Habr

🔧 A neural network transfers light and materials from a reference onto a 3D render in a minute

The input is a screenshot of a preview from a 3D editor plus a second image — the reference render. The output is a frame on the level of a competition entry. Processing takes about a minute ⏱️

How it works. The scene isn't generated from scratch: the geometry, angle, and composition stay strictly from the 3D editor screenshot — the model doesn't rebuild them. The lighting, palette, and character of the surfaces are taken from the second image, the reference render.

An ordinary preview screenshot looks flat: solid fills instead of materials, schematic vegetation, crude lighting. After processing with a bright reference, the red roof becomes copper, and the white walls become warm beige stucco 🏠

Why this matters technically: previously, bringing a frame up to the level of a competition image meant hours of tweaking lighting and shaders. Now the same result from a reference takes about a minute.

A before-and-after comparison is in the attached image. The breakdown is at the link: habr.com/ru/articles/1086336 — September 24, 2026