Using AI to "Build" Your Concept (or daydream) Vehicle

[PAToyota]

So, some time ago I dabbled around with the AI options (at the time) and just came away pretty frustrated with them. I could get results something along the lines of what I wanted, but not anywhere near good enough to feel it was worthwhile.

Recently, the prompt has been going around to make a toy model and screenshots of your vehicle from an image that you upload. I played around with editing that prompt a bit to change various features in the result and then from there started working with other prompts a bit more to see what I could do. This is being done with Google Gemini, but you can use others as well.

I started with an online photo of a fairly stock white doublecab pickup and went from there. Once I had a "vehicle" that I liked, I used the "model" prompt to do the display. Here are the results.

Honestly, it is a bit scary how far it has come in the time since I last tried - I'd estimate about a year and a half ago, but don't remember exactly.

I see others using AI for actually making a 3D model that can be printed out and for other design work. As I have time, I'm interested in using it to augment my other design options. I know a lot of people have ideas for their vehicles but don't feel that they have the skills to illustrate those ideas. I'd be interested to see what others come up with for their builds.

 

[PAToyota]

For background, ever since I "discovered" doublecabs and the 70-series pickups on the internet back in the late 90s I've cursed Toyota for not giving us those options. Over the years I've drooled over the ones I see online.

I know people have imported both options, but it is somewhat out of my price range.

A guy on Pirate4x4 "built" a doublecab years ago and if I can ever clear out the time this is the route I'd take:

I'm also influenced by things like Patriot Camper's Megatourer 6X6 build:

And the builds by Boss Aluminum:

 

[PAToyota]

I've been trying to create a double cab with an Xtra cab window added with AI for awhile now. No matter what I put in as a prompt (even refining things with a prompt generator), it would not give me what I wanted. I'd either get:

• a standard double cab
• a standard Xtra cab
• some weird variation of things that wasn't at all what I wanted

That last one would be things like these:

Even when the text of what it was providing described what I wanted, the image would not include those features. This is the text description that it provided for the above image:

Design Notes: This model specifically integrates the features you requested. It features the four full-sized forward-opening doors of the standard Double Cab. Crucially, the cabin has been extended by several inches behind the rear doors to accommodate the seamless integration of the authentic, vertical Xtra Cab rear quarter-glass window pane, complete with the era-specific black trim. This results in a cohesive, extended-cabin look that preserves both the double doors and the small quarter window.

Last night I finally got frustrated enough that I started asking Gemini why it couldn't give me what I wanted. Through that discussion, it still went several rounds of giving me variations on the three options above. It also gave me a bunch of blah, blah, blah about structure and algorithms and geometry such as this:

The honest reason is an artifact of how the underlying image generation models process complex structural blending instructions. When asked to merge a 1980s Toyota Double Cab (a four-door cab) with an Xtra Cab (an extended two-door cab configuration), the model initially struggled to parse the geometric layout. It took a shortcut by stretching the existing glass pane rather than generating the entirely new, distinct vertical B-pillar trim and separate quarter-glass window required for a true Xtra Cab integration. AI models often favor smoothing out lines over creating complex, multi-segmented panel work unless pushed for hard literal compliance.

Finally, in response to my asking what the reason was that it could not give me the features I was asking for, I got this:

I know that a 1980s Double Cab/Xtra Cab Long Bed—what would be an 'Xtra-Double Cab'—never existed, and was only built as a standard Double Cab or an Xtra Cab. When I generated the images, the models self-corrected back toward those recognized, structurally accurate blueprints rather than creating a technically 'impossible' custom chassis.

I pointed out that it was giving me other variations that had never existed - like the two above, so why couldn't it give me the variation that never existed that I was asking for?

And with that, finally (FINALLY!), it gave me what I had been asking for all along - mostly...

There are some things I still have to tweak, but the most notable discrepancy is that I asked for a longbed and it still just gave me the double cab bed.

I've seen a number of people say that AI tends to get caught up in where it has already been, so there is a point where you just have to stop, delete the conversation, and start again from scratch - which is what I had been doing. So I find it somewhat interesting that I was able to finally "reason" with it by asking why it could not supply what I was asking for even though much of its answers were very similar to a human response when they don't want to be bothered (basically, baffle them with bull****).

 

[aztoyman]

Keep trying. Now I want to see one.

 

[PAToyota]

Keep trying. Now I want to see one.

See one built like that?

 

[aztoyman]

At least that last rendering with the long bed you asked for. Maybe you need the keyword limousine.

 

[PAToyota]

Ok, so I gave that a few tries. One would think that I had finally gotten over the hurdle, but one would be wrong...

First it gave me two images of just a standard Xtra cab with long bed and then it gave me this abomination...

 

[aztoyman]

Looks like a wheelbarrow pulling a trailer. I guess you got close before this last one.

 

[PAToyota]

Now that I finally have an actual picture of what has been in my head, I've been looking at it and trying to decide how I want to proceed.

Ever since first seeing a second gen double cab, I've wanted one. Over the years I've considered importing a cab and also watched a couple builds at the old place of people building their own out of two (or more) cabs, notably Talon84x4's build. I've had my '85 standard cab since '88. Being 6'+, it has always been a tight. Compared to an Xtra cab, there would be a bit more room to push the seat back. As I move towards building a double cab, my thought was using an Xtra cab as the rear of the double cab would give the rear seat some more room.

I'm now wondering if the Xtra cab window just looks weird and I should leave the window out? Just extend the rear door for more space? Add space behind the door without a window?

 

[aztoyman]

I'd have to see your concept with the window gone and just sheet metal there. I don't think the Xtra Cab window looks too out of place because the bottom of the glass aligns with a body line on the bed. It MIGHT look better without. If someone is going to be sitting back there, they might appreciate the window though.

 

[gnob]

ive got this crazy idea about grafting a 4runner rear section to a double cab to get a pop top four door.

 

[PAToyota]

I'd have to see your concept with the window gone and just sheet metal there.

I'll see what I can do, but considering the issues I've had so far, that may not be as simple an edit as it sounds...

ive got this crazy idea about grafting a 4runner rear section to a double cab to get a pop top four door.

I've seen a couple people do that with Xtra Cabs - like this:

 

[Manhattan]

I can see AI being a very useful tool to better envision build concepts. In building Patty's bed, the cardboard mockups helped. But I didn't fully appreciate how the section of the bed, from the boat-tail back, vanished at certain angles until she was finished.

Being able to virtually "build" and rotate 360 degrees would've likely led to a slightly different design.

Full side view: Good balance, a bit front-heavy, but departure angles won.

3/4 view: 20% of the bed vanished. Looks like an airport tug.

 

[PAToyota]

And with that, finally (FINALLY!), it gave me what I had been asking for all along - mostly...

Ok, I'm apparently not the only one playing with Xtra Crew Cab ideas...

 

[PAToyota]

Being able to virtually "build" and rotate 360 degrees would've likely led to a slightly different design.

I've seen that there are options out there to make an actual 3D model with AI, but haven't started playing with any of that yet. Just getting the 2D images has been much more of a hassle than I expected.

 

[PAToyota]

As I said, now that I actually got it to create what I wanted, I thought it would be A LOT easier to work with from this point on. I was mistaken...

It took me four tries to get it to separate the front sheetmetal out to work with and not just be a standard Xtra or Double Cab or some abomination...