I had a random idea tonight - what if I could turn Matty Matheson from The Bear into a retro action figure? The guy's an amazing chef and his energy on the show is incredible. So I decided to test out this workflow I've been developing.

You can try Hunyuan3D 2.0 yourself at: https://www.hunyuan-3d.com

Step 1: Original Photo

Started with this photo of Matty Matheson. Perfect energy, great character - exactly what I wanted to capture in action figure form.

Step 2: AI Image-to-Image for Vinyl Toy Style

Next, I used an AI image-to-image model to transform the photo into a vinyl toy version. I typically add retro action figure details - the chunky proportions, simplified features, that classic 80s toy aesthetic. Usually takes a few iterations to get it right.

Step 3: Product Box Mockup

Sometimes I like to put the character in a product box to see how it would look as an actual toy. This step isn't always necessary, but it helps visualize the final product and adds that authentic action figure feel.

Step 4: T-Pose for 3D Generation

The key deliverable is getting the character in a T-pose. This makes everything easier downstream - both for 3D model creation and for adding to Mixamo for animation later. The T-pose gives the 3D generator the best reference for understanding the character's proportions and structure.

Step 5: Hunyuan3D Image-to-3D

Finally, I pump the vinyl T-pose image into Hunyuan's latest image-to-3D model. The results are honestly amazing. The geometry captures the character perfectly, and while the textures aren't perfect, the overall shape and proportions are spot-on.

What's Next

From here, I could easily take this 3D model and:

• Upload to Mixamo for automatic rigging and animation
• Clean up the textures in Blender or similar
• 3D print it as an actual action figure
• Use it in game development or AR experiences

The Real Magic

What blows my mind is how fast this entire process has become. From random idea to 3D model in just a few steps. The combination of AI image generation for the vinyl toy styling and Hunyuan3D for the 3D conversion makes it possible to prototype action figures and characters incredibly quickly.

The texture quality still needs work, but the geometry is solid enough that you could actually manufacture this as a real toy. That's the future we're living in now - going from photo to production-ready 3D model in minutes, not hours or days.

Matty would probably get a kick out of seeing himself as an action figure. The Bear meets AI-generated toys - what a time to be alive.