Autonomous SRX rendering

[Telos]

Hey Everyone,
Great stuff here, all around. Now that DARPA has released information about their next competition, our research team has begun work on creating a new autonomous vehicle. Right now, we have a Cadillac SRX that is partially autonomous, but we hope to get a new one and convert it to fully autonomous, traffic-safe behavior, as specified in the Urban Challenge rules. I have put together a concept rendering for our team to use in proposals for sponsors and funding.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/talberi/SRXfinal.jpg

Took about 12 hours to sketch and render in Photoshop CS.

We're not totally sure if this is the vehicle we will use, but we'll probably know for sure in the next few months.

[Greg L]

The simplicity and precision of this is really beautiful.

Can you tell us a bit about your Photoshop technique?

[Telos]

Thanks for the compliment.

For photoshop techniques, it's a lot of masking, using the burn tool (for shadows), and using the dodge tool (for highlights). The light reflections are a separate layer, with varying opacities. In all, there are around 50 layers on this piece (a rough estimate), most of them being visible. There are a few gradients used (front chrome grill and tires). I also made separate layers for the sunshine on the right side and the dusk reflection on the left. This just makes the picture look a lot cooler. Let me know if you have any specific questions on my technique.

[_Mario]

Aren't there vectorizing tools that can convert pixel images to vector images that look similiar to this finished piece in much less than 12 hours? Especially if the result is not that different.

I don't know what of the following is my personal opinion and what is critique. But it look much too artificial (that being the main part that let's this whole post drift in the personal opinion direction :\). Especially the lighting on the engine hood looks wrong. I can only guess the form of the hood. And the white to black rendering on the front looks too artificial. The side looks nice except the white line highlight at the bottom, the side has this sunny yellow in it's highlights and then there is this pure white/grey down there. It doesn's fit with the rest of the highlights. The casing above the windshield and below the headlight look tacked on. In contrast to this the side has nice panel lines.

[D.Labruyere]

http://www.cadillacforums.com/cadillac-models/srx.jpg

I don't see why you would use a reference this exact. . .

edit:; oops my bad telos, it's a different car :) I must be blind. I am very sorry. It's a nice pic but I have to agree with the other people, it looks too artificial..

[Telos]

Thanks for the cruitiques, guys!

And yes, Haldor, I did use that picture as the reference for my base sketch.

Mario, excellent comments, and I agree with many of them. The bottom side highlight actually is the same color as the other highlights on the side, but I guess it doesn't really look like it from the colors that surround it. With the windsheild, can you think of a way to make it look less artificial? I tried several things to make it look better, but unfortunately, this is the best I could come up with. Any guidance you could give me would be awesome.

[Firebirdstation]

well, I'm studying an automotive design.
one thing I noticed about your windows is that it's not transparent, like that photo. you need to keep it reflective, but transparent at same time.

since you have the photo, why not use it?
instead of rendering it out the whole car with Autonomouse (concept parts),
just render the Autonomouse part on the picture, that'll be easier, as long as that photo is Non-copy righted.