3D Designing a Chess Pawn in SelfCAD
In this article, we will show you how to use SelfCAD, a beginner-friendly CAD software, to design a chess pawn. This project is perfect for beginners because a pawn has a simple shape, but still teaches important CAD skills. You can check out the interactive tutorial to follow the entire process.
Step-by-Step Guide to Modeling a Chess Pawn in SelfCAD
Start by launching SelfCAD and open the workspace:
Select the Shape Generator from the generators:
Set the parameters of the shape as follows:
Click + button to add a segment. Then set the Top Radius to 60:
Click + button to add a segment and set the parameters as follows:
Add another segment and set the parameters as follows:
Add a last segment and set the parameters as follows:
Select a Sphere from the 3D Shapes:
Set position Y to 250 and tick the check mark to finalize the shape:
The next step is to combine the objects. To do this, select all the objects and on the toolbar, select Stitch and Scoop. Use Union to combine the objects:
On the right side panel, click on the Materials icon and choose Textures:
On the textures, choose wood:
Choose Wood 1 and tick the check mark to apply the texture:
The chess pawn is finally ready:
This can become a full-class project—design and 3D-print an entire chess set. You can use the in-built online slicer of SelfCAD to slice the file and generate the G-code to send to your 3D printer. The video below shows how to slice files in SelfCAD.
Conclusion
Learning CAD is fun, creative, and educational. With SelfCAD, students can easily model a chess pawn and understand the basics of 3D design. This simple project teaches geometry, design thinking, and problem-solving. For educators, it is a ready-to-use lesson that connects CAD to math, art, and technology. For students, it is a chance to see their digital designs turn into real 3D objects.By starting with a chess pawn, learners build confidence to design bigger and more complex projects in the future.
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.
Need to learn 3D modeling? Get started with interactive tutorials.