Introduction: Modeling Chess Pieces and Chessboard in SelfCAD

About: I am Sammy, passionate in 3D Modeling.
  • It's a fact that Chess is just more than a game.
  • I like to play this game because it touches my mind and certainly It's the best of all the games I have played. It not only gives good exercise to your mind but also teaches you about your life’s situational behavior, and that's I wanted to learn how to design my own Chess pieces and chessboard.
  • Follow this instructable or watch the video above to learn how to design your own. All you need is SelfCAD software and a 3D printer.
  • Let's get started!

Step 1: Creating the Base of the Chess Pieces

  • Select the Shape generator tool from the create section. Set the top and bottom radius to 30, height 7 and number of edges 60.
  • Add another segment by selecting "Add" and set the top and bottom radius to 25 and height 5.
  • Add another segment and increase the top and bottom radius to 30 and Finalize the shape.
  • Select the scale tool and scale it down to be as shown in the image above.
  • Select a Cube from the Basic shapes section and set the width, height and depth to 10, 80 and 10 respectively and finalize the shape.
  • Create five copies of the shape and place them in a circle. You can do this using copy offsets with pivot setting.Set the X and Y settings of the pivot to 15 and set the number of copies to 5 and click copy.
  • Select all the shapes and twist them using the Twist Tool.
  • Select Taper tool and adjust the shapes to be as sown in the 3rd image above. Select all and group them together.
  • To create the Top section of the base, select the Shape Generator tool from the Create section. Set the bottom and top radius to 20 and height 7. Add another segment and reduce the top and bottom radius up to 15 and finalize the shape.

  • Use the move tool to move it on Top of the shape you have created already as shown above.

Step 2: Modifying the Shape of the Chess Piece

  • Create a copy of the shape (CTRL + C) and move it beside the original shape.
  • Select a sphere, and set the radius to 10 and horizontal segment to 32 and finalize the shape.
  • Select align tool and set Align to Top and Reference to Mesh_2 in order to position it on top of the first shape as shown in the second image above.
  • Group the shapes and rename them as 1. Make the second shape taller by increasing the height of the middle section using Move and scale tools.
  • Drag a cube to the scene, skew, rotate and scale it down
  • Select the cylinder and set the top and bottom radius to 20 and height 30 then finalize the shape. Move it near the shape of the cylinder you just created.
  • Add another cylinder and set the top and bottom radius to 50 then finalize the shape.
  • Create five copies of the tapered shape using Copy offset after repositioning it (as shown in the 6th image above)
  • Subtract all the tampered shapes using the Boolean tool. You can do this by selecting all of them, click Boolean tool then Difference.
  • Scale the shape down and position it on top of the base as shown in the last image above.

Step 3: Creating the Third Piece of Chess

  • Copy the second shape without the top section.
  • Import an SVG horse model. Select the polygon selection tool, and select the areas in front and scale it down
  • Select the Sculpting tool and use it to make the model smoother.
  • Using the move and scale tools, move the model of the horse on top of the third shape as shown in the 4th image above.

Step 4: Creating the Fouth Piece of Chess

  • Create a copy of the 3rd image and scale it up a little bit up.
  • Select the cube from the basic shapes. Set the width, depth, and height to 20 and set all the segments 1 then finalize the shape.
  • Isolate the shape, select the Taper tool and scale it to be as shown in the 3rd image above.
  • Select Round corners tool and use it to apply round corners around the shape.
  • Select the Sphere, set the radius and horizontal and vertical segments to 10 and 32 respectively then finalize the shape, then position it on top of the other shape, as shown in the 5th image above.
  • Select a cube and set the width and height to 10 and depth 50 then Finalize the shape.
  • Scale it and position it on the shape as shown in the 6th Image above.
  • Subtract the rectangle using the Boolean then Difference tool.
  • Scale and position the model on top of the fourth shape.

Step 5: Creating the Crown

  • Create a copy of the fourth Image.
  • To create the top of the crown, select the cylinder and set the top and bottom radius to 20, height 25 vertical segments 12 then finalize the shape.
  • Select the Vertex selection tool and select every vertex and pull them up using the Move tool.
  • Add a sphere and position it in the middle as shown in the 3rd image above and group them together.
  • Position the crown on top of the base using the move and scale tools.

Step 6: Creating the Queen

  • Create a copy of the fifth piece (Crown).
  • After creating the base of the Queen, we need now to create the top of the Queen.
  • To do this, select the Shape Generator tool and set the top and bottom radius to 50, Bevel Offset -1 and Bevel level to 20 then finalize the shape.
  • Create another Shape using the Shape generator tool and place it on top of the previously created shape. Set the top and bottom radius to 30 and height 10 then finalize the shape.
  • Move, Rotate and position the shape of the other as shown in the 3rd image above.
  • Select the Sphere and set the radius to 20 then finalize the shape. Using Move, Scale and Align tools position the Sphere in the middle of the other shape.
  • Place the Shape now on top of the base.

Step 7: Creating the ChessBoard

  • Add a cube and set the Width to 100, height 20 and depth 100 then Finalize the shape.
  • Isolate it and using the Scale tool, make it the size of the workspace.
  • Select every polygon using the Polygon selection tool and set black color to the selected polygons as shown above.
  • Position the shapes according to the Chessboard.
  • Use copy tool to create a copy of each piece and position them as shown above.
  • Use copy offset tool to create multiple copies at ones of the pawns.
  • Change the color and add textures to the pieces.
  • Group the pieces and Mirror them using the copy offsets tool and change their color to black.
  • We have now finished everything. Select the workspace and delete it.

Epilog Challenge 9

Participated in the
Epilog Challenge 9