These are my first scratch-built models. The '56 Ford Sunliner was my first, it still needs work. Thinking about making a Crown Victoria version also. The '61 Chevy was my second, it's still in it's early stages, needs a lot of work yet. Might make a bubbletop version of it. I'm also working on a '58 Chevy, a '60 Chevy, and a '40 Ford.
I like to make them look showroom new, I don't go in for the radical customs like you find in the Warehouse, although I do make hotrod versions just for the heck of it.
I know I'm not there yet, but hey, at my age I didn't think I could learn anything new , let alone something that's so much fun (and at time so frustrating), and I'm learning more with each new model.
Working from scratch is a whole new world, but much more rewarding.
Any comments or criticisms would be much appreciated.

@tig said:

To turn Hidden lines to Solid lines...
View > Hidden Geometry > ON
Next change to View Mode to 'Wireframe' [this makes selecting edges much easier]
Select the 'dotted' Hidden Edges you want to change to Solid... using the Entity Info > Uncheck the 'Hidden' box...
Reset the Hidden Geometry and the View Mode to your particular preference...

This method can also be used to manipulate Smooth/Soft-ness of edges...

Thanks TIG, that works much better than having to draw over each line. I don't use wireframe mode though, with a complicated model it's difficult to figure out just what is what. I hardly ever use wireframe, looks like a spaghetti factory exploded, makes me dizzy.

Just knew there was someone out there with a tip that would help out.

By the way d12dozer, I found that bunny rabbit ruby, works great! (although the bunnies are starting to get out of control)

Actually yes, I do have another dumb question - I know you can use Eraser/Ctrl/Shift to unsoften lines, but is there a way to use the eraser to turn hidden lines into unhidden lines? Or to softened lines? Or to bunny rabbits?

Thanks, I should have asked this question a long time ago

Is there any way to draw an arc so that it's segments are separated? In other words, so that you can select each segment separately. I know you can separate the segments by drawing a line from each junction, but this is such a pain, and sometimes doesn't even work right.

I've downloaded some files (some textures, HDRI environments, backgrounds) from Lightworks Aspects for IDX Renditioner, but cannot figure out where to put them. There are LWA files in various places in the program, but none of them are in such a logical place that I can say "Oh, they need to go here", and I'd rather not just guess. The site does not even mention what to do with them. Any help would be much appreciated.

@honoluludesktop said:

Another try at it.[attachment=5:2igga6k1]<!-- ia5 -->real_time_56 Ford Hood Emblem1.jpg<!-- ia5 -->[/attachment:2igga6k1]

HellNBack, I know that a chrome finish is a chrome finish, but I still think that the finis will be lost on a render of a whole car. It's like looking at the leaves on a tree, from the viewpoint of the whole forest. Still, having been there, done that, I can relate.

But I'm not going to render the whole car, I just want to project rendered textures to parts of the model, like bumpers, hubcaps, headlight bezels, horn rings, door handles, knobs, etc. I don't like the idea of rendering the whole car and then all you have are photos, I like being able to move around the car, rotate it, etc, so I try to add textures wherever possible to add some realism to the model without reducing it to just a photo. Is that making any sense? (The '61 Chevy and '56 Ford are my first scratch-built models and are in their early stages, still need a lot of work, and the chrome is not very good yet)

I did try a render of a couple of my models (the bottom two photos), just out of curiosity, and although they are crude renders (didn't do any of the interiors, plus I really don't know what the heck I'm doing yet), I was somewhat surprised by the results. I really wish I hadn't done that though, cause then working on the models in SU they seem to be, well, artificial in appearance.

Dang it

@unknownuser said:

Here's a quick PS .png

[attachment=0:gd1aiu0d]<!-- ia0 -->Hellnbak_Logo.png<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:gd1aiu0d]

Looks good, could you tell me how you went about doing that? (I have PS CS3, what version did you use?)

