Independent Research #9: Becoming A Blender Master (Cont.)

Welcome to blog post #9 of my independent research journey in Blender!

This week, I continued my research in Blender and finally finished reviewing all the different “Add” options. I also went through most of the modifiers and learned more about their functions.

It’s fascinating how many different things can be done in Blender. Before taking the time to dive deeper into this program, I never realized how much was possible. As I discovered one new trick after another, I couldn’t help but think back to older projects and wish I had known these skills sooner, as they would have been incredibly helpful!

One feature I found especially interesting was Collection Instances. These allow you to duplicate an entire collection in your scene while copying physics, particle effects, and animation data. For example, when modeling something with repeated components (like a pillar with trim) changing the shape of one piece normally means repositioning new geometry in multiple places. With collection instances, changing the main (original) instance automatically updates all the others, no matter where they are in the scene. This includes changes to scale, rotation, and even mesh deformation.

In the picture below, the grass in the foreground is also affecting the grass in the background in real time.

Screenshot from, "How to use Collection Instances?" | Blender 2.93 | Tutorial" on YouTube

I also learned that collection instances help save a significant amount of data and system memory. When we duplicate a mesh in Blender, each duplicate increases the file size. However, using a collection instance does not because it references the original mesh instead of creating a new copy.

Nested instances (collections of instances within collections) make this even more powerful. They allow us to use the same mesh to create variations within the overall model. In the example below, the floral/leaves on the pillar are all the same mesh, but edited separately within different collection instances. If we modify the main mesh that the instance is referencing, every instance updates automatically. This means we can model quickly, modularly, and efficiently.

I found this video: "Blender 3d - how to use instances the right way" by hbitproject on YouTube to be extremely informative describing these differences. Collection instances might be the most memorable lesson I learned this week given its efficiency and optimization.

Screenshot from hbitproject's Collection Instances Tutorial on YouTube

I also spent time learning about Blender’s different modifiers. There were so many I hadn’t tried before, so I really enjoyed exploring the kinds of creations modifiers can help you build. Some modifiers I found especially interesting were the Displacement Modifier, the Hook Modifier, and the Curve Modifier. I had never used these modifiers before, so it was exciting to finally learn what they do.

Displacement Modifier: I learned that the Displacement Modifier can create height variation on a mesh based on a grayscale image texture. This allows for interesting, organic, and complex surface details.

Hook Modifier:

I learned that the Hook Modifier allows deformation of a mesh based on the location of another object, usually an empty. As the hook object moves, it pulls the assigned vertices of the geometry with it. To set it up, you first assign specific vertices to a vertex group and select that group within the modifier. Then, you create an object (often an empty) and assign it in the modifier tab. Moving that object will deform the mesh according to the vertex group you selected.

From Steven Scott’s Hook Modifier tutorial in Blender, I also learned that this modifier can be used to edit curves directly in Edit Mode, as shown below. The hotkey for adding a hook to a selected vertex is (Ctrl + H → “Hook to New Object"). This tool is such a useful and non-destructive way to manipulate meshes. I'm honestly surprised I didn’t know about it sooner!

Hooks defining the path of a curve using empty objects

Curve Modifier:

The Curve Modifier allows you to deform a mesh so that it follows the shape of a curve. I had seen demonstrations of this technique before but had never tried it myself. This modifier seems extremely useful, especially for creating objects that need to follow a curved path, such as roof shingles, pipes, cables, or decorative trim.

Arrayed mesh following the path of a curve

Some additional modifiers I had never used before include the Wireframe Modifier, the Corrective Smooth Modifier, and the Weld Modifier. Researching Blender’s modifiers is what originally inspired this entire journey because I quickly realized that I’ve been manually modeling things that modifiers could achieve far more quickly and non-destructively.

During my research, I was also introduced to geometry nodes and procedural modeling. I’ve taken a course on Houdini, an excellent procedural modeling software, but I had never tried applying similar concepts in Blender. I certainly want to explore this further in the future.

Ultimately I have created roughly 10 more pages of research with most of the photos being screenshots from me experimenting. As always, here is a link to my "Blender Cheat Sheet".

I know that in my last post I said I would explore the Grease Pencil this week, but I decided to ride the momentum of discovering and experimenting with Blender’s different features, so this post became all about modifiers instead. For the next blog post, my goal is to experiment with the Grease Pencil and create a simple animation in Blender.

I’m still figuring out the best setup, so between now and next week, I’m going to explore using my iPad synced to my computer so that I can draw directly into Blender from my tablet. I think this will make the process easier and more intuitive.

Overall, I learned so much this week and I’m really glad I committed to taking the time to learn Blender more deeply. I feel like I’m learning at a rapid pace, and it’s rewarding to finally tackle the parts of Blender that used to confuse me. I want to actively look for opportunities to use these newly learned modifiers in future projects, and I’m excited to create new 3D assets for my portfolio.

Next week: Grease Pencil progress!