How to Make Text Look Like Ice Using Blender

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Be sure that you have the Cycles Render option.

   Also, make sure that you have Default for the other option. , Then, delete the cube., This will add text to your scene, lying flat on the 'ground'., This will have your text perfectly aligned., You need to be in Edit Mode to do that.
   
   You can go to Edit Mode by pressing your Tab key.
   
   The large white area you see in the screenshot is your cursor.
   
   Delete the text and put in what you want. ,,,,, This will round out your text., Your text is complete.,,, Press S >> 5 >> Enter.
   
   This will increase its size by 5 times., Then zoom in very closely so that you can have your text just above your surface.
   
   Use your directional arrows to make the adjustments. ,,,, Because the word LifeGuide Hub is larger, the cube was scaled up 3 times.,, By now, it will probably be at the top.,,, You want to make sure your cube is around the text and the plane is centered above it.
   
   You might want to make your light source a little larger.
   
   Try something like
   2.5 (if you used 3 before). ,,, Choose Emission from the options.
   
   That is because it will be emitting light.
   
   Set the Strength to
   20.,, This time, leave it at default.,,, Click on the muted color that you see there.
   
   Go to the Value bar (black and white stripe) and increase the values there.
   
   Instead of close to the bottom, put it about midway, as you see in the screenshot.
   
   Go to the color wheel and choose a blue, such as what you might see in ice. , Right click on the text to select it.
   
   Press ALT + C.
   
   Then select Mesh from Curve/Meta/Surf/Text.
   
   Select the Physics icon.
   
   Choose the Physics for:
   Fluid option.
   
   Under the Type of Fluid, choose Fluid. , Right click on the box to select it.
   
   Choose the Physics for:
   Fluid option.
   
   Under the Type of Fluid, choose Domain. (Now it will hold water.) ,,, Depending on your system, it could take a few seconds or a few minutes., Using the arrows, go through the Frames until you find one that is appearing to melt, but still legible., This will select the original text, not the text you just 'melted'., Find the one that says Text.
   
   Click on the camera and the eye so that they are grayed out. , Right click on the Fluid text to select it.
   
   Click on the Material modifier and then New.
   
   Select Glass BSDF for the surface material. , Go to View >> Front.
   
   Hold down the Shift key and the middle mouse button and center your text in the screen.
   
   Zoom in to the bottom of the text.
   
   With the 'melting'
   
   the table will no longer be in contact with the text.
   
   Adjust this until they are almost touching again.
   
   Leave a small space between the two surfaces.
   
   Center your image again in your screen.
   
   Go to View >> Align View >> Align Active Camera to View.
   
   Go to View >> Properties.
   
   Select Lock Camera to View.
   
   Turn the Properties menu off by Selecting View >> Properties again.
   
   Move your text around until it looks like you want it to look, placement wise. , Click on the Camera and then press Render.
   
   For the initial run, leave it at default.
   
   If you want to get rid of the sharpness and angularity that you see here, press ESC and right click your text.
   
   Go to the Shading option on the left of your screen, and select Smooth.
   
   Click on the Render button again to try out that look.
   
   Go to the Sampling option further down.
   
   Change the Render to
   500.
   
   Start the Render. ,,, If you don't want it to be a PNG file, then, in the lower right hand part of the screen, you can change that.
2. 2

   Step 2: Start with the default file

3. 3

   Step 3: the cube.

4. 4

   Step 4: Go to Add >> Mesh >> Text.

5. 5

   Step 5: Press R >> X >> 90 >> Enter.

6. 6

   Step 6: Change the text.

7. 7

   Step 7: Type in your text with one space between each letter.

8. 8

   Step 8: Switch back to Object Mode (Tab).

9. 9

   Step 9: Click on the F icon and then

10. 10

    Step 10: in the Extrude option

11. 11

    Step 11: type in 0.1 and then Enter.

12. 12

    Step 12: Rotate your text so that it is at an angle to check your depth and dimensionality.

13. 13

    Step 13: Still in the Geometry menu

14. 14

    Step 14: under Bevel

15. 15

    Step 15: change the Depth to 0.05 and your Resolution to 7.

16. 16

    Step 16: Save your work.

17. 17

    Step 17: Go to Add >> Mesh >> Plane.

18. 18

    Step 18: Using your directional arrows

19. 19

    Step 19: move it so that it is under your text.

20. 20

    Step 20: Enlarge it so that it will 'hold' the text.

21. 21

    Step 21: Press 5 (Num Pad) and then 1 (Num Pad).

22. 22

    Step 22: Go to Add >> Mesh >> Cube.

23. 23

    Step 23: Change the Display Method to Wireframe so that you can see both the cube and the text.

24. 24

    Step 24: Using your directional arrows in Blender

25. 25

    Step 25: move the cube until it is centered on your text.

26. 26

    Step 26: Press S >> 3 (You would put whatever works for your text.

27. 27

    Step 27: Center the box so that it is 'holding' your text using the directional arrows.

28. 28

    Step 28: Hold down the Shift key while using the middle mouse button to move your objects more to the bottom of your screen.

29. 29

    Step 29: Click right above the cube around your text to give you a point of origin.

30. 30

    Step 30: Go to Add >> Mesh >> Plane.

31. 31

    Step 31: Hold down the middle mouse button and rotate the view.

32. 32

    Step 32: Set the material for the light source.

33. 33

    Step 33: Double check that you have selected Cycles Render.

34. 34

    Step 34: Click on the material modifier

35. 35

    Step 35: then New.

36. 36

    Step 36: Right click on the bottom surface (table) that you created to select it.

37. 37

    Step 37: Select the Material Modifier icon and add New again.

38. 38

    Step 38: Change the background colors.

39. 39

    Step 39: Click on the World icon.

40. 40

    Step 40: Locate the Surface dialog and change the color.

41. 41

    Step 41: Turn your text into mesh.

42. 42

    Step 42: Change the Physics of the box (container) to hold water.

43. 43

    Step 43: Change the Resolution to 100 and set the Time to End at 0.1.

44. 44

    Step 44: Below the Timeline

45. 45

    Step 45: at the bottom of your screen

46. 46

    Step 46: change the End number to 20.

47. 47

    Step 47: Click the Bake button (Under the Domain Type).

48. 48

    Step 48: Once it is complete

49. 49

    Step 49: go to where you changed the Frame count to 20.

50. 50

    Step 50: Right click on the text.

51. 51

    Step 51: Go to the upper right corner of your screen where your image layers are.

52. 52

    Step 52: Set the material for the Fluid text.

53. 53

    Step 53: Set up the camera view.

54. 54

    Step 54: Render your text.

55. 55

    Step 55: Wait for the render to be done.

56. 56

    Step 56: Once it is done rendering

57. 57

    Step 57: if you like the way it looks

58. 58

    Step 58: while holding the cursor over the text

59. 59

    Step 59: press F3.

60. 60

    Step 60: Save it with an appropriate name.

Detailed Guide

About the Author