If you want to convert 2D images into 3D without putting in a lot of effort, dozens of tools are available on the internet for free. Most of them add the binocular disparity depth cue to digital pictures to give the brain a 3D illusion.
We’ve listed some of the best tools that can help you transform your pictures into 3D almost instantly. Since we have kept our focus on lightweight applications, the accuracy and details of the resulting image might not be perfect.
The items in the list are arranged in no particular order, and you won’t find any advanced software like 3dsMax or Photoshop.
Table of Contents
19. LeiaPix Converter
Platform: Web-based
LeiaPix is designed to convert 2D images into compelling 3D representations. It aims to redefine the way we perceive and interact with photos by introducing depth and motion to static pictures.
It employs an advanced AI-generated depth map to transform ordinary images into dynamic visual narratives. The depth map allows you to fine-tune your 3D animations, enhancing the realism and depth of converted images.
Pros
- Extremely easy to use
- Adds depth and motion to static pictures
- Produces high-quality 3D images within seconds
Cons
- Highly detailed images may not convert as effectively
LeiaPix gives you options to export images in different formats, including Leia Image Format, Depth Map, Side-by-Side 3D, and MP4. As for pricing, all export options are free, with the exception of MP4 file exports, for which a fee of 20 credits is applicable.
18. ConvertImage
Platform: Web-based
ConvertImage allows you to create a stereoscopic image online instantly. You don’t need to worry about the details or provide any technical parameters; just upload the picture (it supports all popular image formats), and you’re done.
Pros
- Produces quality stereoscopic image
- Extremely easy to use
- Supports all popular image formats
- All images are deleted from the server 15 minutes after processing
Cons
- Doesn’t work perfectly on images with lots of details or text
The tool turns your images into 3D anaglyph stereograms that give you the illusion of depth. To see these stereoscopic pictures, you can use any conventional pair of two-tone glasses.
17. 3D Text Creation Tool by Sculpteo
Platform: Web-based
Sculpteo has created a simple web-based tool that allows you to craft stunning 3D typography in just a few clicks. It is suitable for various purposes, whether you are designing a 3D text logo for your business or exploring artistic endeavors.
Just write the text, select a font (or upload your own preferred font), and customize it using the options available (such as background and depth thickness). This tool offers you three creative modes:
- Extruded text — adjust the thickness of the 3D letters
- Inverse extruded text — modify the background thickness
- Engraved text — customize both the background and text thicknesses
Pros
- Quick and easy to use
- Offers different creative modes and font options
- Change thickness and background color
- Seamlessly integrates with a 3D printing service
Cons
- Font limitations
- Lacks advanced features found in professional 3D tools
Once your 3D text is complete, you have the option to bring it to life through the Sculpteo 3D printing service. However, this service comes with associated costs, which can vary based on the chosen materials and options.
16. 3D Shade
Platform: Windows
3D Shade helps you transform ordinary pictures into quasi-3D renderings. It uses unique algorithms to calculate color intensities in the image and create false height relief with an accurate perspective.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy-to-use application
- Plenty of options to edit images before processing
- Supports full-screen window for an unobstructed view
Cons
- Doesn’t support PNG files
- Sometimes, it only renders a portion of the original file
The application comes with a simple interface that contains enough information to tell you how to generate 3D pictures. However, it only works with BMP and JPG image formats.
15. MakeSweet Logo
Platform: Web-based
If you are looking for the easiest way to make 3D logos, this is the perfect tool. MakeSweet logo allows you to customize the color, shading, and view of your creation.
Pros
- Perfect for making 3D logos
- Fast and accurate
- Can convert 2D text to 3D pretty well
Cons
- Only works with black-and-white images less than 1 MB in size
Since it’s a lightweight, browser-based tool, it works with only black-and-white images and supports PNG and JPEG formats. For best results, try to keep the image dimension less than 1000×1000.
14. Clip Studio Paint
Platform: Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
Clip Studio Paint is a sophisticated graphics software that offers specialized features for drawing cartoons and comics. It lets you make full-color comics in 3D and convert ‘tone’ and ‘outline’ into a separate layer by executing “LT conversion of layer.”
Pros
- Works great on animation and character art
- Import 3D data made with other software
- Comes with an instruction manual and tool settings guide
Cons
- Limited functions are available in the free trial
The tool makes it easy to change tone settings, add corrections to drawing lines, and modify several components to enhance the quality. Thousands of materials are available via Clip Studio Assets, which you can use without paying any additional price.
