Pixels or Atoms ?

Ever wanted to know how to achieve a good 3D model of a car ? No matter you are amateur or pro, this tutorial aims to teach the workflow and every move you need to know to achieve a good car. It’s based on Blender, to allow everyone do it without requiring access to high-priced or warez software. But it can apply to virtually any 3D package.

I based this work on my latest project, a coupe-convertible Citroën C5. If you’re allergic to this brand, or to cars in general, don’t worry : this material applies to any manufactured project : no matter it’s big or small, no matter it’s cheap or high-end.

The tutorial is a on-going series of posts. It starts from the very beginning of modeling and covers every aspect : hard surface modeling with a focus on high-end quality and accuracy, best meshing practices to create a nice polyflow, tips to soluce most common issues. More than just the body, it will deals with all other parts creation : tires, rims, wheel details, windows, grilles, chrome and rubber trim, with also a fully detailed interior.

It already exists in two different languages, english and french. It’s also an interactive process : you can follow the progress of the tutorial as I write it, and you can comment, critic or ask for any complement you want. Please head to the following forums :

• English version is at SMCars.net : http://www.smcars.net/forums/tutorials/34591-modeling-car-high-end-detailed-tutorial.html
• French version is at BlenderClan : http://blenderclan.tuxfamily.org/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=27941&forum=5

Both forums requires sign-up to post comments or questions, but it’s free and worth the time it will take you. If you want to contribute with translations in other languages, let me know in a comment.

Stay tuned for more, and meet you there for your feedback !

Today is the last day to submit your final pictures in the Topless SMCars.net contest. So I had to post mine, here they are !

As requested, I also committed an up-to-date studio render :

Let me know what you think !

I’m close to the end of this project. I need to do some extra work about the integration with the background, and maybe to enhance the paint shader. Of course, some extra renders will be done

The scheduled deadline for SMCars “Topless” contest is September, the 15th. Maybe the site team will postpone it to get more achieved entries. It would be a shame to have so many great project being dropped just because their authors didn’t manage to get enough time.

Anyway, I worked as much as possible and even if my project isn’t done yet, I have some significant updates worth to share with my fellow readers. Here are the latest renders of the most insane cab’ I’ve imagined :

Feel free to post your thought about the model in a comment !

This project is for a limited-timeframe contest. So I wanted not to lose time with many clay renders : clay renders are useful to search for bumps and to show the project on forums, but they take time and are not the only way to seek bumps & pinches. So at first I just posted screen captures, directly from Blender.

But I didn’t refrain the urge to do a test render, to see how the car will look. It’s a simple test : only a white plane above the car to light it, scratch-made shaders. The white areas are still clay-rendered because of the lack of shaders for those parts.

Model progress is different on the two pictures, the second is the latest : it shows headlights and details in air intake (radiators, grilles, bumper)

What do you think ?

My entry will be a topless version of the Hennessey Venom GT. The original car is already a crazy mix (Lotus Elise front end and chassis, Corvette ZR1 engine and some incredible skills to adapt the engine to chassis) so I’ll try to get even crazier to achieve something even more cool.

I needed some time to decide if I should do a simple targa version, like a Toyota Supra (i.e. with minimum roof removal) or a more open version like a Porsche Carrera GT. The simple targa would have been more easy, as the Lotus Elise is already one. But I hope I will be able to achieve a better design, at least let’s say more elaborated. Well, something like nice engine cover (like Carrera GT or Bug’ Veyron) with amazing air intake (like Zonda Five Roadster)

So before drawing my concept, I will focus on getting a spline cage right. No blueprints for this one : I asked Hennessey a couple of weeks ago, no answer but they were kind enough to add my e-mail address to their mailing list

There are some seriously good 3D modelers around there, doing an excellent job everytime they put their fingers on a new car. So I felt the urge to focus more on the quality of my models. I’ve been away from modeling several months, so it was a good opportunity to resume working on the LP640 Roadster : I performed serious rework on it, starting with a much better spline cage, more accurate with cleaner and smoother lines.

I started then to fully remodel the hood, front bumper, front fenders. Then time has come for sides : doors, side skirts, rear fenders, top air intakes. I just keeped the previous rear end, as it was already good enough in my opinion, and the engine cover.

Read more…

Real World Racer (short RWR), the new official SMC contest, has already started. I’m in with a “slight” modification of my everyday car.

For an upcoming tutorial, I created a wire cage of my C5 Tourer (that is, the wagon) using this blueprint : Read more…

Some months ago, I posted some blueprints from my Ariel Atom II model. Now, it’s time for full 3D model : I just released the complete and latest model for it, under a Creative Commons license (BY-SA)

This model once won the “Light is Right” contest at www.SMCars.net, but only with one vote ahead !

Read more…

The progress is getting slower, but I’m still working on this project. Here’re some details.

First and second pictures present some details in the door bay. Third one shows the beginning of the windshield.