The "What Are You Working On?" Thread

[stingray_SIX_TWO]

Thanks to @Ben O'Bro @A3DR and @AccAkut I now have working popup headlights. For anyone who's ever looking at this again the issue was animation export options in Blender.

Once you've exported the model with the empties and you go to export the empties only with animation you need to deselect all the boxes except 'Bake Animation'. Load it up in the editor, load the animation and then it works. Empty orientation, constraints, limits and scale are irrelevant as long as you have your keyframes set up correctly.

So say hello to the squinting eyes of the original 8:

The position and angle needs some adjustment but that won't be an issue now that I know how it works. Having two separate animations will also make creating a 'sleepy eye' easier.

(PS: This color is BMW-Weinrot - a non-metallic red and man does it work well on this Alpina!)

 

[stingray_SIX_TWO]

yes, same for all ksanim (like steering animation too). Stereo's blender plugin can actually directly export ksanim, no need to go through the KSEditor (makes testing much faster). Also newer Blender variants can't export the fbx format anymore that the Editor needs for animation.

As a follow up for others, I tried the plugin but it's not compatible with 2.79b and throws a syntax error. I see the benefit for testing so this would have been very useful but if you're playing around with animation you can also load your model into the editor and then export/load the animation only until you get it right. Once you do the editor will show any animated part in the default or zero position and display the rotation/scale axis of the animation.

 

[CC]

Thanks to @Ben O'Bro @A3DR and @AccAkut I now have working popup headlights. For anyone who's ever looking at this again the issue was animation export options in Blender.

Once you've exported the model with the empties and you go to export the empties only with animation you need to deselect all the boxes except 'Bake Animation'. Load it up in the editor, load the animation and then it works. Empty orientation, constraints, limits and scale are irrelevant as long as you have your keyframes set up correctly.

So say hello to the squinting eyes of the original 8:

The position and angle needs some adjustment but that won't be an issue now that I know how it works. Having two separate animations will also make creating a 'sleepy eye' easier.

(PS: This color is BMW-Weinrot - a non-metallic red and man does it work well on this Alpina!)

I’m sure this is the longest WIP car I ever saw in my life, year in year out I come to this thread and still you are posting WIP non stop with the same car,
Would love some Bio on it when you started it, what versions planned extras and such,
Honestly give the man a medal! Or when it’s released I’m sure we can all stretch to buying him a beer or two..,

 

[CC]

Thanks to @Ben O'Bro @A3DR and @AccAkut I now have working popup headlights. For anyone who's ever looking at this again the issue was animation export options in Blender.

Once you've exported the model with the empties and you go to export the empties only with animation you need to deselect all the boxes except 'Bake Animation'. Load it up in the editor, load the animation and then it works. Empty orientation, constraints, limits and scale are irrelevant as long as you have your keyframes set up correctly.

So say hello to the squinting eyes of the original 8:

The position and angle needs some adjustment but that won't be an issue now that I know how it works. Having two separate animations will also make creating a 'sleepy eye' easier.

(PS: This color is BMW-Weinrot - a non-metallic red and man does it work well on this Alpina!)

If you look here at this example I just cut quickly by hand so mind the crudeness of the geometry,
one of the main issues with game engines is triangles it renders them pretty bad even though the surfaces may well be flat it still struggles with them specially the AC engine,

like here this would work in most games,

If you look at the distance IE the length of the actual triangles they are way too long,
so the tricks I use is to either add a small ring support on each side and collapse them again to minimize the amount of triangles laying on the geometry surface,
like so

This technique massively reduces the so called triangle bug I use it where I can or where I know maybe there be be some issues laying on the geometry surface,
Also what I have been doing quite a lot past year or so like here on the inside is to totally collapse the entire stack this effect on the insides of everything dramatically reduces surface issues,

Its a little bit more work but the end results are far more advanced and cleaner looking,
I only mention this looking around the headlights you shown inside the showroom I can see the triangles, although like I say the surface may well be 100% flat and they are layed down correctly,
its simply the engine which is causing the issues the way it renders the geometry,

Tbh looking where that green dot is I added to me looks like a unwelded vertices,
but using these techniques above will greatly enhance the appearance and smoothing in these places.

