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Idea Gen

by Ace Of 3D·Workflow

Images © Ace Of 3D. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Idea Gen earns its place in the superhive library as a concepting aid that lives inside Blender's 3D viewport, pairing random prompts through a simple category interface.

What is Idea Gen?

Idea Gen from Ace Of 3D is an idea generation helper that chooses and pairs random ideas right inside Blender. Found under the 'N' tab in the 3D viewport, you select a first category, select a second, and press Generate Ideas to produce as many combinations as you want. Combining different categories together yields more specific and varied ideas.

The add-on works for users of any experience level and is aimed at both 2D and 3D artists. An Extra Panel adds random category buttons for when you'd rather not pick, and an Advanced panel lets you bring in a third idea and category. A category viewer shows the items within any list.

Anyone can add their own ideas directly through the interface, or edit the .json file for more control. As of version 1.6.0, custom ideas save to an external file for persistence across sessions. Idea Gen is compatible with Blender 3.0 through 5.0, with both legacy and extension add-on versions supported, and is distributed under the GPL license.

Who is Idea Gen best for?

Idea Gen is best for 2D and 3D artists who want a quick starting point for modeling or sculpting concepts and want to speed up the concepting stage.

How much does Idea Gen cost?

Idea Gen is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Chooses and pairs random ideas inside the Blender interface, accessed under the 'N' tab in the 3D viewport
  • Category-based workflow: pick two categories and press Generate Ideas to produce as many combinations as you want
  • Extra Panel with random category buttons for when you'd rather not choose
  • Advanced panel adds a third idea and category
  • Category viewer to view the items within any list
  • Add or delete your own ideas through the UI, or edit the .json file; custom ideas saved to an external file for persistence across sessions
  • Suited to both 2D and 3D artists of any experience level

Tags

#concept#idea generation#add-on#concept art#modeling#sculpting#workflow

Frequently asked questions

Which Blender versions does Idea Gen support?

Idea Gen is compatible with Blender 3.0 through 5.0, and both legacy and extension add-on versions are supported. Version 1.5.0 updated it for the Blender 4.2 extension add-on format, and version 1.6.0 confirms Blender 5.0 compatibility. That range covers a wide span of releases, so you can install it whether you're on an older 3.x build or the latest 5.0. Check the developer's page for the download that matches your setup.

How do I use Idea Gen inside Blender?

Idea Gen appears under the 'N' tab on the right side of the Blender 3D viewport, listed as IdeaGen. Open that tab, select your first category, select your second category, then press the Generate Ideas button to produce a paired idea. You can generate as many ideas as you want, and combining different categories together creates more specific and varied results. An Extra Panel offers random category buttons if you'd rather not pick, and an Advanced panel adds a third idea and category.

Can I add my own ideas to Idea Gen?

Idea Gen lets anyone add their own ideas directly through the user interface, and advanced users can edit the .json file instead. As of version 1.6.0, you can also delete ideas in any category through the UI, and custom ideas are saved to an external file so they persist across sessions. A category viewer lets you see the items within any list, which helps when managing what you've added or looking through the available options.

Is Idea Gen free?

Idea Gen is listed as free here in the catalog. Licensing and pricing can change over time, so for the current terms it's best to check Ace Of 3D's developer page directly. The add-on is distributed under the GPL license and is Blender extension compatible, so you can install it as either a legacy or extension add-on depending on your Blender version.

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