Cautiously, I put these renderings out there....

[2o6]

Sometimes I wonder why I post these things here. Sometimes I get legitimate criticism and suggestions, but a lot of times, you guys wanna one-up each other. But I'm trying to come in with an open mind and not be so reactionary to your comments.




But anyways, I think I'm getting better with getting the point across as to what I want to model.


A-segment car. Just a slight facelift to get the droopy joker nose off. Haven't really worked on it all that much.





B-segment car, I started over entirely. Not sure how it came out. Did things like making super exaggerated wheel arches, and a tapering rear end to add visual flair.







Interior


Quickie sedan







C-segment car. Not much work done on this one, either. Not sure what to do with it. Started life as a sedan, did a quickie hatchback.












........

[Eye of the Tiger]

You obviously work hard on those things, but I just don't like them. I wish I had blender skills.

[2o6]

You obviously work hard on those things, but I just don't like them. I wish I had blender skills.

On another forum I post at (which is predominatly Asian and European) they seem to like them a lot.


Thanks for the comments.

[Eye of the Tiger]

On another forum I post at (which is predominatly Asian and European) they seem to like them a lot.


Thanks for the comments.

You're welcome

The proportions just feel awkward to me. It's like when your average person tries to draw a human face. Many of the details are great, but as a package it's just a bit off

[2o6]

You're welcome

The proportions just feel awkward to me. It's like when your average person tries to draw a human face. Many of the details are great, but as a package it's just a bit off

It's hard recreating the proportions of anything bang-on.

[Eye of the Tiger]

If it means anything, the last green one feels much better than the first two. I suppose it's a bit more conventional, and has more flowing lines overall

[2o6]

If it means anything, the last green one feels much better than the first two. I suppose it's a bit more conventional, and has more flowing lines overall

Inspiration was the Impreza.


I really like my B-segment hatch. It's like a more aggressive Insight.

[Speed_Racer]

How  committed are you to 3d auto design and to using Blender? If this is something you take seriously and perhaps want to make something of in the future, maybe it's time to bite the bullet and buy pro-quality software?

I use open-source GIMP and Inkscape when I'm at home doodling, but when I do design work for $, I only use the Adobe CS5 on my school's computers. Thoughts?

[2o6]

How  committed are you to 3d auto design and to using Blender? If this is something you take seriously and perhaps want to make something of in the future, maybe it's time to bite the bullet and buy pro-quality software?

I use open-source GIMP and Inkscape when I'm at home doodling, but when I do design work for $, I only use the Adobe CS5 on my school's computers. Thoughts?

I'm not all that serious about that, but I have thought about it.


I think I'm getting a much better handle on blender then from when I first started modeling. My ideas look closer to what I sketch.....but not as good as I'd like.

[Speed_Racer]

I'm not all that serious about that, but I have thought about it.


I think I'm getting a much better handle on blender then from when I first started modeling. My ideas look closer to what I sketch.....but not as good as I'd like.

Do you do your primary brainstorming sketches on a computer or on paper?

[2o6]

Do you do your primary brainstorming sketches on a computer or on paper?

Paper.

[Raza]

The sedans are horrid.  Scrap them and start over.  You have a better eye for hatches, though.  The first one could easily be a Toyota or a Peugeot with some tweaking.  Now, what's with the hole in the A-pillar though?  I don't know if there's much of a market for gloryholes in small hatchbacks.

[2o6]

The sedans are horrid.  Scrap them and start over.  You have a better eye for hatches, though.  The first one could easily be a Toyota or a Peugeot with some tweaking.  Now, what's with the hole in the A-pillar though?  I don't know if there's much of a market for gloryholes in small hatchbacks.

Thanks. I thought about Toyota for inspiration.


The dual a-pillar is merely just a pillar split so the window would roll down.

[93JC]

That doesn't make any sense. The added metal at the A-pillar is canted the wrong way. As I see it you couldn't roll down the windows.

[Rupert]

Noses are too vertical. Block city.

[93JC]

1. You got a line along the side which I tried to approximate with the blue colour. It starts out at your big haunch at the rear, swoops reaaaaal low, and then just disappears into the body as it nears the front. Bring it up! Your door handle is halfway down the side of the door, it's too low!

2. I also tried to approximate the rear door seam at the C-pillar, which raises several issues:
i) you leave little ingress and egress room
ii) the window would not be able to roll down (an issue with the rear doors because of both the B- and C-pillars)
iii) your door handle looks like it's too far back and within the beginning of the curve around the rear wheel, which would be a pain in the ass to manufacture and probably wouldn't be comfortable for anyone to use

3. What are you doing at the back?! All of your cars have this... growth... at the ass end. What purpose does it serve? It looks like you were shooting for a Prius-esque Kammback but the extra 'swoop' at the back would negate any aerodynamic gains in efficiency and would be (again) a pain in the ass to manufacture. It serve no purpose whatsoever: just chop it off.

