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    CRAFTSMAN: Precision Modeling with Blender for Real World Application

    Instructor:
    Sascha Feider
    Subscribe
    ☆☆☆☆☆
     ( 8 )

    Blender & DIY Carpentry: A match made in heaven

    Are you a Blender artist and do-it-yourself-er? Have you ever considered using Blender to design your DIY projects? Is Blender even functional as a precision modeling tool?

    In short: Yes!

    To be clear, Blender is not designed as a CAD tool. But that doesn't mean it can't be leveraged effectively for precise, construction-oriented design.

    This course breaks down a professional carpenter's workflow for visualizing and designing a custom built-in with Blender.

    Get Caught Up

    Are you brand new to Blender?

    These courses should help you get up to speed in no time.

    Free

    Blender 4.5 Basics: Into To Blender

    CORE | Fundamentals of 3D Mesh Modeling

    What you will learn

    • Setup Blender for real-world scale and precision modeling
    • Assessing the site where our built-in will go.
    • Designing a built-in according to standardized measurements.
    • Modeling built-in components according to real-world construction requirements.
    • Texturing and Material creation.
    • Lighting for presentation / client visualization.
    • Extracting measurements from the model for physical build.

    Chapter 1

    Planning

    Failure to plan is a plan to fail. Learn how to approach our project to ensure best results, from assessing the site, to measurement standards, to setting up Blender for a precision workflow.

    Chapter 2

    Modeling the Built-In

    Model each component of the built for structural integrity. Everything is built as it is in reality, including cabinet bodies, cabinet fronts, hardware pulls, glass shelving, and live-edge countertop.

    Chapter 3

    Texturing & Materials

    Learn to apply textures realistically and efficiently to our built in, using freely available sources. Then build out materials like wood, melamine, glass and antique pewter for final surface qualities.

    Chapter 4

    Presentation & Conclusion

    Finalize the built-in's visualization with a polished presentation. Then discuss how to extract measurements and drawing material for production of the physical built-in.

    ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

    Sascha Feider

    Hello! I'm a professional carpenter utilizing 3D and Blender for visualization and design. When I'm not running my business, I like to teach Blender on my YouTube Channel. I also enjoy creating personal 3d illustrations and working on my add-on .


    Get to know Sascha a bit better from this interview:

    1. Is Blender really accurate enough for woodworking?

    Yes, when set up correctly, Blender can achieve sub-millimeter precision, more than sufficient for cabinetry, furniture, and most construction projects.

    2. How does Blender compare to CAD software for woodworking?

    Blender isn’t a parametric CAD tool, but with proper settings and add-ons, it can produce build-ready models with CAD-like accuracy for most woodworking projects.

    3. Can Blender be used for furniture design with real-world scale?

    Absolutely. By setting Blender’s units and snap tools correctly, you can design furniture to exact dimensions and export those measurements for fabrication.

    4. Will I get the project files to practice with?

    Yes, all starter Blender files, reference drawings, and textures are included so you can follow along exactly as demonstrated.

    5. Do I need CAD experience to take this course?

    No. This course teaches you how to work precisely in Blender without needing CAD skills, making it accessible to both 3D artists and woodworkers.

    Get this course and 274 others by joining CG Cookie

    Join Now
    Awarded upon completion:
    100xp +
    Course Curriculum
    8 Reviews
    • d
      ☆☆☆☆☆
      Daria Hryshyna(dariahryshyna) ·
       Sasha, thank you. 
        I'm very impressed, incredible precision and depth of the course. It will allow to built any kind of furniture straight away. 
       Every explanation is through and detailed. Each gesture is sufficient and optimal. 
       Also, Sasha's light humor is a nice charming touch.

       
      • author SaschaF - Instructor ·

        Thank you so much, Daria. I'm glad to hear it was not just educational, but also entertaining. 😀

    • S
      ☆☆☆☆☆
      Sergio Garcia(Sergio4624) ·

      I can't believe I finished it. It was a great course. It is long but it worth it. It touches a good amount of very tricky Blender areas, it is a big load-down of information but it sets the foundations to create things in Blender in a good way. Thanks for the course. 

    • 3
      ☆☆☆☆☆
      AHMAD ALNAJJAR(3dquads) ·

      It was great for me to watch this course by Sascha. I learned a lot about modeling for real applications. It also brought new ideas to me that I am planning to apply and share soon. 

      This course will surely become a reference to me for some time until I get to remember all the standard measurements by heart ;)

      Totally appreciated effort.

