3D and how it works
What is a parametric 3D model?
A generated picture of a ring is pixels. A scanned mesh is a million triangles with no idea which are the prongs. A parametric model knows it has four prongs of 0.9 mm and lets you say “six”. That difference is the whole product.
Three kinds of 3D
| Kind | What it is | Edit “make the band wider” |
|---|---|---|
| Generated image | Pixels from a prompt | Regenerate and hope |
| Mesh (scan, photogrammetry) | Triangles approximating a surface | Sculpt by hand |
| Parametric model | Components with dimensions and relations | Change one number; everything else follows |
Why it matters
Measurements are real because the geometry is built from them. Edits are safe because they change parameters, not pixels: a chat message becomes a validated operation (“set band width 2.2 mm”) that the model either applies or rejects with a reason. Exports are useful because a band is a band, not a cloud of points; STL from a parametric ring casts.
How Kubikly builds one from a photo
A vision model reads the photo into a structured description: components, sizes, stones, materials, with a confidence on each. A reconstruction step turns that into geometry using a library of parametric parts (bands, settings, halos, walls, doors, table tops, legs). Every value carries its source: measured, user-provided, calculated or AI-estimated, and uncertain ones come with a range.
What it cannot do
Reproduce a freeform sculpture or a scan-accurate copy of a specific object. It rebuilds the type of thing you show it with the dimensions you confirm. For furniture, rooms and jewellery, that is exactly what you want to edit and manufacture.
Frequently asked
- Is it CAD?
- It is parametric geometry with real dimensions and clean exports; it is not a full CAD suite, and it is far easier to use.
- Can I import it into Rhino, Blender or SketchUp?
- Yes, via OBJ or GLB; STL for printing and casting.
- How accurate are the dimensions?
- As accurate as the one measurement you confirm; the rest are derived and labelled with their source and a range.
Keep reading
- How to turn a floor plan into 3D for freeA step-by-step way to get a walkable 3D model from a floor plan without paying: what you upload, what you get, what the free tier covers and what costs credits.
- How to read a floor planWhat the lines and symbols on a floor plan mean, how to find the scale, how to measure a room from a plan, and how to turn the whole thing into 3D you can walk through.