prefer a free or trail one so i can learn or experiment first, is just for my own use, anyone have a suggestion(s)? what program(s) will allow me to convert 2D drawings, to 3D images? like these examples: thanks Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Not apples to apples, but I have ArchiCAD, a program meant specifically for architects. Draw in 2D window and 3D image is simultaneously created, 3D can be viewed and edited on opening 3D window. 2D and 3D windows can be also open and editable at the same time on two screens. I purchased this in 2000 and certainly similar general purpose or car design apps are now widely available but I don't know what's for free...you might check out Google Sketchup as a starter.
I'd recommend taking a look at Modo 601. No program will do that for you. What you see above is a common technique for spline modeling cars that people use when they already have the orthographic drawings. For concepts, I'd recommend drawing them by hand. It's easier, faster, and cheaper. You could always bring you drawing into photoshop and make it appeared 3d rendered as Scott Robertson does.
It could be done with ArchiCAD. The software is widely used by architects and engineers for both design and production drawings of the wildly freeform buildings currently in vogue but the entry price is $6K or more now. I paid $4K for mine in 2000 and though ten or more versions out of date it's capable as-is but a steep learning process required to do complex curved shape 3D objects. Easy enough to say for a master of the art but freehand drawings of that level of precision are beyond the capability of most.
Indeed. And there's no way round that IMO. S/W can help you 'cheat' some, but artistic talent is still required if you want turn out 'real' images. Cheers, Ian
yes & yes after the drawing,scan it into PS/Alias/Sketchbook,etc. or some other "design/graphics" program
that certainly sounds like the capability i want, thank you, but that cost is prohibative, this is just for my own ideation uses ....last architecture program i used was autocad 12, when taking some drafting (when the school drafting room had all tables and pencils still), until a friend stole it on me!
ok i will check that out, i may be reaching, im not entirely sure what all programs are capable of this, variety, cost, etc. so reason for asking Software review | modo 601 | 3D World my reason is actually to reduce my design/drawing cycles, and generate larger more accurate 3D outlines ...from there i can do as a digital rendering, or use as outline for manual rendering we all know that manually sketching a 3D image doesn't ensure that all it's shapes are correct from the 2D profiles, and visa versa, and that accuracy is what i'm after ....renderings can lie, i believe has been said before then i can take a quick sketch (like below), plug in 2D profile drawings, and view & manipulate them for the 3D view i thought maybe there were perhaps some more accessible programs capable of this available? Image Unavailable, Please Login
indeed, but that isn't my purpose, see above post you're of course correct John, for making a digital full color rendering from a line sketch, see my above post, i'm trying to generate a more accurate 3D image from 2D profile sketches it's hard to explain, but so many designs we see, look correct in 3D, proportions, shapes, etc, then iff you see the resulting 2D profile of that same design, you wonder why it looks odd i know that beautiful renderings can be made to llok how ever an artist want them to be, but i'm trying to now work in that are where i am can look at what my 'nice' 2D sketch looks like in 3D accurately (more accurately than to manually draw it out)
here's an example, this 3D drawing can take hours to make outline of, which then in turn is used as guide for a color rendering which is fine for drawing out an existing car, but for new design sketches, then it would become a drawn out labor to make the accurate 2D/3D images to jive, then to color render, only to see needed changes, and go though the cycle over again Image Unavailable, Please Login
You will need a program that understands splines/nurbs. Use the 2d view to create, or import in from PS, whatever. Switch to 3d view and apply skins and lighting to see a somewhat realistic view. It's not trivial to do this, but you can get reasonably proficient and quick with practice.
i dont know what that means? can you suggest a starter program i've been seeing trial version of rhino online? exactly, i am trying to find the right place to start and build practise, i've been using sketchbook recently, but it doesnt have this capability
Are you mac or PC based? Feel free to PM or email me for more info regarding software. I think if you did the drawings above you are capable of doing what I spoke of. I understand what you are talking about but the truth is you're putting the cart before the horse. Spend your time sketching your ideas, focus on your form development. You can post your sketches here or send them to me. I'm sure Jm2 will happily guide you as well. THEN when you have a solid concept you can go to a 3d package and nail it. I'm not trying to discourage you, I used to want to go to 3d right away also but I quickly learned if you don't have the fundamentals down it will be 100x more difficult.
ah ha,as we tell aspiring students......THIS is what separates the 'men from the boys',or to quote another designer....."I'll meet you in the clay"..... Flashy sketches are one thing,but an understanding of surface & form are another thing alltogether. This is something that takes awhile to come to terms with for people just starting out in design. Just because you do a fantastic looking rendering/sketch.....putting it into 3D,is another story.
