My car project: Fully detailed Seat Ibiza

[atomic]

Hi guys,

So I got this ambition to model my first own car as accurate as I possibly can, and as detailed as I can.
I started this project a while ago using nurbs curve modeling techniques, but that didn't seem to fit my style.
Got frustrated alot and then the project slowly stranded to a complete standstill. But a few days ago I decided I must and will complete this project one day... (Don't got much free time anymore lately :p) So I started from stratch again and roughly modeled the entire low res poly cage in a few hours. After which I seperated lots of the different pieces and redrawn some edgeflows to match the details.

Now comes question number 1: How far should I go with predetailing and seperating different pieces?
Should I separate the pieces indicated in the image below before I start with my Sub-D shaping?
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4731/seatibiza2004side5doord.jpg
Keep in mind I'm going for a very detailed model, especially the exteriour is ment to be nearly an exact match.

Offcourse I allready tried to Sub-D my poly cage (I'm always to eagered to finish stuff too fast cuz I can't wait to see it completed :p), But I noticed a problem that because I seperated different pieces they smooth independently from each other.
See Image
http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/9854/detachedsurfacescurvatu.jpg
But sometimes you want the curvature to run from one surface through the next as if they are one surface. (Nr 2 in the image is the desired curvature)
So here come question number 2: What is the best way or how do you normally tackle this issue? Cuz I can modify the Sub-D shape itself to try and match the curvature back up, but cuz I'm going for high level of detail I rather not do it this way.

And offcourse if you have other suggestions, advice or thoughts feel free to let me know, I can use the motivation. :p
General modeling tips are also very welcome. :)

I really hope I can work through this project without getting too frustated this time and eventually end up with a nice showpiece. :D

Cheers,
Atomic

[atomic]

Hi guys,

Been working on my car the last couple of days. Got most of the main exteriour shapes done, So now I'm working on the exteriour details. Once I'm done with those, I'll have to start with the interiour challenge. :p
Here are a couple of pictures to show my progress. Please let me know what you think.

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/2901/seat201.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/9665/seat202.jpg

[adeptus]

wow, this is getting really nice :)
Ive also tried modeling a car, but it did have as much details as yours^^
Im looking for the finished model - keep on working

[atomic]

Thank you adeptus.
I did some car modeling before, but I also never modeled a fully detailed one yet.
So that's what I'm going for with this one. :)

[bravo2zero]

Hi Atomic its looking good so far .

[atomic]

Thanks bravo :)

I've been working on it quite a bit since yesterday, here is my latest progress.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3677/251xc.jpg

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/3805/252c.jpg

[atomic]

Hi guys,

I've been having a problem with Sub-D manipulations very often lately.
Even up to the point that I cannot do the change I want to do because maya crashes before I can complete the change.
The problem is that whenever I'm in poly mode of a Sub-D shape and try to add/delete edges or come out of poly mode after these changes have been made, that maya crashes.
Is this a know problem with perhaps a workaround, or am I talking about an isolated issue?
eitherway, does anyone have any advice on how I could deal with this issue?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[atomic]

I decided to leave the part that I'm having so much troubles with alone for now and went along and modeled the side mirrors.
I took a couple of reference photos from my car to model it. But perhaps I should have actually gone outside to look a specific detail or curvature :p, because I now notice that it's not really a perfect match.

http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/7088/3404a.jpg

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/465/3403n.jpg

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/6123/dsc00265xf.jpg

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/869/3402.jpg

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/6749/3401.jpg

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/1541/dsc002655.jpg

C&C welcome, as always :)

[Teamal]

hey Atomic

Really good model at the mo, very nice detail. is your geometry all converted to sub-d now? I've only done one car model and it helped me not converting to sub-d until the very end. My computer wasn't good enough to handle many sub-d geometry. can you convert back to polys or nurbs

From what i can see the model looks really good, don't think it matters too much if your model is not a perfect match. its pretty damn close and i think you'd be the only one to notice if something is not quite right.