      • author SaschaF - Instructor ·

        Thanks for taking the course. Glad it turned out to be a great resource for you. Looking forward to seeing your projects! 😀

    • ☆☆☆☆☆
      Carramone ·

      I had a great time with this course, it was easy to follow and I feel that everything was explained in a good way, while still keeping the pace. I really like how Sascha explained how things work in the real world in regards to wood working, and how that translates into making believable 3D renders.

      I had a blast doing the final project for the course and Sascha was very helpful at coming with thoughts and comments in a constructive way. 

      I hope there will be a follow up course from Sascha, with even more advanced projects. I would enroll in an instant! 

      • author Kent Trammell(theluthier) ·

        Wow, this make our team smile from ear to ear. Thanks for taking the course and posting such a positive review!

      • author SaschaF - Instructor ·

        Thank you so much for this review and taking the course. I enjoyed working on your project with you. 😊

    • c
      ☆☆☆☆☆
      Paul (cpmodeling) ·

      Sascha Feider teaching style is fantastic immediately subscribed to his YT channel after watching this course. The course itself was easy to follow detailed & thorough cover everything from planning, modeling to the most left out piece compositing. It's great to see a professional from another industry using blender & graphic design as a production tool. 

    • ☆☆☆☆☆
      Carlos (carjimcor1) ·

      I absolutely loved the course! It was inspiring to see Sascha use his extensive carpentry experience and apply Blender for project planning and visualization.

      I picked up many valuable tips and tricks, especially clever snapping techniques and useful key combinations that I can’t wait to start using.

      Sascha’s personality made the lessons genuinely entertaining. Even if you’re not into woodworking, his teaching style, occasional jokes, and the clear, project-driven structure kept me coming back for more until, sadly, it was over.

      I still need to upload something for the final exercise, but totally recommended. I’m excited to put everything I learned into practice in the 3D printing world.

      • author SaschaF - Instructor ·

        So glad to hear that you found it not just informative, but also entertaining. Thanks for leaving this here. 😊

    • c
      ☆☆☆☆☆
      Carbon_v3 (carbon3) ·

      I just finished the course and I'm very happy about it.
      This is my review:

      - The teacher
      Sasha seems a good guy, I didn't know his YT channel before, but you can see his passion on wood working and Blender teaching. His style is fresh and straightforward: he says everything you need to hear about one topic without being boring, and he's fun too!

      - The course
      I expected a good course about Blender (obviously, we are on CG Cookie) but I didn't expected so many informations about "the real thing": building a cabinet! I really enjoyed the video from his lab where he talks about the process of choosing materials, the wood cutting, the measurements(*) and so on. 
      All of this is useful even if you are just interested in the Blender part and you want to achieve more realism.
      Various topics are covered with lots of tips and tricks: modeling (almost Blender almost like a CAD), texturing, shading, UVing but also compositing and rendering.

      So, who is this course is aimed at?

      I would say that the level is not for beginner but it's not too advanced either. If you know the Blender basics and you follow the lessons, it will be always clear what Sacha is doing and why. If you are interested in ArchViz, you'll love it.

      (*):  be aware that all the measurements are in millimeters, no inches or fractions! Hooray!

      • author Kent Trammell(theluthier) ·

        We loved reading this one. Thanks so much for sharing! ❤️

      • author SaschaF - Instructor ·

        Metric FTW! 😁 Thanks for taking the course and the time to leave such a positive review.

    • ☆☆☆☆☆
      Nathi Tappan(nathitappan) ·

      Holy! Since it was announced I was looking forward to this course and I'm stoked to say it has surpassed nearly all of my expectations. What a blast! This is no kidding some Pro level workflow you shared with us!

      I knew Sascha had a very clear way of teaching from following his YT channel, but this course went to a whole new level. My favorite part was that we get a real life application right off the bat, with demonstrations from a real life workshop. As a woodworking hobbyist I learned a lot from this course and not only about Blender! 

      Also very cool that we see a realistic workflow; while we all want to claim we modeled and textured everything from scratch all the time, tweaking PBR textures to fit our needs and using library assets is a real step for Arch-Viz and these lessons made it feel simple and achievable.

      The amount of great modeling quality-of-life tips is also awesome. My overall use of Blender leveled up throughout the lessons. There is something in here for every level of user, I dare say.
      All very transferrable to the 3D printing world. The precision modeling tips really make it easier to see how we really don't need a CAD program after all (though I know every tool has a perfect use scenario).

      An incredible addition to the course catalog! 10/10 would recommend, and will come back to it when I get the time for my next house project.

      ps. I love the little course badge with the saw blade.

      • author SaschaF - Instructor ·

        Thanks so much for taking the course and posting this review.
        Looking forward to your exercise project. 😊