THE’inpainting It is one of the most surprising and versatile features of generative artificial intelligence. Born as a tool to “repair” or fill missing portions of an image, today it finds much more sophisticated applications, becoming a real ally for those involved in architectural design.
But what does it mean to do inpainting, which tools can be used And above all, how can it help architects and technicians to design better?
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What is inpainting
Intapainting is a generative technique that allows you to change a part of an existing imagerewriting it on the basis of a text prompt. In practice, there is an area to change (a window, a facade, the material of a floor), is described in words what you want to see, and artificial intelligence recreates it in a consistent way with the context of the original image.
In the architectural context, this means being able to:
- replace a wall covering with another material;
- change the set -up of a balcony or facade;
- Add vegetation or shading systems;
- Enter new furnishings in an internal space;
- Remove unwanted elements (such as cars, billboards, visual obstacles).
All this happens without the need for 3D or complex post-production modeling: an image, a mask and a prompt is enough.
Three tools for inpainting (from the simplest to the most advanced)
Chatgpt + from · e
It’s the easiest way to start. Chatgpt allows you to Create or load an image, delete a part with the cursor and insert a text prompt. AI generates new variants of the selected portion. Ideal for fast tests and preliminary experiments, it does not require technical skills or installations.
Photoshop Firefly
Integrated in Photoshop (Beta), Firefly allows you to Select an area with the Lazo tool and replace it with a content generated by description. It is perfect for those who already use Photoshop and seek greater control over the visual result, with advanced merger tools, color correction and levels.
Comfyui (for advanced users)
Comfyui is a graphic interface for Stable Diffusion that allows you to build custom workflow. With specific nodes for inpainting (e.g. “Intapaint conditioning”, “Mask”, “IP-ADAPTER”), it is possible to obtain total control over the process, maintain consistency between multiple images and work on specific styles. It requires local installation and a steep learning curve, but offers professional level results.
How to do it in practice
To use inpainting you need Three fundamental elements:
- a starting image – It can be a real photo, a render or a sketch;
- a mask – or the part of the image to be modified, manually or automatically selected;
- a text prompt – the description of what you want to generate in that area.
Two examples
Change the facade of the building
Imagine wanting to test a sustainable alternative for the facade of a brick -coated building. With inpainting you can intervene directly on the image without redoing the render. For example, you can use a prompt like:
“Replace the brick clading with vertical wooden panels in a natural tone. Add Climbing Greenery Around the Windows.”
In a few seconds, artificial intelligence will replace the original coating, maintaining shadows, depth and perspective consistency. The result? An updated image that you can use to discuss with the customer, propose design variants or simply explore new solutions of architectural language.
Change a detail and add an object
Intapainting is also useful for punctual interventions on individual elements, such as the replacement of a door or the addition of objects to give more character to the scene. Here is a possible prompt:
“Replace the front door with a Vertical Sascoted Wooden Door in Warm Tone. Add a Black Vintage Bicycle Leaning Against the wall next to the door.”
In this case, the AI not only changes the appearance of the door, but integrates a realistic object in the context (the bicycle), enhancing the atmosphere of the scene and helping to transmit the identity of the project. A tool also useful for presentations, moodboard or visual concepts.
A concrete impact on design
Intapainting is not only a graphic exercise, but one Powerful design tool. Allows:
- process more quickly on ideasavoiding long modeling times;
- View variants without having to redo an entire render;
- Involve the customer with realistic and immediate alternatives;
- simplify design communicationespecially in preliminary or competition phases.
Another fundamental aspect is the possibility of Add a high level of detail to an existing imagewithout having to go from a complete 3D modeling or spend hours in post-production on Photoshop, for a result that often risks in any case to appear forced or not very consistent. With inpainting, however, the result is immediate, contextual and surprisingly credible.
An advanced example in this direction is the work of Fadi H. Kacem, an architect who uses inpainting as a design tool to generate realistic urban scenarios, retrofit interventions or facade tests on real imageswith a precision that allows you to integrate complex architectural elements into existing contexts without having to resort to three -dimensional reconstructions.
Why try it now
In an era in which the design must be fast, adaptive and communicabletools such as inpainting offer new possibilities to quickly explore different alternatives without sacrificing quality. They do not replace the project, but enhance it, creating an intermediate space between the idea and the executive design. And often, the best intuitions are born from that interlude.
