[WIP] '69 Dodge Charger

boofredlay

Looks great Thomas.

cotty

But all in all I'm enjoying quad modelling in SketchUp. Though I do see the need for some new features. Offsetting, Chamfer etc.

You can post your ideas here or here, maybe the author is listening?!

@pbacot said:

Turn on the camera... Would love to see you working on this a little with your tools.

(something like the alien making of...)

panixia

nice job sir.. which plugin is this one?

thomthom

@pbacot said:

Don't understand this: "Sub-divides nicely in Artisan - though I wish I created a quad based result when being fed quads." Do you mean "...it created..."
oopsie! You're correct!

@pbacot said:

Turn on the camera... Would love to see you working on this a little with your tools.

I will eventually - this is the first time I model a car like this in SketchUp. The initial meshes will be a bit too slow to be of any interest as I'm working out the workflow.

@hellnbak said:

Any particular reason you chose this car? Did you maybe used to own one? Or maybe always wanted to own one (like me and the classics I model )

I have always loved American muscle cars. I've built a number of model kits when I was a kid. Every summer I drool over the ones I see cruising around. I really really want to get one one day. But a car is so incredible expensive here in Norway.
My all time favourite is the '67 Ford Mustang Fastback. But I really like the Charger as well - 68-69 versions look so mean with their wide open mouth in the front.

It's the '50-'60 era of design - the one influenced by the space and aero industry. I loved my final major project in modelmaking - I built a computer with the same design language as these old cars: http://workshop.thomthom.net/minimediacentre/

@rich o brien said:

It's Thomthom's new Vertex Tools plugin. He has edges set to red to see when drawing over black.

Correct - I often skip to Edge only view or X-Ray view so I can line up to my references.
In fact - here is the model: 69 Dodge Charger.skp

@cotty said:

You can post your ideas here or here, maybe the author is listening?!

I hear he's pretty over-worked these days... ..or so he claims - lazy git.

@panixia said:

nice job sir.. which plugin is this one?

That's be Bezier Surface: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=32810
(That's a very old video. I hope to have some interesting to show related to this as Basecamp.)

Thanks for you kind comments.

panixia

@thomthom said:

That's be Bezier Surface: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=32810
(That's a very old video. I hope to have some interesting to show related to this as Basecamp.)

aaaahhhh.. okkk.. i hoped that was some other funny one just to click "download"
some new videos?? just to excite us another little bit?

thomthom

I couldn't help myself playing around some more. Bulked out most of the read fender.

Dodge Charger WIP 02.png

Contemplating how to approach the door - it's had some very complex geometry. I remember when I was doing the 3ds model seven years ago that I was bending my mind then as well.

Detail of the door:
Reference Photo

Extract from the old 3ds max model: (The mesh has many problems - a lot of triangles...)

I think I need to print this out and trace over some paths with tracing paper. Not sure how to make the loops flow.

Dropout

The 69 Chargers don't have a frame, just a few anchor points on the underside of the body. Here is a pic from the rear that shows the front rear spring mounts and the rear torsion bar mounts.

Hope it helps.

Not Found

(www.mopardealer.com)

Dropout

This might help too:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2522654/1969-dodge-charger/page-6

thomthom

@dropout said:

This might help too:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2522654/1969-dodge-charger/page-6

That's some good references.

ely862me

That's a great start.
Few things that is good to keep in mind when using artisan :
1.Keep all the diagonals oriented in the same way
2.If you can't go all the way quads then you have to have all the way triangles(at least don't let single quads in the middle of triangles), otherwise the smoothed geometry won't be that nice .

69 Dodge Charger 1.jpg
69 Dodge Charger 2.jpg
69 Dodge Charger 3.jpg
69 Dodge Charger 4.jpg

Keep it going !

thomthom

@ely862me said:

Few things that is good to keep in mind when using artisan :

Thanks! That's good to know. I only did some quick tests with Artisan to see how smooth the edges where - around the wheel well etc. It did strike me how seemingly random the Artisan mesh was. I understand more what's going on now.

I haven't inspected the diagonals at all as I've worked mainly on the low poly topology in quads. (When I talk about quads I talk about QuadFace Tools quads which can be non-planar.) Would have been nice if Artisan understood these quads and could perform subdivisions based on that instead of the underlying triangulation.
I've been looking up Catmull-Clark subdivision and I'm tempted at trying to implement a version that makes use of QuadFace Tools's type of quads.

Rich O Brien

@unknownuser said:

I've been looking up Catmull-Clark subdivision and I'm tempted at trying to implement a version that makes use of QuadFace Tools's type of quads.

Go for it! I'd buy that

panixia

@rich o brien said:

@unknownuser said:

I've been looking up Catmull-Clark subdivision and I'm tempted at trying to implement a version that makes use of QuadFace Tools's type of quads.

Go for it! I'd buy that

i'd buy that twice!

thomthom

Thank to this:
http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Catmull%E2%80%93Clark_subdivision_surface

I can now make this:
Catmull-Clark sub-divisions compatible with QuadFace Tools

andybot

Great day!!! Wow Thomas, I can only wait to see what comes next out of your mad scientist workshop!

dale

Wow. Wow Again. Wow Some more

Bryan K

@ely862me said:

That's a great start.
Few things that is good to keep in mind when using artisan :
1.Keep all the diagonals oriented in the same way
2.If you can't go all the way quads then you have to have all the way triangles(at least don't let single quads in the middle of triangles), otherwise the smoothed geometry won't be that nice .

Now THAT is interesting. Thanks for the tip.

ely862me

@thomthom said:

Thank to this:
http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Catmull%E2%80%93Clark_subdivision_surface

I can now make this:
[attachment=0:3t2oq4fm]Catmull-Clark_Charger.png[/attachment:3t2oq4fm]

Well, that looks awesomely cool ! Very smooth and arranged geometry !

**@unknownuser said:

Now THAT is interesting. Thanks for the tip.

You are welcome , Bryan !**

thomthom

@ely862me said:

Very smooth and arranged geometry !

The mesh is still the same as in the sample I posted earlier - lots of non-planar quads. But that doesn't matter - because the mesh is treated as quads. The underlying triangulation is ignored. One less thing to worry about.
If only I understood the math - Rich got me really interested in edge weighting vs crease loops. I'd be very nice to be able to the edge weight creasting instead.

Got a cold brewing - so no modelling today.

Next task is to work out the loops for that door.

okomta

i think you must see this one,, http://ixlrlxi.livejournal.com/113673.html#cutid1
but sorry in russia language,,but you can watch "the step by step" of his action.
(sorry my poor english),,

good luck man