# Cue3D: Quantifying the Role of Image Cues in Single-Image 3D Generation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.22121 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.22121/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 36 of its 62 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 27 Nov 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 36)

- [Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.11239/) (2020)
- [High-Resolution Image Synthesis with Latent Diffusion Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.10752/) (2021)
- [CutMix: Regularization Strategy to Train Strong Classifiers with Localizable Features](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.04899/) (2019)
- [Objaverse: A Universe of Annotated 3D Objects](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.08051/) (2022)
- [Zero-1-to-3: Zero-shot One Image to 3D Object](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11328/) (2023)
- [ImageNet-trained CNNs are biased towards texture; increasing shape bias improves accuracy and robustness](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.12231/) (2018)
- [MVDream: Multi-view Diffusion for 3D Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.16512/) (2023)
- [LRM: Large Reconstruction Model for Single Image to 3D](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.04400/) (2023)
- [Structured 3D Latents for Scalable and Versatile 3D Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.01506/) (2024)
- [LGM: Large Multi-View Gaussian Model for High-Resolution 3D Content Creation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.05054/) (2024)
- [Wonder3D: Single Image to 3D using Cross-Domain Diffusion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.15008/) (2023)
- [Pixel2Mesh: Generating 3D Mesh Models from Single RGB Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.01654/) (2018)
- [Interpretable Explanations of Black Boxes by Meaningful Perturbation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1704.03296/) (2017)
- [Google Scanned Objects: A High-Quality Dataset of 3D Scanned Household Items](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.11918/) (2022)
- [Holistically-Nested Edge Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1504.06375/) (2015)
- [LION: Latent Point Diffusion Models for 3D Shape Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.06978/) (2022)
- [CLAY: A Controllable Large-scale Generative Model for Creating High-quality 3D Assets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.13897/) (2024)
- [InstantMesh: Efficient 3D Mesh Generation from a Single Image with Sparse-view Large Reconstruction Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.07191/) (2024)
- [Hunyuan3D 2.0: Scaling Diffusion Models for High Resolution Textured 3D Assets Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.12202/) (2025)
- [What Do Single-view 3D Reconstruction Networks Learn?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.03678/) (2019)
- [TripoSR: Fast 3D Object Reconstruction from a Single Image](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.02151/) (2024)
- [CRM: Single Image to 3D Textured Mesh with Convolutional Reconstruction Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.05034/) (2024)
- [Probing the 3D Awareness of Visual Foundation Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.08636/) (2024)
- [SweetDreamer: Aligning Geometric Priors in 2D Diffusion for Consistent Text-to-3D](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.02596/) (2023)
- [Using Shape to Categorize: Low-Shot Learning with an Explicit Shape Bias](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.07296/) (2021)
- [NeRF-VAE: A Geometry Aware 3D Scene Generative Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.00587/) (2021)
- [LN3DIFF++: Scalable Latent Neural Fields Diffusion for Speedy 3D Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.12019/) (2024)
- [Learning to generate line drawings that convey geometry and semantics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.12691/) (2022)
- [CSGO: Content-Style Composition in Text-to-Image Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.16766/) (2024)
- [SF3D: Stable Fast 3D Mesh Reconstruction with UV-unwrapping and Illumination Disentanglement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.00653/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [How Much 3D Do Video Foundation Models Encode?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.19949/) (2025)
- [Single-Slice-to-3D Reconstruction in Medical Imaging and Natural Objects: A Comparative Benchmark with SAM 3D](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.09407/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Humans and traditional computer vision methods rely on a diverse set of monocular cues to infer 3D structure from a single image, such as shading, texture, silhouette, etc. While recent deep generative models have dramatically advanced single-image 3D generation, it remains unclear which image cues these methods actually exploit. We introduce Cue3D, the first comprehensive, model-agnostic framework for quantifying the influence of individual image cues in single-image 3D generation. Our unified benchmark evaluates seven state-of-the-art methods, spanning regression-based, multi-view, and native 3D generative paradigms. By systematically perturbing cues such as shading, texture, silhouette, perspective, edges, and local continuity, we measure their impact on 3D output quality. Our analysis reveals that shape meaningfulness, not texture, dictates generalization. Geometric cues, particularly shading, are crucial for 3D generation. We further identify over-reliance on provided silhouettes and diverse sensitivities to cues such as perspective and local continuity across model families. By dissecting these dependencies, Cue3D advances our understanding of how modern 3D networks leverage classical vision cues, and offers directions for developing more transparent, robust, and controllable single-image 3D generation models.