Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2
This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.
# 1 15-03-2013 , 06:33 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5

Nurbs side panel car

Hello,

I am a bit stuck with modeling a side panel with nurbs for a car (Ford mustang shelby 1966).

What I have tried so far is using 2 long nurb planes and intersect each other, however I can't seem to get a proper likeness.

I've also did some testing on a different single nurbs plane to get the side-scoop in there but yet again the likeness is way to off.

Could anyone help me how I can get the basic shapes set up propperly for this side panel?

Thanks in advance,

Suraci

PS:

I am re-doing it as we speak and hope to upload a picture of what I got so far.


https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ODebrKE0eo...-350H-1966.jpg

https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/...ck_Front_1.jpg

https://www.investmentmotorcars.net/i...6gt350h/h7.jpg

# 2 15-03-2013 , 07:06 PM
daverave's Avatar
The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: England
Posts: 4,472
Do you have to work with nurbs...............dave




Avatar Challenge Winner 2010
# 3 15-03-2013 , 07:08 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5

Do you have to work with nurbs...............dave

Yep, I need to work in Nurbs.

Now I know that lots of people skip nurbs but I truly believe that it'll increase my modeling by quite a bit.

# 4 15-03-2013 , 07:22 PM
ctbram's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 2,998
First I would not try to model the completed shape of the hood including the air scoop using nurbs.

In Maya I'd use nurbs curves and lofts to create the larger shapes and then use those as a template to build the poly model on top of.

The pictures are nice but what you really need are some orthographic views that you can use as a reference.


"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675
# 5 15-03-2013 , 07:38 PM
ctbram's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 2,998
If you have to use nurbs then Maya is probably the absolute worst way to go about trying to learn how to model something as complex as this.

Maya's NURB's have not been updated for at least 15 years! I am not joking. I have extensive knowledge of NURB's modeling and I have used Maya since version 1.x.

Take the hood you are trying to model on that Shelby. The proper way to do that scoop (not the only way) would be to use curves to loft out the shape of the full hood (without the scoop). Then you could model out the scoop is a similar way and then intersect the two and use the intersection to trim out the hole in the hood. Then using the fillet tool you can join the scoop to the hood.

You will end up with several trimmed patches that will form the hood.

You are not done yet though. You will have to adjust the tessellation so you do not have visible gaps when you render. The method you use to accomplish this is dependent on the renderer you choose (maya, mental-ray, or v-ray) and can take as much time to get right as modeling, trimming, and filleting the original part.

Maya's NURB's tool set makes none of this process easy for you! More modern NURB's modelers will attempt to make reasonable choices for things like tolerance settings. With Maya it's all up to you and if you GUESS wrong then patches will simply disappear.

There is a reason that if you go to something like youtube and search for maya hard surface NURB's models you will find NOTHING.


"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 15-03-2013 at 07:41 PM.
# 6 15-03-2013 , 07:47 PM
ctbram's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 2,998
My advice (and this is only my advice) is that if you are intent on learning Maya's nurb's start with a modeler that does nurb's properly and has a proper tool set so you can learn the proper work flows and what to expect when tools work correctly. Tools that will give you proper error messages when you do things wrong. So when you come to Maya and stuff does not work and you get NO indication why you'll have an idea of what might cause things to fail.

You will still pull your hair out but at least you have a better idea of the proper way attack a NURB's model. As it is now you are guessing at how to do it AND you are going to be fighting the Maya crappy and unpredictable tool set so that even if you GUESS the right way to do it Maya will still not produce a proper result and you'll never know if you did it right or if Maya is just punking you!


"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 15-03-2013 at 07:56 PM.
# 7 15-03-2013 , 07:58 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5

If you have to use nurbs then Maya is probably the absolute worst way to go about trying to learn how to model something as complex as this.

Maya's NURB's have not been updated for at least 15 years! I am not joking. I have extensive knowledge of NURB's modeling and I have used Maya since version 1.x.

Take the hood you are trying to model on that Shelby. The proper way to do that scoop (not the only way) would be to use curves to loft out the shape of the full hood (without the scoop). Then you could model out the scoop is a similar way and then intersect the two and use the intersection to trim out the hole in the hood. Then using the fillet tool you can join the scoop to the hood.

You will end up with several trimmed patches that will form the hood.

You are not done yet though. You will have to adjust the tessellation so you do not have visible gaps when you render. The method you use to accomplish this is dependent on the renderer you choose (maya, mental-ray, or v-ray) and can take as much time to get right as modeling, trimming, and filleting the original part.

