Game-asset pipelines
Reduce dense generated or sculpted assets into cleaner meshes that are easier to carry into real-time workflows.
Independent tool overview
Hunyuan 3D PolyGen is Tencent's AI retopology technology, now available through Hunyuan 3D Global's Smart Topology workflow and API using the Polygen 1.5 model.
Visit the official Hunyuan 3D Smart Topology (PolyGen) site ↗
Overview
Tencent introduced Hunyuan3D-PolyGen as an art-grade 3D model focused on a stubborn production problem: converting dense geometry into cleaner, lower-polygon topology. The current Tencent Cloud implementation exposes that capability as Smart Topology, powered by Polygen 1.5.
This is a post-processing tool, not a text-to-3D generator by itself. You submit an existing high-poly GLB or OBJ model, choose triangular or mixed triangle-and-quad topology and a reduction level, then retrieve the completed job.
The best fit is a studio or 3D pipeline that needs repeatable API-driven retopology. Individual artists who want visual editing, manual edge-flow control, or a broad creation suite may prefer a desktop modeling tool or a more creator-oriented hosted platform.
Use cases
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Reduce dense generated or sculpted assets into cleaner meshes that are easier to carry into real-time workflows.
Automate repeatable retopology jobs through Tencent Cloud instead of processing every asset manually.
Post-process high-poly assets generated elsewhere in the Hunyuan ecosystem with a directly related topology service.
Capabilities
Transforms a non-topologized high-poly input into a neater, lower-polygon textured geometry model.
Lets API users request triangle faces or a mixture of triangular and quadrilateral faces.
Provides high, medium, and low face-reduction settings for different quality and efficiency targets.
Returns a job ID when work is submitted so an application can check the result separately.
Works with Tencent Cloud's documented SDKs for Python, Java, PHP, Go, Node.js, .NET, and C++.
Sits alongside 3D generation, part generation, texture editing, UV unfolding, auto-rigging, and format conversion APIs.
Process
Step 1
Supply a GLB or OBJ file by URL. Tencent recommends non-topologized high-poly inputs such as hard-surface models, characters, props, and everyday objects.
Step 2
Select triangle or mixed triangle-and-quad faces and, when needed, a high, medium, or low reduction level.
Step 3
Call Submit3DSmartTopologyJob with Tencent Cloud credentials and retain the returned job ID.
Step 4
Poll the corresponding job-description endpoint, download the generated asset, and inspect silhouette, deformation areas, UVs, and edge flow before production use.
Cost
Smart Topology consumes 50 Tencent HY 3D Global credits per successful call. Credits cost $0.0135-$0.015 in prepaid packages or $0.02 postpaid, making one job roughly $0.68-$0.75 prepaid or $1 postpaid before optional concurrency fees.
$0
New Tencent HY activations receive a one-time 200-credit resource package valid for one year.
From $15
Buy a one-year package, starting with 1,000 credits for $15.
$0.02 per credit
Pay daily for usage after explicitly enabling postpaid billing.
$5,000/month
Add one concurrent processing slot for higher-volume pipelines.
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
Compare
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Design
Consider Rodin when the larger need is generating detailed 3D assets from text or images rather than retopologizing an existing mesh.
Explore Rodin →Design
Consider Tripo AI for a more creator-oriented hosted workflow spanning 3D generation and asset preparation.
Explore Tripo AI →Design
Consider Meshcapade when the work centers on animatable digital humans and body models rather than general-purpose mesh topology.
Explore Meshcapade →Questions
Hunyuan3D-PolyGen is Tencent's AI mesh-topology technology. Tencent Cloud's current Smart Topology API uses the Polygen 1.5 model to turn a high-poly 3D input into a neater, lower-polygon model.
Not in the current Smart Topology workflow. It post-processes an existing GLB or OBJ model. Tencent offers separate Hunyuan 3D APIs for generating models from text, images, sketches, or multiple views.
A Smart Topology job uses 50 credits. That is roughly $0.68-$0.75 with current prepaid packages or $1 at the $0.02 postpaid credit rate. New activations receive 200 one-time free credits.
Yes. The API supports a triangle setting and a mixed setting containing triangular and quadrilateral faces.
The official API documentation lists GLB and OBJ files supplied by URL, with a maximum file size of 200 MB.
Treat it as a production accelerator, not an automatic approval step. A 3D artist should still inspect topology density, deformation zones, UV behavior, normals, materials, and compatibility with the target engine.
Bottom line
Hunyuan 3D Smart Topology is compelling when a team wants API-scale retopology for high-poly assets and can work inside Tencent Cloud. Its current Polygen 1.5 implementation is much more concrete than the original model announcement, but individual artists may find the API-first workflow and concurrency pricing less attractive than an interactive tool.
Visit Hunyuan 3D Smart Topology (PolyGen) website ↗
Qwen-VLo - Alibaba’s 4o-style model for image generation and editing

Magic Animator - Animate Figma designs in seconds with AI

Flux 1 Kontext [dev] - BFL's Open-weight, SOTA image editing model

Gemini 2.5 Flash Image - Google's SOTA AI image editing model

Get access to all our AI courses, hundreds of real-world AI use cases, live expert-led workshops, an exclusive network of AI early adopters, and more.
Get unlimited access to all of our current & upcoming industry-specific AI courses for the duration of your subscription.
To keep up with the rapid pace of AI, our team publishes AI implementation guides daily. Our library contains 300+ practical use cases to automate real-world work.
Join weekly, live, interactive sessions with industry leaders who are at the forefront of AI for hands-on implementation guidance and exclusive insights.
Network with an exclusive community of AI-first professionals who are working smarter with AI. Learn how early adopters are using AI in their work and businesses.