MiniMax Rolls Out Major Design Platform Upgrade

MiniMax has pushed a sweeping update to its design tools, adding a new AI model, direct plug-ins for popular creative software, and shared workspaces for teams.

MiniMax announced a broad refresh of its design platform, headlined by the launch of a new model called GPT-6 Astra, which is now live for users. The update signals the company's push to position its tools as a more complete hub for creative production rather than a single-purpose generator. Among the additions are new MCP integrations connecting MiniMax directly to industry-standard software including Blender, Photoshop, and After Effects. These connections are meant to let creators move work between MiniMax and their existing pipelines without manually exporting and re-importing files at each stage. The update also introduces Collaborative Projects, a feature aimed at letting multiple team members work together within the same MiniMax workspace, addressing a common gap in AI creative tools that are typically built around a single user session. On the generation side, MiniMax says users can now produce 3D models from a single text prompt, and convert AI-generated video clips straight into editable After Effects projects rather than flat rendered footage. MiniMax detailed the changes in a post on X, framing the release as part of its broader effort to expand what it calls AI-driven creativity.