404—GEN Blender Add-on
v0.14.2 (Released May 2026)
Overview
The 404—GEN Blender Add-on is a decentralised AI-powered toolset designed to generate production-ready 3D Meshes and 3D Gaussian Splats (3DGS) natively in Blender. Below is a breakdown of 404—GEN’s core components:
3D Generation: A text or 2D-to-3D asset generation engine.
Splat Editing: Geometry and Shader Node trees that allow users to view and edit Gaussian Splats natively in Blender.
Mesh Conversion for 3DGS: A specialised texture baking and mesh generation pipeline optimised for 3D Gaussian Splats
API & Access: Features personal API key integration for uninterrupted service, with credit top-ups managed directly via gen.404.xyz.
Software Requirements
Blender 4.5+ (Download Here)
Installation
Step 1: Download the Add-on
Download the latest release ZIP file from Gumroad. Do not unzip the file.
Step 2: Install via Blender Preferences
Open Blender and navigate to [Edit] ➡️ [Preferences] ➡️ [Add-ons].
Click [Install from Disk...] in the top right corner.
Select the downloaded addon ZIP file and click [Install Add-on].
Important Note for Upgrading Users: If you have a previous version enabled, you must uninstall it and restart Blender before installing the new version.
Step 3: Enable and Install Dependencies
Check the box next to 404—GEN to enable it.
Expand the add-on dropdown menu.
Click [Install Dependencies].
Review the Privacy Notice and click [Accept].
Windows Users: If dependency installation fails, close Blender, right-click the Blender icon, and select Run as Administrator, then retry this step.
Do not change the default URL.
Usage Guide
Step 1: Access the Interface
Press N on your keyboard (or click the small arrow in the viewport) to expand the sidebar panel and select the 404 Tab.
1. Generating from a Text Prompt
Type your description into the Text Prompt Field.
Click [Generate].
Best Practices: Describe a single object or character. Avoid generating complex multi-object scenes or entire rooms at once. Read more in the Prompts Guide.
2. Generating from a 2D Image Prompt
Click the Open Image folder icon.
Select your 2D source image and click [Generate].
Best Practices: Use high-resolution images (up to 1024x1024 max) featuring a clean, isolated object on a solid white background.
Please Note: The Text Prompt Field is completely disabled when a 2D image prompt is active.
3. Viewport Shading Setup
To view the generated material properly in Object or Edit mode:
Press Z to open the Shading Menu and select Material Preview (or press 2).
Personal API Keys
By default, the 404—GEN Blender Add-on uses a public, shared API key. This means you might encounter rate limits during peak hours, even if you haven't generated much yourself.
For Uninterrupted Access:
Sign Up: Head to gen.404.xyz and create an account via Email, GitHub, or Discord.
Add Credits: Top up your account balance to power your generations.
Generate Your Key: Create a personal API Key in your web dashboard.
Link to Blender: Paste the key into the API field located under [Edit] ➡️ [Preferences] ➡️ [Add-ons] ➡️ [404—GEN]
Fair Billing Policy: You only pay for successful generations. If a generation fails for any reason, the credit cost is automatically refunded to your balance.
Mesh Conversion for 3DGS
Once a Gaussian Splat is generated the Splat Display Settings and Mesh Conversion dropdown menus will become available.
Avoid Modifier Application: Applying the geometry nodes modifier directly will result in a massive, high-poly mesh that degrades drastically if simplified. For optimal visual quality and poly-count control, always use the custom [Generate Mesh] button.
Splat Display Settings Reference
Setting
Description
Opacity Threshold
Filters out fully or partially transparent ellipsoids. Elements below this threshold are hidden.
Display Percentage
Controls the percentage of total Gaussian Splat points displayed in the viewport.
Min Detail Size
Controls the density of the generated mesh. Lower values yield higher geometric detail.
Simplify
Decimates and smooths the final extracted mesh. Higher values produce lighter, smoother meshes.
Angle Limit
Adjusts the UV unwrapping angle constraint. Lower this value if the final texture exhibits black or missing artifacts.
Texture Size
Sets the resolution of the baked texture maps in pixels (e.g., 2048).
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