NASCAR

Case Study Gallery: 
MicroScribe® Connections for Maya - NASCAR Model

Courtesy of Craig De Leenheer

Figure 1 - The scale model that was  digitized.

Figure 2a - A polygonal view of the model in Maya

Figure 2b

Figure 3a - The final render of the untextured model.

Figure 3b

My interest in racing compelled me to digitize a NASCAR model with the MicroScribe system, and the experience turned out to be very enlightening. I had previously digitized several objects and had come to the personal conclusion that it was a process better suited for more complex shapes such as faces, humanoid bodies and so on.

It was my opinion that the NASCAR model could probably be modeled from scratch in the same amount of time that the digitizing process would take. I quickly found that this was not the case. The MicroScribe G2 system allowed me to quickly get to a set of polygon strips that contained the shape of the car.

From that point it was just a matter of doing subtle refinements on the shape to achieve the desired results. The process turned out to be much quicker than component or branch modeling techniques and allowed me to spend a lot more time making minute refinements.

I started by laying out a grid on the car body and preparing it for plotting the polygon points with the MicroScribe G2 system. I have found this to be the most important process of all. If done correctly it saves many headaches in geometry refinement and correction after the polygons are digitized.

Then, using the MicroScribe Connections for Maya plug-in, I set the origin and x, y coordinates for the reference plane. I then digitized the points I had laid out on the car body using the create polygon tool. After creating the polygon strips it was then just a matter of splitting them into individual polygons and attaching them together. After doing the refinement on the windows, wheel wells and rear wing I mirrored the completed half and welded the two together.

By using the MicroScribe G2 system I was able to shave hours off of the modeling process and was able, in turn, to use that time to enhance the shape of the car. I would continue the refinement by adding the grille, window net, body creases, roof flaps and build the interior, if it was to be used as a static model. I found the MicroScribe digitizing process to be efficient and easy to learn and the time saved in the modeling process was invaluable.