 

[stingray_SIX_TWO]

If you look here at this example I just cut quickly by hand so mind the crudeness of the geometry,
one of the main issues with game engines is triangles it renders them pretty bad even though the surfaces may well be flat it still struggles with them specially the AC engine,

View attachment 383771
Tbh looking where that green dot is I added to me looks like a unwelded vertices,
but using these techniques above will greatly enhance the appearance and smoothing in these places.

That is super useful, thanks man! Will play around with these trouble zones to get them as smooth as possible.

The green dot area you mentioned is unwelded indeed as the car is currently in 'pieces' due to the different body panels of all the variants, CSi, Alpina, etc.

Here are 3 of the models in the showroom, the stock 850i in the background is model state circa mid-2019...

And that is pretty much the bio on the project, I'm modeling every variant of the E31 BMW including Alpinas, the M8 and some special builds like the one of the guy who gave me access to his personal car over the past weekend:

@A3DR recognize that wheel?

This one is an S62 conversion so powered by the E39 M5 engine - very well matched to the car and BMW was thinking of offering this as a final edition.

Apart from that there are no extras or specials. I measured every suspension component on this car now so getting the suspension right is a bit special but should be pretty accurate when it's done.

The real starting point is around Feb 2018. It's taken this long due to the very limited time I have to spend on it and I'm using the fact that this car includes every single gimmick imaginable for a road car (analog/digital displays, pop up headlights, rear wheel steering, no b pillar, a million buttons, complex exterior/interior shape) so I can be faster on the next one.

 

[Nicecuppatea]

As a follow up for others, I tried the plugin but it's not compatible with 2.79b and throws a syntax error.

If you go here and download the file at the end of the first post that version should work with 2.79b.

 

[Stereo]

Done with the front side dash modeling, still needs a couple textures (like making the big red button red). It's lucky AC doesn't do animated H-pattern shifters right cause this one would be fairly annoying to animate, the long bar slides forward and backward while the handle pivots off the little link underneath, which can move left/right when the handle is tilted.

 

[Davide Nativo]

AC doesn't do animated H-pattern shifters right

the Lotus 49 has a H-pattern animation, I believe it is the only car. They didn't bother with any other car after that; or you meant that the animation system is broken per sé?

 

[Stereo]

I mean it's not based on any animation files, you just name the object and it moves it 2-3mm when you shift.

 

[Matt Evans]

Pessio found a way to do it on the Mini

 

[millen]

I've been working on this since ~November or so. First attempt at track modding, still taking baby steps with Blender....

Oh My, this looks amazing!
Stunning & inspiring...
Fantastic work, I love a good fictional track...

Can't wait to lap this mate. How long is the circuit?

 

[Ryno917]

Oh My, this looks amazing!
Stunning & inspiring...
Fantastic work, I love a good fictional track...

Can't wait to lap this mate. How long is the circuit?

Thanks! It's about 5.25km. I'm about average and a GT3 lap for me is around 1:54 at race pace.

 

[HenkySA]

 

[stingray_SIX_TWO]

View attachment 384107

I respect the work man and your renders and scenes are beyond impeccable as usual but I have to say vee dub and F1...not my cup of tea. Seeing the logo and everything I associate with it (based on the products and driving experience) let's just say it could not be further from the magic of Formula Uno. I hope we never get to see this in RL

 

[aphidgod]

"Magic."

 

[Matthew327]

I hope we never get to see this in RL

With VW shifting it's entire focus to electric mobility, I'd say, no need to worry about that.

 

[Michael Sandee]

I'm working on to make the pits a bit more lively, I always found that the pits had no life at all.
This is the pits of Canada wit the new pit building, it is still a heavy WIP.

This update won't be released here since it isn't in accordance with the rules, I will state here when it is done.

 

[The-IC]

I'm just here because @Ryno917 summoned me ...real track put these up literally last month, so was an opportunity to start getting my head around CSPs lights and mat adjustments...

 

[Stereo]

Normally I post in my flat-response PP filter, and I'm so used to it that I don't really notice anymore. It's like how stuff gets videotaped in raw, reduces the amount of clipping or underexposure.

It does look a bit different from how vanilla or normal sol extra looks though... and this isn't even a particularly strong filter, it's just the built in Natural.

At least it's marginally new enough that this isn't the norm.

 

[chili pepper]

Can't wait to lap this mate.

This...

...with this.