You can generate 3D models in Runway with Tripo H3.1, or upload your own .glb files. Once a model is in your assets, you can view it from any angle and snap an image of it to use as a reference.

Generating a 3D model with Tripo H3.1

Tripo H3.1 generates a textured 3D model from a text prompt or photos. The result is a .glb you can download, or use in Runway the same way as an uploaded model. Tripo H3.1 is a third-party model from Tripo, available in Tool mode.

Spec information

Credit cost

Each generation costs 10 to 50 credits, depending on the geometry quality and texture settings you choose.

Generating a model

1. Select Tool in the left sidebar
2. At the top of the panel, select 3D. Tripo H3.1 is selected as the model
3. Describe the object you want in the prompt box, or select Reference to add photos of it
4. Choose Standard or Detailed geometry from the dropdown next to Advanced settings
5. Select Advanced settings if you want to change textures or other options
6. Select Generate

Generation takes a few minutes. The finished model appears in your session with a 3D tag and is saved to your assets.

Getting a good model

• From photos — shoot the object from several sides, such as front, left, back and right, and keep everything else out of frame. Tripo pieces the model together from what it sees in each photo, so a hand holding the object or another item beside it can end up in the mesh
• From a prompt — be specific about shape, materials, colors and proportions. A longer, more detailed prompt gives Tripo more to work with than a few words
• Standard or Detailed — Detailed adds finer surface detail such as hair, fur and fabric texture, and costs more. For simple hard-surface objects, Standard is usually enough

Advanced settings

The defaults produce a textured model with standard-quality textures. Change them when you need something specific:

• Textures — turn off to generate geometry only, which costs fewer credits
• PBR materials — turn off if you don't need material maps that respond to lighting
• Texture quality — choose Detailed for finer surface detail at a higher credit cost
• Negative prompt — describe what to avoid, up to 255 characters
• Face limit — cap the number of faces (polygons) in the model when you need a lighter file. Leave it on Automatic otherwise
• Seeds — turn on Fixed model seed, Fixed image seed or Fixed texture seed to repeat a result while you change one thing
• Automatic size — turn on to let Tripo set the model's scale

Uploading a 3D model

Models you already have work the same way as generated ones once they're in your assets. Export the model as a single .glb file with its textures embedded. If your 3D software saves another format, such as .obj, .fbx or .usdz, export to .glb first. Rigged and animated models won't upload, so for a rigged character export a static .glb for each pose you need.

1. Navigate to Assets
2. Select Upload and choose your .glb file, or drag the file into the window
3. Select the model to open it in the 3D viewer

You can also drag a .glb file straight onto a reference or frame slot in Tool mode, or upload one from the 3D Model node in Workflows. To find your 3D files later, select the 3D model filter in the asset list. They are labelled Mesh. See Supported file types for every format Runway accepts.

Viewing and downloading a 3D model

Open a 3D asset and select 3D in the bottom right to switch from the preview image to the interactive viewer. Select Image to switch back.

• Drag to rotate the model and scroll to zoom
• Use the toolbar at the top of the viewer to jump to a standard angle: Front, Left, Right, Back, Top or Bottom. Reset view returns to the starting angle

Select Download to save the .glb file for use in other 3D software. For a generated model, Reuse prompt and settings starts a new generation with the same prompt and settings.

Making a reference image from a 3D model

In Tool mode, add a 3D model wherever you’d add a reference image. Turn the model to the angle you want and snap an image of it. That image goes in the reference slot, and the generation uses it like any other reference.

1. In Tool mode, select Image or Video and choose the model you want to generate with
2. Select the Reference slot for images, or the first frame slot for video
3. In the asset list, select the 3D model filter and double-click your model, or drag a .glb file onto the list
4. Hover over the reference thumbnail and select Select view (the cube icon)
5. Choose a view: Default, 3/4, Front, Left, Right, Back, Top or Bottom
6. For an exact angle, drag the model into position, scroll to zoom and select Capture current view. The capture is added as a Custom view
7. Write your prompt and generate as usual

Captured views are also saved as images in the same folder as the model, so you can reuse them in other generations and Workflows.

The rendered view carries the object's shape, proportions and angle, not its lighting. Describe the lighting in your prompt or add a style reference so the result doesn't look like a plain render. For a product that has to stay consistent across a campaign, save the model and a few captured views as saved references and reuse them in every session.

Using 3D models in Workflows

To render the same model in a repeatable pipeline, use the two 3D nodes in Workflows, listed under 3D when you add a node. The 3D Model node holds an uploaded or generated .glb file. The 3D Turnaround node renders it into seven images (Default, Front, Left, Right, Back, Top and Bottom). Those images connect to other nodes the same way any image does; the .glb only connects to the 3D Turnaround node. See Using 3D nodes in Workflows for setup and limits.

FAQ