Resin printing is known for insane detail, and AI-generated 3D models are getting sharper every month. Small prints hide everything though, so I printed the same AI model at 32mm, 75mm and a massive 250mm to see if the detail still holds up when you go big. Then I’ll show you exactly how I made the model from a single image in Hi3D, the settings I picked and why. This video was sponsored by Hi3D.
The short version
- Does the detail hold up? Yes. The same model printed in resin at 32mm (tabletop scale), 75mm (display miniature) and 250mm still shows plenty of detail all over.
- Start with a clean image: clear subject, plain white background, no harsh lighting or shadows, high quality.
- Save credits: draft on Hi3D’s 2.1 model (25 credits), then run the keeper on V3 (65 credits) for the best detail.
- My settings: V3, model type Quality, geometry plus texture, advanced settings off.
- Export STL for resin, and run your slicer’s own repair as well as Hi3D’s.
What you need
- One good image of your character or object (front view, ideally with a plain white background)
- A Hi3D account with credits
- A resin printer and your usual slicer
Step 1: Get the image right
The image does most of the work. You want a clear subject on a plain white background, with no harsh lighting or shadows, at high quality. I’ve done a whole video on my five tips for perfect AI images for 3D if you want to go deeper.
In Hi3D, go to 3D Generation and drop your image into the middle. Your settings are on the left. For this one I used a front view of a male druid, the partner to the female druid I printed big.
One thing to understand: from a single image, the AI can’t see the back or the sides. Nobody can. It’s estimating what’s behind, and it does a pretty good job. If you need control over the back, say a pattern or an emblem on a cloak, switch on multi-view and add front, left, rear and right images. You don’t need all four, but the more you give it, the more it can lock in the details you want.
Step 2: The settings I use
| Setting | Options | What I picked and why |
|---|---|---|
| Model | V3 (ultimate detail, 65 credits), 2.1 (ultra fast, 25 credits), 2 and 1.5 | V3 for the final. Use 2.1 for quick drafts, then bump the one you like up to V3. |
| Model type | Quality (single subjects, intricate objects, sculptures) or Master (complex scenes, dioramas) | Quality, because a miniature is a single sculpture. |
| Generation type | Geometry, or geometry plus texture | Geometry alone is quicker (it estimated about 4 minutes) and is all a resin print needs. I added texture to see how well it came through. |
| Advanced settings | Repair, UV unwrap, shading intensity, PBR, face count | Off. The repair tool isn’t the best, so I’d run my slicer’s repair anyway. |
Credit costs are what Hi3D showed at the time of the video. Hover over any of the little question marks in Hi3D for a description of each setting.
Step 3: Generate and check the model
Hit Generate. How long it takes depends on the queue and the options you picked. When it’s done, spin it around: on mine the patterning on the back is a little randomised, but the leaf work on the shoulders, the belt ornaments, the satchel, the staff and the base all came out really detailed. Eyes are usually where AI models go weird, and the face on this one looks good.
Below the viewer you can switch between white diffuse (no texture), the rendered result, albedo, and normals, which is the one to check your curvature and spot errors. If you don’t like the result, there are some free retries that don’t use your credits.
Step 4: Export the STL
Click Download and pick the format: GLB, OBJ, STL and more. Save it as a single file, or as separate parts if you’ve used split to print to cut a large model into pieces for a smaller printer. For a resin print I’d go STL, download it, and send it to your slicer, where I run my own repair before printing.
Want to try it? Here’s Hi3D. Hi3D’s promos change all the time, so I keep the current one in the video’s description.
Affiliate link: if you buy through it I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
My take
Even printed very small or super large, the detail comes through, and that’s down to the V3 model. The way I see it, this is the floor of where AI 3D is at the moment, and it only goes up from here.
Want a model like this printed, small or big, without doing it yourself?