I started my virtual RC collection in 2005. At that time I modeled with Sketchup 4 I think…
Sketchup was already a wonderful tool but now with all the plugins and scripts it’s able to tackle nearly any 3D challenge: polymodeling / UV unwrapping / texturing / animation / rendering / node based parametric modeling, etc.
My first model was the Kyosho Javelin, an RC car I had as a kid in 1987. There was a craze amongst kids with radiocontrolled electric powered buggies in the mid eighties (just before the videogame craze) and I remember having wonderful racing and bashing times with friends at school, parks or in backyards.
I modeled it entirely with SU4 native tools.
At that time (2005) I had a lot of fun with the multiple render options of SU (wireframe, lines, outlines, shadows, Zdepth, colors, shaded, monochrome, etc.). It allowed for plenty of expressive variations.
Here a Kyosho Optima (basically a Kyosho Javelin with a lexan body).
Eventually I tried to model the lexan body with VertexTools+QuadFace Tools+SubD…
In the meantime I also learned to use WrapR and Substance Painter to paint my bodies.
The Kyosho Optima Mid (1988), Turbo Optima Mid (1988) and Turbo Optima Mid Special Edition (1989)
Just variations on the Optima Mid base… rendered with Thea Render.
I rendered the images with Thea Render at 6000px large. Here’s a closeup of what the combo Sketchup+TheaRender is capable of. (love the dust speckles on the fiberglass radio plate)
Chassis shot the Kyosho Optima Mid long wheelbase (in 1989 the trend following the IFMAR Worlds Championship was long wheelbase for a better handling during long successive bump racing circuits)
Kyosho Optima Mid long wheelbase side by side shot. (Turbo Optima Mid SP and Optima Mid Custom) in a warehouse. Sketchup + VT + QFT + SubD + WrapR + Substance Painter > SU + Thea Render
I designed a custom chassis based on the Optima Mid drivetrain x Kyosho Ultima spaceframe chassis.
A good example of the use of VertexTools/QuadFaceTools/SubD for the modeling.
Thanks! Weathering effects in Vray? you could probably add a vrayedge texture to get some fake smoothing on the sharp edges, and add another dirt layer in the shader but I simply do that in Substance Painter, it’s easier to manage and faster to render because it will be baked in the textures…?
To do that, you need to have a clean UV map thus ideally pass thru the unwrap phase. The simplest is to stay within sketchup realm and use WrapR of course but it can be a bit slow if your quad model is heavy. If my model is too complex I export to RizomUV to do my unwrapping.
