1997 Ford F150 - Page 11

Bog · 06-11-2006, 09:17 AM

Did you actually model all those crenellations in the lens interiors, Jeff?

JeffRutan · 06-11-2006, 11:04 AM

L_RZA and Captain, Thanks!

Bog, Wow- I had to look that word up (crenellated- notched like the battlements at the top of a castle)! Yes, I modeled the prisms inside the headlights/taillights/bed light and since I got the materials right it is now paying off as I had hoped it would- very close to the appearance of the real thing.

Here is a link to my headlight modeling found earlier in this thread (page 6):
http://www.newtek.com/forums/attachm...9&d=1152900806

-Jeff

Sarford · 06-11-2006, 06:27 PM

Wow Jeff, this thing is realy spectaculair!!

Just seems like the numberplate and the Ford-logo ar a bit low res compared to the rest of the truck.

Man, you should put this model on turbosquid, you could easely get a hunderd bucks per sold model I guess...

Realy great model, in the right enviroment it could pass for a photo...

Bog · 06-12-2006, 03:03 AM

There seems to be a Chevy truck of similar style for $120, and it's listed as 75,000 polygons. I think that's probably the number of patches used for the interior of the flatbed on this model. I suppose, though, at least things can get sold multiple times. I always wince a bit thinking about the prices on TurboSquid, though - my brain's still in the habit of thinking "well, this took me three weeks to do, and my day rate is $whatever, so this model should cost $thatmuch"

Anyhoooo.... Lookin' forward to seeing your truck out of the showroom and on the road, Jeff!

JeffRutan · 06-13-2006, 06:27 PM

Thanks Sarford and Bog! I really didn't plan to take this model out of the show room. I want to get it finished and move on to my next project!

I have thought of maybe trying to sell this on TurboSquid. I will have to look into how that is done and how to convert to different formats. This was a learning project, so I have no hope of recovering for the time I invested in it, but it could be fun to try to sell it. I will be happy to share this model with anyone here who has helped me significantly with this project. Just email me (jeffrutan at mac dot com) and we can figure out a way to send it to you). Maybe one of you would like to try making a more realistic scene using it? That would really be cool to see someone with more experience make my truck into something photorealistic!

An update: bump map and sharper image on license plate, cleaner and sharper Ford logo, more accurate headlights, sharper tires and Michelin logos, lighter background, a touch lighter in general, and more deliberate glare on the windows.

Plus a green version that is kind of hideous, but I wanted to try a different color real quick.

I tried some other HDR images and got some better results in terms of color and less weird distortions, but none in the collection that came with modo 201 are as dramatic and pleasing to me as this one. I will keep looking online to find a better one.

I also tried using displacement instead of bump for the Michelin logos, but ended up going back to a stronger bump for this view. The displacement does look better for close-ups, but not so good at this distance. Also, the displacement added a large amount of render time and memory usage. I set it up so I can switch back and forth easily for different views.

-Jeff

Bog · 06-14-2006, 02:35 AM

That's really getting there. It's strange how much of a difference just tuning up a few maps can make! Though "hideous" is several thousand percent too harsh, to be honest.

Dunno if you've come across this particular HDR resource:

http://www.debevec.org/Probes/

(Gotta love the term "Light Probe". Proper mad scientist stuff, that...)

Andyjaggy · 06-14-2006, 04:50 PM

Amazing man. I have currently been going through the Kurv Studios car video myself and it really is a truly great tutorial. I'm hoping that I can do something as good as your Ford when I am done with it.

Bog · 06-14-2006, 05:29 PM

Quote:

I'm hoping that I can do something as good as your Ford when I am done with it.

I'm finding myself both challenged and energised by the fact that this is JeffRutan's first SubDivisionSurface Object in LW.

His first. Lordy.

One of the reasons I've been so active in this thread is because he's been helping me - though his work - ditch my Very Old Preconceptions of what is possible with LW's tools in the amount of time avilable. I came in via the Amiga, before even MetaNURBS were available, let along SubPatches. And, as he's said, this is his *first model*

It's an education. It really is time to throw away conceptions of what one can do in 3D, and embrace the fact that one can do anything. I'm doing my darnedest to chuck out my old timescale models in light of new reality, and it's tougher than I thought it would be. I've started to identify times when I've shied from detail levels because of a habit of limiting polycounts and surface definition counts to the times when the systems wouldn't support them - but they do these days. This is a very important thread to me, on a great deal of levels - I needed a boot up my arse to get my out a rut!

But the bottom line, Andy, is what LightWave's been about since day one.

"Can Do."

Cheesy? Yes. Hoary? Yes. Jaded? Yes.

True?
Yes.

JeffRutan · 06-14-2006, 06:44 PM

Andyjaggy: That video is a great learning and inspiration tool! I highly recommend it to anyone here!

All you need to do a great 3D project is the following:
A project that you have some passion for.
A belief that you can do it.
A commitment and determination to stick with it.
And the support you get when you post your work to this forum!

This project is by far the most complex and ambitious 3D project I have done, and it has taken me a long time and is still not complete, but that video inspired me to start, and this forum helped me realize the goal with better results than I dreamed possible when I started.

Bog: Now you are just embarrassing me! ;-) I hope that my work here will inspire lots of users to take on a significant project and post it here!

-Jeff

JeffRutan · 06-17-2006, 08:21 AM

The guys at the modo forum would not let me off the hook until I made the headlights look more realistic and narrowed and darkened the tire sidewalls...
-Jeff

Bog · 06-17-2006, 08:25 AM

"He said it again!"

"I don't want anyone stoning anyone else until I blow this whistle, even if they do say Modo!"

</python>

Those headlamp lenses are starting to look very cool indeed.

JeffRutan · 06-17-2006, 09:44 AM

Relax Bog, and please don't take it so personal! ;-)
When I get my released version of LW9 and FPrime, I will move this project back to rendering in LightWave, but for now my LW8.5 is just way too slow rendering this large model. I am still doing all the modeling in LightWave.
-Jeff

Bog · 06-17-2006, 11:15 AM

Ah mate, don't take me so seriously! I just saw a chance to paraphrase a bit of Life of Brian!

zapper1998 · 06-17-2006, 12:01 PM

WOW thats all I can say is WOW Awesome model

Sarford · 06-23-2006, 05:52 PM

Wow Jeff, these headlights are just spectaculair!!