[ENDED] BC3-1806 - June 2018 Class Homepage - Vehicle Modeling with Blender

Kent Trammell

CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #7 (July 5, 2018): BC3-1806 is officially over! The Class Wrap stream recording is available to watch and the closing post is on page 63. Please take a minute to fill out the Questionnaire 🙇🏻‍♂️


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #6 (June 20, 2018): Week 4's stream recording has been edited together - curse you computer freeze! - and is available to watch. This is the final week of the class! Spend some time sculpting a wild and crazy vehicle design and let's finish strong 💪

Also a reminder that we will be having a 5th stream to wrap up the class on  July 3rd, so don't miss that.


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #5 (June 20, 2018): Check out Week 3's stream recording if you missed the broadcast! I also updated Week 3's homework for those of you that want to finish your vehicle exterior.


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #4 (June 13, 2018): Week 2's stream recording is now available to watch if you missed the broadcast. Also the additional timelapse video mentioned in the stream is available here.


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #3 (June 11, 2018): Week 1 is done! Thanks for getting your homework submitted on time. Here's a link to the report card if you'd like to keep track of your grades throughout the class. Onward to Week 2!


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #2 (June 6, 2018): Week 1's stream recording is now available if you missed it. Also I've secured a concept car blueprint thanks to the talented 2D/3D artist, Milen Ivanov (see page 9 of this thread to download it). This is the vehicle I'll be modeling and you're welcome to model it as well if you don't want to find your own!


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #1 (June 4, 2018): Class is in session! Today officially begins the BC3-1806 class. Please check the syllabus below for Week 1's focus and assignments. Begin watching the pre-recorded courses if you haven't already and begin searching for a cool vehicle you want to model. The first Live Event is tomorrow at 2pm EST - SEE YOU THERE! 😎


SYLLABUS


Vehicle model by Chris Kuhn on blendwap.com

Welcome to the CGCookie Class: Vehicle Modeling with Blender! Here by popular demand, this class is designed to be a holistic learning experience about the art of modeling vehicles. If you’re diligent in watching all content and hitting homework deadlines, by the end of the class you'll be prepared to build digital vehicles to your heart's content! This is an intermediate-to-advanced class which means you’ll do best by having some experience with Blender and 3D modeling before committing to this class.

This is the third "Class" format where Citizen members are invited to focus together on a particular topic/skill for a month. Participation looks like this:

  • RSVP and attend the Live Events
  • Watch the courses outlined below
  • Ask questions
  • Submit homework
  • Generally be active in this thread

WHEN? The class will take place from June 4th through July 2nd (ish)

✅WEEK 1: Hard Surface Primer (June 4 - 10)

Abstract: Vehicle modeling is pure hard surface modeling. Therefore it's important to be proficient with general polygon modeling techniques. This first week we're ramping into this particular modeling skillset to prepare us for the vehicle modeling extravaganza to come!

Goal of the Week: Level-up and/or dust off your hard-surface modeling skills.

Pre-recorded course to watch:

Week 1 Live Event (Remember to RSVP!)

Homework:

✅WEEK 2: Vehicle Exterior Modeling (June 11 - 17)

Abstract: When I say "Imagine a vehicle" I'll bet a million dollars you're thinking about the exterior. And that's why the exterior is important. It defines everything about a vehicle's visual perception: Style, utility, purpose. This week we're going to build a vehicle exterior based on concepts like building to scale and building from blueprints.

Goal of the Week: Build the exterior of your chosen vehicle based on blueprints. This will be good practice in strict adherence to orthographic front/side/back/top view modeling.

Pre-recorded courses to watch:

Week 2 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)

Homework:

  • Model the exterior of you chosen vehicle [post images and/or a Sketchfab embed]

✅WEEK 3: Vehicle Interior Modeling (June 18 - 24)


Model by Neubi on blendswap.com

Abstract: The insides of vehicles involve more organic, soft shapes as well as opportunity for lots of fine hard surface details. Often vehicles renders focus on the exterior where the interior can be hidden or approximated. But not in this class!

Goal of the Week: Model the interior of your chosen vehicle to gain experience with fine hard-surface details in a confined space.

Pre-recorded courses to watch: Admittedly we don't have much in this context specifically...

Week 3 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)

Homework:

  • Model the interior of you chosen vehicle [post images and/or a Sketchfab embed]
  • OR if you didn't finish your vehicle exterior from week 2 or didn't have time to fine tune it as much as you wanted, you can choose to do that for week 3 and skip the interior. Just understand that I will grade you based on how much visible difference there is between your week 2 and week 3 submissions. In other words, if it looks like you barely did anything on your exterior for week 3 you'll get a lower grade.