Maya's NURB's tool set makes none of this process easy for you! More modern NURB's modelers will attempt to make reasonable choices for things like tolerance settings. With Maya it's all up to you and if you GUESS wrong then patches will simply disappear.

There is a reason that if you go to something like youtube and search for maya hard surface NURB's models you will find NOTHING.





I am completely aware of this, and I might should have added the orthographic picture in there aswell.

The way I work as of right now is starting with basic shapes, using loft, Cylinders and planes. Intersecting + trimming them to get a basic shape in there. However I am a bit stuck with the back of its side (hard to explain, I went out to see the car in real. The back can be seen like a womens hip, it has this curve into it)

The things I tried to get somewhat that shape is, after intersecting / trimming the basic shapes to make a freeform fillet between them, to get this smooth flow from the front to the back (it starts at the end of the door). However when I check the surface with some colourfull lights I can see that it's not flowing nicely. It is tangent but it doesn't have this smooth flow into it.

As for the side-scoop, I tried to create a curve following the line in the othographic side view, project the curve on the surface and made a duplicate of the trim. Gave it the offset it should have and again, freeform to fill it up. However I end up with this weird cap around the front lights and front wheel. I tried to intersect and fix it again with freeforms and surfaces- squares but I get the same issue as with the side panel. It loses this smooth flow like the real car.

PS: I'm fairly new to NURBS, I must add. I have been working with it on and off for the past 4-ish weeks. BUT the more I try the more confidence I am getting with it. Obviously I would love to figure this on out on my own but since it's nurbs I decided to ask on a forum. Hopefully I can get some good tips. user added image



EDIT: I know it's a complex object (I had chosen something else aswell :p) but it's an assignment for school. Luckily I got some very talent teachers having lots of experience in maya (also with nurbs). However since it's weekend now I didn't had that much time to get feedback.

I hope I can figure this on my own, I love doing that. If I manage to do so, I'll try to post some pictures on here on how I did to help some other people that have a similar issue.

Thanks again for your feedback on this.


Last edited by Suraci; 15-03-2013 at 08:10 PM.
# 8 15-03-2013 , 08:02 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5

My advice (and this is only my advice) is that if you are intent on learning Maya's nurb's start with a modeler that does nurb's properly and has a proper tool set so you can learn the proper work flows and what to expect when tools work correctly. Tools that will give you proper error messages when you do things wrong. So when you come to Maya and stuff does not work and you get NO indication why you'll have an idea of what might cause things to fail.

You will still pull your hair out but at least you have a better idea of the proper way attack a NURB's model. As it is now you are guessing at how to do it AND you are going to be fighting the Maya crappy and unpredictable tool set so that even if you GUESS the right way to do it Maya will still not produce a proper result and you'll never know if you did it right or if Maya is just punking you!

I have given up blaming maya for fatal errors and what not, I was not in the mood to lose all my hair :p.

Thanks for all your feedback. user added image

# 9 15-03-2013 , 08:11 PM
daverave's Avatar
The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: England
Posts: 4,472
Rick is wright about maya I come from lightwave were they use splines and patches it beats the socks of maya nurbs, shame really.................dave




Avatar Challenge Winner 2010
# 10 15-03-2013 , 09:09 PM
ctbram's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 2,998
I would go into a more detailed description or even toss how a basic video of the process but Maya has been pretty much unusable to me for several months now. My screen simply stops refreshing and I have given up on trying to fix it!


"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675
# 11 15-03-2013 , 09:16 PM
daverave's Avatar
The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: England
Posts: 4,472
Are you still doing stuff in modo Rick..............dave

Edit:sorry Suraci, Rick is about the last real user of nurbs on this site so if he cannot help you I am not sure who can




Avatar Challenge Winner 2010

Last edited by daverave; 15-03-2013 at 09:22 PM.
# 12 15-03-2013 , 09:27 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5

Are you still doing stuff in modo Rick..............dave

Edit:sorry Suraci, Rick is about the last real user of nurbs on this site so if he cannot help you I am not sure who can

No worries, I'll try to figure it out user added image.

Once I figure it out I might post some workflow pics, hopefully it'll help other people that might try Nurbs user added image.

# 13 15-03-2013 , 10:04 PM
daverave's Avatar
The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: England
Posts: 4,472




Avatar Challenge Winner 2010
Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off

Similar Threads