Simplest Way to Create a 3D Car Based on Blueprints?

EightiesIsEnough

Hi,

I am wondering if there is any access to free blueprints for the following vehicles:

• 1987 Toyota Tercel
• 1987 Ford Escort
• 1987 Chevrolet Sprint
• 1987 Renault GT Convertible

The reason I ask is because I would like to learn how to create vehicles using blueprints.  I heard of Blender, which has the mirror modifier, but are there simpler ways to create a car in Blender or Hexagon?

Also, are there any blueprints for 2018 models?

WendyLuvsCatz

well if you buy Carrara now the Digital Carvers Guild plugins have been released by their creator as opensource and there is a mirror symmetry ability added to the vertex room

also Philemo has a Blimp and cutouts plugin for free

these can at least aid in getting the rough shapes from photographs and blueprints though it is probably better to box model using them as guides in the assemble room

JonnyRay

Blueprints are harder to find. Reference photos are easier. Depending on how detailed your goals are, most modeling applications will allow you to load reference photos onto the X, Y, and Z planes, then you start with a box primative and rough out the shape of the car to match the references. The trick to cars really comes down to the details though. Getting the shape of the car is easy. If you want doors to open, the hood to raise (with the engine showing inside), seats and dashboard, etc. That's where the more significant challenges lie.

As for symmetry, Hexagon also has symmetry tools so that changes made on one half of the model are mirror to the corresponding vertices on the other half. You can change whether symmetry is on the X, Y, or Z axis as well.

Mattymanx

Regardless of what modeler you choose, the method of building the car parts will be the same. 

This video shows the basics of building a car in Silo

In short, you rough out the shape using the different tools in your modeler and then subdivide the mesh to get the smoother shape.  Also, you only build half the car as you will be able to mirror the mesh across the center of the scene to create the other half.  This is true for most of the parts.  This also creates symmetry in the model.  FOr parts that dont sit on the center line of the scene, make sure you finalize that part before you mirror it.  This avoids doing the work twice.

 

Finding blue prints really depends on the popularity of the vehicle.  To build any vehicle from blueprints, you will need the Front, Top Side, Rear and Bottom.  Most blue prints dont have a bottom view so be creative and look around.  The biggest challenge with blue prints is finding ones that are to scale.  By that I mean you may not find the side and front/rear to the same scale.  Quality of blue prints will matter a lot.  This is the best site I have found for blueprint online thats free - http://www.smcars.net/categories/blueprints.3/ - Finding lots of reference photos is also highly recommended.  The blue print can only show you so much and it may not be able to properly depict the curvature of the car part.  Look for video reviews of the vehicle too.  They can be useful in showing you parts of the car that you cannot find in photos.

 

You will need to do some research in to the vehicle you want to build.  You will need to find its real world size measurements in metric.  After you do, if you have the front, side rear and top blue prints for the vehicle and they are to scale, I recommend opening Daz Studio and using a primative plane, scaled to 1 meter and using it to set up each of your needed planes that you will use in the modeler for reference (scaling them to the proper width and hight - normally measured in mm for cars).  Then export the plane using the export options in DS for your modeler.  After you do several times (make sure your images line up properly too in DS) import them into the modeler and apply the blue print images.  You will need to double check that they line up in the modeler too.  Personal option, I tend to model at 5 times the scale of the actual car.  This way I can easily see my errors on the model and zoom in closer to fix them.  It also allows for more detail to be modeled in.

DarkEdgeDesign

Simple differs as with experience. Is there an "easy" way to create a fully functioning articulating vehicle and suspension system? No...it's a lot of work. But the end results are well worth it!

https://www.daz3d.com/baja-raptor-rally-truck

https://www.the-blueprints.com/

alan bard newcomer

you create a box of virtual .. then take awsy everything that doesn't look like the car you're modeling...

 

alan bard newcomer

seriously, have you looked for a model..  there are hundreds...  with a digital camera you can shoot multiple shots ala top shot side shot etc and use those for guides

 

 

ebergerly

Yeah, I agree with alan bard newcomer. Get your camera out and take some fotos of a real car. There are tons of how to videos showing how to build a car from scratch based solely on fotos. A lot of detail work, though. 

Or you can find free vehicle models all over the internet, and just tweak them. I've got an entire library of free OBJ vehicle models. Keep in mind that some are absolute trash in terms of poor modelling, but you can clean that up with some free apps that do a nice job of cleaning mesh. 

nicstt

JonSea31 said:

Hi,

I am wondering if there is any access to free blueprints for the following vehicles:

• 1987 Toyota Tercel
• 1987 Ford Escort
• 1987 Chevrolet Sprint
• 1987 Renault GT Convertible

The reason I ask is because I would like to learn how to create vehicles using blueprints.  I heard of Blender, which has the mirror modifier, but are there simpler ways to create a car in Blender or Hexagon?

Also, are there any blueprints for 2018 models?

You need photos really as well as the blueprints. Ideally lots of photos. Blueprints are certainly useful for mainint dimensions accross different views.

The image in my avatar was done useing blueprints and around 40 photographs - possibly more; I tended to only start a car project once I had enough quality images.