Wow. Are they hiring? That's some great stuff!

 

I can't say what they use for their build processes. I know they do use for chassis systems, as we have a specific CATIA environment set-up for BMW design work, and it is not the same version of CATIA as chrysler uses.

 

Thanks OctaneGuy.
Yours looks a lot smoother than mine. I think the relax modifier will take care of most of the lumpy spots on mine. As always, if I were to start over, I see things that I would do differently.
Rhino sounds pretty cool. I'll have to check it out. I always seem to go back to 3DS Max. I guess it's because that's what I learned first.

 

When I worked for them, it was straight out of school back in 1996. Although I didn't know it at the time, there was a huge line to get in. The typical route of working there is to intern from 1 to 3 years working basically for free--maybe it was $500 a month.

I had gotten in as a salaried employee bypassing the whole intern route because there were very few architects who could model in 3d at the time. I'm talking about placing points in space and surfacing them, not drawing a plan and extruding it.

It was an intense year, and I left for another architecture firm. We worked from 9am to 8pm every day. Sometimes until 10pm. We were working Christmas eve and through all the holidays. It was an environment where as soon as 6pm rolled around, everyone stared at each other and gave you a bad look if you even thought about getting up and leaving.

It was a great experience, but not something I would ever do again. My supervisor who is now a close friend of mine worked there for 11 years. He had attended my thesis review and got me the interviews.

Working for the great architects looks cool from the outside, but on the inside its much less glamorous!

 

I was actually working on Max since it was called 3D Studio r.2 DOS then 3 & 4 before becoming Max. Rhino has become incredibly powerful since the early days. I mean if you know the tool set, you can model anything. For instance, if you want to model something like a telephone cord, you can take a curve and tell it to generate a helix curve from it. Then you can take another curve, like a circle, and tell it to sweep that helix rail with that circle, and now you've got a 3D telephone cord. For this MINI, it's all about accurately placing curves or rails in space, then sweeping them with surfaces, then trimming them back. I've made cars by lofting.
Here's an example of my first car I did in Rhino.
Took me 5 days and is very inaccurate but was fun to try!
I only had a few reference pictures of a Lotus Elise. No drawings.
It was modeled in Rhino 1 and rendered from 3D Studio 4 I believe, and heavily Photoshopped!



NURBs are very precise and infinitely scalable--meaning since you're not dealing with polygons, you can increase or decrease the resolution any time. Kinda like the difference between drawing in bitmap vs. vector artwork.

I've seen MINI Cooper models done in both Max and Rhino with equally impressive results. When I get home tonight, I'll post the images of the best 3D Coopers I've seen. Also, there is a really good online tutorial on how to model a Cooper with Rhino. That's what I used to help me model this far.

Also if you've never modeled a tire before, which looks incredibly difficult, I've got a fantastic tutorial on that as well!

PEP, you've got a great start there! It's frustrating having to constantly restart, or even going with the feeling where you're not sure you're doing it right, but won't know until you are several hours or days into it!

I normally model architecture or product stuff. Cars are fairly new to me!

 

I started with 3D Studio MAX 2.5. I actually modeled the tire as a loft. Then took a picture of my tread, set the image as a black/white bitmap and used a small section as a bump map. The rims are a lathe with boolean holes. I've never had much luck with NURBS. They always seem to go haywire on me. I've read that most people use them for cars and other organic shapes, but I always go for box-modeling. It feels more like sculpture to me. One of the things I like about 3D software is that there's no ONE way to build something (artistically speaking).

Wow, I haven't touched this file in quite awhile and now I am ready to pick it back up. Or start over

Thanks guys!

 

Yeah that's how I used to model tires as well. But once I saw how treads are actually modeled--a segment at a time that's repeated 360's, I don't think I can ever do it any other way.

This is how I set up my drawings for modeling:

http://www.suurland.com/tutorials_blueprint_rhino.htm



I couldn't wait to get home, so I'm posting these links from work!!

Here's the tutorial I used to build the model where I am now!
Excellent tutorial--just has a few inaccuracies with the model.

http://www.3dfuturebits.org/index.ph...viewtopic&t=44

Good Tire tutorial, but not for Rhino
http://www.suurland.com/portfolio_st...eetle_tire.htm

This is another good tutorial on modeling a tire, though not the one I was looking for!
http://swiftdev.com/tutorials/tire_tread.htm

Glad you're inspired!!! I am too!!

 

I'm sure someone on this board works at Designworks (who does a great deal of the design for the MINI line)....both offices should have access to CAD data of the MINI...word on the street is that they are working on the next generation MINI now.. They have also done the Chrono watch, the trolley bag and a few other MINI accessories...

Designworks is the design arm of BMW but they are also a design consultancy over in Newbury Park area, just north west of LA....they also have an office in Germany...

Anyone out there want to dontate some CAD files...maybe an IGES or something that can be opened in PRO or Alias?

 

Here are some more good tire tutorials.

http://www.danielbuck.net/index.php?...tut_2/tiretut2

http://www.hello-napalm.com/tuts/tut_tire.html

These are pretty good but not perfect.

http://www.hello-napalm.com/new_mini.html

 

Here is another good tutorial

http://www.3dfuturebits.org/index.ph...iewtopic&t=145

 

i have the 3d model for the 05 cooper s and its exzact modeld after the car with interior

let me know if your interested
chris

 

Well don't leave us hanging. Where did you get it?? Did you model it? Did you buy it? Or did you just somehow acquire it? What format is it in?

 

its a 3d max file


i may be able to convert it to whatever you need
let me know

like i said its as good looking as the beetle
as long as you know how to render it even has the right amound of rear window defrosters

 

how about posting a render

I'm a max user post it...I'll render it out for all to see...

 

If it's modeled with polygons, then a .3DS file would be good. If it's modeled with NURBs then .3DM would be my preference!

I'd love to see what it looks like!

Have you rendered it??? Where did the file come from?

 

Yes, I would Have you checked your PM lately at MMMC buddy?

 

YEAH! Count me in!


I'd prefer the .3dm as well.

 

max or 3ds would be fine for me, thanks

Thanks, OctaneGuy for the tutorial links. I know what I'll be doing this weekend.

 

Anyway I could get a copy too Been look for one to play with.

-shenmue2

 

its a very hudge model it has all details and is acurate to the smallest detail ruffly its a 3d max file but im shure i can make it work with what you have!!

let me know

 

Ok a couple more questions.

1.) You haven't mentioned if you are giving this away, or you are charging for it.

2.) Can you put the file on an FTP or email it to one of us?

Thanks

Richard

 

Check out this link. Theres a free mini here: 3d objects. It's a .lwo file and is pretty good.

Some of the other models on the site are pretty good, too (and free). There's an old school mini on page 10.

Matt

 

Pretty darn cool, Thanks!

Now that I've downloaded it ..... how do I go about using the file without Lightwave? I can't find any import options in AutoCad 2004. Is it importable to 3D Studio?

 

this is prolly the best render I have done yet with the mini I have bee nworkin on...you all have prolly seen it..but just in case

 

I can open it in Rhino. Now I just have to figure out what to do with it!