✅WEEK 4: Vehicle Concept Sculpting (June 25 - July 1)

Abstract: There's another facet of vehicle modeling that doesn't involve strict adherence to blueprints. Instead, Concept Sculpting is about designing a vehicle from scratch using the artistic approach of digital sculpting. This can be an extremely fun, experimental method for creating unique vehicles.

Goal of the Week: Sculpt a vehicle exterior from scratch; Practice hard-surface sculpting techniques.

Pre-recorded courses to watch: Again we don't have much in this context specifically, but we have a couple courses that cover hard-surface sculpting in general:

Week 4 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)

Homework:

  • Sculpt a unique concept vehicle [post images and/or a Sketchfab embed]

✅WEEK 5: Class Wrap-Up (Early July)

Also by popular demand, we'll be doing a 5th live stream to close out the class, review week 4 homework, and possibly a special guest vehicle modeling guru. Once I get confirmation on that guest I'll add the Live Event to the calendar.

Hark! June is here.


This thread is reserved for CG Cookie Citizens that are participating in the "Vehicle Modeling with Blender" class. Its purpose is to serve as central communication for all participating Citizens (excluding Hobby plan Citizens) to ask Kent and fellow participants questions and to post homework. As the instructor of the class, Kent will be monitoring this thread on a daily basis (especially Mon-Thurs) throughout the month of June to review homework and answer questions.

Free members are welcome to observe the thread but please respect that communication is reserved for Citizens.


  • Kent Trammell replied

    thecabbagedetective SOMEBODY WANTS A....no it can't be...AN A+++?! This is awesome! The backstory, the sculpt, the retopo, shading and lighting, the effortSure things could be critiqued, but considering how above and beyond you've gone this week and being 5 months into your Blender journey, I gotta give you a + for retopo, a + for shading and lighting, and a + for backstory. I've never given 3 +'s before...really nice job this week, Aaron 👏

    It may be wise to chill out away from Blender for a week or 2. Don't burn out!

  • Jack (jack07) replied

    @theluthier It was a fiery discussion between the third and fourth installment, but in the end we all agreed that 4 was the top one, with a good balance of action and horror. Until 7 came out.

    Thanks for the A! These classes are so enjoyable, wish I had have more time to spend here! When is the survey for the october class going to be live? :P

  • Aaron Rudderham(thecabbagedetective) replied

    @theluthier Wow... don't really know what to say, other than thank you very much naturally. It's definitely been a ride, this is the most I've worked on Blender, putting in 8+ hours a day for the past 3 weeks. You're definitely right about having a break as well, but after showing some of my friends the work I've produced this month I've been "hired", so to speak, so I can't rest for too long haha.

  • Jake Korosi(jakeblended) replied

    @theluthier I think it would probably be better to go ahead and do the usual beginner class for the current version in August, and just take advantage of the beta period to familiarize yourself with 2.8 in the background.  The first release candidate isn't due out until October and even that isn't "the" "official" final 2.8 release necessarily, so if you put off the beginner course until after 2.8 who knows how long you might have to wait before you're able to do it?

    It may end up that you do the beginner class in August, the shading class in October, and the first 2.8 beginner course in December or even start off January with it - new year, new Blender! - but I don't think anyone would mind, I suspect that first 2.8 beginner course will be very very popular.  

  • Greg McKim(doulos4iesou) replied

    thecabbagedetective

    Hey Aaron that is an awesome tank.

  • Kent Trammell replied

    benkroft Isn't this your fourth or fifth sculpt this week? It's awesome that you've found it so enjoyable! And your quality keeps pushing foward. Great job, Tobias. You've earned an extra + for you grade this week.

  • Kent Trammell replied

    mmrdojo That's a good word. Avoiding burnout, taking a break, and coming back fresh is an important discipline to learn.

  • Kent Trammell replied

    ullreym Woah. That's deep.

  • Kent Trammell replied

    jakeblended Over night I've actually been thinking of using the 2.8 alpha for the August class. Since the class only covers basic/essential Blender things, in theory the alpha should be plenty capable at that capacity. But I need to play with it more first to confirm. It'd be cool to get a jumpstart on 2.8 rather than be late to the party so to speak.

  • Tobias Schmid(benkroft) replied

    @theluthier Yes this was my fifth sculpt. Feeled good to do a car-desin. Igot a tablet 5 years ago but never used it, just when i got it do draw some 2d stuff. But finally i gave it another try to Setup the tablet for 3d and get a habit of using it. And after 1,5 weeks it was totally the right decicion. Im currently watching the week 2 stream from the march sculpting Class. I will continue on Caracters. Thumbs up for all your sculpting tutorials.

  • Darren McBain(oboshape) replied

    @theluthier just grabbing 2.8 to have a little gander as well, test with some little stuff over the next few weeks.