[2o6]

That doesn't make any sense. The added metal at the A-pillar is canted the wrong way. As I see it you couldn't roll down the windows.

I like the way they look. (It's too extreme. I haven't really worked too much in that area. The whole profile needs some smoothing)

Noses are too vertical. Block city.

I'm starting to like a more truck-like nose on a smaller car. It makes it look larger, IMO.

[2o6]

1. You got a line along the side which I tried to approximate with the blue colour. It starts out at your big haunch at the rear, swoops reaaaaal low, and then just disappears into the body as it nears the front. Bring it up! Your door handle is halfway down the side of the door, it's too low!

2. I also tried to approximate the rear door seam at the C-pillar, which raises several issues:
i) you leave little ingress and egress room
ii) the window would not be able to roll down (an issue with the rear doors because of both the B- and C-pillars)
iii) your door handle looks like it's too far back and within the beginning of the curve around the rear wheel, which would be a pain in the ass to manufacture and probably wouldn't be comfortable for anyone to use

3. What are you doing at the back?! All of your cars have this... growth... at the ass end. What purpose does it serve? It looks like you were shooting for a Prius-esque Kammback but the extra 'swoop' at the back would negate any aerodynamic gains in efficiency and would be (again) a pain in the ass to manufacture. It serve no purpose whatsoever: just chop it off.

That helps a lot, actually.

[Cookie Monster]

Thanks. I thought about Toyota for inspiration.


The dual a-pillar is merely just a pillar split so the window would roll down.

If the window is wider in the middle than the base, then how would the window roll down?

Also, I keep getting a 5 series GT vibe from the back of your cars.

[2o6]

If the window is wider in the middle than the base, then how would the window roll down?

Also, I keep getting a 5 series GT vibe from the back of your cars.

I like the elements from the 5-series GT. Just wish it weren't so tall....

[2o6]

Found out a few things:


How to use the "crease" tool, to give some edges so the cars don't look so melted.


Also, I'm finding out how to properly render. Other screenshots were really screenshots from "edit mode", I.E, the model as I was working on it, not actually rendered where glass is transparent, and the the body color actually looks like paint.



Hopefully I didn't overdo it, I think I may have a bit too much specular on the wheelcovers (resulting them looking too chrome-y) but I think the actual alloy wheels look OK.


B-segment hatch back:

- Added glass.

- Changed the side character line so it isn't so droopy. Also added a crease so it doesn't melt as much.

- Slight creasing of the front bumper and front fascia

- tapering of the bottom character line so it doesn't end so abruptly into the A-pillar

- Deleted interior. I didn't like it, and when I separated the doors and the inside door panel, the door would be over a foot thick.




No perspective






A-segment

- Redrew the side so the mesh isn't so lumpy.

- Added a few creases to get a few more sharp edges (why do I keep seeing the Yaris in the profile?)

- Added glass.

- Removed interior for similar reasons as above.

- Raised the top of the rear hatch a tad bit, so it doesn't look like it's melting.

[hotrodalex]

They look much better with the creases.

[Cookie Monster]

Wow, those actually look quite good.

[2o6]

Wow, those actually look quite good.

They look much better with the creases.

OMG. Thanks!

[Rich]

Needs more tumblehome

[2o6]

I will keep it in mind.

[2o6]

Some more updates. Getting the models ready for rigs of rods by separating body parts. Starting off slow with the side doors.


B-segment:

- separated doors. Using subdivisions and the crease tool to get shutlines that hopefully are realistic.

- created interior

- created minor details such as the manual and automatic shifters

- added dead panel at the rear of the greenhouse (now the window would realistically roll down)
(no perspective)




These wheels were supposed to be steel wheels, but I didn't like them for that purpose.



These are the actual model underneath the hubcaps (pictures 1 and 3)



Manual


Automatic


A-segment

- doors. Having a tougher time with this one. May have to add a front quarter window so the door shutline is more elegant. Right now it's a little strange.

[93JC]

- added dead panel at the rear of the greenhouse (now the window would realistically roll down)

Ah... no they won't. Your window is still wider than the door it rolls down into.

[2o6]

Ah... no they won't. Your window is still wider than the door it rolls down into.

You're right. I might have to cut the window down by about another 1/3.


I was trying to preserve the glass, but looks like I'll have to add a quarter piece of glass and a track in the middle of the door.

[2o6]

Quick and dirty fix