After my first attempt of modeling the track i realized the design needed to be revisited due to length. I researched more accurate maps of the existing tracks and redrew "The Den" and added several supplementary corners to fix the strange kink between the Karusell section and The Corkscrew.
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The Den Carrying the RIT Tigers theme from my helmet livery, "The Den" is the affectionately named test track for the Rochester Institute of Technology. Short in length, fast, and comprised of some of the most famous corners in racing, The Den serves as the backdrop for the testing of the Formula X project. During week 7 I took some time to shift gears. Much of the pre-production for the car is complete so I decided to focus my efforts on designing the test track environment for the final animation. Concept Much like the design of the car, I want the track to serve a purpose besides being a backdrop for the animation. I wanted to create a track that incorporated iconic and technical turns from existing F1 circuits. Here are a few of the locations I looked at in my research. Leguna Seca: The Corkscrew Possible the most difficult corner in all of motor racing, the corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Leguna Seca combines all the features of a corner that make racing difficult. A blind apex, steep elevation change, and high-speed chicane make it a true test of a car's engineering and a driver's confidence. Monaco: The Swimming Pool Chicane The tight narrow turns of the Monaco street circuit are legendary in the world of racing with corners that change directions Spa Francorshamps: Eau Rouge The high speed circuit of Spa is home to the left-right combination of Eau Rouge Radillion, a high-speed corner with an elevation change of almost 40 meters from beginning to end. Nurburgring Nordschleife: Karusell One of the oldest tracks in modern racing The Nurburgring is also one of the longest at 13 miles. The Karusell in particular would work well for this project because of it's hybrid "half-banked" hairpin which has tested the boundaries of grip for even the most advanced race cars. This week I completed a couple of smaller assets for my Hard Surface modeling class which I will be using for thesis. I also completed a new draft of my thesis pitch.
This week I focused on trying to visualize the body of the car. First sketch of the body Mood board to research visual elements features from other designs
With direct feedback and suggestions from the Formula SAE team, I've begun my first round of concept drawings and illustrations. To make optimal use of my time I've proposed using other classes in this semester to build assets/environments for this project. Comparative illustration of hybrid power layout of current F1 cars vs. Formula X
SRT Tomahawk concept car by Dodge -Representative of my vision for the final video deliverable - Having chosen to go with Idea 3, "The What If F1 Car", I moved forward with researching existing designs for reference. McLaren MP6-P by Nathan Dearsley For my thesis I have three ideas that I have been considering for the last year and a half.. All of these ideas involve Formula One because of my passion for Motorsport and the parallels of competition that can be drawn between that industry and that of 3D graphics. Ideas:
1. Chronological Racing Narrative Create an animation that narrated the spirit of competition I’ve experienced within the 3D major and how it has helped me grow as a designer. I would replicate the Monaco race track at MonteCarlo and animate a late 1960s F1 car going around.I would attempt to mimic a technique I observed this technical breakdown video and have components of the car transform into those of a more modern car. By the end of the animation the car would have converted from a 1967 McLaren M5A to a 1988 McLaren MP4/4 and finally to a modern 2015 Mclaren MP4-30. The final deliverable would be a video complete with sound and narration. 2. Formula One Tribute Still Life The new idea is to focus on creating realistic replications of the three previously mentioned cars and focus primarily on the transformation and narrative excluding the track and opting for a simpler environment. Here is a link to my Behance profile with final rendered images of the cars I constructed to use as well as a video of my attempt at the transformation. 3. The "What if?" Formula 1 car My third thesis idea would be to research the latest engineering technologies and apply them towards a hypothetical F1 design that would be far less restricted by the meticulous regulations of the existing governing body. Without access to actual engineering expertise, designing this vehicle would be very difficult. As such another major aspect of this idea would be to work with the RIT Formula SAE team to gain some real-world input on what kind of engineering solutions they would explore if they were designing this car. Here is a link to a Pinterest board I created with a variety of conceptual designs. They focus far more on the aesthetic of the design with less practical reasoning behind why they look as they do. |
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