3D art: Self designed buggy.

nutswinger · Jul 22, 2012

So, here's a buggy I'm designing for a free simulator called Rigs of Rods.

Some specs:
Dana60 with rockwell outters front and back :flipoff1:

Powerglide transmission
Atlas II transfercase
Chevy 350 sized v8 engine
Wrangler YJ front end
Comache tail lights
Poison spyder diff covers

It's not done yet, but please tell me what you think, and what can be done better:

5BrothersFabrication · Jul 23, 2012

What can be done better? Build it! :flipper:

Seriously tho, I wouldn't change a damn thing. Other rigs like this perform very well. Just got back from a werock event where about 4 rigs were pretty similar to yours, and I saw them roll to at least 55° before they even started to worry about flopping. Just remember, low CoG and you got it licked! :dblthumb:

Josh40601 · Jul 23, 2012

I say lose the YJ grille

uke: go to a 5.3 iron block motor with a car intake turned around where the filter is inside the passenger compartment. 4l60/80e with manual valve body.

As for the cage, axles, suspension design, I think you nailed it.

nutswinger · Jul 24, 2012

What's wrong with the YJ grille?
I was going to do a TJ grille, but I figured out that the YJ grille would be easier to model.

I will make another motor, this one was just an old one I modeled ages ago.

About building it; I can not really afford it right now, I got access to tools and such, but I'm too poor to buy stuff laughing1 . Though I'm looking for a small 4x4 car (sammi/vitara) to have some fun in.
They're dirt cheap where I live.

Josh40601 · Jul 24, 2012

I dunno, just never been a YJ fan. I like the other skins available better. That was just my opinion. I think that design with FJ grille, man that would look bad ass

Also, Comanche tails? Being on the corner, I see them not lasting very long.. Go with some type of LED on the back

nutswinger · Jul 24, 2012

Josh40601 said:
I dunno, just never been a YJ fan. I like the other skins available better. That was just my opinion. I think that design with FJ grille, man that would look bad ass

I'll try and fit a FJ front to see what it looks like.

Josh40601 said:
Also, Comanche tails? Being on the corner, I see them not lasting very long.. Go with some type of LED on the back

They're just "stickers" I thought about putting some kind of LED lightbar with brakelights etc. on the B-pilar

Josh40601 · Jul 25, 2012

I just looked up what the hell this rigs of Rods is. Damn son you got some skills! That's pretty awesome

nutswinger · Jul 25, 2012

Josh40601 said:
I just looked up what the hell this rigs of Rods is. Damn son you got some skills! That's pretty awesome

Well, I didn't make the game, I'm just working on making vehicles/content for it.
http://www.hardlinecrawlers.com/forums/index.php?topic=16937

As you can tell, I'm a bit of a jeep guy... laughing1

Josh40601 · Jul 25, 2012

I know you didn't make the game, but designing the vehicles can't be that easy

nutswinger · Jul 26, 2012

Josh40601 said:
I know you didn't make the game, but designing the vehicles can't be that easy

I've spent a fair amount of time looking trough build threads on here and pirate to see how people have solved the issues I encounter while designing.
And not to mention the scaling of various parts, I spend lots of time looking for the actual dimensions of the parts I model.

The ability to put your 3D models in the game isn't isn't the only thing that makes this simulator interesting, you actually have to design the structural chassis as well, and it's always a nice challenge to make everything work like it does in real life as much as possible.
The structural chassis consists of dots wich you have to connect to each other with lines to make a rigid construction.

Here's an image of such a structural construction:

It sure does look like a mess, but every "dot" has it's own purpose. Combining different weights for each dot and different strenghts and force needed to break/permanently deform the lines makes it a really flexible simulator capable of simulating the crumple zones in a car or setting up a realistic weight distribution.
Bending and even breaking a link is possible.

I always try to make everything move like it would do in real life. The steering linkage, brakediscs, anti rollbars and so on.

Here are the ARB's of a buggy I designed ages ago but never completely finished:

The shocks, ARB's, steering linkages and more on Tim Cameron's old Nasty girl buggy I made ages ago and never finished as well:

And if you are interested, here's a picture of that red buggy, it's totally over kill on the brakes I know laughing1
Not to mention the shitty headers and the drivetrain being slapped together inproperly :dunno:

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jprider · Jul 26, 2012

What software do you use?

nutswinger · Jul 27, 2012

jprider said:
What software do you use?

I use AC3D, 3dsmax is too expensive and blender just sucks.

For editing the structure I use notepad++ and a special made program called RoREditor.

jprider · Jul 27, 2012

I have solidworks but am unfamiliar with modeling tubing??

nutswinger · Jul 27, 2012

jprider said:
I have solidworks but am unfamiliar with modeling tubing??

I use solidworks at work, these models aren't CAD models, they are game models.

jprider · Jul 27, 2012

Oh! Kool!

nutswinger · Aug 1, 2012

I worked a bit more on the axles and steering, added some texturing and I decided to make a custom high steering setup with a single ended hydro.

I figured something was missing on top of the steering arms, so I simply pasted a logo on there:

After a while I found out it were the bolts that bolt on the high steer arm that I was missing :woot:

.

I still need to lenghten the arms because when I steer it right now the bar that connects left to right hits the diffcover laughing1 .

nutswinger · Aug 7, 2012

New:
-brakes (brembo with 14" discs)
-rims (still lacks bolts etc.)
-engine (6.0 vortec)
-minor fixes (had to make the engine fit)

Elliott · Aug 7, 2012

Can I ask how old you are and where you learned this ? That's some fine work

Josh40601 · Aug 7, 2012

I just got chub...

nutswinger · Aug 8, 2012

Elliott said:
Can I ask how old you are and where you learned this ? That's some fine work

Sure, I'm 18, and I learned this 3d program by myself. There isn't much documentation on this program compared to solidworks (or anything else from autodesk). The only thing you get is a bunch of tips that are shown randomly when you start up ac3d, so it was a lot of trial and error.

Thanks

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