I’m trying a new and quite different AI generative tool, Prompt2CAD.
Most of these tools are quite generic: type in a prompt describing, well, anything, and you get a result. Typically, these tools first generate a 2D image of the proposed shape, and then, after approval, generate a 3D version of it. You typically end up with a mesh file only.
Prompt2CAD differs in several ways.
First, it’s not a generic tool. Instead, it is specifically designed to generate furniture. I take it that the developers must have trained their AI on furniture shapes, and this would certainly refine its results — but only for furniture designs.
Second, it doesn’t just output a mesh file. Instead, you can obtain a full CAD file in STEP format. This can then be imported into most CAD tools for sensible tweaking.
I launched the web-based tool and gave it a try. My first prompt seemed simple enough:
“A modern take on a Star Trek-level command chair, swivel and equipped with an embedded control panel.”
I was expecting to see a fancy chair design. Instead, I got the simple chair shown at top.
It is indeed a swivel chair, but it is nothing at all like the Star Trek command chair I envisioned. In fact, it doesn’t even have armrests, nor the control panel I requested. It’s made of only five simple primitives. You do get some parameters to tweak, and in this case, they were for seat rotation (not useful), armrest height (no armrests), or glow intensity (not useful).
The STEP export definitely worked, however, as I was easily able to import the design into Fusion, as you can see here.
I then thought perhaps an image to guide the design would be helpful. I found an image of a Star Trek “captain’s chair” online, and I threw it in to see what might happen. Prompt2CAD devised this scenario:
“This modern command chair is a sculptural centerpiece for a starship bridge, featuring a high-gloss white composite shell and deep-contoured dark upholstery.
The design features:
Z-Frame Pedestal: A heavy-duty, forward-leaning base with a 360° swivel bearing.
Embedded HUD Controls: Dual control consoles integrated into the armrests with glowing cyan touch interfaces.
Parametric Adjustability: Fully functional rotation and adjustable armrest height.
Aero-Wings: Iconic “flair” panels flanking the headrest for a high-performance sci-fi silhouette.
Layered Ergonomics: A three-part padding system for the seat and backrest, optimized for long shifts on the bridge.”
And this is the 3D result:
It’s not a chair at all, just a jumble of semi-related primitives approximating the description. Several pieces are not connected to the chair and float nearby.
My conclusion is that Prompt2CAD seems to have the file management correct: they can deliver STEP files that are accurate. However, the AI generation is clearly not ready for anything even semi-complicated.
You can give Prompt2CAD a try at no charge. While they normally charge you US$10 per month for access, new signups get 100 free credits. It’s not clear how these are consumed, but in my chair testing I used about half of the 100.
I’m hoping that Prompt2CAD can improve their AI models to generate better results, because this is the type of solution most desirable to the 3D print community: text to CAD.
Via Prompt2CAD
