Blender Tutorial – Turn Any 2D Image to 3D Model – Quick & Easy

How to Convert Any Image into a 3D Mesh in Blender (Without Modeling)

Have you ever wondered how to turn a 2D image into a 3D mesh in Blender without manually modeling it? This tutorial will guide you step-by-step through the process using a simple plane and a few modifiers. By the end, you’ll have transformed your image into a 3D model without needing advanced modeling skills.

Step 1: Adding and Subdividing a Plane

To start, open Blender and add a plane to your scene:

1. Press Shift + A, then select Mesh > Plane.

Screenshot: Capture the Blender interface showing the addition of a plane.

1. Go to the Item tab by pressing N, and adjust the plane’s dimensions to match your reference image. For instance, if your image is 1280 x 744 pixels, enter 12.80 and 7.44 for the plane’s dimensions to maintain the proportions.

Now, let’s subdivide the plane:

1. Switch to Edit Mode by pressing Tab.
2. Press Ctrl + E and choose Subdivide.

Screenshot: Highlight the subdividing of the plane.

1. A pop-up will appear; increase the number of subdivisions to 100 for higher detail.
2. Press Ctrl + E again and subdivide one more time to add even more detail.

Subdividing the plane adds vertices, which will later allow you to map the image’s texture and convert it into a 3D surface.

Step 2: Applying the Displace Modifier

Next, we’ll add a Displace Modifier to project the image onto the subdivided plane:

1. With the plane selected, go to the Modifier Properties tab and add a Displace Modifier.

 

Screenshot: Show the Displace Modifier being added.

1. Scroll down to the Texture section, click New, and open your reference image.

Screenshot: Display the texture section with the image being applied.

1. Adjust the strength of the displacement to -0.25 to reverse the extrusion effect.

Blender will now push down the dark areas of the image and pull up the lighter areas, creating a 3D effect based on the texture.

Step 3: Optimizing the Mesh

To improve the quality of the mesh, follow these steps:

1. Apply the Displace Modifier by clicking Apply in the Modifier panel.
2. Switch to Wireframe Mode by pressing Z and dragging to select the bottom part of the plane. Delete the bottom faces to leave only the top surface.
3. Press S + Z and then 0 to flatten the surface along the Z-axis, making the vertices even.

Screenshot: Delete unwanted faces and optimize the mesh

Now, you’ve cleaned up the mesh, but it might still look a bit rough. Let’s smooth it out!

Step 4: Smoothing the Mesh

To get smoother lines and details:

1. Select the mesh and go to Select > Select Sharp Edges.

Screenshot: Capture selecting sharp edges from the menu.

1. Add a Smooth Modifier from the Modifier tab and increase the repeat value to around 30 to get smooth results.

Screenshot: Show the Smooth Modifier being applied and the repeat value set to 30.

After applying the smooth modifier, your model should look much cleaner.

Step 5: Finalizing the Mesh

To complete the mesh:

1. Unsubdivide the mesh to reduce unnecessary vertices by selecting the mesh, pressing Ctrl + E, and choosing Unsubdivide.
2. Merge vertices where necessary to clean up the corners. Press M and select Merge at Center to simplify these areas.
3. Finally, press L to select parts of the mesh, and use F to fill any missing faces.

Screenshot: Capture the filling of faces using the F key.

1. To give the model depth, add the Solidify Modifier and adjust the thickness.

Screenshot: Show the Solidify Modifier in action.

1. If you encounter issues with the normals, select everything, press Shift + N, and recalculate the normals.
2. Finally, right-click and choose Shade Auto Smooth to clean up the appearance.

Screenshot: Show the Shade Auto Smooth being applied.

Conclusion

You’ve successfully converted your image into a 3D mesh! By following these steps, you can now quickly turn 2D images into 3D models in Blender using the Displace Modifier. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy Blending!