Car engine air intake modeling question.

[tjc101]

Hi,

First off I thought I`d posted this question just a short time ago. I edited the post and it seems to have disappeared now so if this is a double post then please accept my apologies and perhaps a moderator could remove one of the posts.

I`m modeling the Ferrari Brachetta 166 MM 1948. The modeling is going quite well so far but I`m having some problems modeling the engine air intake.

I`m getting distortion on the front edges of the air intake. I`ve tried inserting loops/control edges but I`m still getting the distortion. The way I`m modeling it is selecting all the polys that make up the shape of the air intake on the bonnet/hood and extruding them up and then positioning the verts to get the correct shape but when I do this I`m getting the distortion as I say. Is this the correct way to model a part such as this or would it be better to model the part separately and then position it on the bonnet/hood? If the later is the best way then are there any tools or procedures that would make it easier to position it correctly on the bonnet? I`ve tried doing it like this but find positioning it correctly by moving verts etc is very time consuming and does`nt give good results.

Any help with this would be very much appreciated.

Pics attached - 1st pic is of the distortion. 2nd pic is of the model so far.

[bob.bernstein]

Looks ok to me, but I have old eyeballs.  Perhaps show me a pic of the edges zoomed in to one of the circled areas.  Your flow in general is very nice.

[Daf]

Hi,

I agree with Bob that we need a closer view - unsmoothed. It looks a bit low poly around the opening of the vent - you may just need to add some geometry there - maybe a loop or 2 to help smooth it out.

Daf

[tjc101]

Appreciate the replies guys.

It probably is a little bit low poly round the vent and maybe in general. I`ve tried adding geometry but that doesn`t seem to help either. It`s quite frustrating as the intake looks quite good in all other ways apart from at the bottom front corners where the actual opening is...

Doesn`t matter what I try it`s always got that nasty distortion there. It`s obviously just a case of me not knowing how to model it correctly because I`ve seen these air intakes modeled on other cars and they look lovely.

I`ve googled and searched for tips/help/advice on how to do this but come up empty so far but the answer must be out there.

Here`s a pic of the front not smoothed.

[Daf]

Hi,

I've had this problem too. I usually add some loops until it looks right.  ;)Have you tried loops in the positions I've added in red? The one on the lower inside of scoop goes all the way around upper, too.

Also - check out and subscribe to Arrimus' Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLLdTBwLMfTKWS56tOiQpw  He has several videos on this type of shape.  In fact you can send him a pic and he'll make a tutorial on how to do it  - he's very good.

Daf

[Anonymous]

You should make more edges

check this one

please visit our web and subscribe chanel youtube

goodluck !!!!

[tjc101]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi,

I've had this problem too. I usually add some loops until it looks right.  ;)Have you tried loops in the positions I've added in red? The one on the lower inside of scoop goes all the way around upper, too.

Also - check out and subscribe to Arrimus' Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLLdTBwLMfTKWS56tOiQpw  He has several videos on this type of shape.  In fact you can send him a pic and he'll make a tutorial on how to do it  - he's very good.

Daf

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Hi,

I`ve tried adding loops, pretty much as you suggest but I still seem to be getting the distortion. I guess I`ll keep trying. Appreciate your image though. 🙂

I have actually subscribed to Arrimus on YT. He does some awesome stuff. I`ll check out his tuts to see if I can find anything that may help out.

Cheers.

[tjc101]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You should make more edges

check this one

please visit our web and subscribe chanel youtube

goodluck !!!!

---

Thanks for the reply. 🙂 As I`ve said, I have tried inserting more edges/loops but not quite as you suggest. I`ll give it a go. I`ve now sub`d to your YT and bookmarked your site. Some good stuff on both. 

Cheers. 🙂

[bob.bernstein]

Maybe nothing, but I can't help wonder about the presence of the polys inside the intake being directly connected to the outer edge.  With those polys what happens when you shell?    Seems like trouble to me.  I wonder what would happen if you rebuilt the intake as though there was no internality to it, and then extruded the polys in, now there will not be that spot in which the edge where you are concerned has three polys connected, but rather only two.

[bob.bernstein]

Tried it myself, and get the same problem.  Sorry no help yet...If you solve it, please post so we all learn.

[bob.bernstein]

Here is what I was thinking, I know the intention is to have the bottom blend to the lowest surface, but this illustrates the best blend at the offending corner by giving the "nostril" a bit of definition at the end.

[tjc101]

Well guys I`ve tried the suggestions and although adding the loops/edges has made things better, the corner distortion is still happening... 😞 I`m really frustrated with this... I`ve searched through a lot Arrimus videos too but not found anything yet that I think will help this particular shape. He does have loads of vids though so I`ll keep looking. @bob.bernstein Cheers for the suggestion and trying it out. Pity it didn`t work. If I do come across how to model it correctly and get it looking right I`ll definitely post up the solution. I hope someone on here can help with it though as I`m running out of ideas to try and model it so it looks like it should.

[Daf]

Arrimus is really good at getting a tut online as needed. Send him the pics and explain what you are trying to do and let's see how he does it. Send to 3dtut@outlook.com - I've sent in a few things myself.

Good luck!

Daf

[tjc101]

Hi Daf...

I think I`m maybe going to have to do that as I`m stumped with it. Nothing I try works and although I`m in no way an expert I`ve been using max for a while now and have managed to overcome a lot of modeling issues. Not this one though...

I actually sent him a request for advice on another modeling problem but I`ve never seen it done... yet.

Anyway I`ll let you know if I do send him a request. 🙂

[tjc101]

Ok... just to say, I`ve emailed Arrimus...

Will keep you guys posted. 🙂