Hi to everybody out there on the tough road to LearningAlias
I want to show you how to model an A5 front fender (radial wheel arch) and I was going to build my fender onto Andrea’s hood top and fender top, but as I always do, I downloaded a lot of great fotos of A5’s and REALLY studied them and soon realized that just like any big Audi, the A5 surfaces are very subtle and even tough her model is pretty sound, I needed the basic curves to be absolutely sound, in order to buld a sucessful model, so I would have to build my own model from scratch.
Audi Produce a Lot of 1:1 Clay Models
From the clay the Alias modeler can see where all these subtle surface changes are and then go on to incorporate them into the virtual model.
However even with nice well lit fotos I couldn’t be sure exactly what the A5 surfaces were doing,
so I did what I tell all my students to do, I went into a BIG supermarket car park and studied an A5 coupe. I shot a load of black and white pics. and all this will give me a better chance of making a model which is loyal to the Audi Styling.
Private Students
I’ll show you how to start-out and then if you a really serious about learning Automotive Alias you may want to subscribe to my website and follow the 200+ videos on building the A5 Sportback + other projects.
www.learningalias.co.uk
Just like anybody else, I don’t earn anything from tutorials. I love creating them and helping Alias fans who can’t progress because they are lacking help and support, but my income comes from my private projects and a few students on line, whom I supervise . They are all very serious about LeraningAlias and are all working hard to become good enough to become Product Designers/ Automotive Des. Modelers or Auto-Conceptual modelers and Class A Surfacers. One of my students recently landed a job designing fashion shoes and although she is finding it hard, she tells me that she works with really great people who are helping her a lot to improve further. The same goes for students who start at Entry level in Automotive Studios.
Look closely at the Hood Top
I want you to look very closely at how hood top curvature accelerates just a very small amount towards the edge. This is a design change and on the new model the feature has moved from being part of the hood top to being translated into a fillet at the edge of the fender. This acceleration is critical, as it runs down the side of the grille. On this model the grille is abhout 25 mm prominent. Audi nicked the idea from Bentley.You can see what I’m describing clearly in the ref: Foto. Please don’t take on a complex design like an aAudi, without preparing LOADS of reference pics and dimensions first:I’ve included a model I made of Audi’s older design hood top, so you can see the difference.Always start by setting your Construction Options. Mine will be Catia V5 (G0 “Position” = 0.001 mm etc.) Next set your reference planes VERY, VERY precisely. In the Left view, I have set the ceter of the front wheel at the origin (0,0,0). This is industrial std. practise.Next create your 0Y curves. Use small degree curves as they are easy to control. I have used some deg. 1 crvs. but mainly 2_3_4 and occasionally a deg. 5 where necessaryYou’ll notice that where the Hood Top and Radiator Grille curves join I have establised G3 continuity. This is evident for 2 reasons:
- The outer RED line on the Curve Combs meet exactly
- The 2 Combs flow smoothly with no sharp points indicating that continuity goes beyond the intersection, into the curves interior
You need both these criteria for G3 to be achieved
[sorry this picture is not available]
I’ll be showing you how to build parts of this model. This pic. I downloaded from You Tube.
If you don’t have scan data or a Stylist to define the exact shape of the model you MUST look at a real car and work out how you are goin to layout your patches. You can see here I was planning to break the surf. to the left of the grille, but eventually I made it as one larger surf.
Have a look at the markers, which point out the concentric ellipses indicating that your surfs. have good highlights. I actually scrapped this surf. and made one single surf. for the Fender top.
Notice how you must use curve combs to show exactly what your surfaces are doing.
This is the new sharper styled Audi hood top
I have too much acceleration where the main hood top meets the fenders, so I need to sort that out and I also need to put some negative curvature where the fender meets the hood top. It’s not possible to get all this detailed info from pics. you need to go an find an Audi A5 and really look at it. A template former is a good tool to take out with you. Just put a strip of masking tape on the car and then push in your template taker, then draw the shape quickly before you loose it.It’s VITAL to start your first curves and your center surfs. very precisely. I am happy with the Hood Top, Radiator Grille surround and the Fender Top. Now the rest of my model will start to flow from these accurate foudation curves and surfaces.
