3D Modelling with Blender Intensive - Workshop 2 | Immersive Commons
Blender Intensive — Workshop 2
Modifiers, Simulation Thinking, & PBR Rendering
This second workshop deepens your foundation by shifting from direct modeling to system-driven creation. We’ll focus on non-destructive workflows, simulation-inspired thinking, and physically based materials—core skills for building scalable worlds and production-ready assets.
Blender truly opens up when you stop pushing vertices manually and start designing rules, stacks, and behaviors. This session is about that transition.
What We’ll Cover
Non-Destructive Modeling
Modifier stack fundamentals (Subdivision, Boolean, Bevel, Array, Mirror, Solidify)
Order-of-operations and stack logic
Designing models that stay editable and flexible
Simulation Mindset (Without the Fear)
Using modifiers and constraints as “proto-simulations”
Introduction to physics-inspired workflows (cloth-like behavior, deformation, repetition)
Thinking in systems instead of static meshes
PBR Materials & Look Development
What PBR actually means (and why it matters)
Building materials using Principled BSDF
Working with texture maps (Base Color, Roughness, Normal, Metallic)
Material scale, realism, and consistency
Lighting & Rendering
Scene lighting strategies
HDRIs vs studio lighting
Camera basics for presentation
Producing clean, realistic renders
Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, you’ll be able to:
Build models that remain editable late into the process
Use modifiers confidently instead of destructively applying geometry
Create physically believable materials
Light and render objects for presentation, critique, or portfolio use
This session sets the technical and visual foundation for world building, procedural systems, and animation in later weeks.
Who This Workshop Is For
Beginners who want to avoid “bad Blender habits”
Artists who want cleaner, more flexible workflows
Designers and technologists preparing for XR, real-time, or fabrication pipelines
No prior experience with modifiers, simulations, or materials required.
This event is hosted at the Frontier Tower:
We are transforming a 16-floor tower in San Francisco into a self-governed vertical village—a hub for frontier technologies and creative arts. Tier-one labs presenting AI, Ethereum, biotech, neuroscience, longevity, robotics, human flourishing, and arts & music. These floors will house innovators and creators pushing the boundaries of human potential in a post-AI-singularity world.
Apply here for founding citizenship: https://frontiertower.io/apply
Why should I become a citizen?
Be part of creating the first self-governed vertical village
Connect with the most creative people in the city
Get access to all floors, free event space & movement floor
Website: https://frontiertower.io/
Need more reading? Visit https://frontiertower.notion.site/