I use Rhino 3D for any kind of 3D modeling as well as Modo 601 for texturing, rendering. Rhino is a NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines) modeler which generates accurate curves which can be used to manufacture models or, once the model is finished, use it to generate views to be used in 2D renderings. Both Modo and Rhino are under 1000.00 US and have trial versions available. Another possibility is MOI and Rhino-like NURBS modeler. Modo is a Sub-division surface modeler (uses simple polygon shapes to generate complex models once smoothing is activated. This is a little complex for someone new to 3D modeling, but once proficient you can make very complex models.
PC i did once before when you offered but never heard back yes, are my sketches, the #8 post was intentionally cartoonish, but i mean only to show that i understand the 3D illustrating i also know i'm not nearly as proficient as many people, i tend to spend less time sketching really, there are so many amazing sketches posted by people, but to do the same would take me hours probably i'm trying to shorten my exploration time of the 3D surface work from my sketches, but it's looking like that route might be even more time consuming actually?
i was actually thinking of a post, where i think was you and Jeff commenting similar, something about the 'show day to execs' where the design staff made 'wow' type illustrations, but in examination were not buildable as illustrated, and how the 'wow' illustrations still would win notice over the more realistic ones it's hard to explain, but my idea was if somehow i could do my 2D sketches, plug them in to a program, get a 3D outline (or wire frame) generated, print that and manually fill in the surface detailing/shading all in effort to reduce my drawing time, so instead having the computer produce the accurate 3D image/perspective for me then i could make multiple small changes to my 2D souce, re-print the 3D frame, and be able to examine + evolve the surfaces in multiples that way?
very good info, thank you it sounds like trying a trail version of the Rhino may be my best first step then?
Sorry Jeremy, I'm bad with following up on PM's. I went back and only found one that you sent, hopefully I didn't miss a bunch. Just so you know Modo 601 is about to be upgraded to 701 and when it does the price is going up. IIRC modo 601 is around $1,100 for an individual license. I prefer Modo because it has a very simple HDRE package to light your cars which is the hardest thing to do. They also have a PAD for transportation design that will give you hundreds of pre built textures and surfaces for cars such as paints, metals, plastics, carbon fiber, glass, etc. It's no Alias but it doesn't sound like that's what you need anyways I've found modeling things in 3d is time consuming but getting them to look real thru texturing and environment lighting is 100x more time consuming. Unfortunately there is no route that doesn't involve a lot of time wether its drawing by hand or 3d. Check out their site for tutorials of how to do exactly what you are speaking of.
i'm not sure, i've cleared out my pms since then, is ok it sounds amazing, and eventually i'l get to that point, all digital rendering, i cant justify spending on that much $ at the moment, but i have just downloaded the the trail for Rhino, so guess i'm going to get my feet wet for the moment, before i get into digital rendering of surfaces, my immediate goal is to generate wire-frame 3D of my initial sketches, and draw in manually from there
I understand your desire. While that type of program doesn't exist quite yet,maybe in the future. Remember to turn a 2D sketch into a 3D object requires a definition of all the nuances of what the surfaces are doing in all 3 views. This is where many students come up short.They don't resolve all 3 views so that they understand exactly what the surfaces are doing. The famous Italian houses used to design 3 views orthographically so that the body formers knew exactly what the designer intended. No fancy sketches,just a clear definition of what the designer wanted. Look at some of the old Pininfarina,Giugiaro,Bertone designs from the 50's & '60's and you'll see what I'm referring to.
yes that would be great, i do realize i can't plug in a few 2D plan views and have a fully shaped 3D, i do get that, i'm just searching out how to reduce my work/drawing load & spend the time on shape development, rather than getting my illustration's basic perspective & contours exact so even a basic 3D wireframe will have the correct contours & perspective from the 2D plan views, from which i can further draw in/ fill in the surface shapes ...i guess what i'm trying to achieve, is getting around my own illustrations lying to me (so to speak) ...i'm going to have to give it more thought?! ortho yes, i know i can do that manually, i've drawn lots of ortho projections, i took mechanical & architectural drafting classes in school, i still have ortho (diamond) graph paper too, again, it's just the reduced cycle time i'm chasing i've just uploaded trail of both sketchup & rhino, so i'm going to start playing with those thanks John
It's amusing when one of the students asks if they can forego doing a clay model,and just do an Alias or PS sketch/rendering of their design. The answer is the construction of a clay model is non-negotiable. We're not looking to see if the students can make a clay model. The goal is to force them to get an understanding of their design in 3 dimensions. Get them to think through when they are in the sketch phase how their design will look in all views,not just the angle they chose to sketch/render. They'll usually whine and say that once they get jobs,someone else is going to be doing the modelling,and they're right................but they better have a level of confidence as to how they want the design to look,otherwise the sculptor will do it for them!
