HERE

I have to admit that I gave up on it shortly after posting that, I just couldn't believe that drawing splines in 3D space and then nudging them into their perfect positions with the arrow keys could be the way to do it... then I read a tutorial on box (subdivision) modelling, tried that on the Lambo and it wasn't long before I was back there, but with ten times the number of vertices to work with.

After trying to model another 1960's supercar - Ferrari 365 GTB "Daytona", anyone know where I can find blueprints for that? - I started to suspect that the Lambo just is The Most Difficult Car Ever To Model so, this weekend past I just bit the bullet and got on with it... Once you accept that it's not going to be easy, I'll swear M.C. Escher was involved in designing the back end of this thing, I found it's really strange how much fun it can be, especially when you can start to see results in a reasonably good renderer...

Anywho, I'm about to start slicing it up into doors and windows and stuff. If anybody's interested in how it goes I'm keeping a log, and I'm damn well going to finish it this time!

John

Attached Link: Onno van Braam

Have you been to Onno van Braam's extensive blueprint website? He has tons of blueprints for everything. Click on top link.

Suurland has some blueprints too http://www.suurland.com/

Try also Scratch Made Cars http://www.smcars.net/

Thanks very much. I'd already tried van Braam and Suurland without success, but I'd totally forgotten that I was registered with Scratch Made Cars. To be honest I've been pretty disappointed with a lot of stuff I've found on SMC in the past, but I just found a superb blueprint of the 365 GTB there. John

The lines of the Lamborghini Miura always reminded me of a Ford GT40.

Excellent work and I would love to see this completed...and if possible a how-to ?

Would Wings3D be a better choice over Anim8or for box modelling ?

Owning a 1960 Vette for over 20+ years maybe I should attempt to modell it in 3D......

Having started out with Anim8or before discovering Wings, I found that Wings has an easier to use interface for modeling purposes. Seems quicker to me to build the bulk out first and add detail rather than play connect the dots from the outset. There are some things that can be done one program that can't be done in the other, and it goes both ways. And sure, there's no reason not to model a car. (Unless you really feel that it's been overdone eleventy billion times like an Audi TT or VW Bug.) I've got a Stingray Vette partially done in Wings that I never really completed from a while back. I could send the file which you could detail, or you could look at it and get ideas for doing one fresh from scratch on your own. Also take a look at the tutorials here. I've got a somewhat new one under the Wings3D category which might be useful.

The problem I get with box modelling (Wings or Anim8or) is that I wind up with so many polys that, when the point arrives where I need to convert a model to a mesh, the mesh is unworkably complex.

I'd go for it with the 1960 Corvette. I've seen loads of models of late 60's cars, but not the early ones.

As you can see above I've got the mesh sliced up now and started some detailing.

Hello, That car model looks good (to me) like a Corvette StingRay. And from your post concerning your substantial time investment and frustration as the work grew larger & larger in front of you, I can tell that you must really enjoy cars.

Now, I am not an expert on 3D rendering with software programs, so please don't take this as the bottom line. For all I know it may be the bottom line. For all I know it may not be the bottom line. And in the world of software, today's sure-fire bottom line program may be toast compared with tomorrow's. So ... with that said, I have an idea that there is a CADCAM program out there that will streamline a lot of what you were doing manually. I have some (scant) information on some CNC and CADCAM programs which also produce G code for instructing machines robotically to produce the shapes from materials in real time real space. I expect that they have some blending/melting functions to warp, bend, expand, etc., to connect two points or lines/planes in any way that the producer wants them to be. None of the nudge the lines one at a time thing there. You can freehand the image and refine it with the program. You can scan in an image and work from there.

Some of the prices are hefty, however. Probably a trade-off for the hours you save wrapped up into a convenient package. Alas... no free lunch. I can only imagine what it is like to design the engine & trans, the dash, the interior, etc., in exploded perspective assembly drawings & views, and then to make them "gel" in a 3D get-up. wow, dude. Where are you going with this thing??

Message edited on: 11/06/2004 22:29

A small appendix to my previous post: This has just conjured up an 'old school' idea that has been rolling around in my head for years: Imagine that Vette idea thing in a 70's era size car about the size of the '74 Cadillac El Dorado with a 500 or 600 CID engine in it, dual turbos, NOx push, long runner intake, dual exhaust, headers and a serious cam with electronic (HEI) ignition, 4 on the floor, ... an interior like the Hilton and a sound system like being on stage.

I would call that "old school" dream car Suzy Q.

I can only imagine what it is like to design the engine & trans, the dash, the interior, etc., in exploded perspective assembly drawings & views, and then to make them "gel" in a 3D get-up. For a look at the best car models around I spy on the Rhino forum here. Rhino uses nurbs/splines, so it probably has certain advantages over most other modeling programs when it comes to making certian compound shapes. I think Sabaman (artist of the month btw) does the level of detail you describe. Kaom also does some great stuff like that. And not to forget - y@. And plenty of new folks that I haven't seen before. Leave it to the Rhino users to go all out crazy on their automotive models. When it comes to Wings3D (because I hang out at that forum, and it's box modeling), you'll have to take a look at the military vehicles done by Emmar. Cszetela and MrChristopher over at the EZboard Wings gallery forum have done impressive vehicle work. And back at Renderosity, Pancho has also done a decent truck model or two. And of course myself. I usually don't get very far past doing the interior. (I might make the engine compartment on my current car project, but it's an electric - plenty of leeway to be lazy in modeling one of those motors.) Making suspension components is probably the trickiest thing I could think of. So many things to screw up, and the geometry has to be right or it might not be convincing. Usually why most cars (like mine) hover "magically" over their wheels. ;) Skill is one thing in car modeling, but to be great at it you have to be patient (because that's whats required to work out the details.)

Very nice work... A new version of Anim8or...well I'm off to down load it....

Best thing about the new Anim8or is the addition off a whole heap of keyboard shortcuts, it's been missing those for a long time.

Just about finished external detailing, onto the interior now.

Yep, they aren't that easy. That's why most car models don't have the interior modeled. (Or have a really generic looking one.) But if it's done right, it's well worth it. Also are you going to rework the mesh so the doors open? Sometimes a portion of interior work isn't normally visible unless a door is opened. And having working doors makes a model more functional in an animation. (You can have characters getting in and out, etc.) It's looking great so far. Keep at it!

Incredible detail....