CHAPTER 02: MAX and NURMS

Modeling of specific elements

Fast forward to the bonnet scoops. Complex objects because of the contrasting curves and shapes. How do we keep this all 4 sided?

Here the bonnet splits into two surfaces, and continues along different paths. Here I started with the basic surface

2n (A constant challenge with the NURMS algorithm is making sure every shape has 4 sides or just minimizing 3 sided shapes, after a while, you will be seeing 4 sided problems in your dreams!)

Then a "4 sided triangle" is used at the intersection

2o (There are many ways around common problems… here the surface divides without the use of triangles)

Then more like so…

2p (Continuing the curve keeping in mind where the detail is needed)

All the vertices are welded so the surface is solid.

2q: From a distance, the tiny camphor’s look like thick edges, keep in mind, this IS probably a bit more detailed than totally necessary.

Modeling the wheels is another matter. Because they are symmetrical 6 ways, it’s easy to make a wheel that is easy to edit up until the time you collapse it all into one mesh.

Simply start modeling half of one spoke (of course, every wheel will be different. In this case, the wheel has six spokes. Then with the rough model, I align the pivot point to the center of the wheel (and reset xform), then array duplicate the wheel 1/6th of 360 degrees 5 times, each being an instance…. then likewise in mirror. Like so…

2r (Model one section of the wheel, to a standard you are happy with, then duplicate as necessary as instances, the replicate the whole lot mirrored, instanced… Then edit the first spoke, they will all change on the fly. Weld them all together when you are sure you are finished.)

You can edit on side of one spoke and the whole wheel will change with it

Modeling the wind screen was a little bit of a cheat… Because it is such a large area, thought it best that the computer figure out the curve for me here….

So I used the 4 sides of the wind screen spline (on the original spline guide model), and created a surface with “Surface tools” (surface modifier applied to a 4 sided spline). This figured out a perfect round surface for me. It ties back to what I was saying previously about making a good spline guide model, I was able to use these spline to make a surface.

Rather than use the surface I created, I simply used it as a guide and modeled over it with a mesh, so that the sides lined up exactly with the body around it.

2s (Though the wind screen ended up as this mesh, I used a 4 sided patch to guide me, as there were no guide splines in such a large open area)

You can tell if something has gone astray if the smoothing groups look strange. You will find that the smoothing groups give a fair indication of how the surface will finally look. In some cases, good smoothing groups are all that is needed here…

2t: Check geometry by moving around it, looking at the highlights, when there is something strange about the smoothing group, chances are it is either un welded vertices, faces on top of each other, or a strange smoothing group issue, make sure you fix it before putting meshsmooth on top.

Its really a challenge to keep everything 4 sided, or using triangles discretely, though after a short while, you will find that it is quite intuitive and flexible.

Though I used NURMS on pretty much everything in the car, a few things were left off the meshsmooth bandwagon… For example, the Wing, because of its sharp fins that meshsmooth simply cant handle and much of the interior of the car, as it is in shadow and not visible much of the time it didn’t need that extra level of detail.