Sketch to AI Render Tools (That Actually Work)

In this informative video, the host of Architecture for Thought introduces viewers to two innovative AI-powered programs that can transform hand sketches into photorealistic renderings. The video begins with a time-lapse demonstration of digital sketching using Tayasui Sketches, an app favored for its user-friendly tools and layering capabilities. The primary focus then shifts to two platforms: PromeAI and MNML-AI, both tailored for architects and designers. PromeAI, with its Sketch Rendering tool, offers a range of styles and material options, allowing users to input prompts and generate detailed architectural images. The tool's ability to maintain the original sketch's geometry while providing photorealistic enhancements is particularly impressive. MNML-AI also impresses with its Sketch Image generator, providing a balance between user control and AI creativity. The host emphasizes the importance of user control for architects and designers to integrate these tools into their workflows effectively. The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to explore and share their creations, showcasing the potential of AI in architectural design.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Two AI Tools for Sketch to Render**: The video introduces two programs, PromeAI and MNML-AI, that convert hand sketches into photorealistic renderings using AI.
• 📐 **ControlNet Technology**: Both programs utilize ControlNet to maintain the geometry of the image and accurately reflect the original hand sketch in a photorealistic form.
• ⏱️ **Time-Lapse Sketching**: The video starts with a time-lapse of a digital hand sketch created using Tayasui Sketches, emphasizing the importance of sketching for quick idea visualization.
• 🚀 **3D Printing Inspiration**: The sketch was inspired by a competition brief from Icon, a 3D printing company, to design an affordable home that can be printed with their equipment.
• 🖌️ **Sketching Techniques**: The video discusses various sketching techniques such as shadowing, offsets, and using layers to create depth and shading in the sketch.
• 📘 **Color-Free Sketch for AI**: For the AI rendering process, the sketch should be devoid of color to allow the tools to generate a photorealistic image based on the sketch's geometry.
• 🏢 **Architect-Focused Features**: PromeAI offers features tailored for architects, including specific tabs for interior, architecture, and the ability to create shaded elevations from CAD drawings.
• 🔍 **Customization Options**: PromeAI allows users to customize the rendering with different styles and materials, and an 'Erase and Replace' feature for making adjustments.
• 🌟 **Photorealistic Quality**: The video highlights the high-quality photorealistic results produced by PromeAI, maintaining the original sketch's geometry and design intent.
• 📈 **User Control in AI Tools**: MNML-AI provides a balance between user control and AI automation, allowing for adjustments to the generated image through prompts and negative prompts.
• 🔧 **Future Improvements**: There is a mention of upcoming enhancements in AI tools to give users more control over the rendering process, which is crucial for architects and designers.

Q & A

What are the two programs mentioned in the video that can convert hand sketches into photorealistic renderings using artificial intelligence?

The two programs mentioned are PromeAI and MNML-AI, both of which utilize ControlNet to lock image geometry and deliver photorealistic forms of hand sketches.

How does the app Tayasui Sketches contribute to the sketching process in the video?

Tayasui Sketches is used for digital hand sketching, offering a range of tools, layers, and Marquee tools that allow for copying and pasting portions of the drawing to quickly capture ideas.

What is the purpose of the competition brief released by Icon, the 3D printing company?

The competition brief from Icon challenges designers to create a home costing under $99,000 that can be printed using their 3D printing equipment.

What is the significance of having a sketch void of any color when using the sketch to photorealistic rendering tools?

Most of the tools for sketch to photorealistic renderings prefer a sketch without color to accurately interpret and convert the sketch into a photorealistic image without the influence of pre-assigned colors.

What additional features does PromeAI offer besides the Sketch Rendering tool?

PromeAI offers an Erase and Replace tool, a Background Diffusion tool, and upcoming features like AI Outpainting, similar to DALL-E's, and an AI Chat Artisan.

How does the 'Erase and Replace' feature in PromeAI work?

The 'Erase and Replace' feature allows users to zoom in and erase parts of the generated image they are not satisfied with, and then input a prompt for a new element to be added in place of the erased section.

What material option was experimented with in PromeAI to change the appearance of the black concrete façade?

A 'Copper Metal' material was used as an alternative to the black concrete façade in the PromeAI example.

What are the different tabs available in MNML-AI for generating images?

MNML-AI has five tabs for image generation: an AI image generator specifically for architects, an interior-focused model, a Sketch Image generator, a landscape option, and an AI concept generator that runs on chat GPT.

How does the 'Prompt Enhancer' feature in MNML-AI assist users?

The 'Prompt Enhancer' in MNML-AI is designed to work best with short prompts, assisting users in generating more accurate and relevant images by enhancing the input prompt.

What is the role of the 'Redesign' level in the advanced settings of MNML-AI?

The 'Redesign' level in the advanced settings of MNML-AI is an upscale option that allows users to refine and improve any of the generated images.

What does the future release of Midjourney aim to focus on in terms of user control?

The future release of Midjourney aims to focus on giving more user control to the prompt engineers, allowing for greater customization and precision in the image generation process.

Why is user control important in the adoption of AI rendering tools by architects and designers?

User control is important because it allows architects and designers to trust and adapt these tools into their workflows, ensuring that the generated images align with their design intent and aesthetic requirements.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to AI-Powered Sketch Conversion Tools

The video begins with a welcome to the Architecture for Thought channel, where the host introduces two AI programs capable of converting hand sketches into photorealistic renderings. The emphasis is on the use of ControlNet to maintain the original geometry of the sketches. The host shares a time-lapse of a digital hand sketch created using Tayasui Sketches, an app praised for its tools and layering capabilities. The sketch was inspired by a competition brief from Icon, a 3D printing company, which challenges designers to create a home under $99,000 that can be 3D printed. The host discusses the importance of sketching for capturing design ideas quickly and mentions the possibility of future tutorials on sketching techniques. The final sketch is devoid of color to meet the requirements of the rendering tools.

