--- title: Foundations in 3D for Games | 20-Week Online Course | CADA description: The first 20 weeks of the Certificate Programme in 3D for Games. Learn 3D for games online, try every specialisation and build your first portfolio piece. image: https://cada-edu.com/hubfs/Artwork/characterDesign/sorenHolm_gameCharacter_sisterOfBattle_01_Fighting-1.png --- [Go Back Up](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#top) [Skip to Content](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#body) [![Copenhagen Academy of Digital Arts](https://cada-edu.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo_CADA_White_AlphaHD.png?width=200&height=60&name=Logo_CADA_White_AlphaHD.png "Copenhagen Academy of Digital Arts")](https://cada-edu.com/) Toggle Menu - [Educations](https://cada-edu.com/educations) Toggle children for Educations Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Educations - [Certificate in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games) - [Foundations in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games) - [Diploma / BA (Hons) Degree](https://cada-edu.com/3d-digital-artist) - [Courses](https://cada-edu.com/courses) Toggle children for Courses Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Courses - [Free 3D Bootcamp](https://cada-edu.com/3dbootcamp) - [Sculpting in ZBrush](https://cada-edu.com/sculpting-in-zbrush-course) - [Unreal Engine for Filmmaking](https://cada-edu.com/unreal-engine-filmmaking-virtual-production) - [3D Animation Essentials](https://cada-edu.com/3d-animation-essentials) - [3D Portfolio Essentials](https://cada-edu.com/3d-portfolio-essentials) - [Continuing Education](https://cada-edu.com/continuing-education) - [Contact Us](https://cada-edu.com/contact) - Resources Toggle children for Resources Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Resources - [News](https://cada-edu.com/news) - [Guides](https://cada-edu.com/guides) - [Live Streams](https://cada-edu.com/live-streams) - [Book Meeting](https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/adam-mayes) # Learn 3D for games in 20 weeks     **/ FOUNDATIONS IN 3D FOR GAMES** **The first term of the [Certificate Programme in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games), taken on its own. Learn the whole 3D pipeline, try every specialisation and build your first portfolio piece. Then decide whether to continue.** [Apply Now](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#apply) [Skip Navigation](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#widget_1765025098846-after-page-nav) - [INTRODUCTION](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#introduction) - [WHAT YOU WILL STUDY](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#overview) - [AFTER FOUNDATIONS](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#after) - [TUITION](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#tuition) - [APPLY NOW](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#apply) - [FAQ](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#faq) Jump to Section Jump to Section INTRODUCTION WHAT YOU WILL STUDY AFTER FOUNDATIONS TUITION APPLY NOW FAQ ### NEXT INTAKE FEBRUARY 2027 ### DURATION 20 WEEKS ### FORMAT ONLINE ![gameCharacter\_sisterOfBattle](https://cada-edu.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Artwork/characterDesign/sorenHolm_gameCharacter_sisterOfBattle_02_Sinister-1.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=sorenHolm_gameCharacter_sisterOfBattle_02_Sinister-1.png) ## A real start, without the 60-week commitment Foundations in 3D for Games is Term 1 of the [Certificate Programme in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games). You follow the same courses and schedule as the certificate students and get the same weekly feedback. The difference is what you commit to: 20 weeks instead of 60. You start with no 3D experience. You finish with the core skills of 3D for games, a clear idea of which specialisation suits you, and an environment you built in Unreal Engine with other students. Then you choose. Continue into Term 2 and part of your Foundations fee counts towards the full programme. Or stop there, with a finished portfolio piece and a clear answer. ![](https://cada-edu.