Car Trim
Windshield - Page 1
I think it is safe to assume that everyone will be happy to have a windshield on this car, after all this work. Not only does it make it look dramatically more complete, but it is a great way to keep bugs out of one's teeth on those long highway cruises... ?
The windshield is easy to get started - it relies on using pre-existing geometry from the front of the cab edge. Using these polygons not only serves as a shortcut, ensuring the work we need to do is easier to start, but it also ensures that the windshield meets the forward cab edge with the correct fit.
Use the polygon selection tool on the front portion of the car body to select the narrow strip of polygons that run from the middle of the car (symmetrical plane) to the joint where the forward cab edge meets the door panel.
Using the point tools, check to make sure all points are properly aligned so the windshield surface covers the forward cab edge sufficiently. (It already mostly should, but here I adjusted the points on the end to facilitate the addition of more base surface.)
I wanted the windshield to 'wrap' further around the forward cab edge, so I manipulated the end points of the existing end polygon so another end polygon could be adjoined to the surface and maintain the wraparound curvature of the windshield out over the first few inches of the door panel.
I also copied and pasted two sets of these end points in the structure manager and aligned them to continue the windshield base surface over the door.
Using the bridge tool, make the polygons on the end of the windshield surface to carry the surface around the cab edge curvature and a little way onto the door panel.
Select all polygons of this surface nowand reverse the normals so the normals point downwards towards the car surface. Use the structure manager to copy and paste these polygons. Reverse the normals again of the initially selected polygons, and extrude a couple times so that a solid "strip" is formed. To keep the edge sharp on the end of the windshield, you may need to add a narrow knifecut to the very tip of the end polygon.
Keep the same polygons selected and extrude once more, extruding far enough from the original surface to give yourself plenty of room to work...
...because the polygons at the top of this extrusion will now be rotated on their X-axis so the polygons form what is essentially the 'back' of the upright portion of the window frame. Once the polygons are approximately vertical, move them into position so that the two ends (above the door panel) almost meet.
Using the point tools & polygon tools, individually adjust certain portions of the upright frame to better approximate the shape of the windshield. '50's model cars tend to have fairly upright looking windshields in my opinion...
Make sure all the polygons on the rear-facing edge of the windshield object are selected...
...then use the extrude tool to create the frame thickness. The rear frame should be about as thick as you made the bottom frame.
For a little clarification on what I'm talking about, take a look at the polygon structure in the example picture. The frame is defined by the narrow extrusions at the cab edge, and along the vertical back edge. The glass will be formed from the polygons between.
Use the split command to set the polygons up as a new HyperNURBS object, and label it appropriately. This new thin polygonal surface will form the starting surface of the windshield object.
Of course, there is a small amount of work left to be done...
Since we have been using the extrude tool all along we'll have extra polygons along the plane of symmetry that must be eliminated. Select polygons that lie on the plane of symmetry and delete them.
To see the offending polygons easier, just rotate the view and temporarily disable the Symmetry object.
Here I am just taking a little more opportunity to adjust the general shape of the windshield to my liking using point manipulation.
To reduce the work required (and maintain appropriate spacing between all points), make sure you select all the points that define the frame corners you want to adjust.