You can invent a 3D object before you have anything to photograph. The free text to 3D tool on CanvaPro turns a written description into a mesh you can preview in the browser and download as a GLB. There is no photo to upload, no account to create, and the usual file does not pick up a watermark from the page.
The prompt box allows up to 1,024 characters, with a live counter. Example chips can fill a starting line: Tabby cat, Stone pillar, Robot arm, Treasure chest, or Racing car. You then choose a 3D model type: Normal (textured + PBR), which is selected by default, or Geometry only. A checkbox labelled Enable PBR material (roughness / metalness) is on by default with Normal. Complete the security check and click Generate 3D from Text. Most prompts finish in a few minutes. Preview the mesh in-page, then download the GLB for Blender, Unity, Unreal, or the web.
Normal versus Geometry only
Normal keeps a textured mesh, with optional PBR roughness and metalness, so the object can look closer to a rendered asset. Geometry only is the untextured shape, which is often enough for blocking and silhouette tests. Pick the type before you generate. NSFW content is not supported.
How to generate a model, step by step
- Write a prompt that names the object, its materials, and a simple style, in 1,024 characters or less. One object is easier than a crowded scene.
- Choose Normal or Geometry only, and leave Enable PBR checked if you want those material channels on a Normal model.
- Complete the security check and click Generate 3D from Text once. Leave the tab open while the job runs.
- Orbit the preview and download the GLB if the shape and materials are useful. Keep a note of the prompt and type.
Prompts that build a usable mesh
Specific objects hold up better than vague adjectives. “A wooden treasure chest with gold metal accents, game asset” gives the model more to lock onto than “cool 3D thing.” Creators use this for concept props, students use it for objects they can orbit, and teams use it to block an idea before a real model is built. Treat the result as a generated draft, not a measured scan.
Name the object, the size, and the style, then generate once; if you retry, go back to the text-to-3D generator with a tighter sentence rather than a broken mesh.
If the mesh misses the brief
Simplify the prompt, confirm you stayed under 1,024 characters, and try the other model type. A busy queue can add a few minutes. If you already have a photograph of the object and you only need a geometry mesh, switch to the image to 3D tool, which converts a JPG, PNG, or WEBP up to 6 MB with Hi3DGen (geometry only).
Prompts and jobs travel over HTTPS. Requests are handled to complete generation and are not sold.
Open a GLB that did download in the 3D file viewer before you rewrite the whole prompt.
After you download the GLB
Open it in your viewer and check several angles, including the back and underside. If a material looks wrong, generate a new Normal pass from a tighter prompt rather than painting over a weak first mesh unless you plan to retopologize anyway. Save the file with the prompt and date so you can refine it later.
Open the file locally with the steps to view a GLB or GLTF file in your browser and check the silhouette before you share it.
From a sentence to a mesh you can open
The example chips are there to show the kind of prompt that works: a tabby cat, a stone pillar, a robot arm, a treasure chest, a racing car. You can start from one of those lines and then change materials, style, or level of detail. “Low-poly game asset, clean topology” and “photorealistic studio lighting” point the model in different directions, so pick one primary style rather than mixing both in the same sentence.
Normal with PBR enabled is the usual choice when you want the download to look like an object, not just a sculpture in clay. Geometry only is useful when you already have a material workflow and you just need the shape. If a Normal result looks shiny in the wrong places, try a new prompt that names matte wood, fabric, or painted metal more clearly, rather than turning PBR off unless you truly want a simpler mesh.
Keep prompts within the 1,024 character limit, and avoid packing several unrelated objects into one request. One chest, one car, or one pillar will almost always preview more cleanly than a whole room of props generated at once.
If you have a photo of the object already, turn the photo into a 3D model usually respects the real shape more closely than a text prompt.
A short checklist
- Describe one object in 1,024 characters or less, or start from an example chip.
- Choose Normal (textured + PBR) or Geometry only before you generate.
- Click Generate 3D from Text once and wait a few minutes for the preview.
- Download the GLB if the mesh is useful, and keep a note of the prompt.
When you are ready, write a single concrete object, pick a model type, and save the GLB only after you have orbited the preview. One clear draft is easier to take into an engine than several conflicting prompts.