  • Bauke Post(baukepost) replied

    thecabbagedetective 8 hours a day?! Do you already have vacation or something?

  • Bauke Post(baukepost) replied

    If anyone is interested, you can check out the other thread in the community for vehicle texturing. I thought that would make things a bit more organized. https://cgcookie.com/t/1331-vehicle-texturing-shading-with-blender

  • Jake Korosi(jakeblended) replied

    @theluthier oboshape now there's an idea.  Gotta make sure the alpha isn't too crashy, though.  So far it has given me trouble when I try to open those huge example files that they made available late last year; but just opening it up, adjusting settings, and building simple things, it seems fairly stable (famous last words).

  • Aaron Rudderham(thecabbagedetective) replied

    ddoulos4iesou Why ta very much!

  • Aaron Rudderham(thecabbagedetective) replied

    baukepost Nah not quite. Finished school a while ago so my time spent "working" has been studying for any exams I can take, keeping the house in shape and trying to find a job for the time being. Ideally I'd like to make this my job hence my dedication, but I really need to learn how to manage my time more effectively. Outside of my basic needs and my non-Blender work (sometimes even forgetting to do that) I pretty much haven't done anything outside of Blender. Also I should be more specific and say that the 8 hours is an average. Some days I'd forget (mostly) everything else and work like 12 hours whereas some I'd only work 5-6 due to either excess work or my love of Fallout worming its way back into my heart. Those extreme days were kinda rare though.

  • John Garrett(vapsman88) replied

    I wanted to say this was a great class, sorry not to be involved as much as I wanted to. Life and 2 week loss of Internet contributed to it. The camaraderie among participants was really great. The tips and critique among participants was also great. The quality of submissions was amazing and maybe a little intimidating.

    I plan to work on my chosen model and post a WIP thread in the Community soon. I am slower at modeling than most in this class but maybe regular working will bring the speed up.

    Also I am planning to take the August class. I have been sporadic in using Blender the last year or so and plan to devote regular time to it.

    Thanks Kent for a great class.

    ~John

  • Kent Trammell replied

    THUS ENDETH THE CLASS


    Best. Class. Yet. Vehicles were built, interiors detailed, designs conceptualized. I hope this class scratched your vehicle itch the way it has mine. At least the modeling...I've a new itch to shade and light vehicles 😎

    Consistency: Out of 46 total members that submitted homework, 16 submitted all 4 weeks. I want to commend those members:


    This Community tho: I've said it several times, but once more - The level of advice, critique, and encouragement from you - the members - in this class has been next level. Several of you have been active daily in the community thread answering questions and posting feedback on each other's work. I wish I had a community like this when I was learning! You know who you are. Thanks for making these classes such a great place to learn.

    Volunteer Instructor's Assistants: 3 galant members heeded the call and proved themselves very valuable resources to this class and to me. Thank you, VA's!


    Highest Grade: Aaron Rudderham takes home the most guacamole this month with 178 XP! Remember to check Zolt's Report Card to see how you did, if you like. Reminder that I calculated the total value for everyone based on this scale: F/- = 0, D = 10, C = 20, B = 30, A = 40, + = 5. Today I'm going to manually add those XP values to each of your accounts. 4451 total XP is about to rain down! 😱

    NOTE: If you see that I missed a grade, please let me know - I want you to get all the XP you've earned.

    Your Feedback is important! An effort to improve the class experience and give you a chance to cast your vote for future classes! Please take a moment to fill out this questionnaire if you don't mind 🙇🏻‍♂️

  • Aaron Rudderham(thecabbagedetective) replied

    @theluthier What a month! Questionnaire filled out, looking forward to doing this again in August. Been a tad lost these past couple days 'cause this is what I've almost exclusively been doing, guess it's time to reconnect with my other hobbies and studies. Well, until the next class anyways haha.


    This was my first class and I gotta say, being given deadlines and working simultaneously with a myriad of others really motivates you. Starting this class I thought I'd never be capable of doing half the things I did this month, so thanks to all of you who encouraged, critiqued and motivated me and many others.


    Looking forward to what you have in store for us next @theluthier,  and if we get a shading/lighting class I'm looking forward to seeing all of your creations come to life! It was a blast working alongside you all and I'll see you next time!


    Also as a sidenote I didn't get a notification for this message, though that may have been due to it being edited to include the @ instead.

  • Kent Trammell replied

    thecabbagedetective Thanks for filling out the questionnaire and for the feedback. You've been a big part of the class this month - It's a pleasure working alongside you as well 👊

    PS: I've made a note for our dev about the lack of notification. The post was too big for the editor and I had to post a 'placeholder' so I'm assuming adding @ mentions doesn't fire notifications as they do for the original post. Always something to fix 😅