1. Introduction & PAACADEMY Updates
06:242. Introduction To ZBrush Basics
57:013. Advanced Replication and Masking
53:584. Hard Surface Topology & Boolean Operations
46:335. Boolean Union & Assignments
46:59Catalog
Catalog
Course detail
Hybrid Modeling with ZBrush is a two-day workshop on PAACADEMY that teaches complex 3D form-making through hybrid workflows across ZBrush, Rhinoceros 3D, and Adobe Illustrator. Participants learn hard-surface modeling using ZModeler, Live Booleans, and NanoMesh, then translate 2D drawings into 3D geometries refined in Rhino. The workshop concludes with a complete set of optimized 3D artifacts ready for rendering or 3D printing.
This course includes
This workshop explores hybrid digital modeling workflows by integrating sculptural, parametric, and hard-surface design techniques. Centered around ZBrush as the primary tool, participants will develop intricate high-resolution geometries by bridging multiple software environments, including Adobe Illustrator and Rhinoceros 3D.
The workshop focuses on constructing complex forms that operate across multiple scales, from detailed architectural artifacts and research prototypes to immersive virtual environments and VFX-oriented spatial designs.
Through a combination of subdivision modeling, extraction strategies, Boolean operations, and 2D-to-3D translation techniques, participants will learn how to develop precise yet experimental workflows for contemporary digital fabrication and visualization.
By hybridizing workflows between software platforms, the workshop encourages a design methodology that merges artistic intuition with technical control, enabling participants to produce highly detailed and adaptable digital forms.
Introduction to the ZBrush interface and workflow
Hard-surface modeling using ZModeler and Live Booleans
Using NanoMesh, Snapshot, and array systems
Translating 2D drawings into 3D geometries
Hybrid workflows between ZBrush, Illustrator, and Rhino
Refining models for rendering and 3D printing
In this workshop, participants will develop a hands-on workflow for creating complex hard surface geometries using ZBrush Pixologic tools such as ZModeler, Live Booleans, NanoMesh, and array operations.
By the end of the first session, you will be able to construct detailed, high-resolution 3D forms ready for prototyping. This workshop will cover how to convert 2D patterns into 3D geometries and modify them in Rhinoceros, creating spatial forms and architectural elements.
Participants will leave the workshop with a complete set of artifacts and tools, from concept to an optimized 3D model, ready for rendering or 3D printing.
Day 01 — Foundations & Hybrid Setup
Day 02 — Hybrid Geometry & Spatial Development
1. Introduction & PAACADEMY Updates
06:242. Introduction To ZBrush Basics
57:013. Advanced Replication and Masking
53:584. Hard Surface Topology & Boolean Operations
46:335. Boolean Union & Assignments
46:59Saba Mahdavi is an architect based in Vienna, working as a Designer at Coop Himmelb(l)au. She studied architecture at the Angewandte and completed an exchange program at SCI-Arc, where she expanded her engagement with experimental and speculative design approaches. She gained professional experience at Mark Foster Gage Architects in New York, a formative period that significantly shaped her intellectual and design methodology. Alongside her professional practice, she engages with international platforms, with her work recently presented at the Taipei Biennial 2025.
Hybrid Modeling with ZBrush was an excellent workshop and a perfect fit for the PAACADEMY community. Saba Mahdavi demonstrated an impressive depth of knowledge while explaining each step with clear, easy-to-follow logic. I was especially surprised by how simple and useful the workflow from Illustrator to Rhino was, and how easily the same approach could be replicated and expanded through Grasshopper. The workshop made complex hybrid modeling techniques feel practical, accessible, and immediately applicable to architectural design, visualization, and digital fabrication.
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