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ahujasid/camera-to-blender

Photograph a real object with your phone and get a generated 3D model imported straight into Blender.

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What is it?

Camera to 3D is a pipeline that turns a phone photo of a real object into a 3D model inside Blender. The photo is optionally cleaned up by removing its background, sent to the Tripo3D API to generate the model, and then relayed over a WebSocket connection to a Blender add-on that imports it automatically.

The system has two parts. A Python FastAPI server runs on the computer where Blender is open and handles the API calls and relaying. A mobile-friendly web app provides the camera interface. Because phone browsers require HTTPS for camera access, the setup uses ngrok to expose the local server, and the same URL is pasted into the Blender add-on's WS Import panel.

A Tripo3D API key is required for model generation. A Gemini API key is optional; if left empty, the photo is used without background removal. A laptop webcam can be used instead of a phone by running the server locally without ngrok.

Key features

  • 01Captures photos from a phone browser or laptop webcam.
  • 02Optionally removes the photo background using the Gemini API.
  • 03Generates 3D models through the Tripo3D API.
  • 04Imports finished models into Blender automatically via a WebSocket add-on.
  • 05Includes an ngrok setup path for phone access over HTTPS.

Use cases

  • Scanning everyday objects into Blender as reference or starting meshes.
  • Quickly bringing real-world props into a 3D scene for previsualization.
  • Prototyping 3D assets without manual modeling.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Python dependencies

    pip install -r requirements.txt
  2. 2

    Start the relay server

    uvicorn relay_server:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
  3. 3

    In a second terminal, expose the server over HTTPS with ngrok

    ngrok http 8000
  4. 4

    Install the WS Import add-on in Blender and connect it to your ngrok URL

Things to know

  • Requires a Tripo3D API key to generate the 3D models.
  • Phone use requires ngrok, since phone cameras need HTTPS.
  • Free ngrok URLs change on every restart, so Blender must be reconnected each time.

In collections

Computer vision libraries & tools

Topics

#blender#3d-modeling#photogrammetry#image-to-3d#computer-vision#websocket

FAQ

What is camera-to-blender?
Photograph a real object with your phone and get a generated 3D model imported straight into Blender. Camera to 3D is a pipeline that turns a phone photo of a real object into a 3D model inside Blender. The photo is optionally cleaned up by removing its background, sent to the Tripo3D API to generate the model, and then relayed over a WebSocket connection to a Blender add-on that imports it automatically.
Is camera-to-blender free to use? What license does it have?
camera-to-blender is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is camera-to-blender still maintained?
Updated within 6 months. The last commit to camera-to-blender was on Sep 5, 2026.
What can I use camera-to-blender for?
Scanning everyday objects into Blender as reference or starting meshes. Quickly bringing real-world props into a 3D scene for previsualization. Prototyping 3D assets without manual modeling.
How do I install camera-to-blender?
Install Python dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt Start the relay server: uvicorn relay_server:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000 In a second terminal, expose the server over HTTPS with ngrok: ngrok http 8000 Install the WS Import add-on in Blender and connect it to your ngrok URL
Where can I get camera-to-blender?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/ahujasid/camera-to-blender

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