Voxel and blocky characters are everywhere in indie games: they read well at any size, look great in low-poly worlds and are easy to animate. Building one by hand in MagicaVoxel or Blender still takes hours, though.
This guide shows the quick route: take one picture, turn it into a 3D model with the Blocky / voxel style option in JollyAI Image to 3D, and (if you want) rig it so it walks and waves.
Disclosure: JollyAI is my own tool.
- Use a smooth input image (illustration, 3D render or photo), not pixel or voxel art. The tool makes it blocky.
- Tick Blocky / voxel style. Tick Animate it too if you want a rigged character.
- You get a GLB that opens in Godot, Blender, Three.js and (with a glTF importer) Unity.
- Free: 1 watermarked 360° preview a day. Download with a $3.99 Day Pass or PRO.
Pick the Right Input Image
| Works well | Works badly |
|---|---|
| Chunky, simple characters with clear shapes | Tiny details (lace, thin straps, jewellery) |
| Bold flat colours | Subtle gradients and photo noise |
| Full body, front view, plain background | Cropped bodies, busy scenes |
| Arms slightly away from the body | Arms glued to the torso |
| Smooth styles (illustration, 3D render, photo) | Pixel art or existing voxel art as input |
Why not feed pixel art? The 3D model has to guess depth from shading. Flat pixel art has almost none, so it comes out thin and lumpy. Give it a smooth image and let the Blocky option do the voxel look.
Prompt idea if you generate the input with AI: “cute chunky adventurer character, full body, standing, arms slightly out, front view, bold flat colours, plain white background, 3D render”.
Step by Step
- Open Image to 3D and upload your picture.
- Tick Blocky / voxel style.
- Optional: tick Animate it to get a rigged character in an A-pose.
- Generate and spin the 360° preview. Check the back and sides.
- Download the GLB (Day Pass or PRO). For more bone control, fingers or a face rig, open it in 3D Rigger.
Use It in Your Game
| Engine / app | Import | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Godot 4 | Drop the .glb into the project | Set texture filter to Nearest for crisp blocky edges |
| Unity | glTF importer package, or a rigged FBX from 3D Rigger | Point filtering on the texture keeps the voxel look sharp |
| Blender | File > Import > glTF 2.0 | Use it as a base and tweak in Edit mode |
| Web (Three.js) | GLTFLoader | Set texture magFilter to NearestFilter |
Making a game for a platform with its own avatar rules (Roblox, Minecraft-style servers)? Check that platform’s import limits and art rules first; a GLB is a starting point, not a drop-in avatar there.
Turn your hero, pet or mascot into a voxel character. 1 free preview a day.
Try Blocky / voxel style →
What You Get With PRO (and the Cheaper Options)
| Free | Day Pass | PRO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $3.99 for 24 hours | $14.99/month for the first 50 members, locked for 12 months (then $19.99) |
| Generations | 1 per day | 25 | 50 per day |
| AI video (MiniMax H3: text, image and reference to video, with sound) | – | Up to 3 | Up to 10 per day |
| AI images (Krea 2, Qwen 2.1) and image editing | – | Yes | Yes |
| Image to 3D (with Animate it and Blocky / voxel) | Watermarked 360° preview | GLB download | GLB download |
| 3D Rigger (body, fingers, face, hair) | Free preview | FBX + GLB download | FBX + GLB download, 10 rigs a day |
| Text to voice | Generate and listen | Generate and listen | Generate and download |
Why the bundle is good value: one $14.99 plan covers the concept art, the 3D model, the rig, character voices and a trailer video, instead of separate subscriptions for each. Making a whole cast for a game jam? A $3.99 Day Pass gives you 25 generations in 24 hours.
FAQ
Is this a real voxel grid like MagicaVoxel?
It’s a blocky-styled mesh in a GLB, not a .vox file. That’s what game engines import anyway. If you need a .vox file for MagicaVoxel, voxelize the GLB with a converter afterwards.
Can I animate the voxel character?
Yes. Tick Animate it, or rig it in 3D Rigger for fingers, face and extra bones.
Can I sell a game that uses it?
Yes, for characters you own. Don’t use other people’s characters or trademarked designs as input.
Final Thoughts
Start with a simple, bold character image, tick Blocky / voxel, and you’ll have a game-ready blocky hero in minutes instead of an evening in a voxel editor.
Make your first voxel character now. Free daily preview, works on your phone.
Open JollyAI Image to 3D →
JollyAI is my own tool. Download with a Day Pass ($3.99) or PRO ($14.99/mo for the first 50 members).