Shap-E is an open-source project that generates 3D objects from text or image inputs, offering a novel approach to 3D content creation for researchers and developers in AI and computer graphics. It enables rapid prototyping and exploration of 3D asset generation.

How It Works

Shap-E represents 3D objects using implicit functions, which are then rendered into textured meshes. This approach allows for efficient generation and manipulation of complex 3D shapes, outperforming previous methods in terms of speed and quality by encoding 3D assets into a compact latent space.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install with pip install -e ..
• Requires Blender version 3.3.1 or higher for certain encoding functionalities, with the BLENDER_PATH environment variable set.
• Example notebooks for text-to-3D and image-to-3D generation are provided.

Highlighted Details

• Generates 3D objects conditioned on text prompts (e.g., "a chair that looks like an avocado").
• Supports image-to-3D generation from synthetic views.
• Includes functionality to encode existing 3D models or point clouds into its latent space.

Maintenance & Community

This is an official release from OpenAI. Further community engagement details are not provided in the README.

Licensing & Compatibility

The repository is released under the MIT License, permitting commercial use and integration with closed-source projects.

Limitations & Caveats

The README focuses on core functionality and examples; detailed performance benchmarks or limitations are not extensively documented. The image-to-3D functionality suggests background removal for optimal results.