13. Image to Lithophane
Platform: Web-based
A lithophane is a photo ‘carved’ into thin translucent porcelain (ceramic material), whereby a backlight reveals the contents. Although lithophanes haven’t always been 3D printed, humans have been using them since the 1800s.
Pros
- The tool works offline
- Offers image, model, and cache settings
- Use the generated models for commercial projects
Cons
- Cannot preserve fine details in the picture
This tool allows you to convert any image into a lithophane. You can choose from six different shapes and views (zoom and rotate in any direction) of the model before downloading the final STL file.
12. Tinkercad
Platform: Web-based
Tinkercad is an online 3D design and modeling tool designed for beginners. It allows you to import 2D photos and convert them to 3D within a few clicks. It offers simple drag-drop functionality and is suitable for basic 3D modeling tasks.
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Built-in library of pre-designed objects and shapes
- Exports design in compatible file formats for printing
Cons
- Not suitable for complex designs
- Doesn’t offer realistic material representations or advanced visualizations
DA_BRINK’s Driving Classic Mustang design is a great example of not only what you can create with Tinkercad Codeblocks, but how you can add a little fun animation as well. ️ https://t.co/Vnf7EuBsrk#MadeWithTinkercad #TinkercadCodeblocks #BlockCode pic.twitter.com/NmOdaxOhbW
— Tinkercad (@tinkercad) October 13, 2023
While it may have some shortcomings, it serves as a quick platform for students and educators who want to explore the world of 3D design.
11. ZW3D
Platform: Windows
ZW3D is a CAD-CAM application for 3D modeling, machining, and mold design. It is specially designed for mechanical engineers to help them optimize their design workflow in Microsoft interface and create efficient models in both 2D and 3D.
Pros
- Features intelligent design tools
- Contains more than 80 default post-processors
- Specialized Tools for Mold Design
- Available for both 32-bit and 64-bit system
Cons
- Expensive
- Not available for Mac users
This lightweight tool allows you to load BIG models without losing performance. It comes with a new set of algorithms that drive faster panning, rotating, and zooming of your design.
Furthermore, the application demonstrates impressive speed compared to its counterparts. For instance, the process of patterning 4,480 shapes with 98,560 faces can be completed in just one minute.
10. Embossify
Platform: Web-based
Embossify is an online design utility service to transform images (jpeg format) into 3D STL (Stereolithography) files suitable for 3D printing or CNC routing. It tessellates the image file pixel-by-pixel until it generates a complete topographic model of the image brightness.
Pros
- Options to specify target width and depth (in millimeters)
- Creates a perfectly enclosed tessellation of rendered 3D mesh
- Low-resolution renderings are available free of cost
Cons
- Only supports JPEG images
This tool provides free low-resolution renderings with 108,000 facets. If you require high-resolution rendering for multiple images, they offer cost-effective pricing options.
9. Reliefmod
Platform: Web-based
Reliefmod offers an effortless way to create a 3D model from a 2D picture. It’s very similar to Bas Relief, one of the ancient sculpting methods that involve carving out the voids of a picture from a flat surface, leaving behind the artwork that seems to be raised above a solid background.
Pros
- Fast and easy to use
- Offers two modes: Monochrome and colored
- Users can specify denoise and smoothness factor
Cons
- Dosen’t work well with low-quality pictures
All you need to do is upload an image with minimal shadows and adjust a few parameters like direction, quality, denoise, and smoothness factor.
Once you are satisfied with the appearance of your model, you can turn it into a real object using their manufacturing service. If you choose to proceed, you will get plenty of options to customize the material, color, and size of the 3D model.
8. Smoothie 3D
Platform: Web-based
Smoothie makes 3D printing an image as easy as possible. It uses a single photo to generate an online digital model that resembles what you get after scanning or photogrammetry. You have to do a bit of drawing to transform certain parts of the image into textured 3D models.
Pros
- Symmetry management system
- Users can subdivide and smooth models
- Exports models to STL, OBJ, VRML
Cons
- Users need to register to use it
- Import could fail if the size of the image is too large
Nonetheless, this tool may not be particularly useful for creating highly detailed, asymmetric models. While it doesn’t require any plugins, it’s important to be aware that it might exhibit slower performance on older computer systems.
