Farewell to "Prompt Engineering"! Recently, the skybox team Blockade Labs has launched a groundbreaking new product, blendbox.ai, which introduces the concept of layers into AI-generated images, allowing you to create images with more control, similar to using Photoshop.
The goal of the Blendbox Alpha version is to return the creative control back to artists, moving away from the over-reliance on "prompt words" in applications like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion.
Compared to mainstream AI image generation software on the market, Blendbox is more like a next-generation "photo collage" software, offering artists stronger control and predictability over the final image.
Adam Levine, co-founder of Blendbox, said they hope to "rethink how AI art works," allowing artists to regain control over the creative process.
Blendbox, through its modular image control features, allows users to adjust individual elements such as textures, lighting, color schemes, and object positions, achieving a high degree of creative freedom. The real-time adjustment function ensures that users can tweak these parameters immediately without regenerating the entire image, thus accelerating the creative iteration speed.
Unlike other AI art applications, Blendbox's core advantage lies in eliminating the dependency on lengthy, complex, and obscure text prompts.
Although text prompts are still used to set the initial style and content, once the image is in place, artists can adjust the main scene, change the scene tone, or collide images to produce new effects through drag-and-drop operations.
Artists no longer need to constantly try different prompts like operating a "slot machine" to get lucky; instead, they can achieve their creative intentions through direct manipulation of image elements.
For example, you can input simple words like "forest," "beautiful woman changing clothes," "architecture," and then drag these elements to combine them. The output image will automatically blend the elements perfectly. The image updates in real-time, and changes are saved as "steps," allowing artists to revert to previous versions.
Image changes in Blendbox are localized, meaning artists can adjust specific areas and elements without affecting the entire image.
For instance, adding a waterfall to a jungle scene won't turn the entire scene into a waterfall but will integrate the "waterfall" concept into the scene, which artists can then refine, re-light, add textures, and optimize.
Blendbox also employs a layer system, allowing artists to move different "concepts" in and out of the scene, thereby affecting their blending and the final image's presentation. For example, transforming modern buildings into ancient temples or dressing the woman in a vest:
Additionally, Blendbox offers various styles, allowing artists to freely adjust the style of the scene according to their preferences, helping them refine their creative ideas without deviating from the basic style.
deCourcelle said that Blendbox is like a "next-generation photo collage tool," allowing her to "think deeper and faster about creation."
She believes that artists who understand art theory and techniques (such as composition, shape language, light and shadow, form, texture, and color theory) will benefit more from this AI application because it gives artists true creative control.
Currently, Blendbox is in the internal testing phase, and only subscribers can experience it. It is reported that Blendbox uses the Stable Diffusion model, but Levine explained that the application will choose different AI engines based on users' creative needs. "We will switch to different engines depending on the situation, allowing users to choose the most suitable engine," he said.
Regarding broader issues in the AI art field, such as artist copyright, the Blockade team holds an open attitude and looks forward to the future, committed to developing new AI and artistic creation methods.
Blendbox is not the team's first AI application; they previously released Skybox AI, an application for generating 8K resolution 360-degree panoramic scenes. Levine also revealed that they plan to connect these two applications and develop new adjustable lighting and 3D resource integration features for Blendbox.
Official website: https://www.blendbox.ai/