This is pretty much the standard Patch Layout for modelling the main front end slab of an A5
It’s nice to see a car being born. but I do like to stick a bit of detail in early on, so I cut out the grille hole and offset the surface 40 mm back. It’s just how I like to model. It breaks up the intensitity of having to really concentrate on the extremely precise work of building the curves and surfaces.Getting started with a model is always very demanding, but it gets easier the more complete your model becomes.
The tutorial on this model will start real soon.
Cheers,
graham
Pictured below is an Audi A5 Sportback built by one of my students who is now a Digital Sculptor for GM.
Full HD video, just click the picture below
I am now putting some of my tutorials on YouTube, so whilst you’re there you may wish to check them out. There’s a full tutorial on how to create a Ball Corner to Class A Surfacing, Catia V5 spec.
See just how quickly you can learn Automotive Modeling, with a Pro. Alias Trainer to help you
NURBS FROM MESH VIDEO click here
For student’s who have the objective of finding a CAD job in the near future, I still teach One to One students and all of these students get Automotive Modeling or Design/Modeling jobs, so it’s a great investment to make.
Check-Out my Customer Feedback,
Many of my students make it to the top and succeed in becoming pro. Alias Digital Modelers. The hourly rate is very high and there are vacancies in UK. France, Germany, USA, Brazil etc.
My New Website is now live!
I am a top flight Alias Trainer/Modeler, specializing in taking students who are either currently studying or who have left college/university and want to learn the skills they need to reach Alias Automotive Entry Level. I offer the best value Alias training deal out there!
To Learn Alias Automotive to Industry Entry level has been made easier.
For student’s who have the objective of finding a CAD job in the near future, I still teach One to One students and all of these students get Automotive Modeling or Design/Modeling jobs, so it’s a great investment to make. The hourly rate is very high and there are vacancies in UK. France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, USA, Brazil etc. I can only take a maximum of 5-7 students at any one time. I teach all levels right up to Post Graduates. I have never had a Private student fail to get an Alias Automotive job (Companies include Ferrari, GM, Lotus, Opel, Audi Seat etc. ). If you wish to apply for a place, please email me with all your details.
Why not visit my website and take a look for your self?
Over 100 videos on many, many aspects of Learning Pro. Alias
I show you how to build a Complete Audi A5 Sportback (ext.) . Over 50 Videos on that alone !
Info. on Courses:
“Course #1”.
6 Months website access to all website based video tutorials, 167 Euros (215 USD equivalent Sept. 2012)
“Course #2”.
167 Euros (215 USD equivalent Sept. 2012) per month. You get your .wire reviewed by me every 15 days and you will receive : feedback, instruction, tips and advice from me personally. Access to all videos including my ” Private Student Training Videos”. You will build at least 3 complete automotive exteriors. The course also includes an intensive Reverse Engineering section, which required by most employers.
“#3 Full Pro. “Elite” Course”.
Fast Track Full Pro. “One to One” Course with weekly reviews and coaching 200-250 Euros (USD. 260-320 approx. Sept. 2012) per month. One to One Private tuition. You will receive specific geometry and meshes and modeling from me personally where required, to help you to complete your exteriors quickly to an Industry entry level standard. This means a bigger investment, but once in an Alias modeling job you will get back what you invested many times over and be able to work anywhere in the world
NB: Typically students pay 50% of the cost of the “Elite” course by monthly installments settling the balance over time, once they have an Alias Automotive contract.
For more info,
Just register on my website and I’ll send you all the details
www.learningalias.co.uk
*** Special 25% Discounts for US students (Message me on my website for details)
USA:
If you are in the USA, just register and login, then go to Profile and you can pay your subscription with your US credit card. Absolutely no extra charges for currency conversion.
Regards
Graham Bullock B.Ed.(CNAA)Des.Tech.
