AI render add-on for Blender
Block out a scene with grey shapes, frame it with your camera, and let PopNow paint it: a finished picture, a short video that follows your camera move, or a seamless texture for the selected object. It all happens in a PopNow tab in the 3D Viewport sidebar.
The add-on is free. Generations are billed in US dollars to your PopNow API balance.
Three things it does inside Blender
Render with AI
Renders your camera or viewport as clean grey clay, then turns it into a finished picture that keeps your composition, camera angle and silhouettes.
- Six models, from quick drafts to exact-shape renders with a depth or line pass
- Add up to three reference photos for a character or a product
- Show it in the Image Editor, set it as the camera background, or project it onto your meshes
Animate with AI
Records a quick Workbench preview of your camera animation and uses it as the motion reference. The video keeps your camera move, blocking and timing.
- Reference-to-video, frame-by-frame restyle, or motion control for a character photo
- Pick the length (4 to 15 seconds on most models) and the resolution
- The finished MP4 drops into the Video Sequencer in one click
Seamless textures
Describe a material and get a square texture. The add-on blends the edges so it tiles without a visible seam, builds a material and puts it on the selected objects.
- Photo-scan, hand-painted or toon styles
- Box projection, so it works on meshes without UVs
- Tile scale you can change any time in the material
Clay in, finished frame out
Drag the line to compare. These were made from grey clay scenes with the same models the add-on calls; your result depends on your scene, prompt and model.
Install in three steps
Download the zip
Get popnow-blender-0.2.0.zip from this page. Do not unzip it.
Download for Blender 0.2.0Install it in Blender
In Blender 4.2 or newer, drag the zip into the Blender window. Or open Edit / Preferences / Get Extensions, click the menu in the top right, choose Install from Disk and pick the zip.
Paste your API key
Press N in the 3D Viewport, open the PopNow tab, click Get API key, create a key in the developer console and paste it. Your balance appears right away.
Get an API key
Blender asks you to allow online access the first time. PopNow needs it to send renders and download results.
What a render looks like
- Frame your shot with the camera, or switch the panel to Viewport.
- Write what you want to see, pick a style and a model. The button shows the price.
- The add-on renders the clay image, uploads it and gets an exact quote.
- Click Start. Blender stays responsive while it runs; progress shows in the Tasks panel.
- The result opens in the Image Editor and is saved next to your .blend file.
Models and prices
Prices are in US dollars from your PopNow API balance. These examples use each model’s lowest tier; the panel estimates your settings and asks you to confirm the exact API quote before starting.
| Model | Good for | From |
|---|---|---|
| Seedream 5.0 Pro | Balanced. Follows your layout closely | $0.0361K image |
| Seedream 5.0 Flash | Faster and cheaper | $0.0291K image |
| Nano Banana 2.1 | Best with many reference images | $0.0481K image |
| GPT Image 2 | Strong text and fine detail | $0.0425441K image |
| Qwen-Image 2.1 Turbo | Cheapest drafts | $0.01441K image |
| FLUX.1 dev ControlNet | Exact shapes from a depth or line pass. No reference images | $0.0361K image |
| Model | Good for | From |
|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | Cheapest. Good for drafts | $0.10969480p 5 s video |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | Good balance of price and quality | $0.22539480p 5 s video |
| Seedance 2.0 | Higher quality, up to 4K | $0.431480p 5 s video |
| Seedance 2.5 | Follows clay previz best | $0.738480p 5 s video |
| Wan 3.0 | Strong motion, up to 1080p | $0.45480p 5 s video |
| Kling O3 Restyle | Repaints your clip frame by frame. 3 to 10 s | $0.626720p 5 s video |
| Wan 2.2 Animate | Motion control: your character copies the clay figure | $0.265480p 5 s video |
| Model | Good for | From |
|---|---|---|
| Seedream 5.0 Flash | Fast and cheap | $0.0291K image |
| Qwen-Image 2.1 Turbo | Cheapest | $0.01441K image |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro | Most detail | $0.0361K image |
| Nano Banana 2.1 | Up to 4K | $0.0481K image |
Charges are settled from your API balance. If a generation fails, the reserved amount is released; check the task record for the final charge.
What leaves your computer
- Only the rendered clay image or preview clip and the reference images you pick. Your .blend file, meshes and textures stay on your machine.
- Your API key is kept in Blender's preferences, never inside a .blend file, so sharing a project never shares your key.
- Results download to a popnow folder next to your .blend file, or to a folder you choose.
Questions
Is the Blender add-on free?
Yes. The add-on itself is free. Generations are paid in US dollars from your PopNow API balance, and the add-on shows the exact quote before you start.
Which Blender versions does it support?
Blender 4.2 and newer on Windows, macOS and Linux. It installs as a Blender extension and has no extra Python packages to set up.
Do I need a GPU?
No. The heavy work runs on PopNow. Your computer only makes a quick clay render with Workbench, plus a one-sample Cycles pass if you ask for depth, normals or line art.
Can I stop a generation?
Before you click Start, cancelling costs nothing. Once started, the task continues on PopNow; Stop waiting only pauses the add-on’s polling, and you can return later to download the result. If generation fails, the reserved API USD amount is released; check the task record for the final charge.
Will the result match my scene exactly?
It keeps your composition, camera angle and the rough shapes. For exact outlines, such as a product or a building, choose FLUX.1 dev ControlNet with a depth or line-art pass. For video, Seedance 2.5 follows clay previz most closely.
Are the textures really seamless?
Yes. The models paint a square texture, then the add-on cross-fades the edges so the left side meets the right and the top meets the bottom. The result tiles without a visible seam.
Can I use my own local model, like Stable Diffusion?
No. The add-on calls the models hosted on PopNow, so there is nothing to download or run on your machine. If you prefer a local setup, a ComfyUI bridge is the better fit.
Your clay scene, rendered
Install the add-on, paste a key, press Render with AI.
Blender is a registered trademark of the Blender Foundation. PopNow is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Blender Foundation.