Well, I've been playing around with it and I think there's hope to eventually get the kind of results I want. It's not there yet, but if I can get this close after only maybe a half-hour of experimenting, there's definitely hope. Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Just upgraded to Renditioner Pro (they did it for free!) and will be experimenting with it.
By the way, the photo I uploaded was just a SU Photo, not a rendered photo, so I guess your version would be an improvement

@honoluludesktop said:

It's at least an improvement over your render with v1.2.

Well, I need it to look ...... real. Like real chrome. If it doesn't look like real chrome, why use it in a model, might as well just paint it gray.

I appreciate your efforts, I really do. It's just so frustrating, I can't seem to find anything worthwhile anywhere as far as explaining how to get decent results with Renditioner. The so-called "manual" that comes with it may be fine for someone who already knows how to use the program, but I know less than nothing about rendering programs. It uses terms that are like a foreign language to me, and doesn't bother to explain them. I'm not computer illiterate, and I enjoy learning new programs, but I can't see investing the time and effort to learn every nuance of the thing when I only need it for one very specific purpose. That's like learning how to build a house when all you really want to do is put a new window in it.
Anyhow, thanks again, have a good one.

I have version 1.2. The examples you posted don't look much like chrome, were they the "bland" examples you spoke of? Can Renditioner make it look like real chrome? And if so, can you please provide suggestions on how to go about doing this? I have searched and searched for any help on how to do it, but came up with nothing.

@honoluludesktop said:

Which version do you have? Can you post the logo and I will have a go at it with v2.

Here's the logo. Not sure which version I have, I just downloaded it a couple of weeks ago so it's the latest, but not the pro version. Thanks.

56 Ford Hood Emblem.skp

Yup, that did it. I'm assuming this model is made up of just normal faces, so what does using the select tool first, and specifically right to left, have to do with it. And more importantly, is there maybe something in this that could help me with avoiding the double faces, something I may be doing that is causing them? I don't see what it could be, but I'm still a little hopeful.

@thomthom said:

Here's a sample of mine. Draw lines on the faces in this model and you'll find that SketchUp starts adding extra faces where there already are faces.

Well, I drew lines all over it, subdivided it, kicked it, screamed at it and caressed it, and wouldn't you know it - not a single extra face
Actually that was one reason I was reluctant to upload a model, I figured that Murphy's law would guarantee that the problem wouldn't show itself when you wanted it to.

Sorry. My models are too large to attach to the forum, so I've attached just a hood from one. I do remember that it, like most other things I've worked on, enlarged my vocabulary as far as multiple faces when I was making it, adding faces and subdividing them. That's not to say that it will do the same for you, maybe you've got that one in a million copies of SU that is problem-free. If so, I'll buy your computer, price is no object How 'bout just the hard drive?

By the way, you didn't answer my question - have you really never encountered multiple faces in any of your models? Even just a double face?

56 Ford Hood.skp

I just bought IDX Renditioner, and need some help with it. Normally I use parts and pieces of photos to project textures onto parts of a car I'm modelling, but sometimes I just cannot find the right photo to use for an emblem or bumper or headlight bezel or whatever, even using Photoshop to manipulate the photo sometimes it just doesn't work well enuf. Especially if it's a lesser-known type of car, the photos just aren't available. So I bought Renditioner with the intention of rendering the object as chrome. I've attached an example of what I'm talking about. I'll use Parallel Projection and Front View to carefully position the part, render it as realistically as possible as chrome, then use that photo to project back onto the part. I think it would work, but I'm having great difficulty figuring out how to make the object look like it's chrome. I don't need to understand all the ins and outs of using Renditioner since I will only be using it for rendering chrome, so can anybody please explain how to do this, hopefully explaining the settings I would need to use? It would help me greatly. Thanks in advance.

Hmmmm.....I'll have to go with quirks, and I'm being kind. Maybe SNAFU would be closer. I know now why they made SU free - you can't demand a refund for something you didn't pay for

Thanks for the suggestions, but finding the multiple faces is not a problem, I was just hoping that someone had a good tip on how to avoid creating the faces in the first place. Actually I wasn't very hopeful, but figured it was worth a shot. Like I said, I'll just have to live with it (just like all the other SU strange and annoying quirks )