Roblox Unveils Cube, Its AI-Powered 3D Asset Creator

If you aren’t aware, the 3D generative AI space is booming. Nearly every Big Tech player - from startups to enterprises - is investing in this emerging domain to drive innovation. Think of NVIDIA, trying to make their Omniverse the go-to place to build virtual worlds or Direct Dimensions launching an automated 3D scanning system for anyone to use.

This collective effort is all about speeding up the development and use of advanced 3D assets using generative AI, making it easier for various creators to bring their ideas to life.

Despite the potential of generative AI in gaming, a recent GDC research shows that 30% of game creators believe that generative AI is negatively impacting the gaming industry. Moreover, the CVL Economics report says that AI could affect or replace 13.4% of gaming occupations by 2026.

Now, the leading gaming platform, Roblox, has made an announcement that has game developers excited. So, what did Roblox announce?

What Is The Roblox Cube?

Roblox has just taken a significant step into the future of 3D content creation with the launch of "Cube," its core generative AI system. If you've ever wanted to create 3D spaces and objects using only text prompts, this is the program you’ve been waiting for. If you're a game developer or 3D asset creator, this will completely change the way you work!

The company is rolling out the beta version of Cube's 3D mesh generation, accessible both within Roblox Studio and through an in-experience Lua API. What does this mean?

Essentially, you can now generate 3D models directly from text. Imagine typing "/generate a futuristic motorcycle" and watching it appear on your screen - that's the power Roblox’s Cube brings to the gaming table.

So, how does Cube really work? What makes it stand out?

How Does Cube Work?

Unlike many current 3D generation tools that rely on 2D images and reconstruction, Cube is trained on native 3D data. This results in 3D objects that are fully compatible with game engines and can be used to deliver functional and immersive in-game experiences. The company highlights the difference by comparing it to the background in a movie set: a flat façade versus fully interactive 3D structures.

Cube's technology is powered by large language models, anticipating the next word in a sentence and following up with a three-dimensional object. This is achieved by 3D tokenization, a technique that depicts 3D shapes as tokens, allowing the AI to grasp and build them.

Cube's architecture is based on autoregressive model transformers, neural networks that forecast the upcoming component using prior inputs. This design is scalable and multimodal, enabling Cube to interact with a variety of input formats such as text, photos, audio, and 3D data. The first version is focused on text-to-3D production, but subsequent versions will include multimodal inputs to generate deeper scenarios.

Well, Roblox isn’t keeping all this innovation to itself!

It is also making a version of the Cube 3D core model accessible as open source, letting anyone optimize, construct plug-ins, and instruct it using their own data. This step shows Roblox's effort to open-source AI and its commitment to transparency and collaboration.

Roblox also mentioned its previous release of AI safety models and participation in ROOST, a digital safety non-profit, as an example of its dedication to the open ecosystem.

Cube promises to make it easier for Roblox creators to produce 3D assets with its The Mesh Generation API, available through Roblox Studio's AI-powered Assistant. This allows quick prototyping and refinement to create objects, design spaces, and fresh concepts without relying on physical modeling. This saves time to focus on more creative elements of game production, such as track layout design and car handling modification.

What does this mean for developers and gamers alike?

How Will Cube Help Game Developers?

The launch of Roblox will help developers cater to the millions of Roblox gamers engaging with the platform every day. The in-game AI generation capability will enable players to customize their experiences in new ways.

Imagine being able to generate a personalized avatar accessory or a distinctive in-game gadget just by providing a description. This degree of originality and individuality is intended to increase player engagement and participation.

Roblox sees a future where Cube enables "4D creation," with the fourth dimension representing the collaboration of things, surroundings, and individuals. This includes not only 3D objects but also the contexts and connections among those objects. The startup aims to expand Cube's abilities to include scene production and understanding, offering dynamic modification of in-game surroundings.

For example, developers will be able to use the AI Assistant to alter the season in a forest scene by replacing greenery with autumn leaves. This kind of flexibility and adaptation will transform how game developers design and manage their in-game experiences.

Roblox is dedicated to developing AI models to help creators develop new 3D objects and assets. With upgrades and new features planned, Roblox’s intentions to keep enhancing and growing Cube's potential is an exciting prospect.

In your opinion, will AI models for 3D object generation transform game development? Let us know in the comments below.