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Social%20Media%20Posts-3-1.png?width=500&height=500&name=Social%20Media%20Posts-3-1.png) ## Is this you? You do not need to match all of these. If one sounds like you, Foundations was built with you in mind. - You want to study 3D for games, but 60 weeks is a big step before you know it suits you. - You have tried tutorials or our free 3D Bootcamp, and now you want structure, deadlines and feedback. - You are curious about modelling, animation, rigging or effects, and want to try them before you choose one. - You are changing direction from another field and want to test it properly before you commit. ## Why Foundations ### SAME TEACHING AS THE CERTIFICATE Same courses, same instructors, same schedule and the same weekly live feedback as Term 1 of the full programme. ### TRY BEFORE YOU CHOOSE You spend a week inside each of the four specialisations. If you continue, you choose based on work you have actually done, not on a description of it. ### YOUR FIRST PORTFOLIO PIECE The term ends with a team project: an environment in Unreal Engine that tells a story as the player walks through it. ### LICENCES INCLUDED Every tool you use is provided. You do not pay for software on top of tuition. ### STUDY ON YOUR SCHEDULE Lectures are recorded, so you choose when you study. Plan for at least 20 hours a week. The one fixed point is a live feedback session on your work, once a week. ## What you will study 20 weeks in four blocks of 5 weeks. Each block builds towards the final project. 1. ### WEEKS 1 TO 5: INTRODUCTION TO 3D Modelling · UV unwrapping · Texturing · Shading · Lighting · Rendering The whole 3D pipeline, from first idea to final render: modelling, UV unwrapping, texturing, shading, lighting and rendering. You work in Maya and Substance Painter, and finish with a set of props you made yourself. 2. ### WEEKS 6 TO 10: TRY EVERY SPECIALISATION Animation · Tech Art · 3D Art · Procedural · Game Design One week inside each of the four specialisations, Animation, Tech Art, 3D Art and Procedural, plus a week of Game Design. Each week has a short assignment, so you find out what the work feels like. If you continue into the certificate programme, this is where you choose your specialisation. 3. ### WEEKS 11 TO 15: UNREAL ENGINE Real-time environments · Lighting · Rendering An introduction to the real-time engine used across the games industry. You build an environment from ready-made assets and learn to light and render it in real time. 4. ### WEEKS 16 TO 20: PROJECT: A STORY YOU CAN WALK THROUGH Team project · Unreal Engine · Blueprint Working with other students, you build an environment that tells a story as the player explores it, sometimes called a walking simulator. You learn the basics of Blueprint, Unreal's visual scripting, to make it interactive. This is your first portfolio piece. ## The four specialisations you will try You spend a week inside each one in weeks 6 to 10. If you continue into the certificate programme, you choose one of them at the end of Foundations, and it becomes the focus of your portfolio. ### 3D Art You make what the player sees, starting with characters. You learn digital sculpting, then anatomy, so what you sculpt is built on real structure rather than guesswork. **In studios:** character artists ### Tech Art You build the systems that let other artists work: the rigs that make a character move, and the tools that support them. You learn rigging, facial rigging and skinning, then program your own rigging tools in Python. **In studios:** technical artists and riggers ### Animation You make characters move, and then you make them act. You learn the principles of keyframe animation, timing and weight, lip-sync, and then character performance. **In studios:** gameplay animators and cinematic animators ### Procedural You build with systems instead of by hand: effects, simulations and assets generated from rules. It covers the kind of effects work usually called VFX. You learn node-based workflows, particles, and tools for hair and fur, then VEX scripting and procedural tools inside Unreal. **In studios:** VFX artists, technical artists and procedural artists ## How the teaching works Lectures are recorded and available on demand, so you watch them when it suits you. Once a week there is a live feedback session, at around 17:00 CET, where your work is reviewed and you get direct critique on what you have made. Between sessions, you work through the material and assignments on your own time. During the team project, you and your team arrange your own meetings. **Time commitment:** plan for at least 20 hours a week. **Time zone:** the live session suits students across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Elsewhere, check what 17:00 CET is in your time zone before you apply. ![bootcamp1](https://cada-edu.