Adobe teases AI tools that create 3D scenes, animate text and make distractions disappear

Adobe is previewing some of its experimental AI tools for animation, image generation, and video and photo cleanup that could eventually be added to Inventive Cloud apps.

While these tools cover very different mediums, all three have a similar goal – to automate most of the tedious, convoluted tasks required to create content and give creators more control over the results than simply plugging suggestions into an AI generator. The idea is to enable people to create animations and images or make convoluted video edits without having to invest a lot of time and experience.

The first tool, called “Project Scenic,” gives users more control over the images generated by Adobe’s Firefly model. Instead of relying solely on text descriptions, Scenic actually generates an entire 3D scene that lets you add, move, and resize specific objects. The final results are then used as a reference to generate a 2D image consistent with the 3D plan.

The next step is “Project Motion” – a two-step tool that you can exploit to easily create animated graphics in a variety of styles. The first stage is a uncomplicated animation wizard that allows creators to add motion effects to text and basic images without prior animation experience. Then, in a second step, the animated video is transformed using text descriptions and reference images, adding colors, textures and background sequences.

“Project Clean Machine” is an editing tool that automatically removes annoying distractions from photos and videos, such as camera flashes and people walking into frames. It’s almost like content-aware autofill, only better, because it also corrects any unwanted effects caused by the visual effects you’re trying to remove. For example, if fireworks in the background overexpose several seconds of your photo, Pristine Machine will ensure that the colors and lighting are still consistent throughout the video after the flash is removed.

These tools are announced at the Adobe MAX conference as “Sneaks” – what the company calls development projects intended to showcase recent technologies and gauge public interest. There’s no guarantee that Sneak will get the full release, but many features like Photoshop noise removal and fill after content-aware effects have their roots in these designs.

We spotted these teasers before they were announced, so we’ll get a better look at them when they’re unveiled later today. None of these tools are yet available for the public to try out, but that could change in the coming months.