I am trying to model a truck, and I struggle in finding the right approach for the cabin part. I am using reference images an have setup the project with the correct dimensions.
I have tried some techniques from the CGCookie logo Sub-d modelling tutorial but have not created a satisfactory result so far. Especially working toward the characteristic body lines and maintaining good topology.
Should I model the cabin, doors and fenders separately or as one object?
What would be the logical steps in modelling the cab with all it’s hard detailed lines?
Always the best approach is to start simple. Block out all the mayor parts without committing to details, just simple primitive shapes. Basically you start broad. Then you move to phase two where you start getting into the medium details, and then of course when you have things the way you want them and you see it's working, you move to detailing and then a last pass of micro detail and refinement.
Also keep in mind that when you're thinking where should a shape end, how should I separate this object, should the doors be part of the body? It's as simple as, do it how it;s in real life. If there's a seam, because the door is not part of the body, then it is so in 3D. If in real life the shapes come apart, in 3D they are apart. For example a cabinet, the cabinets are separate from the main body, you can drag them out, so too it should work on 3D.
There's a couple of courses where they teachers take the approach for modeling something as this truck. Of course the whole Boltzmann Collab is based around all this principals:
https://cgcookie.com/courses/collab-03-livestreams
Maybe ASTRAY:
https://cgcookie.com/courses/astray
For sure PotHead:
https://cgcookie.com/courses/pothead-create-a-hard-surface-character-in-blender
Oldies but goodies with tons of knowledge:
https://cgcookie.com/courses/game-character-modeling-with-blender
https://cgcookie.com/courses/modeling-a-post-apocalyptic-vehicle
I like the Oldies but goodies with tons of knowledge. Post apocalyptic vehicle already answered some of my workflow questions.
The workflow is not what most of the car modelling youtube channnels show.
Thanks!