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bootcamp1.png?width=500&height=500&name=bootcamp1.png) ## After 20 weeks, you decide **Continue into the [Certificate Programme in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games)** Move on to Term 2 with your cohort, where you specialise and build a playable game level, then Term 3 and a vertical slice of a game. EUR 2,675 of your Foundations fee is credited towards the certificate programme tuition, and you pay the rest in full or per term. **Stop after Foundations** You leave with the core skills of 3D for games, your first portfolio piece and a clear idea of whether this is for you. There is nothing more to pay. [Apply now](https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#apply) ## Foundations or the full programme? | | Foundations in 3D for Games | [Certificate Programme in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games) | | --- | --- | --- | | **Length** | 20 weeks | 60 weeks | | **What you study** | Term 1: the 3D pipeline, every specialisation, Unreal Engine and a team project | All three terms: Term 1, then your specialisation, masterclasses and a capstone | | **You finish with** | Your first portfolio piece | A portfolio in your specialisation, from three team projects and your own project | | **Price, paid in full** | EUR 3,599 | EUR 9,990 | | **Choose it if** | You want to try it properly before you commit | You are ready to commit to the full programme | ## From CADA students From students of CADA's [onsite Digital Arts diploma](https://cada-edu.com/3d-digital-artist). *My experience at CADA has been very fulfilling. CADA has helped me go from a basic skill set within 3D to a very advanced level. They helped me find my passion and supported me in pursuing it.* **Freya Tuwel Rasmussen** *The amount of knowledge I have learned about the principles and work methods within the world of 3D here at Copenhagen Academy of Digital Arts is immeasurable.* *Especially the teachers at the school who's previously worked in the industry has given me invaluable insight and know-how and what to expect when we enter the industry in the future."* **Christian Just Skjøt** *Attending CADA has been a transformative experience. I discovered that going to school doesn't have to be draining, it can be revitalizing and fun! Along the way, I made lifelong friends and valuable industry connections.* **Marie Alsing** *I am very happy to have chosen CADA, where I discovered my passion for 3D. I have connected with and gotten to know fascinating students, teachers, and industry professionals. The projects have taught me invaluable skills such as collaboration, receiving feedback, and more. While you could choose to learn on your own through websites and videos, the true value of the education lies in the collaborative experience, industry networking, and pipeline insight it offers.* **Signe Harremoës Feldstein** *Studying at CADA has allowed me to explore a side of myself I’ve always wanted to know. Learning the many kinds of creativity that 3D has to offer, alongside like-minded people has been exactly what I needed to find my passion. Everything from the competitions to the collaborations has made me a better artist and team player.* **Simon Kaarfast** *At CADA, I was provided with a class full of like-minded people that I could learn and grow with. Being part of a community is very helpful when you're first starting out, as it also facilitates a lot of feedback.* **Gregers Berth** ![Freya](https://cada-edu.com/hubfs/Freya.jpg) ![Christian](https://cada-edu.com/hubfs/Christian.jpg) ![Marie](https://cada-edu.com/hubfs/Marie.jpg) ![Signe Harremoës Feldstein](https://cada-edu.com/hubfs/Signe.jpg) ![Simon](https://cada-edu.com/hubfs/Simon.jpg) ![Gregers](https://cada-edu.com/hubfs/Gregers.png) ## Tuition All software licences are included. When you are accepted, a non-refundable registration fee of EUR 335 secures your place. If you continue into the [Certificate Programme in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games), EUR 2,675 is credited towards its tuition. ### 2 Instalments EUR 1,990 /instalment ### Pay in full EUR 3,599 2 Instalments Pay in full ## Frequently Asked Questions Do I need any 3D experience? No. Foundations starts from the beginning, and the first five weeks cover the whole 3D pipeline, from modelling to rendering. Basic computer skills are all you need. How is Foundations different from the Certificate Programme in 3D for Games? Foundations is Term 1 of the [certificate programme](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games). The courses, schedule and feedback are the same. The difference is that you commit to 20 weeks instead of 60, and decide afterwards whether to continue. Can I continue into the full programme afterwards? Yes. You move on to Term 2 of the [Certificate Programme in 3D for Games](https://cada-edu.com/certificate-in-3d-for-games) with the rest of your cohort. EUR 2,675 of your Foundations fee is credited towards its tuition, and