Dezignstuff SolidWorks Blog

I know, modeling an automobile is daunting. I almost dread starting a new car modeling project, even if it is just for fun. It took me weeks to get around to finishing the batmobile once I started it. But the actual work only took about 10 hours. I still have a couple of adjustments to do to this, but I’m a little hesitant to adjust much, since models like this tend to be fragile.

So for this challenge, submit models or renderings of models you’ve done. Or if an entire car is too much, just a car part. You could model a mirror mount, a hood scoop, rimz, a grille, steering wheel, a truck. I don’t know, just submit something. You don’t have to model something that actually exists, you could do your own concept car, or a cartoon car or whatever. The last challenge (mannequin) got pretty poor results, so we need to compensate.

In the coming week or two I will put up some posts about my experience modeling the batmobile, and try to go through each major component of the model. I’ve already started documenting some of the difficult areas, and areas in which SW performance was less than stellar. Overall, it’s a cool model, and I was able to do most of what I set out to do, so the software is capable.

I promised Matt Sederberg over at T-splines I was going to feature an automotive competition he held on his site. It took me some time to get around to it, but this is it. You can get some ideas for stuff to model from the t-splines automotive modeling challenge. There are some nice models over there. My favorite combined an old Firebird with the new Camaro. Nice…

I don’t expect the stuff here to look as nice as all that, but then I might be surprised. Tsplines and Rhino just make that kind of modeling easy. SW doesn’t. Drawing cars in SW is like doing chainsaw sculpture.

Looking for more SolidWorks automotive inspiration? Check out Paul Salvador’s stuff. Paul has done a lot of cool models – the very first nice Audi  models I saw, and this was at least 5 years ago. Paul does nice stuff. Check out the link.

Just as a side note, in making some of the images for this blog post, I used PhotoWorks and PhotoView360. I have to say that for all of the hoopla gone into PhotoView, I don’t care for it. It is slow to revolve your part, and severely limited in the kinds of backgrounds available. I know you can add your own, but I thought this was a dumb-it-down kind of product. I definitely need a dumbed-down rendering software. I think the main problem was that I could just never see the model very well in the PV, where the PW model stood out clearly. Anyway, I’m not a real renderer, so what I think about that stuff may not count. Just for reference, the one at the top of this post is PhotoWorks, the one at the bottom is PhotoView. PhotoView images all appear to be dunked in oatmeal.

Also, I want to put you on notice that the next modeling challenge will be an aircraft, so you might want to get started on your favorite WWII or Vietnam jet.

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Entry #1 is from Robert Bilbrey.

These renderings were done in Photoworks 2010.  I also find most of PV360 difficult and “fuzzy” although some of the textures and manipulation tools are useful.    The car is a 1953 Jaguar XK120 ( one of which I years ago sold for pennies, dammit ).  It was one of my earlier surfacing attempts and I can see flaws that could be remedied.

Nicely done! I love the old Jags!

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Entry #2 is from Fernando Mota. Renders done in Hypershot, PV360 and Vray:

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More models from Fernando Mota, modeled in Rhino, rendered in Hypershot:

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Entry #4 is from Mark Biasotti:

Couldn’t resist.

Modeled on SW2003 Beta 1  Rendering using Modo 401.

You know, I’ve always kind of admired people who have the patience to model a car’s interior. I just don’t have that kind of patience. I mean where do you stop? Detail is the most expensive thing you can add to a model. Some times it pays off, and sometimes it’s just useless detail. A car with an interior is more believable.

Anyway, Mark’s Vanquish has always been one of my favorite SW models. very cool, and thanks for sharing.

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Entry #5 is from Ben Paprocki:

Here are a few things I’ve worked on.  The first two images are of a car I’ve been tweaking over the past couple of years.  As with most projects, it’s never quite done.

Second is a rendering that I submitted to the CSWP SWW2010 design competition.  It took second place.

All of the images were rendered with PV360.

Nice stuff! Thanks for sending it in!

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Entry #6 is from Steve Ostrovsky, a reseller from the south east.

This is a PV360 rendering of a truck wheel and tire I modeled. Thought it would fit in with your current challenge.

I also attached 2 more that are a little off the beaten path – both done in PV360. They’re still vehicles, but … I was just having fun.

These are fun. I love anything with Marvin the Martian. And that toy tractor in that surreal barn photo?!? Fantastic. You gotta have fun with this stuff. Thanks, Steve, this is great stuff.

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Entry #7 is from Matt Lombard. Some of my old stuff I just wanted to include here.

The cobra was done for the Surfacing Bible as an example of surfacing over a scanned point cloud. It was rendered in Hypershot.

The F1 car was done for the Happy Valley user group presentation, and rendered in Photoview360.

This Porsche 911 model only had a brief life on display back in 2004. It was never quite finished, but somewhere along the way, someone made fun of it. When I look at this today, it really isn’t a very good model, and doesn’t look much like a Porsche. I love the 911, though, so I might take another crack at making a decent model. Rendered in Photoworks. I show it here mainly as proof that a user can really improve if they put their mind to it.

This model was also done for the Happy Valley user group, and rendered in Photoview 360. This is probably the best PV rendering I have made, and it was also one of the first.

Same model as above from Photoworks with a cool paint material that has a two tone effect (works like shining a light of a different color on a part of the model).

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Entry #8 is from Rob Wolkers from The Netherlands with a model that is probably pretty familiar to most SW users by now:

Great topic, some pics of my Burton Elementz.

Modeled in SolidWorks 2007 and rendered in Photoworks.

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Entry #9 is from Pawel Keska. Several great looking models!

I attached couple of my renderings. Each model was done in SolidWorks, rendered in PW or PV360.