7. SculptGL
Platform: Web-based
If you want to get a better experience of the 3D sculpting workflow and level up, you should definitely try SculptGL. Despite being a browser-based application, it has hundreds of options to get your feet wet in 3D sculpting.
Pros
- Perfect for beginners
- Plenty of options for rendering, topology, sculpting, and painting
- View the complete history of your actions
- Export files as STL, OBJ, PLY, and SGL
Cons
- Not available for Mac users
My recommendation is to avoid creating a high-resolution mesh right from the beginning; instead, build up detail levels step-by-step. Start with broad brushes to define the silhouette (heads, arms), then switch to large details (fingers) using smaller brushes.
Once you get a good grasp of this, you can add tiny and complex details like scars and wrinkles using finer brushes.
6. 3D Face Reconstruction
Platform: Web-based
In 2017, British researchers revealed an interesting AI-powered tool that turns your face into a 3D model. The AI tool extrapolates a face from one image by feeding it multiple pictures and corresponding 3D models.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Set (depth) z-axis
- Works well with low-quality images
Cons
- Processed image doesn’t look realistic
To develop this, researchers used a simple convolutional neural network that performs direct regression of a volumetric representation of the 3D facial geometry from a single 2D image. If you’re interested in knowing how this whole system works, you can read this paper.
5. ItsLitho
Platform: Web-based
ItsLitho allows you to convert your images into 3D model lithophanes. It is accompanied by an image editor, which plays a crucial role in distinguishing between a good lithophane and an exceptional one.
Using its model creator, you can design 3D model lithophanes in many different ways. Create a shape (or pick from existing ones like spheres, pumpkins, vases, or lamps), add a frame or border, add attributes, and apply filters to give your model a unique look.
Pros
- Fast and intuitive
- Various shapes and frame options
- Realistic model preview
Cons
- Projects can only be exported as STL files
The platform gives you multiple environment options to preview your project. Try out different light colors and material colors to get a fast glimpse of how your lithophane will look after it is printed.
4. Insight3d
Platform: Windows and Linux
With Insight3D, you can create a 3D model from a series of real scene images. It not only measures the spatial positions but also captures the optical parameters of the camera, in addition to creating a 3D point cloud of the scene. Then, it produces a textured polygonal model, providing a comprehensive 3D representation.
Pros
- Generates a textured polygonal model from a series of images
- Helps you work on complex objects
- Export 3D models into several different formats, including VRML
Cons
- Doesn’t work with blurry photos or photos of blank walls
This tool won’t let you create a 3D object from scratch but will help you work on more complex models, making it easier and simpler. All you will need is a decent camera. And since it’s old software, it is unlikely to work on a large number of high-resolution pictures.
3. 3D-Tool
Platform: Windows and Linux
3D-tools helps you analyze complex 3D models without CAD knowledge. It is packed with multiple tools for evaluating designs, including analyses for toolmaking and extensive measuring functions.
Pros
- Provides practical tools for the evaluation of 3D designs
- Merge multiple 3D models and 2D drawings
- Both Viewer and Interfaces support 32bit and 64bit
- Combine Custom Views with animations
- Export animations as AVI video
Cons
- Not available for Mac users
At the push of a button, the tool displays dimensions, surface areas, and volume for each individual part of a model. It can calculate the angle, radius, distance, wall thickness, and clearance – all in three-dimensional space. However, if you are loading a large or complex file, it could take a while.
2. Selva 3D
Platform: Web-based
Selva3D is accessible online to generate 3D files directly from images. You can upload any image or logo (including gif format), and it will transform your input into a flat 3D file.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Provides two types of transformation: Text and Photograph
- Users can adjust the thickness and brightness of the model
Cons
- Users need to register to use it
If you’re working on a complicated design, using a high-resolution image is better. In this context, darker colors are typically mapped to black, while lighter colors correspond to white. You can change this setting via a ‘threshold’ controller, which allows you to experiment with the details of your project.
Read: The 14 Best 3D Printing Software
1. Vectary
Platform: Web-based
This browser-based CAD software is definitely worth your attention. Vectary is known for its innovative user interface and approach to collaboration. It comes with a library containing everything you need to create an eye-catching visual.
