Alias Tutorial – “How to Model the A Pillar Alias” – Highlighting


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Info. on Courses:

“Course #1”.

6 Months website access to all website based video tutorials, 167 Euros (200 USD equivalent Nov.2011)

“Course #2”.

167 Euros (200 USD equivalent Nov.2011) 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.

“Course #3”.

Fast Track Full Pro. “One to One” Course with weekly reviews and coaching 250 Euros (USD. 300 approx. Nov. 2011) 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

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Regards

Graham Bullock B.Ed.(CNAA)Des.Tech.

Much of my work these days, is as a Highlighting Consultant

I get asked a lot by Automotive companies either to improve the highlights

on a particular model or to give courses to their experienced staff on highlighting skills. A few months ago I was asked if I wanted to go to India and train, modeling staff for one of the biggest manufacturers in the world Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

I use the Dynamic Iso Shader with Multi Stripes and Visual Curves,

as my Evaluation tool of choice and I teach modelers who need to learn how to control highlights, how to Evaluate their model with this tool. I find that many really good modelers don’t use this tool at all, but most modelers doing my highlighting course, learn to almost totally rely on it

Why is the A Pillar so difficult get right, with perfect highlights?

If you are a Modeling Manager you will know that you can’t give a fully blended A Pillar to just antbody and that you know who the experienced guys/galls are who can deliver a good model of this complex area. Here is just one of several solutions used to create the A Pillar Blend.  There are many things that can make this transitional surface set fail and here are just a few :

1- Foundation Surface: Has patch boundaries and or surface features that interfere with the formation of the blend

2- Foundation srface has the wrong xsec cut on X, to create an apropriately placed inflexion point (on this model the inflexion point from the base surf. to the back part of the blend occurs at the foot of the blend (1). Where the wide black stripe meets the wide red stripe) This ensures that the inflexion point is not within the blend, causing a hump and not occuring before the blend causing sinking within the blend. So the xsect of the foundation surf must be carefully worked out in conjunction with the chordal legth of the blend, so that the inflexion point at the foot of the blend (right of pic.) will occur where the blend meets base srf.

3- The height of the blend (How high up it is on the A Pillar) is critical to a smooth blend with no “sinking” of “humping”

4- The size of the foot of the blend is critical

Curves Drive The Transition Surfaces

Your blend can only ever be as good as your curves

Above:

Point 1: Is where she has chosen to create the inflexion point. This ensures that blend does not sink (dip) or have a high spot (hump) within it

Point A’ the boundary is too low. The modler has forced G2, but because the curve was too flat (too high) she has bad topology within the 2 adjacent patches

Above: We see again that curve A’ is too flat and is creating bad highlights. B’ the curve is slightly flat  and is causing a wobble in the highlight.

Visual Curves:

Left#1 shows a slight flat in the surface (1) and needs a bit of direct modeling.

Left#2 Is Perfect

Left#3 is saying. “No lunch break for us today”

Summary;

Complex transitional areas of an exterior are often really difficult to get right with perfect highlights.  

Usually these surface sets are not built straight off the bat, but are developed fron sacraficial surfaces. It is not easy to gain the knowledge required to model such surfaces, as very often the guys that are really good at it and therefore are practically always in work are reluctant to share these valuable skills with junior modelers.

Sorted!

If you would like to learn how to model these difficult areas, just sign up on my website

www.learningalias.co.uk

and follow the video tutorials.

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