Lights please!

In this part we add some detail to the car model. We will model the inner parts of the headlights. If you have created the wheels as a separate project, reload the Lamborghini. To make clear what we are modeling here, we show a nice render of the end product:

This is what we will be modeling

Start with creating a SDS rectangle that has the same shape as the Headlight Glass object. Before you start, make sure you set all of the car objects 'WF Inv' (wire frame invisible) except the Headlight Glass object. In top view, create a SDS rectangle, using the Subdivision tool. Set the Type to 'Polygonal' and leave the other parameters at their default values, as shown in the next image:

The Subdivision tool selected, all options set

Use the Headlight Glass object as a template. Use all four corners, so the shape of the face you create has the same dimensions as the Headlight Glass object. After four clicks a new SDS face is created. Then click 'Accept' (or select Accept from the Right Mouse button pop-up menu) to finish the tool. A new object is added to the hierarchy.

Four clicks and you have a new SDS face

The face now has a rather rigid structure. To fix that, we need to apply the Smooth tool from the SDS toolbar.

The smooth tool in the SDS tool bar

Select the SDS object in the Select window, apply the Smooth tool two times, to divide the large SDS face in more smaller faces.

Smooth tool applied twice

The object now consists of 16 faces. To make room for the actual light sources, we need to transform the face into a box which has no top lid. Take a front view, select all faces and apply the Extrude tool from the SDS tool bar.

The Extrude tool

After the extrude you get a hollow box with no top lid, which is exactly what we need to continue.

Extrude applied to all selected faces

Now apply some point editing, so the box fits into the Mudguard. Take a close look at the next screenshot, because this is what you're aiming for. Note that the corners of the object all have different heights and the box now gets more or less shaped like a ' wedge with a twist'. Rename your object to 'box'

The box is now ready

It is time to start modeling the shape of the space for the light sources. This will be 'Booleaned' out of the box. Start with a SDS cylinder. Use point editing to taper the last 3 rows of points of the cylinder a little bit (no sharp point, just taper the shape a little). Then place the cylinder so it overlaps a little at the rear of the box.

The cylinder overlaps at the rear of the box

Carefully move the cylinder in position. Note it sticks out on all sides, like shown in the next screenshot:

Cylinder in position

Select the box, press and hold the Shift key and then select the cylinder. Apply the Boolean 'Remove' from the Boolean menu to cut out the cylinder shape.

Apply the Boolean 'Remove'

The Boolean removes the cylinder from the box. Then after the Boolean operation, select the Box in the hierarchy and open the Property Window at the Gen tab. In the Volume section, set the 'Volume inverted' option. For the cylinder the 'Volume inverted' option and the 'Paint in Boolean Operations' option must be set. The next screenshot is a render, because the OGL display of Booleans is not accurate enough to properly show you what happens. The cylinder is cut out and also filled with new faces in the box:

The box after the cylinder has been removed (test render)

We need to cut out a second cylinder, which is also a little bigger. You can use a duplicate from the first cylinder. Open the Boolean level you just created. Now select the cylinder and duplicate it.

The second cylinder is a copy of the first one

Note that all objects inside the Boolean level are Wireframe Invisible (the names of the objects are written in Italics). Uncheck the WF Inv flag for the duplicated cylinder, so you now can easily move that one a little to the left (or right, depending where you cut out the first one). Then slightly increase it's size. When done, make it WF Inv again. If you now test render the scene, you will see that the Boolean operation also works for the second cylinder.

Two cylinders cut out from the box

As you can see in the reference image at the beginning of this chapter, the lights are partly covered. We will now model this cover. Create a SDS rectangle with a U value of 10 and V value of 2. Rename the object to Cover.

SDS rectangle with a U value of 10 and a V value of 2.

Use point editing to match the shape of the box. See next screenshot:

The cover matches the shape of the box

Next use some point editing to create some room for the second cylinder (also check with the reference image):

A small cut created using point editing

We must not forget the space for the Indicator Light. Go to Face Edit mode and select all faces of the cover and apply the Knife tool (see next screenshot). Then select the two faces at the left side (with the red dots in them in the screenshot) and subdivide them. While subdividing, use the 'Groups'  option:

Select the Groups option for the Subdivide tool!

Extra edge added. Faces selected and subdivided, to create room for the Indicator Light

The two faces are then Extruded downwards and slightly rotated:

The Indicator Light created

To give the Cover some depth, select the edges as shown in the next image and extrude these a little bit downwards, like you did before in earlier steps in the tutorial.

Select these edges and extrude them downwards just a little bit

Next detail is a small hole on the right side of the cover object. in top view, subdivide the face once, as shown in the next image. Then use point editing to move the points so they form a nice square. While point editing pay attention to the face that the cover object is not perfectly perpendicular to the view. This shows immediately when you move the points, because the surface starts to buckle. Simply take a side view, or front view to correct any errors.

This is where the hole comes; face subdivided, points moved to form a square

Next extrude the square face inwards and move it a little backwards to create the hole we need. The cover is done, time to save your work!

Face extruded inwards creates the hole we need

Now for the next part, the spot lights. They are made out of three parts. These are simply sets of  NURBS circles, which are skinned using the XSect tool. We create two separate objects (a rear end and a front end), because that is easier with texturing later on. When you have created the first spot light, duplicate it and resize it, so you have one bigger and one smaller spot light.

To start with the rear end: in Front view, create an 8 point NURBS circle, duplicate it twice and move the curves away a little. Select the first two curves and apply the XSect tool from the NURBS tool tab. A cylinder is created. In the hierarchy a new object called 'Mesh..' is added at the bottom.

Now for the front part: select the third curve and duplicate it. Move the duplicate (the fourth circle) a little, Then duplicate that one as well. Select the fifth circle move it away and size it down just a little using the Size tool in the Transformation tab. When applying the Size tool, also set the 'About pivot' option. Then, once more, duplicate the fifth circle, size it down again, just a little and move it inwards, into the spotlight. Repeat the last step again for the 7th circle. Then, select circle 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 (in that order) and apply the XSect tool and this is what you get (see next image):

Seven NURBS circles skinned to create the spot light

Now for the easy part: add a NURBS sphere and size it, so it fits in the opening at the front. Move it into position and you're done!

NURBS sphere added and moved into position

One more detail to fix: one spotlight is just a little bit bigger then the other one. The one directly under the Indicator light is the smaller one. Select it and size it down just a little bit and our test render of the completed headlight looks like this:

A render of the completed headlight

And don't forget to save your work before you continue!