05:03

🏢 Exploring PromeAI's Sketch Rendering Tool

The host dives into the first program, PromeAI, which appears to be tailored for architects and product designers. The focus is on the Sketch Rendering tool, with a brief mention of other features like Erase and Replace, Background Diffusion, and upcoming AI Outpainting and AI Chat Artisan tools. The host demonstrates how to upload a sketch and use a detailed prompt to generate photorealistic images. The platform offers various styles and the ability to change materials, as shown by switching the black concrete façade to Copper Metal. The Erase and Replace feature allows for modifications to the generated image, such as adding large glass windows. The host is impressed with the photorealistic quality, the adherence to the original sketch's geometry, and the quick generation of options.

10:08

📈 Trying Out MNML-AI for Sketch to Image Conversion

The video continues with the exploration of a second tool, MNML-AI, which also seems to cater to architects and designers. The host outlines the different tabs available, including an AI image generator, an interior-focused model, a Sketch Image generator, a landscape option, and an AI concept generator based on chat GPT. The host uploads a sketch and inputs a prompt into the Sketch Image generator. The tool offers a prompt enhancer, negative prompt options, and an upscale redesign feature. The generated image, while not perfectly matching the original sketch's geometry, provides a good balance between user control and AI interpretation. The host acknowledges that future releases of similar tools are expected to offer more control to users, which is crucial for integrating these tools into design workflows.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the context of the video, AI is used to convert hand sketches into photorealistic renderings, showcasing its ability to understand and replicate the intricacies of human design intent.

ControlNet

ControlNet is a technology mentioned in the video that is used to lock the geometry of an image, ensuring that the AI maintains the original structure and design of the hand sketch when converting it into a photorealistic rendering. It plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity of the designer's work.

Digital Hand Sketching

Digital hand sketching involves creating hand-drawn illustrations using digital tools on devices like tablets or computers. The video emphasizes the importance of this technique as a fast and effective way to get design ideas down in a visual format, using the Tayasui Sketches app as an example.

Tayasui Sketches

Tayasui Sketches is an app highlighted in the video for its excellent tools and features that facilitate digital hand sketching. It is noted for its user-friendly interface, layering capabilities, and tools that allow for easy manipulation and editing of sketches.

Photorealistic Renderings

Photorealistic renderings are detailed, high-quality images that closely resemble real-life photographs. The video discusses how AI is used to transform simple hand sketches into these highly detailed images, which can be particularly useful for architects and designers to visualize their concepts more vividly.

PromeAI

PromeAI is a platform introduced in the video that offers a Sketch Rendering tool aimed at architects and product designers. It utilizes AI to convert sketches into photorealistic images, with additional features like Erase and Replace, and is noted for its user-friendly interface and control options.

Erase and Replace

Erase and Replace is a feature within PromeAI that allows users to modify certain elements of the AI-generated image by erasing parts of the image and replacing them with different elements, such as changing a concrete façade to a copper metal or adding large glass windows.

MNML-AI

MNML-AI is another platform mentioned in the video that also targets architects and designers. It features an AI image generator that can convert sketches into images, providing users with more control over the final output compared to some other tools.

Prompt Enhancer

The Prompt Enhancer is a feature within the MNML-AI tool that works best with short prompts to improve the quality of the AI-generated images. It is an example of how user input can be used to guide the AI's output, ensuring that the final images align more closely with the user's vision.

3D Printing

3D printing is a manufacturing process that creates three-dimensional objects from digital models. The video mentions a competition by Icon, a 3D printing company, which inspired the digital hand sketch featured in the video. This highlights the intersection of traditional sketching and modern technologies like AI and 3D printing in the field of design.

User Control

User control is emphasized in the video as an important aspect of AI tools for architects and designers. It refers to the ability of users to influence and direct the AI's output, ensuring that the final images meet their design intentions. The video discusses how tools like PromeAI and MNML-AI are incorporating more user control to make them more suitable for professional use.

Highlights

Two programs are introduced that can convert hand sketches into photorealistic renderings using artificial intelligence.

Both programs utilize ControlNet to lock image geometry and deliver photorealistic forms of hand sketches.

The video features a time-lapse of a digital hand sketch created with Tayasui Sketches, an app praised for its digital sketching tools.

The sketching process emphasizes the importance of capturing designers' intent with AI tools.

The inspiration for the sketch comes from a competition brief by Icon, a 3D printing company.

The final sketch should be devoid of color for compatibility with the rendering tools.

PromeAI is a platform that seems to cater to architects and product designers with its Sketch Rendering tool.

PromeAI offers a free edition with the option to upgrade for larger high-definition images.

Users can adjust the style and material of the rendering, with options like 'European' style and 'Copper Metal'.

The Erase and Replace feature allows users to modify parts of the rendering, such as adding large glass windows.

MNML-AI is another tool that appears to be geared towards architects and designers with its Sketch Image generator.

MNML-AI provides more user control over the image generation process compared to other tools.

The prompt enhancer feature in MNML-AI works best with short prompts and can be adjusted by experienced users.

Users can explore different renderings using the Seed option in the advanced settings of MNML-AI.

The video demonstrates the potential of AI tools in architectural design and their increasing integration into designers' workflows.

The presenter expresses excitement to see how users will utilize these tools for their own designs.

The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share their creations made using these AI rendering tools.