Paul Flower combines his passions for motorsport and modelling as he creates a retro racing render
This is an image that I wanted to create both as fan art and as a tribute of sorts to the late Roland Ratzenberger. Due to the tragic events at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, his memory is somewhat overshadowed and I wanted to create a more positive image showing him at the wheel, doing what I imagine he loved. This is also why I wanted to create a retro feel with the styling.
In this tutorial, you’ll be shown how to set up and create a Formula One car using a range of tools including 3ds Max, with techniques that you can use on other models. Among the advice here, I’ll show you how, by using programs like Mudbox, you can use various functions and settings to pose elements including the driver.
There are other techniques that can help you take your model a step further and truly bring it to life. For example, setting up and lighting the scene, rendering the model with the aid of V-Ray, and compositing the renders and adding details in Photoshop.
01 SET UP BLUEPRINTS AND TEMPLATES
Before the modelling work begins, it’s always best to find blueprints or cross-sections of the vehicle you’re making. Apply these to planes in 3ds Max as materials, and position the planes so you’ll be able to model in a 3D space between them and view from all angles.
02 BASE MODELLING
Start with a Plane that’s set to See-Through under Object Properties. This allows you to see the blueprint, making it easy to move the edges and vertices, and match the image behind. Now convert the plane to an editable poly. Dragging and extending the edges and vertices, you can manipulate the plane to reflect the representation in the blueprint. Remember to orientate between the different views to create the 3D model. At this point you should start to see the 3D form take shape.
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03 CREATE SECTIONS
Try to divide the model into sections that match the panel lines of the car, for example the nose cone, engine cover and monocoque. Doing so will make the final model resemble the actual car, while on the contrary, making it all in one piece and adding lines as a texture or bump map is less likely to achieve the results required.
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04 MIRROR AND WELD
Once you have the shape correct in editable poly, select the complete element and drag to clone it. Add a mirror modifier and once again convert to an editable
