How to turn a photo into a 3D LEGO®-style design

What you get

• A preview image of one model from four angles: a three-quarter view, the front, the side and the back.
• A 3D design draft built from rectangular bricks and plates, with stepped, pixel-art style surfaces.
• A step-by-step 3D guide that you can rotate and zoom on a computer, tablet or phone.
• A parts list, plus a BrickLink XML file for the parts that have a mapped part number and color.

Choosing a photo

Brick Quest accepts JPEG, PNG and WebP images up to about 15 MB. On a phone you can also take a picture straight from the Design Studio.

The suggestions below can make your subject easier for the AI to read, but results still vary from photo to photo.

• One main subject, such as a pet, a person, a toy, a vehicle or a building.
• The whole subject in the frame, without parts cut off at the edges.
• Even light and a simple background, so the outline and colors stand out.
• Clearly visible features that make the subject recognizable, such as ears, a tail, glasses or a roofline.

Step by step

1. 01

   Open the Design Studio

   Sign in with Google or email, then open the Design Studio. Signing in is free and there is nothing to install.

2. 02

   Add your photo

   Choose Upload Photo, or Take Photo on a phone, and select your image.

3. 03

   Choose a detail level

   Under Detail Level, Simple aims for a chunky model about 12 studs wide and Standard for about 16–20 studs. These are targets for the AI, not guaranteed sizes.

4. 04

   Add a note and start

   If you like, use Notes (optional) to steer the design, for example “Make it sitting, use more red”. Starting the design uses one of your daily AI generations.

5. 05

   Check the preview

   The preview may take a few minutes. It shows the same model from four angles in one image. Check the overall shape, the colors and the features that matter most to you.

6. 06

   Approve or regenerate

   Choose Looks good — Generate Build to create the 3D design from this preview; approving does not use another generation. If the preview is not what you want, choose Regenerate views instead, which uses one generation.

7. 07

   Open the 3D guide and parts list

   When the build is ready, the result page shows the parts list and the Before you assemble panel. Choose Open 3D Instructions and use the step buttons to go forward or back, or to jump to the first or last step. On a touch screen, drag with one finger to rotate, pinch to zoom and drag with two fingers to pan.

Before you build or buy parts

A new photo design is saved only after it passes a software structure check: no floating or overlapping parts, one connected structure, a valid build order and no weak-point warnings. The Before you assemble panel on the result page shows this analysis, along with an AI visual score out of 10 when one is available.

Both are checks of a digital model, not proof that real bricks will hold. Check the actual parts, colors, quantities and connections before you build.

The BrickLink XML file includes only rows with a mapped part number and color. If some rows cannot be mapped, the button reads Download supported rows and the file is not a complete shopping list. Check part numbers, colors, quantities and seller stock before you buy.

Tips for better results

• Use the note for what matters most to you, such as the pose, a color or one feature to keep.
• Check the preview carefully before approving: the 3D design is generated from the approved preview and your photo.
• Once a build is ready, you can regenerate it from the same preview on the result page. This uses one generation.
• If a design fails, try a different photo or detail level. A retry uses the same daily allowance as the original request.

Limits to know

• A design is an AI draft inspired by your photo, not an exact copy. Small details such as text, thin lines or facial expressions may be simplified or left out.
• If no draft passes the structure check within the automatic attempts (up to three), the design fails instead of saving a draft with warnings.
• Each account gets 10 AI generations a day, shared with My Bricks builds, and the count resets at midnight Japan time. A request counts once it starts, even if it fails or is cancelled.
• There is no PDF or printable instruction file. The step-by-step guide runs in the 3D viewer in your browser, which needs JavaScript and WebGL.

Questions about this guide