Car modeling 101

[R.R]

MAX 2.5 ehh? humm....I remember that's before Discreet enclose Surface Tool with the package, and they charge $900 for that plugin. So I think the last option here should be using patch for your car model as I thought NURBS in Max sucks.

[xynaria]

If I remember correctly Thomas Suurland produced his early cars using straight patch modelling. It should be feasible to still produce a car by poly modelling in 2.5 , but it will probably be more painful than later versions, partly because editable poly and Mesh Tools are so much easier and partly because the original mesh smooth deployment is possibly more awkward. If you do choose to go the poly rather then patch route, I really would suggest spending time getting comfortable with smoothing groups.
You might find Grid's tutorial on making a Saab 96 over at 3D Luvr useful. :)

[Marcel]

The really complex cars Suurland made (VW New Beetle and Porsche) were modelled in Rhino.

Patch modelling without the surface tools (standard max from version 3) is almost impossible (handling raw patches by their handles is not intuitve enough, at least for me).
The Surface tools are a plugin made by Peter Watje (http://www.max3dstuff.com), I'm not sure what they cost, but certainly not 900$

Also, Max 2.5 has only the 'Classic' meshsmooth method, not the NURMS of the later versions of MAX. The classic meshsmooth isn't really suitable for subdivision modelling. NURMS are very predictable, classic meshsmooth is not (maybe that's why most of the meshsmooth models before MAX3 look like undefined blobs).

So without surface tools and decent subdivisions I think modelling a complex mechanical object like a car is pretty hard.

Good luck (You'll need it :) )!

Marcel Vijfwinkel

[lragno]

Hey, thanks for the replies.

Suurland used MAX 2.5 to create this Audi.
http://www.suurland.com/gallery_stills_auditt.htm

I guess he must have had some plug-ins to do it. :curious:

[xynaria]

Thomas Suurland had a tut (or partial tut) on creating his Audi and it was straight patches. It doesn't appear to be on his site, but if you check out www.3dbuzz.com .. it might be on there, as are other tuts on creating cars. Good luck. :)

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