Head-to-head · same block-out

Hitem3D 2.1 vs TRELLIS 2

Both engines got the same blocks in the same art style, at their default settings. Here is what each one returned, measured from the files themselves.

T-posed character: The block-out
The block-out
Hitem3D 2.1, T-posed character
Hitem3D 2.1
TRELLIS 2, T-posed character
TRELLIS 2

At a glance

Hitem3D 2.1TRELLIS 2
MakerHitem3DMicrosoft Research
Takes4 labelled viewsOne image
Formats it returnsGLBGLB
Texture mapsBase colour · Roughness-metal (4K)Base colour · Roughness-metal (2K)
Rigs characters itselfNoNo
Open weightsNoYes
Run throughfal.aiPiAPI
In Vox LandPick it in the pro workspaceTier 5 · from 9 credits

Test: T-posed character

839 blocks, cartoon style: a young man in a blue T-shirt, dark grey trousers and black boots. The T-pose shows whether an engine textures both arms.

Hitem3D 2.1, T-posed character: Back
Hitem3D 2.1 · Back
TRELLIS 2, T-posed character: Back
TRELLIS 2 · Back
Hitem3D 2.1, T-posed character: Shape only
Hitem3D 2.1 · Shape only
TRELLIS 2, T-posed character: Shape only
TRELLIS 2 · Shape only
Hitem3D 2.1TRELLIS 2
Triangles1,959,692497,034
File size58.3 MB28.2 MB
Texture mapsBase colour · Roughness-metal (4K)Base colour · Roughness-metal (2K)
Outline match73%
front 86% · side 72% · top 61%
66%
front 89% · side 52% · top 55%
Job time592 s119 s
Art styleCartoonCartoon
Settingsdefaultsdefaults
GeneratedSep 23, 2026Sep 23, 2026

Test: Pickup truck

1,896 blocks, comic style: a chunky stylised pickup. The test for hard surfaces, flat panels and wheels.

Pickup truck: The block-out
The block-out
Hitem3D 2.1, Pickup truck
Hitem3D 2.1
TRELLIS 2, Pickup truck
TRELLIS 2
Hitem3D 2.1, Pickup truck: Back
Hitem3D 2.1 · Back
TRELLIS 2, Pickup truck: Back
TRELLIS 2 · Back
Hitem3D 2.1, Pickup truck: Shape only
Hitem3D 2.1 · Shape only
TRELLIS 2, Pickup truck: Shape only
TRELLIS 2 · Shape only
Hitem3D 2.1TRELLIS 2
Triangles1,997,898494,581
File size58.2 MB31.4 MB
Texture mapsBase colour · Roughness-metal (4K)Base colour · Roughness-metal (2K)
Outline match66%
front 56% · side 71% · top 70%
66%
front 54% · side 76% · top 68%
Job time589 s217 s
Art styleComicComic
Settingsdefaultsdefaults
GeneratedSep 23, 2026Sep 23, 2026

Test: Castle gate

4,518 blocks, realistic style: a stone gatehouse with two towers, battlements, a portcullis, banners and a drawbridge on chains. The test for a large building with thin parts and repeated detail.

Castle gate: The block-out
The block-out
Hitem3D 2.1, Castle gate
Hitem3D 2.1
TRELLIS 2, Castle gate
TRELLIS 2
Hitem3D 2.1, Castle gate: Back
Hitem3D 2.1 · Back
TRELLIS 2, Castle gate: Back
TRELLIS 2 · Back
Hitem3D 2.1, Castle gate: Shape only
Hitem3D 2.1 · Shape only
TRELLIS 2, Castle gate: Shape only
TRELLIS 2 · Shape only
Hitem3D 2.1TRELLIS 2
Triangles1,985,366491,688
File size63.1 MB30.7 MB
Texture mapsBase colour · Roughness-metal (4K)Base colour · Roughness-metal (2K)
Outline match64%
front 77% · side 49% · top 65%
85%
front 86% · side 79% · top 89%
Job time739 s389 s
Art styleRealisticRealistic
Settingsdefaultsdefaults
GeneratedSep 23, 2026Sep 23, 2026

Which one to pick

Pick Hitem3D 2.1 for high-detail sculpts you will decimate or retopologise anyway.

  • more geometry (1,959,692 vs 497,034 triangles)
  • reads the views as labelled front / side / back
Hitem3D 2.1

Pick TRELLIS 2 for one-picture concepts where exact proportions do not matter.

  • 2.1× lighter files in our test (28.2 MB vs 58.3 MB)
  • fewer triangles (497,034 vs 1,959,692): less to decimate
  • quicker job (119 s vs 592 s)
  • open weights, if you want to run it yourself
TRELLIS 2

Quick answers

Which gives smaller files, Hitem3D 2.1 or TRELLIS 2?
TRELLIS 2: 28.2 MB against 58.3 MB on the T-posed character (497,034 vs 1,959,692 triangles).
Which follows the input shape more closely?
Hitem3D 2.1 kept more of the block-out's outline on the T-posed character: 73% overlap against 66%.
Do they give PBR texture maps?
Neither returned a full PBR set in our runs: Hitem3D 2.1 gave base colour · roughness-metal, TRELLIS 2 gave base colour · roughness-metal.
Which one is faster?
In our run on the T-posed character, the TRELLIS 2 job took 119 s and the Hitem3D 2.1 job 592 s, both from the same finished views. One run each: treat it as a rough guide.
Can I get OBJ or FBX?
Both return GLB only. In Vox Land, every model can also be exported as OBJ from the GLB.
Can either one rig a character?
Neither rigs characters itself. In Vox Land, any character can be rigged from the part tags on your blocks, whichever engine made it.

More comparisons

How we test

  1. 1Same pictures. Within a test, an image model repaints the block views once (the way Vox Land always works), and that one set of views goes to every engine, at its default settings; the table lists any that differ. Engines that take a single picture get one three-quarter view, painted from the same blocks in the same style.
  2. 2So every difference inside a test comes from the engine, not from the input. The blocks fix the shape and the proportions; the repainted views add the colours and small details every engine then shares.
  3. 3Numbers are read from the file each engine delivered: triangles, file size, texture maps. Job time is the engine's job in our pipeline (the views were painted beforehand), from a single run.
  4. 4Outline match: we draw the block-out and the model as flat silhouettes from the front, the side and above, and measure how much they overlap (intersection over union; 100% means identical outlines).
  5. 5The renders are ours: the same camera, light and orientation for every file.
  6. 6We make none of these engines. Vox Land sends your blocks to whichever one you pick, so we have no reason to favour one.

Try them on your own blocks

Build a block-out in the browser and send it to any of these engines. New accounts get 15 free credits.

Data updated Sep 23, 2026