StretchLearn Course

Turn 3D models into photoreal product shots that sell

HDRI lighting, PBR materials, and e-commerce compositing in Blender Cycles and KeyShot, no photo studio required.

Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This beginner course teaches the full 3D product rendering pipeline in Blender Cycles and KeyShot, the two tools that dominate product visualisation. You will set up HDRI and softbox lighting, build accurate PBR materials, frame shots with real camera settings, and composite a clean white-background hero in Photoshop or Affinity. By the end you can deliver a 2000 x 2000 px Amazon-ready render and a lifestyle scene from a single model.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Import and scale a product model to real-world dimensions ready for rendering

Light a product with HDRI environments and three-point studio rigs for predictable results

Build accurate PBR materials using base colour, roughness, metallic, and normal maps

Frame shots using focal length, f-stop, and depth-of-field that match real product photography

Render with shadow catchers and denoising to produce clean transparent-background passes

Composite and retouch a final e-commerce hero shot to platform-ready specifications

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Setting Up the Render Pipeline

Choose between Blender Cycles and KeyShot, prepare a clean scene, and get your model to real-world scale so every later step behaves predictably.

3 lessons

Cycles vs KeyShot: Choosing Your RendererContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Importing and Scaling Your ModelContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Colour Management and Output SettingsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Studio Lighting with HDRI and Softboxes

Light products the way a real studio does, using HDRI environments for instant realism and a controllable three-point rig for hero shots.

3 lessons

HDRI Lighting: Instant RealismContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Building a Three-Point Studio RigContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Reading and Fixing Lighting ProblemsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: PBR Materials and the Product Camera

Build physically accurate materials from texture maps and frame the shot with real camera settings and depth-of-field.

3 lessons

Understanding PBR MaterialsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Texturing with Real Material MapsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Framing the Shot with a Real CameraContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Shadow Catchers, Rendering, and Compositing

Produce clean transparent passes with shadow catchers, then composite and retouch a delivery-ready e-commerce hero shot.

3 lessons

Shadow Catchers and Ground ContactContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Final Render Settings and PassesContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Compositing and Retouching the Hero ShotContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

3D product renderingBlender CyclesKeyShotHDRI lightingPBR materialsproduct visualisatione-commerce imagerycompositing