slicer software expects this format.
- Not sure — Start with GLB. You can always regenerate in another format later.
Compatible Software
Models exported from ModelMyImage work with most major 3D tools:
- Rhino
- Vectorworks
- Blender (free, open source)
- Unity and Unreal Engine
- Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max
- Cinema 4D
- SketchUp
- Adobe Substance 3D
- Apple Reality Composer
- Three.js and other WebGL frameworks
Data and Security
If you are evaluating ModelMyImage for client work, this is what matters.
You own your files
Your images and generated models are yours. We do not use them to train AI models. Files are processed only to deliver the result you asked for.
What we store and for how long
| Stage | What's stored | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | Source image used for the current job | Not kept as a long-term archive on our side |
| Processing | Temporary processing data | Kept only for active processing and cleanup |
| Results | Generated model output | Not kept as a long-term archive on our side |
| Account | Email and login credentials | Until you close your account |
| Payment | Billing metadata and transaction references | Per legal and accounting requirements |
We run a 0 data retention policy for source files and generated outputs on our side. Account and billing metadata are retained where legally or operationally required.
Inference storage controls
Inference is auto-routed across third-party providers. We apply no-retention and cleanup controls where available and keep data exposure as low as possible.
Third-party inference handling
Some routed providers may process payloads briefly while generation is running. We prioritize providers and settings that support strict cleanup and short retention windows.
Encryption in transit and at rest
Everything between your browser and our platform uses TLS 1.2+. Uploads, downloads, API calls, and authentication are encrypted in transit. Data is encrypted at rest.
Account security
Authentication is handled through a managed identity provider with signed session tokens. Each job is tied to your account, so other users cannot access your files or results.
Payments
A managed payment processor handles billing. Card details are not stored on our application servers. Payment events are verified with signed webhook checks before credits are granted.
Access isolation
Every job is linked to your account. Downloads require a valid session and proof the file is yours. Other users can't access your models, and you can't access theirs. Uploads are capped at 25 files per batch, and rate limits are in place to prevent abuse.
What we don't do
- Sell or share your data
- Use your uploads or models for AI model training
- Keep long-term archives of your source files or generated outputs on platform storage
- Store card details on application servers
- Track you with analytics cookies (session cookies only)
For the full legal language, see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. If you have security questions specific to your team or org, reach out and we'll answer them directly.
Need Help?
If something isn't working or you have a question that isn't covered here, get in touch.