Step 1: Access 3D Texture Mode

Log into Leonardo AI and navigate to the 3D Texture generation tab. This mode is specifically designed for surface materials, not general images. It automatically tiles outputs, generates PBR maps, and controls material properties. Unlike the standard image generation mode, 3D Texture prioritizes surface realism over artistic composition — perfect for UV-mapped game assets.

Step 2: Describe Your Material in Detail

Write a material-focused prompt: “Seamless weathered stone brick wall texture, mortar gaps, moss patches, slightly damp, realistic outdoor masonry” or “Brushed aluminum metal texture, subtle scratches, industrial surface, high metalness.” Always include the word “seamless” and the material type (stone, metal, wood, fabric). Add weathering, color, and surface detail descriptors for realism. Avoid composition words like “landscape” or “character” — these confuse the texture model.

Step 3: Configure PBR Map Generation

Enable all PBR map outputs: Albedo (color), Normal (surface depth), Roughness (smoothness), and Metalness (reflectivity). Select the resolution matching your game’s texture budget — 1024×1024 for standard environments, 2048×2048 for hero assets. Leonardo generates all four maps simultaneously, ensuring they’re perfectly aligned — no manual alignment or separate generation needed.

Step 4: Generate and Inspect the Texture Tile

Click “Generate” and review the output in Leonardo’s preview panel. Check for visible seams at tile edges — zoom to the borders and verify the pattern repeats smoothly. If you see edge artifacts, adjust the prompt to emphasize “perfectly seamless tiling” and regenerate. The normal map should show subtle depth variation (not extreme bumps), and the roughness map should reflect your described surface properties.

Step 5: Fine-Tune with Property Controls

Leonardo‘s 3D Texture mode offers sliders for roughness, metalness, and detail intensity. After generating, adjust these sliders and regenerate to match your game’s rendering requirements. For a stylized game, reduce detail intensity and increase roughness uniformity. For a photorealistic game, maximize detail intensity and add fine scratch/dirt variation. Each adjustment produces new aligned PBR maps instantly.

Step 6: Export and Apply in Your Game Engine

Download all four PBR maps (Albedo, Normal, Roughness, Metalness) as separate PNG files. Import them into your game engine (Unity, Unreal, Godot) and assign each map to the corresponding material slot. Set the texture’s wrap mode to “Repeat” for seamless tiling. Test the material on a sample mesh in your scene — verify lighting response, surface detail, and seamless tiling at runtime. Build a Leonardo texture library by generating 20–30 common materials (stone, wood, metal, fabric variants) and organizing them in your engine’s asset folder.

Step 1: Define Your Character Design Brief

Before touching any AI tool, create a character design brief: name, personality, visual traits (hair color, eye shape, clothing style, body proportions), and reference art. Collect 10–20 images that represent your desired aesthetic — these could be from existing games, anime, or hand-drawn sketches. Upload these references to Leonardo AI’s Image Guidance section. This brief becomes your anchor for every generation.

Step 2: Choose and Configure the Right Model

Navigate to Leonardo AI‘s model selection panel. For stylized game characters, the Anime or Phoenix model works best. Select the model and set parameters: choose “Dynamic” generation quality for higher detail, set image dimensions to match your game’s sprite or portrait resolution (e.g., 512×512 for 2D, 1024×1024 for 3D renders), and adjust the “Prompt Magic” toggle to enhance prompt interpretation without over-stylizing.

Step 3: Craft Your Character Prompt with Consistency Anchors

Write a detailed prompt that includes all character traits from your brief: “A fierce warrior woman with silver braided hair, amber eyes, wearing dark leather armor with gold trim, holding a flame sword, standing in a dramatic pose against a stormy sky.” Always start with the character’s fixed traits (hair, eyes, clothing) before describing action or background. Use the same fixed trait description in every generation to maintain consistency.

Step 4: Use Image Guidance for Character Locking

Upload your best reference image or a previously generated character image to Leonardo’s Image Guidance. Set the “Strength” parameter to 0.5–0.7 — this balances creative variation with structural consistency. Higher strength locks the output closer to the reference; lower strength allows more creative interpretation. Generate variants (different poses, expressions, backgrounds) while keeping the character’s core appearance locked to your reference.

Step 5: Train a Personal Model for Long-Term Consistency

For projects requiring hundreds of consistent character images, train a custom model. Navigate to “Personal Models,” create a new dataset, and upload 30–50 images of your character across different angles, poses, and expressions. Click “Train Model” and wait 30–60 minutes. Once trained, select your personal model from the model dropdown and generate new character images that automatically match your trained style — no need for lengthy prompts or image guidance.

Step 6: Export and Organize Your Character Assets

Download generated images in PNG format with transparent backgrounds (enable “Remove Background” in post-processing). Organize assets in folders by character, pose type, and resolution. Create a naming convention (e.g., CharacterName_Pose_Background_Size.png) for efficient retrieval in your game engine. Leonardo AI’s batch generation feature lets you produce entire sprite sheets — generate 10 pose variations in one session, export, and compile them into your animation timeline.

Step-by-Step Prompting Strategy

To get the most accurate results, structure your v6 prompts in this specific order:

1. Core Subject: Clear description of what the main subject is doing (e.g., “A close-up shot of a veteran chef kneading sourdough dough”).
2. Environment & Lighting: Define the setting and illumination (e.g., “in a rustic bakery, warm golden light streaming through a dusty window”).
3. Style & Camera Details: (e.g., “captured on a 35mm lens, shallow depth of field, photorealistic, cinematic composition”).
4. Parameters: Add technical controls at the very end (e.g., --ar 16:9 for widescreen, --v 6.0 to force version 6, --stylize 150 to balance Midjourney’s artistic flair with your prompt details).

How to Apply the Upscalers

When your grid of 4 images finishes rendering, follow these steps to maximize their resolution:

• Step 1: Select the image you like by clicking U1, U2, U3, or U4 to separate it from the grid.
• Step 2: Locate the upscale buttons beneath the single image. You will see Upscale (Subtle) and Upscale (Creative).
• Step 3: Choose Subtle if you want to preserve the exact details. Choose Creative if you want the AI to add realistic micro-details (like skin pores or fabric textures) while increasing the size.
• Step 4: Once completed, click the image, select “Open in Browser,” and save it to your device to get the uncompressed PNG format.