Turning your art or project into an NFT can be a lot of work. You have to format your art for the process before you write a program or use an NFT platform that converts it into something compatible with the blockchain, otherwise known as minting. Some of these steps can be time-consuming, making some artists and NFT creators wonder if there are ways to auto-generate an NFT.
Unfortunately, there is no way to fully automate NFT creation yet (although AI is being created that can make art), but you can semi-automate the process by using a few simple methods. These methods offer varying levels of control, features, and options, letting you fully customize your NFT generation process.
Some of the most popular NFT collections, like Crypto Punks, have been randomly auto-generated after certain features were designed in order to create 10,000 combinations of avatars.
Most recently, I bought an auto-generated NFT from a collection of 5,000 auto-generated and unique NFTs designed by artist Tristan Eaton. You can check out this fantastic project at Gemma.art.
By reading further, you will learn what some of these NFT auto-generating methods are and how you can use them with your art. You will also learn which method offers the most options and control over your NFTs.
The NFT Creation Process
As Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) become more relevant, it is becoming more important for artists and content owners to learn how to make them.
Most people understand that NFTs are unique proofs of ownership of a product that is recorded in the blockchain, usually on the Ethereum network. Other popular NFT blockchains include Tron, Binance Smart Chain, Tezos, Polkadot, and others.
However, most people do not know how to create them. They may know that any digital asset can become an NFT, including art, photos, memes, music, tickets, social media posts, and gaming assets, but the creation process eludes them.
Some of that is by design. You are meant to be able to use NFTs without understanding the mechanics. However, one of the issues comes from the newness of technology.
Steps to Create an NFT
Fortunately, you only need a few simple steps to create an NFT. These steps are:
- Create something to make into an NFT – can be digital art, a song, a poem, a meme, or an entire album! NFTs to have size requirements which are explained here.
- Create an Ethereum-compatible wallet on your favorite cryptocurrency exchange – popular wallets include: MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, AlphaWallet, and Rainbow. This article talks about the 9 most popular wallets.
- Purchase some Ethereum (ETH) – All NFT creation and storage fees must be paid in ETH
- Connect the wallet to an NFT marketplace – Popular choices include: OpenSea, Rarible, or Mintable.
- Generate or mint your NFT
Minting or generating your NFT is the last step in the process. During this step, you will create a small program that contains the NFT’s description, name, price, royalties (yes, you can make a commission on all future secondary sells), and anything else associated with the NFT. The program, also known as a smart contract, knits the pieces of your NFT into a single entity you can store on the blockchain.
After completing the process, your wallet will ask you to sign the NFT and pay for any “gas” or processing fees.
The challenge with minting NFTs is that it can be expensive, and it does consume a lot of energy. The industry is working on making the minting process more affordable and less of an environmental suck. These two articles will help you save some money (Crypto).
- How To Sell NFTs Without Gas Fees (or less) | Complete Guide
- How To Mint an NFT for Free | Rarible Style
While a simple process, in theory, you may find each step in the NFT process time-consuming. Sure, you can reuse steps 2 through 4 to reduce the development time for future NFTs, but you must complete them manually for your first one.
Also, just because you created an NFT doesn’t mean you are going to make a profit. You need to get your NFT in front of people, and this guide has specific suggestions to do just that:
7 Methods to Auto Generate NFTs
However, you can never skip steps 1 and 5. You must create something new for each NFT you make, and you must create a separate contract program for each NFT. Fortunately, you can partially automate these steps to reduce development time and the complexity of the process. We listed seven ways to do this below.
Method 1: Convert a Video into an NFT
Since creating videos is a similar process to creating NFTs, videos are a great way to convert your content to NFTs. They allow you to make NFTs with certifiable and valuable audio and visual elements that would otherwise be difficult to make.
Why make video NFTs? Well, they could be art, or they could have other uses. KapWing Resources says, “You can use video NFTs to ascribe creative authorship across social media content, create historical records, or even provide strong evidence to a serious court case.”
The process is simple too.
After you set up your NFT wallet, you just turn your content into videos using one of the many video makers out there. Once there, you can just hit the “create” button of your favorite NFT marketplace to upload and convert your videos.
Method 2: Use a Third-Party NFT Generator
Do you want to make the next Crypto Punks? To create a massive NFT collection without writing any code, you can use a third-party NFT generator. These services will produce the correct code for processing your art into an NFT collection through a simple online process. You just have to upload and organize your art into layers and then let the generator do the rest.
Method 3: Use A Marketplaces Built-in NFT Generator
The easiest way to generate NFTs is to go to an NFT marketplace and use the built-in tool. Every NFT platform and marketplace has this feature, including Rarible, OpenSea, and Mintible.
We even used these tools with the video method above. However, these tools often limit your creation options or shoehorn you into that particular marketplace.
Method 4: Use a Dedicated NFT Programming Tool
If you have some programming skills, you can use a dedicated NFT programming tool. You will find these tools available on all popular programming platforms, and they provide the correct boilerplate code for easy NFT development.
While this method does require a deeper understanding of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies, it gives you complete control over your NFT’s metadata.
Some people ask if metadata can be changed after an NFT is minted. We discuss that topic here.
Method 5: Use an App That Allows Lazy Minting
If you plan to create many NFTs, you may want to look for an NFT generator app that allows for lazy minting. Lazy minting is a process that defers the gas fees to the buyer at the time of purchase.
This way, creators can create artwork, upload their work to marketplaces like Raribe and OpenSea, list the work for sale, and when a buyer wants to purchase the artwork, it gets minted into an NFT at the time cryptocurrency is exchanged.
Method 6: Social Media NFT Converters
The ex-CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, sold his first tweet as an NFT for millions of dollars. If that inspires, you could turn your posts into NFTs as well. Selling posts for a considerable profit could be the more significant challenge.
Some websites and apps have been created to make the conversion to NFT process easy. This post will point you in the right direction.
Method 7: Hire an NFT Developer
If all else fails, you can simply outsource your NFT development. There are many dedicated NFT developers out there who would gladly transform your content into sellable NFTs. Shop around for one who deals with your type of content to ensure the best possible match.
Conclusion
As NFTS continue to rise, many people seek ways to create their own NFTs without having to write code or waste time creating hundreds of image files.
If you’re serious about becoming an NFT artist, this viral article should help you out:
While there is no way to fully auto-generate NFTs, there are several methods that will allow you to make the process as simple as possible with only a few easy steps. If you are curious about where the NFT world is going, I highly suggest reading this article: 10 Reasons Why NFTs Will Change the World.