Pros
- Users can start with high-quality pre-rendered scenes
- There are tons of realistic and fully textured materials to choose from
- View your design in Augmented Reality
Cons
- Documentation is not easy to follow
- Doesn’t work well on Safari
One platform to create, manage, and share. #3D #Collaboration pic.twitter.com/qxrUPPVbCc
— VECTARY (@vectary) August 3, 2023
All designs are created in a 3D viewport where you can either jump straight into your design by using pre-designed mockups or build everything from scratch. The tool provides enough light to make shadows that give each object its unique depth.
And, of course, you can import or export models from popular services like Sketchfab, Thingiverse, or Google Poly.
Read: 18 Best Photoshop Alternatives (both free and premium)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 3D modeling hard?
While 3D modeling is relatively easy to learn with enough time, it can be difficult to perfect. It requires knowledge of modeling software, plugins, scripting, as well as mathematics.
Although 3D modeling is a competitive field, it’s a great career path for people who enjoy combining arts and creative ideas with the latest technologies.
Is 2D to 3D conversion the same as 3D modeling?
No. 2D to 3D conversion and 3D modeling are different processes.
| 2D to 3D Conversion | 3D Modeling |
| Involves adding depth and dimension to existing 2D images | Involves the creation of 3D objects and scenes from scratch. |
| Typically less complex as it enhances existing content | Can be highly detailed and intricate |
| Accessible to artists and designers with varying skill levels | Demands a higher level of proficiency and understanding of 3D geometry |
| Used for transforming 2D paintings into 3D sculptures, adding depth to 2D game assets, and improving 2D sketches for 3D printing | Prevalent in industries such as game development, architecture, and product design |
What are the common file formats for 3D printing?
There are more than 25 file formats for 3D printing. The most common ones are:
- STL (Standard Triangle Language) describes only the surface geometry of a 3D object without representing its color texture or other typical CAD model attributes
- OBJ (Wavefront Object) can encode smoother surfaces with fewer tiles by using polygons like quadrilaterals or hexagons.
- AMF (Additive Manufacturing File format) has native support for materials, color, lattices, and other metadata.
- 3MF (3D Manufacturing Format) incorporates all relevant model features as well as security and encryption for parts of 3D models.
Read: 44 Best Websites to Download Free STL Files for 3D Printing
What are the best 3D modeling tools for beginners?
If you are a beginner, you can start with:
- Blender supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline, from animation and simulation to compositing and motion tracking.
- Daz Studio is a 3D scene creation and rendering software used to develop detailed images and videos.
- SketchUp is one of the simplest 3D modeling tools on the web that allows you to visualize ideas before turning them into real projects.
- Wings3D can be used to model and texture polygon models.
The best thing about these tools is that they all have free versions as good as paid modeling programs.
Different Types of 2D to 3D Conversion Tools
2D to 3D converter tools come in various forms, catering to different skill levels and purposes. These include
- Professional software tools like Adobe Photoshop and Maya
- User-friendly online converters like Vectary and SculptGL
- Open-source tools like FreeCAD and GIMP
- Mobile applications such as Easy 3D Scan and 3D Creator
- Niche tools DepthAI and Sculptris
Very helpful knowledge for converting 2D into 3D images or models.
OmniVirt’s 3D photo tool is also an easy way to turn your 2D images into 3D pictures! It takes 5 seconds and you’ll be able to download the creation for free to post to Facebook. Love this tool!
It used to be but now they are only entertaining corporates. Individuals cannot even access to membership.
Hi I’m looking for software to easily convert 2D Images to 3D ones without the need for any special glasses to view them being required. Thanks.
Another option is Atomic Compiler (atomiccompiler.com). Slightly less user friendly but more flexible. There is a blog post on specifically this topic.
How could you make this list and not mention meshroom? baffling.
hi, with this comment, you saved a life! just know it;)
I have bneen trying now for a full day to register to use Selva 3D and get now reaction or confirmation email from their website.
The contact email address also contains a domain that is for sale.
I think the platform has stopped functioning.
This is a fantastic list! I went out and purchased an extra tool. It has been downloaded, and I am considering purchasing one from this site.
shame their isnt a link for the 3D Face Reconstruction
This is an interesting list of tools that can help me convert my 2D images into 3D ones, which could come in handy for various projects and presentations. Thanks for sharing!