[atomic]

Thank you very much for the nice words Teamal. :)


From what i can see the model looks really good, don't think it matters too much if your model is not a perfect match. its pretty damn close and i think you'd be the only one to notice if something is not quite right.

And yea you're probably right, maybe I shouldn't be such a perfectionist. although I'm probably not gonna be able to restrain myself to tweak it whenever I see an unperfection poking at my eye. :p

[Teamal]

Haha well its not the worst trait to have, keep us updated

[atomic]

No, you're right. But together with not having so much free time and maya crashing on me alot, makes this project one of very long breath I think. :p
Nevertheless I will keep you updated. :)

[atomic]

I got some extra time today, to build the casing for the back logo/trunk handle + keyhole, and work on the mirror a little bit more. :p I'm much happier with it now, it just wasn't smooth in some places and the shape was a bit of.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3088/3901s.jpg

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/8795/3902.jpg

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/2759/3903.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5918/3905tf.jpg

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/3301/dsc00264ff.jpg

[Nimzificatorderp]

Wow man. That is truly amazing :) . I hope to achieve that skill level soon.

[atomic]

Thanks man! I'm honoured that you feel that I have a desirable skill level. :)
And I'm sure with enough will and motivation plus some excellent guidence from DT, you will most certainly get there.
Also getting some really nice comments about your work does wonders for your motivation. I sure know I can use it from time to time :D So I can recommend you post some of your work here to get the feedback you're after.

Cheers

[Teamal]

hey that boot locking thing is a bit special, that's some great detail. must be pretty close to finishing the modelling section of it now?

[atomic]

Thanks :)
Actually I'm far from finished with the modeling. :p
I still need to model the gas cap, the tires/rims, the lights themselves and some other details. And then there is just the small matter of modeling the interiour. xD
So plenty of work to be done. Only after all of that I will be able to start with my weak side, being: Texturing everything, setting up the environment plus lighting and finally finish of with rendering. But I'll get there...someday :D

Cheers

[Fusedgore]

atomic this is coming along veryy nicely man .Keep going .I am curious to see this rendered.

[atomic]

Thanks man, means alot!
I myself can't wait to start rendering and see how it looks either. :D

[atomic]

Hi guys

I've been working on some other details and doing a little bit of texturing.
Here are a few wireframes and renders.


http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3828/45wires01.jpg

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/9679/45wires02.jpg

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/5851/45wires03.jpg


http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/83/4501e.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2558/4502x.jpg

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/7138/4504.jpg

I'm not quite sure about how I should about texturing the backlights, so it's not really that realistic yet.

[Fusedgore]

Great looking model .

[atomic]

Hi guys,

Haven't really found the time to continue working on my car lately, but now I got some free time I thought I would start working on the tires. Now I've run into a strange and annoying problem, being that I can't seem to make any changes to my model anymore (except for deleting components). I have created a short recording demonstrating the problem:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdAjUpwyoRw&fmt=22

Any ideas?

[timeRemapper]

First off, Atomic, what a great looking model! Nice work!

As for the editable issue, is your object on a locked/Reference layer? If not, do you have a history on it that you need to keep? If not, did you try deleting the history?

[atomic]

thanks man :)
No there was nothing special with the mesh, not part of a locked/reference layer, no history, no transformations, no nothing.
But I just took one save file back and started again from there, so I don't know what was wrong with it. (allthough I'm suspicious about a render layer material override)
I'm working on the break disc now, but its a fairly simple shape and I think the realism will come from a good shader for it. But I'm unsure on how to achieve a good realistic kinda brushed metallic look (see image)
http://selfservegarage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Inspect-your-Brake-Disc-and-Pad.png

I was thinking about looking at the brushed metallic can tut that was on labs I think, but I believe to remember that it was a bit more hassle then I expected it to be.