---
title: "Texture Painter Quick Start: Paint a 3D Model in 5 Minutes"
description: "Paint your first 3D model in about five minutes: open the Texture Painter, load a model, paint with the brush, let AI repaint it, reveal the result and download a GLB."
source: https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/quick-start
---

# Texture Painter Quick Start

Paint your first 3D model in about five minutes: open the Texture Painter, load a model, paint with the brush, let AI repaint it, reveal the result and download a GLB.

[Open the Texture Painter](https://www.3daistudio.com/TexturePainter/app)

This page takes you from an empty screen to a painted, downloaded 3D model in about five minutes. You will paint by hand once, let the AI paint once, and export. Every step has a picture of what you should see.

## What you need

- A free 3D AI Studio account.
- A computer with a modern browser (Chrome, Edge or Firefox) with graphics acceleration on.
- For the AI step: a paid plan and at least 1 credit. Skip that step if you only want to paint by hand.

## Paint your first model

### Step 1: Open the Texture Painter

Go to [3daistudio.com/TexturePainter/app](https://www.3daistudio.com/TexturePainter/app) and sign in. The start screen opens on top of the painter. It lists your sessions and the ways to start something new.

![The Texture Painter start screen with a session to continue and a New session button](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/session-hub.webp)

*The start screen. Continue a session, or scroll down to Start something new and the samples.*

### Step 2: Load a model

Pick one of these:

| Option | When to use it |
| --- | --- |
| **Upload a model** | Your own GLB, glTF, FBX or OBJ file. You can also drop the file anywhere in the window. |
| **From your dashboard** | A model you made in 3D AI Studio. |
| A sample, such as **Wolf** | Learn the painter without a model of your own. |
| **Continue** | Pick up a saved session where you left off. |

The model opens in the 3D view. The 2D view on the right shows the selected layer, and the **Layers** and **Generate with AI** panels sit on the far right.

![The Texture Painter workspace with the wolf sample loaded](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/quick-start-model-loaded.webp)

*The Wolf sample, ready to paint. The brush is selected and the layer list has a Paint layer on top of the Base.*

> [!NOTE]
> **First time?** A short tour shows you the three basics. Skip it any time, and bring it back later from **Help** (the **?** at the top right) with **Show the tour again**.

### Step 3: Paint with the brush

The **Brush** is already selected. Drag on the model to paint. A few moves you need right away:

- **Turn the model:** drag the background (anywhere next to the model).
- **Zoom:** scroll. The view zooms toward the pointer.
- **Undo:** `Ctrl+Z` (`Cmd+Z` on Mac).

Change the colour with the colour chip at the bottom of the tool rail, and the brush with **Size**, **Opacity** and **Hardness** in the options bar.

[Video: Two brush strokes painted on the wolf's face](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/brush-stroke.mp4)

### Step 4: Let the AI paint

Turn the model so the side you want to change faces you. The AI only sees what is inside the corner marks labelled **What the AI sees**. Then:

1. Type what you want in **Generate with AI**, for example *Paint the fur a warm golden brown with darker stripes along the back*.
2. Keep the default model, **Qwen Edit Lightning** (about 5 seconds, 1 credit), for a quick first try.
3. Click **Generate**.

![The Generate with AI panel with a prompt typed in](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/generate-panel.webp)

*Generate with AI: the prompt, the model, the quality and the Generate button with its credit cost.*

[Video: A generation: the Generate button counts down and the result arrives as a new AI layer](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/ai-generation.mp4)

### Step 5: Reveal the AI result

The result arrives as a new layer called **Projection 1**, marked **AI layer**. It starts hidden, so the model does not change yet. You decide where it shows:

- **Paint to reveal:** with the AI layer selected, the brush brings the AI texture in wherever you paint. The eraser hides it again.
- **Reveal everything:** open the layer's **⋯** menu, choose **Apply with smooth edges**, then **Apply**.

[Video: Painting over the wolf reveals the AI texture](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/ai-reveal.mp4)

![The Apply Layer panel with Coverage and Edge Softness sliders](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/apply-layer-panel.webp)

*Apply with smooth edges blends the whole AI result into the texture. Coverage and Edge Softness control how far and how softly it reaches.*

### Step 6: Download the model

Click **Export** at the top right and choose **3D model (GLB)**. The file downloads with your painted texture. **GLB with PBR materials** also keeps normal, roughness and metalness maps.

![The Export menu with texture sizes and download formats](https://docs.3daistudio.com/assets/images/docs/texture-painter/export-menu.webp)

*The Export menu: pick a texture size, then a format. Save to my dashboard keeps a copy next to your generations.*

## Your work saves itself

You never need to press save. The dot and word next to the session name show what is happening: **Edited**, then **Saving…**, then **Saved** (cloud, on paid plans) or **On device** (this browser). Details are in [Saving and sessions](https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/sessions).

## Next steps

- Learn every part of the screen in [The workspace](https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/workspace).
- Get comfortable moving around in [Moving around the model](https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/navigation).
- Write better prompts with [AI painting](https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/ai-painting).

## Related

- [Painting tools](https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/painting-tools)
- [Layers](https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/layers)
- [Export](https://docs.3daistudio.com/textures/texture-painter/export)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How long does it take to texture a model?

A first AI pass takes seconds to a few minutes, depending on the model you pick. Hand-painted detail takes as long as you like, and everything saves on its own.

### Which file formats can I paint?

GLB, glTF, FBX and OBJ. The model needs UV coordinates; if it has none, run [UV Unfold](https://docs.3daistudio.com/processing/uv-unfold) first.

### Do I need credits?

Only for AI painting and AI stickers. Hand painting, layers, decals from your own images and all exports are free.

### Why did nothing change after the AI finished?

New AI layers start hidden on purpose, so you choose where the result shows. Paint over the model with the AI layer selected, or choose **Apply with smooth edges** in the layer menu.

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> Documentation index for AI agents: https://docs.3daistudio.com/llms.txt