Problems with car modeling

[pixi14369]

Ok i followed the instructions to the T for the tutorial on car modeling on www.lwg3d.org...the one with teh cobra mustang..i am sure you know it..anyway...this is a general problem anyway..i cn't seem to get the blueprints to match up once i start with the splines...now, obviously an easy fix is to just move the blueprints around untill they match the basic set of lines, but is this the right way?? If not, is there an easieror better way to do it???

[MorituriMax]

It would be sooooo helpful if you would post a couple screen shots...

[spikey]

You often need to move the bg blueprints around to match each other's location in different viewports, and even then you might run into the funky fact that some blueprints show different proportions in different angles.. Bits of the car appear in different places depending on the view. Oh, and some other blueprints might have them all correctly proportioned but the side view is drawn with perspective, which distorts the whole thing once again. Argh!

-Ilari

[pixi14369]

yes it's quite annoying.....I have since moved on to simplylightwave.com mclaren tutorial..but again, certain parts dont match, especialy considering, the guy who supplied the BPs used 2 different models, for the same BP...one, is the shorter Mclaren, while the top view is the longer version, of the car....Very, annoying, trying to adapt the splines "beziers" to fit the car in the 2 different views

[Tinkertanker]

Some general tips on blueprints.

1. Use blueprints for the same source (you've indicated this already).

2. Do NOT use photographs. Photographs will be distorted due to the effect of the lens ie. perspective, so for example, if you take a photograph of a car from the front, use it to build a model, then in the end you'll find that the windscreen won't be wide enough.

3. Make sure when you're preparing your blueprints in a paint package that you cut the images right to the edges. And cut them to the same edges, i.e. cut the wing mirrors off in the top view? If so, cut them off in the front view too etc.

4. It doesn't matter if the front view is say 400 pixels wide and the width of the top view is 500 pixels wide. So long as you give them the same width (preferably by ysing autosize) it doesn't matter so long as they are in proportion (see 3 above).

5. Create a box the correct size of the car then use autosize to set up the blueprints. If they're off don't try to resize them, they're either incorrectly prepared or not compatable.

6. After setting them up, use the point tool. Drag a point in the top view and compare certain points in the side view (ie the front edge of the bonnet, the back of the roof etc. to check everything is aligned (do this for all 3 ortho views).

7. Don't worry if one of the views is slightly out, it probably will be. If this happens make a decision from the outset which blueprints you will follow more strictly than the others, ie top and side before front etc.

Good luck.