Maxon integrates Tencent HY 3D Global AI engine into Cinema 4D

The new integration, which is optional, gives artists the ability to accelerate early-stage 3D concepting with Tencent HY 3D Global AI engine.

The collaboration, unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, introduces an AI-assisted workflow within Cinema 4D that enables artists to generate base 3D and UV models from text prompts or image references, which can then be refined, sculpted, animated, and rendered using Maxon’s professional toolset.

The HY 3D engine, developed by Tencent Cloud and trained on Tencent’s vast library of games, helps artists jumpstart their work, serving as a starting point for creative exploration. Once generated, assets are fully customizable in Cinema 4D and compatible with Maxon’s broader ecosystem, including ZBrush, Redshift, and Red Giant tools.

“At Maxon, our mission has always been to empower artists,” said David McGavran, CEO of Maxon. “This partnership is about giving creators additional tools to move faster when they choose to, especially in early-stage ideation and prototyping. The artist remains in complete control of the final result. AI can assist with iteration and experimentation, but authorship and creative direction stay firmly in the hands of the creative.”

The integration reflects Maxon’s longstanding philosophy of meeting artists where they are, while preserving creative freedom. Use of the HY 3D integration within Cinema 4D is entirely optional; artists who prefer traditional modeling workflows can continue working exactly as they do today.

“Artists care deeply about authorship and originality – and so do we,” said Philip Losch, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Maxon. “Our approach is focused on responsible integration of AI capabilities into our tools. We are not building an autonomous system that creates finished art. We are applying technology that accelerates certain steps in a broader creative process that remains artist-led.”

Cinema 4D is widely used across film, broadcast, motion graphics, advertising, product visualization, and game development. The addition of AI-assisted base model generation provides new flexibility for creators working under tight timelines or exploring multiple visual directions. Once generated, assets can be refined in ZBrush, textured and lit in Cinema 4D, and rendered using Redshift, enabling artists to transform their original concepts into fully realized, production-ready work with their unique signature look and feel.

The partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between Maxon and Tencent, including Tencent’s continuous use of Maxon technologies in game development pipelines. This marks the first time Maxon is integrating Tencent Cloud AI technology directly into its own toolset.

The HY 3D integration will be introduced in late 2026. Additional technical details and rollout timing will be shared closer to the release.