Need some help with my car. Critics/info plz

[madmenno]

Hi,

Just started modeling and i love it but as we all did (i guess) i run in to some problems also. I started from a spline and then i convert to poly and do the details.

I am not happy with my bumper. whats the best way to do it? Already do it in spline? (as i see most of the good modelers do that). I did it with poly on a (what i think) weird way. Bevel some in then copy the poly and move it away, bevel some more then put the copied poly back for the glass.

Also i tried to make those neat looking lines between the different panels and doors. I detached all those panels then added a Shell/sollidify modifier to it and deleted the faces you can't see but i wasn't happy with the effect i got. I did make extra cuts to make it flow better but still not the desireable effect.

Should i make the windows a surface before i go to poly? Or leave them open, how do i get a window in the exact place when i leave it open (copying the outer edges won't work).

Well i got tons of questions but if i get some pointers on these i would be realy happy and fight my way trough it. I see myself grow fast with every project/tutorial but there are always little things that i do not get done maybe it's the experience.

Thnx in advance,
Mad Menno

[madmenno]

Just thaught i put these images with the others. I tried to texture it (have to do it all over again becaus i'm probably gonna detail some more). But what you think? I think it looks pretty nice but if i use some other techniques it will look mutch better. So plz some pointers.

Greetz

[madmenno]

Hmmm previewed my post and clicked submit without adding it again....

[sarN]

use,....perspedtive...view

[Kujoe]

Howdy man ,What you need help on.I polymodel.but I use splines for rims and things ,but I do not use spline for the body of a car.But there are people that do.I don't know if they will help you on that .

[Aichi-Val]

i like poly modellig better, gives u more control, but takes mor time(i got lots)

[legato]

i use spline cages for the body except i dont make the whole body with i spline and add surface into it..instead i make it by panels...from the Qs u posted madmenno, the only one that i can answer is how to make the seams....theres a tutorial on it at http://www.danielbuck.net/ .... hope it helps u on that

IMO there's no best way to model a car or anything..its just how u plan or know that any particular way can get the results u want...for poly modelling with nurms in particular.. its good to have a good understanding on how nurms actually works ( one good explaination here http://www.munkmotion.com/tutorials/nsx/2a.htm ) ... and one tip, keep your mesh as simple and neat as possible..that way its easier to tweak....there are some unnecessary edges on your model right now particularly on the top and window frames...so my suggestion is clean them up...
hope it helps

[madmenno]

Thnx for those tutorials new ones are always welcome. But there are no comments except for useing perspective (kinda totaly new here to scenery setup and lightning but i should get that soon enough)

But there isn't even.... let's say a line that goes wrong? My cage is perfect to go edit poly and detailing it? Didn't know i was that good . Well i try to give it some more shape and put an update here in perspective see what happens then :d.

To give a part just a material you people just select polygons, detach them, add material and attach them?

Well thnx,

Mad Menno

[kribz]

my advice is to boxmodel the car...don´t remember that much about max, but in maya when u convert a model back and forth between polygon and nurbs, it tends to destroy the model...less or more depending on various settings...i dont know if u are a beginner...but if u are..i would say stick with polymodelling, if your not, dont even listen to me...ive been modelling for 2-3 years...and i must say i´m still having trouble embrasing nurbs..mainly because i think it´s so difficult the texture...but i guess i will eventually have to learn nurbs too...anyway..good luck
/kribz

[madmenno]

Hi,

Well i mad it some further. Made the door handle on the wrong side but just use the remote :-).

rushed the car a little to see how i can end up with it (yes i am noob this my 3th car)

Still can't get those car lights convincing.

Does anyone know a tutorial about a how to set up a good scene? With lights and stuff? Now i got 6 lights around my car 1 with shadows. the render takes me 15+ minutes but the results are not THAT nice :-).

Well anyway thnx,

Greetz Mad Menno

[kribz]

it looks better, but the front looks kind of strange though, and i honestly think it needs more work, so it can match the rest of the car, keep it up

[g69]

hey madmenno,
i am one of the people who use spline modeling for cars...to tell you the truth i have tried both ways...
and as legato said " there's no best way to model a car or anything..its just how u plan or know that
any particular way can get the results u want"

i feel much comfortable with 1st spline modeling, so that i have the basic shape of the car...
and then convert it to editable poly, and start detailing....(cuting, chamfering, extruding...etc...etc)

as far as i can see from the images you posted...ur spline cage looks just perfect...
the 1st goal in spline modeling is to get only the basic shape of the object (in your case the car)
and the apply the surface modifer so that you a surface to work on...suface smooth to 0
and please make sure you dont have any holes
other thing to keep in mind is that you dont have any bezier points
(i dont prefer them 'coz they complicate stuff in the end...i only use Corners)

when your saticfied with your spline cage and a surface... select it, right click and convert it to ediable poly.
now this is the part were the fun begins

as Kujoe (Ray) advices the newbies... that you shouldnt be having any 3 sided polys
make sure you dont and 3 sided.... select the edge and remove it and cut it other way round so that
all of your polys are 4 sided.... and again as he says... you just cant start cuting from anywhere you
feel like... make sure you run you edges from one point to the end of the body.

align your vertices so that they match up your blueprints (i hope ur using 1)
now, while aligning theres other thing you would like know that how your body is turning out...
within the modifier stack where you have all the rollouts.. scroll down until you see Subdivision Surface
there:
check Use NURMS subdivision
Type in Display iteratios to 1

Check Render
Type in Render Iterations to 3

i usually keep switching nurms on & off while modeling... it really helps me to get the rough idea...
just right click in viewport object selected nurbs toggle (on and off... on and off)

i hope you understand the way i have explained this, and its of help.
if you need any help, ill be around...

ps. i am attaching my images, BMW WIP. (Spline modeled >> Surface Modifier >> Editable Poly)

[madmenno]

Hi,

Thnx for the large feedback G69,

So your saying those cuts on the door for the handle should lead to the end? But thats increasing the poly count a lot. And it doesn't look buged where i start those cuts in the middle of an edge. And in the poly editing model i shouldn't create 3 sided faces also?

On the moment i spline my car i should lay the lines on the edges of the panels. So i can use kujoe's realy short but very good seaming tutorial? Is that right?

For the headlight thing, i should just extrude a nice looking hole in my front and detach it. Then squice a sphere and fit it in front of the hole. Make the hole chrome and the sphere a glass with a bumpmap?

Well i practise some more to find my best way in moddeling a car

Greetz
Mad Menno