lot of stuff here,let's jump back to my favourite years:the '70
I've decided to do my first car and,being Italian, i got a wide choice of models
avoid Ferrari...it belongs to our culture but also belongs just to few rich persons
(..surely you'll find more Ferrari at Beverly Hills or Montecarlo than all Italy..)
I choose most popular and democratic Italian car of last 40 years,a car that i driven a lot when i did practice for drive-license
FIAT 500
little and cheap(500 means 500.000 lire=its cost in old Italian value) it gave opportunity to all to get a car at the end of 50's.
I remember also when i was teen ,in 70's ,we often used a word to say -cool-:that word was ABARTH !
Abarth started to sell customized mufflers to give some more power to the engines
then he did some tuning-kits for most popular cars of that time
So,you could buy the kit to customize your car instead of buy a brand new one,
but i remember you could be cool just applying a simple sticker with the skorpio on your car,your motobike or your bicycle..to be cool !
it's also a classic "benchmark" for 3D modelers,just visit Italian 3D forums you'll find a lot of versions
Modeling this in 3D is totally SUB-D stuff,and also very difficult to find models done well
so i did a search if someone did -500- in Rhino:
I left previous Rhino's version guideline and decided to split front part from the rest of the car
original blueprints
i'modeled a box reference using dimensions of the original then matched images to the box to get the model in 1:1 scale
then used new -MOI's unit converter- for you Americans so you can understand how ""little" is this car
start modeling front bonnet with three curves for network then moving points to get central relief
side surfaces made using sweep tool: 3 sections and two rails
lower one has a central curve like scale path(scale rail) for better control of the surface
now front part:i started to make a circle where is positioned the hole for the lights
made a plane surface and deleted the circle then draw two lines from quadrant to perpendicular point on the next surface(the side one and the bonnet)
i trunked the edge of circular surface and did a blend using G2 continuity
now start the worst part:moving points and making little patches i started to see my front surface
i have spent one month of my sparetime to do this and often i have thought to surrender until Michael gave us new ISO tool
it allowed me to extract curves from a surface,in my case not smooth but wavy and glitched,rebuilt its points and then refine all
and also build the same surface switching from network to sweep to loft or build a whole surface using ISO curves rebuilt and arranged from previous little patches
final result was a complete loft using half curves mirrored
you see i've extended end points on the side surface using-snap on surface- to improve continuity between them (red arrows)
i extruded a cylinder than cutted the surface(magenta) to get perfect circular site for front lights then arranged again
lower part obtained from sweep:
yellow=sections
red=rails + central scale-rail
green surfaces are G2 blend between them
i got a good continuity between front and sides surfaces...it's not enough but this is my decision..what i said before?..70%..
I prefer my approach than previous Rhino-user guideline:first is easier but light area is too approximate
my guideline give better light-area but don't give full continuity because they are two separate surfaces
in fact,later you'll see that front part is too "squared"comparing with the rest of the body.
So...i'll follow this way:model lot of details and textures trying to "hide",from point of wiew of the observer, parts where the shape of the car is not correct
or better:let the observer to catch details,not wrong parts !
This is the core of the model:front part is not feasible in nurbs... just using T-Splines in Rhino,but it's no more Nurbs modeling:it's hybrid !
If any of you know a guideline or an image of -500-done in Rhino,please post here.
again sweep and network to complete the body
Now modeling details:i have to choose if do inner part of the car or not but this is an Abarth:
three main things that featuring-595 ABARTH- are:(the coolests)
1)rear bonnet opened 90° to show engine with the triangle-pipe frame to support it
2)black rubber hooks to lock bonnets
3)molded-alloy oil sump(pan) visible from rear with letters -ABARTH- in red
so:leave inner part and do the rest,engine included.It seems that now start difficult part of modeling but it's the opposite
It's a full pleasure do this with MO-AI:easy,intuitive,practice,quick..what else..just think i never use the grid,orient-tool,c-plane.etc..
i did "on the fly" almost all in 3D view directely...this also because Moi has a strong snap system and,of course,all tools
door handle
top-capote
wrapped capote (network)
rear bonnet
rubber-hook(bended with flow line-to-line)
wipe group flowed directely(projective mode) on the winshield than just little adjustements
engine
i did essential parts especially carburetor area(not too much details obviously to mantain as much as possible low weight file )
head and oil sump have extra (ultra) fillets done in 123D for replicating alloy-molded shape(this picture show just basic one)
original iron-welded Abarth rims
in the meanwhile,during model the rim,i also remember another- '70 classic design-:Cromodora rims for Abarth
i couldn't resist..my mechanic got an old Maserati with CD-5 mounted..it also was one of the first in Magnesium alloy
note:this time all edges are filleted in Moi !!
CD-30 was used especially on FIAT 124 ABARTH and FIAT X 1-9
my simplified version
and a render with Arion
logos also featuring Abarth
below,at the end my post, i attached all i did for sponsor textures and solids,included 3 abarth versions and AGIP- six legs -dog
you can download and use them if need
made with Fryrender
made with Arion
engine with Fryrender
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Now the car is ready for the race and belongs to our team:TRIPLE SQUID software design RACING TEAM
crew:
pilot (pilota):M. Gibson
co-pilot (navigatore):B.Manator (..who else...)
a close up show their flags:Stars 'n Stripes for pilot and King Kamehameha's flag for co-pilot
here they are performing "the classic of the classics"step of Rally Montecarlo:Le col de Turini
forgive me if it's too long but..Abarth deserve all this effort !
happy new year : M
