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From Procreate sketch to 3D model
Export a Procreate sketch the right way, turn it into a 3D model in the browser, and bring it back to Procreate 3D painting or a game engine.
3 min read
Quick answer
How do you turn a Procreate sketch into a 3D model?
Hide the background and any guide layers, flatten the sketch, and export it as a PNG. Upload the PNG to a sketch-to-3D tool in the iPad's browser, generate the model, and export it as GLB or OBJ. You can then open it in a game engine or Blender, or bring an OBJ back into Procreate to paint it.
What Procreate can and can't do in 3D
Procreate's 3D feature is for painting models, not making them. You import a model with UV maps, as OBJ or USDZ, and paint on its surface. So a Procreate sketch has to leave Procreate to become 3D, and can come back afterwards to be painted. Savage documents the supported formats in the Procreate Handbook's 3D section.
The good news is that the iPad's browser is enough for the middle step.
Step 1: Draw for the generator
A few Procreate-specific habits help:
- Draw on one layer above a plain background. Keep construction lines on a separate layer you can hide.
- Use a firm brush for the outline (a technical pen or a monoline brush) and a softer one for shading.
- Add light shading on a layer beneath the lines. It tells the generator which way surfaces turn.
- One object per canvas.
For the general rules, see how to draw a sketch for AI 3D.
Step 2: Export a clean PNG
- Hide guide layers, reference layers and any text.
- Set the background colour to white or light grey, or turn it off for a transparent PNG.
- Actions › Share › PNG.
- Save to Files so the browser can find it.
Avoid exporting the layered .procreate file or a PSD; generators want a flat image.
Step 3: Generate the model in the browser
Open Vi3W in Safari. It runs in the browser with no install, and the generation happens on Vi3W's servers, so the iPad isn't doing the heavy work.
- Upload the PNG and type a few words about the object and its material.
- Check the image Vi3W renders from your sketch. If it misread something, go back to Procreate, fix that part, and re-export.
- Generate the 3D model.
Step 4: Export the format you need
- To paint it in Procreate: export OBJ. Note that OBJ exports geometry without the PBR maps, which is fine if you plan to repaint. Procreate needs the model to have UVs.
- For a game engine or Blender: export GLB (textures included) or FBX. GLB vs glTF explains the difference.
- To view it in AR on the iPad: convert GLB to USDZ. See convert GLB to USDZ.
Step 5 (optional): Paint it in Procreate
Import the OBJ into Procreate (Actions › Add › Insert a file, or open it from Files). Procreate creates layers for the model's materials and you paint directly on the surface. If the generated UV layout makes painting awkward, that's normal for generated models; small seams are easiest to fix with a soft brush across the boundary.
Tips for iPad artists
- Save a "for 3D" version of the canvas separately from your finished illustration, so you can simplify freely.
- Draw the back as a second canvas if it matters; a sketch shows one side only.
- Keep style words consistent across a set of objects so they match.
- Prefer a three-quarter view unless the side profile is the design.
If you'd rather model by hand on the iPad, Blender alternatives for iPad lists the sculpting and modelling apps.
Sketching in Procreate today? Turn the sketch into a 3D model in Vi3W without leaving the iPad.
Frequently asked questions
how to make 3d models in procreate
Procreate doesn't build 3D models. It paints models you import, as OBJ or USDZ files with UV maps. To get a model from a Procreate drawing, export the sketch, generate or build the mesh in another tool, then import it back into Procreate if you want to paint it there.
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