Challenge

This project aimed to enhance my 3D design skills by creating a 3D car model in 3D Studio Max.

My role

My task was to create a realistic-looking car using 3D Studio Max by applying a range of techniques from UVW mapping to creating realistic light and the final product should be a realistic still rendered image.

Activity

I first created two rectangular planes for the X view and one rectangular plane for the Y view. Then place the images of the front, back, and side of the car onto those planes accordingly. This would help me greatly to determine the exact shape of the car.

For the body shape, I decided to slice a cube in half and then delete one side of it before I began moving and combining the vertices to achieve the basic shape of a car. When I was happy with the shape of the car, I duplicated it and reversed it to create a symmetrical copy of the car and then combined both shapes by joining up the vertices again.

The next step after the shape was ready was to add colour and texture to the car using mapping techniques to achieve a realistic look. I exported a UVW map of the vehicle from the 3D Studio Max settings and then added the required car texture in Photoshop including the headlights, rear lights and the tire rims. I then imported the final texture into the program and applied it to the car. Lastly, I added some natural skylight and a surrounding image to add a realistic reflection onto the vehicle.

Result

I explored various rendering settings until I was happy with the result. Then I exported the final still image by rendering the scene as an image. Finally, I decided to explore a slightly more reflective texture by increasing the gloss setting of the material and I was pleased with the final result.