Automotive Design (Redesign in progress)

[Nalrac]

Hello everyone. Long time no post. :)

I've been pretty busy the past few days messing around with C4D. I designed a car a long time ago and thanks to Frenchy's post about Automotive design I was able to get some good resources to help me get started.

I did this in Hyper Nurbs. So far all I have done is the basic body and wheels and tires (everything else was photoshop). I still need to do lights, and trim. I also need to separate the windows from the model and work on the interior.

I appreciate any feedback. Esp. from people with an automotive design background. I'm going for 100% realalistic. So, If you would give me your "121" It would help me along. This, BTW, was a lot harder than I haad anticipated. But I like a challenge. :D

EDIT: Here's a challenge.....can you guess what kind of car I'm designing. I'm updating a car that was discotinued in 1998 (in the US). It is, IMHO, one of the best sports cars in its price range to have ever been imported into the US.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200404/user_image-1082145407iyp.jpg

[Stonecutter]

Very nice Nalrac! :tu:
Since I have been using LW in preference to C4D for a while now, I can't remember whether it supports HDRI reflection mapping, but that might be one thing to try, since you are going for realism...
As far as the modelling so far, I think you're doing a great job!
(And thanks for posting something 'real'... I have just about seen every variation of monster, elf, orc, etc. that I can handle, and this is very refreshing artistically... :tu: )

[Nalrac]

Actually, Stonecutter, I am way ahead of you. ;) I'm using the "campus" HDRI environment seen by rays but not by the camera. I used a ground plane and a black fog that's seen by the camera. It's a neat little trick. There are no lights except for the image.

Do you think it still needs some tweeking? What could I do to increase the realism?

[davidT]

First, nice modeling. Second, i'm with stonecutter, try some HDRI with this and see what you come out with. Second, it's obvious that you have the modeling stuff down, how come you are using Cinema for this. Seems that Rhino is more suited to this, and it'll fix all the surface continuity issues that are going on with this model.

[davidT]

I wanted to be sure that you didn't think I slamming your work, i'm not, i think you've done a great job... :D

[Nalrac]

Hi davidT :) Thanks for the positive feedback. I am using HDRI as I had said in the previous post.

As far a Rhino is concerned, well, I've never tried it. I've spent a large majority of my time learn new software so I just wanted to use what I was familiar with. BTW, please tell me what you mean by "surface continuity issues". If you see something that I'm not aware of I would love to know about it so I can fix it.

:) Thanks

Adam

[Smiles]

When I saw this I had to call #2 son over ;)He loves your design, and says your making an excellent car. He thinks its the Nissan Z-Car..... and the drum roll's ;)

[Stonecutter]

As Homer Simpson would say... 'Dohh!' ;)
My apologies Nalrac, I looked a little closer, and I see what you mean.
I think my aged retinas let me down...Now I see the effect, especially on the floor. Maybe it's the lighting that confused me.
(And maybe I should crank up C4D, and check things out again... )
:cool:

[matvara]

Hi Nalrac; great design and good use of space
in your model. I've run some tests on doing
these kinds of modeling in Z2 and I was really
suprised to find out that it's quite possible
and the results were quite satisfactory. I'll
post sometime soon a few models entirely done
in Z2.

:b2:

[Nalrac]

No problem Stonecutter! I understand how it can be when you're aging ;)

I'm going to integrate it into a scene once I'm done with it. So this render is just a temporary envionment. C4D has proven to be pretty impressive.

Matavara - I would love to use Z2 for this but I'm a MAC user :( So it Nurbs for now

[Nalrac]

Here's the updated tire and wheel. It's got a few nice effects that C4D handles well.

What do you guys think about the tire?? I'm very pleased with the rim overall. I think the tire needs some work.

If anyone could make any suggestions about the tire I would appreciate it.

Thanks

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200404/user_image-1082295887lmx.jpg

[matvara]

Hi Nalrac; excellent tire! If you were interested
in adding magnified portions of your main model
to draw attention to details (like the tire
here), you could then give the tire a ventil
and some (colored?) typing on the side!
Good luck!
;)

[Nalrac]

Ok...here is the final (I promise) version of the wheel assembly. This is ALL done with HyperNurbs (an incredibly powerful tool) I've been messing with render adjustments for like two day and I'm stopping myself. It is, afterall, just the wheel.

I have included a closeup of the final tread. I changed it to a more sporty tire based on an actual Yokohama product. I'm 99 percent happy with all of it. The other 1% doesn't matter.

Your 121 is welcome. :)

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200404/user_image-1082515395zje.jpg

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200404/user_image-1082515840uhw.jpg

[Frenchy Pilou]

Hi Nalrac
After this exercise, try to make a futuristic car model from your own sketch, you will see that is very gratifying !
Pilou

[dragonfly2004]

i think you have some big problem zones.
would like to see a wireframe to be sure.

sorry, but it will not help you when i say it looks good when i don´t think so.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200405/user_image-1083770873hqq.jpg

[Nalrac]

For those of you that looked at my post in the Community Forum I've started redesigning my car in rhino. I just started using Rhino on a MAC!! I'm using VPC (Virtual PC) and it not fast because it's all code based but it is suprisingly quick. Quicker than I remember the last time I used VPC. It is VERY powerful in what it can do (as many have said). If you learn rhino you can model ANYTHING. No doubt that it is a must own for the novice Automotive designer.

Plus, a quick note....I didn't understand what true NURBS modelling was. I thought HYPERNURBS in C4D was NURBS. It's not, however. It's actually simplified box modelling. So, that would explain the inconsistent reflections in my car. It's SubD and not NURBS! Figure that. Cheers to ignorance. ;)

Anyway...here is the last update to the wheel I designed in HyperHURBS. Thank you dragonfly for your great criticism. :)

EDIT: BTW - It not a Zcar but close. It is. however, a Japanese import. Try again.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/uploaded_from_zbc/200405/user_image-1084671739bhn.jpg