A 3D relief generator for production-ready image reliefs

A photograph describes a view, while a bas relief compresses form into a thin physical layer. A direct depth estimate is a useful starting point, but the far background can consume most of the available range and leave the subject nearly flat. DepthCarve exposes black point, white point, contrast, and inversion so the important facial, product, or ornamental features occupy the relief height you actually plan to cut or print.

Single-view estimation cannot recover hidden sides or guarantee anatomically correct depth. It can, however, produce coherent front-facing structure for plaques, medallions, memorials, signage, and decorative panels. Images with a clear subject, even lighting, visible edges, and limited background clutter produce the most controllable result. Crop before upload when an irrelevant border or distant scene should not affect the relief.

Many height-to-mesh utilities output only the raised top surface. That surface has no thickness, so slicers may repair it unpredictably and CAM tools may interpret boundaries poorly. DepthCarve joins the estimated top to side walls and a flat bottom. You choose backing thickness independently from relief height, which helps prevent fragile prints and gives CAM a clear stock-facing surface.

Mesh grid controls the tradeoff between smooth detail and file size. A higher number samples more points but can preserve model noise and slow downstream tools. Start around 128 to 160 for a test, inspect the silhouette and steep transitions, and increase only when the source contains genuine detail. Geometry density cannot restore detail missing from the depth field.

Width sets the physical X dimension; height follows the image aspect ratio. Relief height controls the distance from the lowest adjusted value to the highest, while base creates the solid backing. A portrait plaque may use only a few millimeters of relief, whereas a large wood panel can tolerate more. Excessive height creates near-vertical walls that small cutters and printers struggle to reproduce.

The browser builds the STL locally from the depth field. Your settings remain editable until approval, and an idempotent production job cannot create repeated ledger debits when the same request is retried. The resulting object still needs a mesh inspection, scale confirmation, and an appropriate slicer or CAM strategy. DepthCarve intentionally does not generate G-code because machine safety belongs with verified tooling and stock settings.

Commercial relief work benefits from separating visual approval from manufacturing approval. First use the free comparison and 3D preview to confirm the subject and depth direction with the customer. Next inspect the free preview STL under raking light and confirm the crop and emphasis. Only then choose material, dimensions, tooling, and finishing. This catches semantic mistakes before they become physical waste.

One credit is reserved once when you approve the raw-float production job. If the external geometry provider reports failure, DepthCarve writes a refund using a unique reference so retries cannot duplicate the debit or refund. That rule does not promise that every aesthetically weak result is refundable; the free approval loop exists specifically to let you judge model suitability before the paid job.