Modly: Turn Any Photo Into a 3D Model With Local AI

The image-to-3D space has been dominated by cloud services charging per generation. Modly flips that model: a desktop app that runs AI 3D generation entirely on your local GPU. No API keys. No subscriptions. No uploads to third-party servers.

What It Does

Drop in a photo, get a 3D mesh. Modly uses open-source models like Hunyuan3D 2, TripoSG, and Trellis2 to generate geometry from single images. The entire pipeline runs locally on Windows, Linux, or Apple Silicon macOS.

The app includes:

• Visual workflow editor — Connect nodes to build custom generation pipelines
• Multiple model support — Install different models via GitHub extensions
• Mesh post-processing — Smooth and decimate generated meshes in-app
• CLI for automation — Script batch generation without touching the UI
• Live RAM monitoring — See GPU memory usage in real-time

Supported Models

Modly uses an extension system. Each model is a separate GitHub repo you can install directly from the app:

Model	Extension
Hunyuan3D 2 Mini	modly-hunyuan3d-mini-extension
Hunyuan3D 2 Mini Turbo	modly-hunyuan3d-mini-turbo-extension
Hunyuan3D 2 Mini Fast	modly-hunyuan3d-mini-fast-extension
TripoSG	modly-triposg-extension
Trellis2 GGUF	modly-trellis2-gguf-extension

This means you’re not locked into one model—as new open-source 3D models drop, the community can package them as extensions.

CLI for Agents and Scripts

Modly exposes a Python CLI that lets you automate generation without the GUI:

# Check if Modly is running
python tools/modly-cli/agent.py health

# List available models
python tools/modly-cli/agent.py model list

# Generate a 3D model from an image
python tools/modly-cli/agent.py generate --image ./input.png --output ./export.glb

The CLI returns machine-readable JSON, making it easy to integrate into pipelines or let AI agents drive 3D generation programmatically.

Who This Is For

• Game developers needing quick asset prototypes
• 3D artists wanting to speed up modeling workflows
• Hobbyists who don’t want to pay per-generation cloud fees
• Privacy-conscious users who won’t upload images to third-party services
• Developers building tools that need programmatic 3D generation

Requirements

You’ll need a GPU with enough VRAM to run the models (8GB+ recommended for the Mini variants). The app handles model downloads and environment setup automatically.

Install

Download installers from the Releases page, or run directly from source:

# Windows
launch.bat

# Linux / macOS
./launch.sh

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GitHub: lightningpixel/modly
Discord: Join the community
License: MIT

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Modly really free?

Yes. Modly is 100% free and open source under the MIT license. There are no subscriptions, no per-generation fees, and no cloud API costs. You run the AI models locally on your own GPU, so the only cost is your electricity.

What GPU do I need to run Modly?

You need a GPU with at least 8GB VRAM for the Mini model variants. Larger models may require 12GB+ VRAM. The app supports NVIDIA GPUs on Windows/Linux and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) on macOS. AMD GPU support on Windows/Linux varies by model.

Does Modly upload my images to the cloud?

No. All processing happens locally on your machine. Your images never leave your computer. This makes Modly suitable for proprietary or sensitive content where cloud uploads aren’t acceptable.

What 3D file formats does Modly export?

Modly exports to GLB (binary glTF), which is widely supported by game engines, 3D software, and web viewers. The format includes geometry and can be further processed in tools like Blender.

How does Modly compare to cloud services like Meshy or Tripo?

Cloud services offer convenience and often higher-quality results from proprietary models, but charge per generation ($0.10-$1+ each). Modly is free but requires a capable GPU and runs open-source models. Quality depends on which model extension you use—Hunyuan3D 2 results are competitive with many cloud offerings.

Can I use Modly for commercial projects?

Yes. Modly itself is MIT licensed. However, check the license of each model extension you use—most open-source 3D models (Hunyuan3D, TripoSG) permit commercial use, but verify before shipping.

Does Modly work on macOS Intel?

No. macOS support is Apple Silicon only (M1, M2, M3, M4 chips). Intel Macs are not supported due to the GPU compute requirements.

Can I automate Modly for batch processing?

Yes. Modly includes a Python CLI (tools/modly-cli/agent.py) that exposes all generation functions with JSON output. You can script batch jobs, integrate with CI/CD pipelines, or let AI agents drive 3D generation programmatically.