Dive into precision design with CG Cookie’s CRAFTSMAN course, where instructor Sasha Fida expertly guides you through planning custom built-in cabinetry in Blender. Learn to tackle real-world challenges, from site assessment to digital modeling, ensuring professional and accurate results.
Designing Custom Built-Ins: Bridging Carpentry and Blender
For anyone looking to bring their carpentry and woodworking projects into the digital realm with unparalleled precision, CG Cookie’s CRAFTSMAN course offers an invaluable resource. In this insightful first chapter, instructor Sasha Fida, a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the cabinet industry since 2005, demonstrates how to leverage Blender for planning custom built-in cabinetry as if it were a genuine client project. Having transitioned his entire design process to Blender since 2020, Fida brings a wealth of practical knowledge, emphasizing that understanding real-world construction is key to accurate 3D recreation.
CG Cookie, a dedicated team of Blender artists, is renowned for baking fresh, high-quality Blender courses. If you’re eager to dive deeper, you can explore hundreds of Blender courses on their platform at cgcookie.com. For beginners, they even offer a free tutorial series, “Getting Started with Blender.”
Blender vs. CAD: Precision for Practical Applications
One of the initial questions Sasha Fida addresses is Blender’s suitability for precision modeling compared to traditional CAD programs. He clarifies that while CAD is a parametric modeler (mathematically precise) and Blender is a polygon modeler (vertex-based), Blender’s level of inaccuracy is practically negligible for most common applications like visualizations, architecture, and furniture design. The slight tolerance inherent in Blender’s geometry only becomes a concern for sub-millimeter requirements in highly specialized engineering.
Preparing Blender for Precision
To ensure Blender is ready for meticulous design, Fida outlines several crucial setup steps:
- Scene Units: Change scene units from meters to millimeters under scene properties for accurate scaling.
- Essential Add-ons: Activate indispensable add-ons such as “Measure It” (for extracting dimensions), “Bool Tool,” “Loop Tools,” “F2,” “Copy Attributes Menu,” and “Node Wrangler.” The creator notes that while other precision drawing tools exist, they aren’t necessary for this course.
- Edge Length Overlay: This frequently used tool for on-the-fly dimension viewing in edit mode is highlighted, with a recommendation to add it to Quick Favorites for quick access.
The Importance of Site Assessment
Before any detailed design, a thorough site assessment is paramount. Fida explains that real-world walls are rarely perfectly straight or at 90-degree angles—they often have bumps, bows, and unevenness. Key considerations for a built-in unit include its enclosure by walls, ceiling, and floor, which will necessitate adjustable finishing trim panels. Other critical checks include the alcove depth, baseboard height (which often exceeds standard cabinet clearances), and the location of obstacles like electrical outlets. These initial observations help steer client discussions and prevent costly rework.
Client Needs and Design Principles
For the project showcased in the video, the client desires a modern farmhouse style built-in with whitewashed oak shaker fronts, contrasting an adjacent dark kitchen. The unit will feature base cabinets with deep drawers and bottle pull-outs, topped by a live-edge bar. Hanger cabinets, designed for displaying antique glassware, will have glass doors with muntins and interior/under-hanger lighting. To add visual interest, the outer hangers will be shallower than the middle ones, and a decorative profile will top the unit.
CG Cookie’s instructor also shares fundamental design principles for cabinetry:
- Standard Heights: Base cabinets are typically 910 mm high (including countertop), with vanities around 810 mm. The gap between countertop and hanger underside usually ranges from 450 mm to 550 mm.
- Hanger Management: Hanger cabinets should be manageable in size and weight, avoiding overly large doors, especially for glass. High units are often split.
- Symmetry: Aligning vertical and horizontal lines creates a professional aesthetic.
- Door Clearance: Doors must open at least 90 degrees, requiring sufficient setback from walls and clearance in inside corners (e.g., 50 mm).
- Finishing: Gaps are filled with trim pieces, and visible cabinet body sides use panels, ideally matching the front material.
- Heat Sources: Special clearances are needed around heat sources like gas stovetops, as dictated by regional building codes.
Precise Measurements for Imperfect Spaces
Understanding that walls are imperfect, the tutorial outlines a strategic approach to taking measurements. For both base and hanger cabinets, measurements for length, depth, and height are taken at multiple points (bottom, top, front, back, middle for hangers). Ceiling height is also measured across several points, as ceilings can also be uneven. Baseboard height and exact outlet locations are confirmed meticulously.
Using the “Measure It” add-on, the video demonstrates how to extract these crucial dimensions from the Blender model. Setting unit precision to whole millimeters, the add-on clearly reveals the site’s “wonkiness”—depth variations, bowing walls, and caving ceilings—underscoring the necessity for trim panels. This powerful tool allows for showing/hiding individual measurements or displaying them only when an object is selected, keeping the viewport clean. For instance, the measured baseboard height of 114 mm confirms it exceeds the standard 100 mm cabinet clearance, necessitating its removal behind the built-in and notching the trim panels. All these precise measurements are then used to refine the project’s design drawings, ensuring a perfect fit in the real world.
Sasha Fida’s comprehensive approach, blending real-world carpentry expertise with Blender’s powerful modeling capabilities, makes this course a must-watch for anyone serious about professional design. To continue learning and master more advanced techniques, consider enrolling in the full CRAFTSMAN course, available at CG Cookie or as a standalone course from SuperHive.
Source:
CG Cookie – Planning Custom Built-In Cabinetry with Blender | CRAFTSMAN Chapter 1
