The therm "grey area" is used by Michael when you have a model that should be better to do in a subd application
Last Zarkow's post made me curious about subd function in Moi and please, let me say to him :"Thank you so much for your tips !" :)
I think when you plan to model a concept car you know how it will be but also how to deal with difficult stages during modeling
If so,you can modify your model and make it easier to do.
Different challenge if you copy an existing model
I started trying Max Sudb script on this example
Apply same technique ( Thank you again Zarkow) on a fender's car
go ahead..
At this stage i stopped myself because i felt stupid to model this way:it's not Nurbs,no surfaces to extract isocurves etc. etc.
I cannot call this poly modeling,it's Moi :)
But let's try to continue and see what's happen
Two rules: when surface is straight copy and paste using the fantastic snap system and construction lines
when surface is curved keep edge flow curved in both directions
easy to say but hard to do as you can see in pictures :)
Snap perpendicular helped a lot to adjust points
At each progression i checked how surface will be using Max subd script,essential to have a real feedback and do corrections
Copy edges and do Loft=straight,sections=exact then join one by one to the main surface
Turn on points and correct surface moving them (following Gif doesn't work,i attached at the end of post)
Max Subd script work only with quads and tris (same problem with following Gif,but i'm out of space for attachments..sorry)
Thiny poligons if you need hard edges or tight curvature.After each polygons join,turn on control points
If they appear,the surface is "live"...so editable
Once you get your shape mirror and join.Ready now to export as Obj following Zarkow's tip
This allow to import in Moi and let his Subd tool to work,so you can do a comparison between Max and Moi Subd
You can also import in Blender and use Subd modifier ;)
I choose Moi Subd because is cleaner than Max
second modeling stage will be to close the surface as solid and do cuts,subtractions and so on...
Here is the surface,need to check if is wavy...very far from A-class surfacing,Alias,Ebal studio etc... just a "silly" try :)
To check better i set tight display settings to be sure if i see artifacts the are real
A close-up comparison on critical points
Max surface show light grooves
Same area:Moi surface is smooth
How can to rate this surface? I say -B- Class :) :)
Now need to check quality of reflections
Guru Ebal Studio shows a Mercedes that seems clean but,applying a check reflection map ,it highlight artifacts
They give the flowcheck map for download so...let's do it
Export Moi surface to Blender
Test two settings:
one= lowpoly 26k
second=hipoly 66K
In Blender the sphere shows correct projection like Ebal Studio'video
comparison between low-high poly
Focus on reflection stripes,wavy in lowpoly,straight in hipoly
Findings:
first time i do this,i know my wrongs,could be easier if we could use ngons but no complains
this open new doors..or better: new cars !!!
Thank you Max for your script !Next time will be better
I already known flowcheck maps and reflection artifacts,thats why they call A-class surfacing
most of people cannot have Alias Studio... ;)
Ebal says that if you use outdoor skydome scene,you will not notice artifacts and it's true
I say that if you have a very detailed model,a cool one,instead of an orrible Mercedes ( funeral cars )
you will not notice how reflections go on the surface :)
So using a hipoly setting when export seem that help to hide broken or wavy reflections
Final vote after reflection test? -B minus- :)
Did you notice it not appear the name of the model on the pictures,and first two have blueprint blurred:
That's why: who guess what car is will win the finished model...i'll give it to him :)
Link with two links to two ebalstudios tutorials on HDRI, rainbow zebra stripe, dds (Direct Draw Surface picture format) ... (They seem shy on details, to me...) https://gumroad.com/l/jlvkd
- Brian
Seems that your zebra work is in Blender.
Maybe Keyshot could be used?
NVIDIA has a Texture plugin...
I downloaded some rainbow zebra .dds files, but looks like another has two "singular" points?
Can you think of any scripts that would help make it faster or easier? For example, rather than save as OBJ and re-import to apply subD, could this conversion take place without the export/import steps?
I also know in 2019 Michael wrote: "... In the future I would like to have it so importing an obj file would result in creating a special sub-d type object in MoI where you could turn on control cage points and move them around, adjust edge weights, etc..."
Brian:
that map should work in all render engines
here more examples about artifacts in subd
Ed:
You were the first to do a car using Max subd ;)
Max script convert directly inside Moi
Moi subd need to export and re-import...it's up to Michael :)
Pilou:
You win the car ! but i'm curious:how you guess...maybe with the help of a vintage cars amateur ?..or you are one of them?
As i have remarked the middle sharp bonnet ...it was a game's boy to find by a little scrolling! :)
PS
I's a pity that i don't remember your thread about Alpha because she was inside! :)
After mirroring half surface i make new "polys" on the central part of the hood
Transition on the intake area inspire me to make a "triangle poly" like in picture below
Moi SubD Importert will convert also 3 side "polys" (Max SubD converter not allow this) check pictures at the end
Now let's do an experiment:create the wheel slot generating a "N side" surface
extrude edges
trim the extrusion with a straight line,select all edges and do a planar surface
Moi importer can convert this type of "N sided" surface (Max SubD converter not allow this)
I didn't follow this in my final car,It's just to show what the converter can do
I discovered an option that allow to choose:less patches-more patches
Sadly i discovered it too late when i finished the car.You can have less seams with a more uniform distribution on the surface
That's crucial when you'll do booleans and fillets to get doors,windows,door handle slots etc.
Here red arrows show slightly different seam construction between left-right sides,but it's a mirrored surface
...pushing more: let's see if it's possible to get a thickened surface
Surface
thickener in action
thickened surface= SOLID !...not bad in this difficult situation :)
Here inside the fender
...pushing some more:try a fillet on a complex edge loop door window
