Blender Lesson 1: Make a Precise Plate
Learning outcome
Create one editable mesh plate, save a 3 mm starter, then change only its thickness and save a separate 5 mm version.
Footprint 100 × 30 mm. Thickness 3 mm → 5 mm. Object scale X = Y = Z = 1.000 after each sizing step.
Before you start
Use Blender in Object Mode. The video uses Blender 4.3.2. Start a new General scene and keep your practice files separate from other work.
Step-by-step guide
1. Prepare the scene
Keep the default Cube and delete Camera and Light. Select the cube and rename it plate. In Scene Properties → Units, choose Metric, Unit Scale 1.000000 and Length Millimeters.
2. Enter exact dimensions
With plate selected in Object Mode, press N over the viewport and open Item → Transform. Enter Dimensions X = 100 mm, Y = 30 mm and Z = 3 mm. Press Enter after each value. Press Home over the viewport if the plate is too small to see.
3. Apply scale and save the starter
Use Ctrl+A → Scale. Confirm the dimensions remain 100 × 30 × 3 mm and all Scale fields read 1.000. Save as BIMETI_Blender_L01_Starter_100x30x3.blend.
4. Change only the thickness
In Dimensions, change Z to 5 mm. Keep X at 100 mm and Y at 30 mm. Apply Scale again and check that all three scale values return to 1.000.
5. Keep a separate final file
Use File → Save As and save BIMETI_Blender_L01_Plate_100x30x5.blend. Preserve the 3 mm starter rather than overwriting it.
6. Reopen and check both versions
Close the saved file and reopen each .blend. Select plate and verify its name, dimensions, unit settings and scale. The starter must still be 3 mm thick and the final must be 5 mm thick.
Try it yourself
Repeat from a new scene without following each step. Before editing Z, predict which measurements will change. Explain why Apply Scale leaves the visible dimensions unchanged.
Check your result
• Each file contains one mesh object named plate, with no Camera or Light.
• Starter: 100 × 30 × 3 mm. Final: 100 × 30 × 5 mm.
• Metric units, Unit Scale 1 and Length Millimeters are retained.
• Scale X, Y and Z are 1.000 in both reopened files.
Common mistakes
Dimensions missing: switch to Object Mode, then open N → Item → Transform.
Wrong size: type mm with each dimension and keep Unit Scale at 1.
Wrong scale after resizing: apply Scale again, then recheck the dimensions.
This lesson creates a mesh. The .blend keeps the object editable, but it does not contain the sketch-and-Pad history used in FreeCAD. This is blank practice geometry, with no holes or lettering.
Download the worksheet
Blender Lesson 1 — practice worksheet (PDF, English, 2 pages)