you pay the rest in full or per term. What happens if I do not continue? You finish after 20 weeks with the skills and the portfolio piece you built. There is nothing more to pay. Do I need a portfolio to apply? No. You do not need a portfolio to apply. We ask for a short motivational letter, one page at most, so we understand your background and what you want from the programme. How much time will it take each week? Plan for at least 20 hours a week. The one fixed commitment is the weekly live feedback session at around 17:00 CET. The recorded lectures and assignments fit around your own schedule. Is it live or on demand? Both. Lectures are recorded and available on demand. Once a week there is a live feedback session where your work is reviewed. Do I have to work in a team? We strongly recommend it for the final project, because games are made by teams. You can do it alone, but it means significantly more work, because you cover every role yourself. What software will I use, and do I need to buy it? You do not need to buy anything. CADA provides all software licences. You use Maya, Substance Painter and Unreal Engine, plus the tools for each specialisation during the week you try it. Can I publish or sell what I make? It depends on the software. The paid tools on the programme are provided on educational licences, which do not allow commercial use of what you make with them. Free tools such as Blender and Unreal Engine have their own licence terms, so check those before you publish or sell anything. What computer do I need? A Windows PC that meets this specification. You are responsible for having a computer that meets it. - Windows 10 (22H2) or Windows 11, 64-bit - Quad-core processor, 2.5 GHz or faster - 16 GB RAM - NVIDIA graphics card with 8 GB of video memory - 250 GB of free SSD space Can I use a Mac? An Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) will run the software, but Unreal Engine performs noticeably worse on macOS than on Windows. We recommend Windows. Intel-based Macs will not work. Is it taught in English? Yes. All teaching, feedback and project work is in English. When does it start, and is there a deadline? The next intake starts in February 2027. There is no fixed deadline: admission is rolling, and places are filled first come, first served among qualified applicants, so apply once you have decided. How do I reserve my place? Once you are accepted, you pay a non-refundable registration fee of EUR 335, on top of tuition. Can I pay in instalments? Yes. You can pay in full or in 2 instalments. The amounts are in the tuition section above. Is there an age limit? No. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS ## How to apply **STEP 1: SEND YOUR APPLICATION** Fill in the application form with a short motivational letter, one page at most. No portfolio needed. **STEP 2: BOOK YOUR ADMISSIONS MEETING** After you apply, you are taken straight to book a meeting with our admissions team. It is your chance to ask questions and make sure Foundations is right for you. **STEP 3: SECURE YOUR PLACE** Once you are accepted, pay the non-refundable EUR 335 registration fee, on top of tuition, to secure your place in the February 2027 intake. --- ![](https://cada-edu.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Website%20Image%20(1)-1.png?width=500&height=500&name=Website%20Image%20(1)-1.png) ## Apply Now You'll be redirected to book an admissions meeting after submission. ## Still not sure? Start with the free 3D Bootcamp. It is free, live and online, and no experience is needed. You get a feel for how we teach, and you will have made your first 3D scene before you decide anything. [Join 3D Bootcamp](https://cada-edu.com/3dbootcamp) ## Talk to admissions Questions before you apply? Send us a message or book an admissions meeting below. ## Contact Us --- [![Copenhagen Academy of Digital Arts](https://cada-edu.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo_CADA_White_AlphaHD.png?width=200&height=60&name=Logo_CADA_White_AlphaHD.png "Copenhagen Academy of Digital Arts")](https://cada-edu.com) **Nyropsgade 23, 4. Floor** **1602 Copenhagen** [Contact us](https://cada-edu.com/contact) © Copenhagen Academy of Digital Arts. All rights reserved [Terms and Conditions](https://cada-edu.com/terms-and-conditions) | [Privacy Policy](https://cada-edu.com/privacy-policy) | [Cookies Policy](https://cada-edu.com/cookies-policy)  CVR: 25772385 ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://cada-edu.com/foundations-in-3d-for-games#program", "@type" : "EducationalOccupationalProgram", "description" : "An online 20-week programme for beginners in 3D for games. 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