Learn Blender for Visual Investigation and 3D Forensic Analysis
and transform investigative data into verifiable 3D reconstructions.
Investigative workflows lack dedicated resources online. Our comprehensive knowledge base provides free, open access for self-paced learning, or you can accelerate with 1-on-1 coaching or team workshops. Designed for beginners as well as professionals in forensic analysis, investigative journalism, academic research, and human rights documentation, with training adapting to technical level, background and needs.
Custom Training
1-on-1 coaching and team workshops structured around your active investigation.
Inquire About TrainingKnowledge Hub
Documentation, sample datasets, and OSINT workflows for independent learning.
Request AccessDeveloped in collaboration with
The Open Knowledge Base
An evolving library of documentation covering 3D theory, Blender fundamentals, forensic workflows, and a growing collection of tool and add-on guides. Organized into technique areas like camera matching, photogrammetry, and geometric reconstruction — with production-ready steps for real investigations.
The Bottlenecks of Learning Blender
Most people in OSINT recognize Blender as a powerful tool: one that can draw all types of data into a single coherent whole, opening up new perspectives on a case, better analysis, and clearer communication. But getting there in investigative work is where the bottlenecks begin.
Games and VFX, Not Forensic Reconstruction
Most Blender tutorials are written for game developers and VFX artists, where the goal is aesthetic (dramatic lighting, visual shortcuts, whatever renders well). Investigative reconstruction asks for something else: dimensional accuracy, scale fidelity, geometry that holds up to scrutiny. A convincing model isn't the same as a verifiable one.
The Missing Methodology
Blender turns up constantly in open-source investigations, yet the method behind the final outcome rarely does. Camera calibration, lens distortion correction, and geospatial alignment are steps that are assumed rather than explained, leaving practitioners to piece together fragments from game design, architecture, and VFX tracking. None of it was written with scrutiny in mind.
The Cost of the Learning Curve
Trial and error across disciplines that were never meant to intersect takes hundreds of hours, time most investigators (mid-case and mid-deadline) don't have. Without a path built around investigative work, that cost is hard to justify.
Solution: Modular Training Built Around Real Cases
Work directly on your own data, confidential by default. Training is mapped to your evidence, your deadlines, and the output you need. Working with real material teaches faster than abstractions, which is why we prefer it when possible.
No active case to bring? We draw on a library of documented investigations and build a path around what you want to focus on.
Forensic-Focused Learning Path
Training built around dimensional accuracy, scale fidelity, and reproducible geometry rather than aesthetic plausibility. Modules covering camera calibration, geospatial alignment, point-cloud integration, and other investigative techniques, in the order that suits your work.
Documented, Reproducible Workflows
Every step is explained and documented: camera calibration, lens distortion correction, geospatial alignment. Learn how to build a pipeline that can be reviewed and replicated, not just a final outcome.
Direct Expert Guidance
1-on-1 calls, screen-sharing, and custom walkthroughs from someone doing this work. Avoid the trial and error of piecing together tutorials from unrelated domains. Get focused support when you need it.
Real World Use Case Examples
Disclaimer: These examples have not been created by people who followed this course, nor are they associated with the course. They are simply real-world cases where Blender was used within the context of visual investigation.
Russian Missile Identified in Kyiv Children's Hospital Attack
This example from Bellingcat showcases a powerful application of 3D modeling in visual investigation. By creating a precise model of a Kh-101 missile in Blender, researchers were able to directly compare its proportions and key features with photographic evidence of the missile that struck the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital.
Read moreValidated by Oxford University
Our training methods are used in academic research. Seven volunteers from Border Violence Monitoring Network were trained through our structured programme to reconstruct detention spaces that are otherwise inaccessible.
Oxford Border Criminologies Institute
"The training programme was designed to be accessible, modular, and replicable. Participants were introduced to Blender and related tools through step-by-step modules — this allowed people with no prior experience in 3D modelling to contribute meaningfully."
Petrou Ralli, Xanthi, Amygdaleza, Corinth, and Samos detention centres — reconstructed from satellite imagery, photographs, and witness testimonies.
Testimonials
Read what previous participants have said about their experience with the Blender for Visual Investigation course.
“Incredible support. Boudewyn made Blender's complexity manageable through patient 1-on-1 help and tailored resources. Way beyond what I expected.”
Who You'll Learn From
Two specialists who bridge 3D reconstruction and investigative practice.
Boudewijn
Lead Trainer & 3D Specialist
3D specialist and investigative visualizer. Since launching BVI, he has trained investigators, journalists, academics and NGOs worldwide to use Blender for their specific work.
The BVI methodology supports the Oxford Border Criminologies Institute and Border Violence Monitoring Network, with student models published on Detention Landscapes. It is used by investigative teams, legal professionals and environmental researchers on complex reconstructions of sensitive cases where accuracy and verification are critical, including independent journalists documenting protests and human rights violations.
He teaches Blender to forensic analysts, investigative journalists and researchers, building training around each person's investigation.
Dr. P. Teunissen
Research & Methodology Partner
Gerda Henkel Postdoctoral Fellow and border scholar at the intersection of OSINT, ethnography and visual investigation. European Joint Doctorate in Migration and Modernity.
Researcher with Forensic Architecture and Border Forensics, and collaborator with Border Violence Monitoring Network. His work on the Evros/Meriç River and migration infrastructures examines how landscapes and borders shape violence and human rights violations.
He combines FOIA requests, open source techniques, visual analysis and ethnography to translate complex investigations into 3D reconstructions that hold up in academic and advocacy contexts.
Training for Individuals and Teams
Whether you're working solo or with a team, we build training around your project. All options include one-on-one support, custom curriculum, and flexible delivery.
Individual Coaching
For solo investigators, journalists and researchers
One-on-one sessions built around your specific case or project. Direct access to instructor, priority support, and flexible scheduling that fits your timeline.
Team Workshops
For organizations and teams
Intensive group sessions for teams who need to build internal capacity. Custom content, on-site or remote delivery, and follow-up support.
Extended Programs
For complex reconstructions and long-term projects
Multi-week programs with structured learning, weekly mentoring, and hands-on support for complex reconstructions.
All Training Includes
One-on-One Support
Direct access to instructor for questions and problem-solving
Fully Customizable
Curriculum built around your project, data, and goals
Flexible Delivery
On-site or remote, in Dutch, German, or English
Pricing based on project scope - inquire for a custom quote
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about our Blender for Visual Investigation training