It's always interesting to see the weird and wonderful experiments that artists create in Blender, one of the best 3D modelling software programs. But I never though that watching a simulation of a liquid golden cube being squished and prodded could be so satisfying.
Shared on Reddit and YouTube by Mateusz Zajac, AKA Matte Art Studio, the short animation is generating mixed responses, particularly due to the accompanying ASMR sound effects, and it's strangely transfixing.
Metal pistons come out of nowhere to prod the 3D gold cube, which appears to be made out of some kind of immovable but highly deformable semi-liquid jelly-like substance. It's incredibly satisfying to see the corners pop out to reform to their original shape each time the cube is pressed.
"This is why blender was created," one person commented on one of the artist's posts on Reddit. Mateusz has created other similar simulations, which he says are "basically a cloth sim with high stiffness and damping values".
Mateusz says he will be sharing more on his YouTube channel Blender is Fun. He also has an account on ArtStation.
Blender continues to top our list of the best free 3D apps. For more inspiration for using it, see our roundup of Blender tutorials and our piece on how Gints Zilbalodis used Blender to make Oscar-nominated Flow.
