Ice cubes are loved today. Chewy nugget ice, dense cube ice, and giant bar ice cubes all have passionate fans.
At Rockhopper, we know we can deliver the cubes you love today, but we also seek to invent the ice types you will love tomorrow.
How does one rapidly invent, experiment, and test new ice designs without freezing a single molecule of water? We do it virtually.
Our digitally native ice crafters begin using a 3D modeling software like Blender.
Here are a few steps to help get started on designing a branded ice look. (If you are newer to blender, this tutorial walks you through the majority of the below steps in the tools user interface)
Start with a geometric shape
Begin by adding the shape, such as a cube to your workspace.
Modify the shape
Go to the modifiers and add the following three Modifiers to your shape:
Add a Bevel Modifier:
Add a bevel modifier to the cube.
Set the segments to smooth the edges slightly.
A number between 5-8 will do.
Add a Subdivision Surface Modifier:
Add a subdivision surface modifier.
Adjust the levels to 1 or 2 for a smoother surface.
Add a Displace Modifier:
Add a displace modifier.
Create a new texture by clicking on 'New'
Then set the strength to number about 0.15.
Edit the Material Properties:
Create a new material for the cube.
Set the material’s surface type to 'Glass BSDF' and reduce the roughness to make it look more like ice.
Adjust Texture Properties:
Click on the texture properties icon (often denoted by a checkerboard-like icon).
Set the texture type to 'Clouds' and adjust the size as desired.
Set up the world Environment:
Go to the world properties and set the background to an environment texture.
Click 'Open' and choose an HDRI image you’ve previously downloaded to simulate realistic lighting.
Render the scene:
For Cycles Renderer: Simply render your scene.
For Eevee Renderer:
In the render properties, open the 'Screen Space Reflections' tab and enable 'Refraction'.
Go to the material properties, find the 'Settings' tab, and check 'Screen Space Refraction'.
Shader Setup for Eevee:
Open the Shader Editor and set up the material nodes as needed to achieve the desired appearance of ice.
This will allow you to create a realistic-looking ice cube model in the software to visualize what's possible before freezing a single molecule.
Choice is coming
At Rockhopper Ice Collective, our innovative ice machine offers the ice types loved today and at the same time introduces the iconic ice's we will crave tomorrow.
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