Disc Brake

[Boxster]

Ok guys,

 

How would I go about creating a Disc Brake like this one?

 

[attachmentid=19942]

 

Any help is much appreciated!

 

Kel

[ddustin]

Ok guys,

 

How would I go about creating a Disc Brake like this one?

 

[attachmentid=19942]

 

Any help is much appreciated!

 

Kel

 

What is the end use?

 

If it is going to be looked at closely, then you'll want to model it.

 

If it will be viewed from a distance, you could use something called a transparency decal.

A transparency decal is usually a black and white image. The black becomes transparent and the white is visible. You can create one in PhotoShop or even in AM.

 

David

[MMZ_TimeLord]

If it's for a still image, I would suggest a disk with lots of little booleans. I modeled a cross-drilled and slotted rotor for a car and it was a pain.

 

Looking back I would use booleans if I make another one.

 

Here is the way mine turned out...

 

[attachmentid=19943]

 

Oh, here's a quick wireframe I just grabbed...

 

Just to give you an idea of how complex it is if you model it.

 

[attachmentid=19944]

[ddustin]

If it's for a still image, I would suggest a disk with lots of little booleans. I modeled a cross-drilled and slotted rotor for a car and it was a pain.

 

Looking back I would use booleans if I make another one.

 

Here is the way mine turned out...

 

[attachmentid=19943]

 

Jody,

If you use boleans, won't you see the inside of the rotor model?

 

I had always heard that boleans created "unusual" results.....

 

Very nice model BTW, can you post a wireframe?

 

David

[MMZ_TimeLord]

Actually if you use booleans, it will create a surface where the boolean is cutting through... so it looks solid.

 

I didn't use booleans on the rotor... but the caliper with it's bolts has booleans in it... for the bolt recesses. Also there is one large boolean around the tire to clean up the tread.

 

For stills, I really like booleans... if you want a wireframe of the whole exploded view... Here you go...

 

[attachmentid=19948]

[ddustin]

Actually if you use booleans, it will create a surface where the boolean is cutting through... so it looks solid.

 

I didn't use booleans on the rotor... but the caliper with it's bolts has booleans in it... for the bolt recesses. Also there is one large boolean around the tire to clean up the tread.

 

For stills, I really like booleans... if you want a wireframe of the whole exploded view... Here you go...

 

[attachmentid=19948]

 

Jody,

I don't remember if it was in one of the books I read or where exactly I saw it, but I do remember something about animations booleans and unexpected results.....

 

It might have been with a lot earlier version.

 

Nice wireframe!

 

David

[MMZ_TimeLord]

I do remember having some problems back on version 7 or 9... but I forget... it's moot now as I have not had any issues with them.

 

One thing I haven't tried is letting a boolean from one model pass through another to see if it would affect it. My presumption is that it should not, but ... as you said, unexpected things...

 

Boxster... back on topic... I think that David is correct when he says use a transparency map. Just remember this will NOT give you sides through the holes, so it will just appear as a paper thin hollow disc with holes in it. If it's going to be seen in detail for a still, i would use booleans.

[Boxster]

Thanks for the help guys. I'd like this to be as detailed as possible so I'd prefer not to use the transperancy method.

 

However... I'm very new to A:M... and all this boolean talk is a little above my head. But I'm gonna stick with it and figure it out.

 

Are there any good tutorials on cutting holes with booleans?

 

Thanks again.

 

Kel

[MMZ_TimeLord]

I'm not sure about tutorials, I'd have to search for them.

 

I know that you have to make a group and assign any patchs/CPs to that group... then add a bone (I call mine 'Cutter1' or 'Boolean1', etc.) then you must turn on the option in the bone properties that specifies it's a boolean cutter.

 

Now anything you want to appear inside this boolean cutter must have it's own group and bone and be a child of the boolean in order to show up. If it's not, the boolean cutter will cut that also.

 

As you can see on the caliper I did in the wireframe, there are small cylinders where the fasteners/bolts are, those are boolean cutters. As Martin stated they do not show up in realtime renders and so they show their true shape. When final rendered, they are invisible and only serve to 'cut' whatever they intersect.

 

Inside of those cylinders are the bolts and they are grouped and on a bone that is a child of the boolean cutter bone.

 

If you need pictures, I'll grab some when I get to work.

 

Cheers!

[Eric2575]

Nice modeling on that disk brake setup Jody!

[Stuart Rogers]

I don't use booleans very often, but in the right situation they can save you a lot of work.

Here's my quick and dirty attempt at a brake disc using booleans...

[attachmentid=19993]

...and the zipped V13 project file: [attachmentid=19994]

Notes for this project:

1. All the boolean cutters are assigned to the BrakeDiscHoles bone

2. The BrakeDiscHoles bone is a child of the BrakeDisc bone so that the holes move with the brake disc

3. The material on the face of the disc show that the holes don't take on the attributes of the surface they cut into. Rather, they take on the attributes of the boolean cutter surface

4. The boolean cutters are closed on all sides - there aren't any holes in them.

BooleanBrakeDisc.zip

[ddustin]

Very nice Stuart.

 

Are you saying the normal map (assumption) on the rotor surface does not apply to the boolean hole (good thing I would think)?

 

David

[Stuart Rogers]

Are you saying the normal map (assumption) on the rotor surface does not apply to the boolean hole (good thing I would think)?

Yes, and the bump (not normal) comes from the material - I should have exposed more of the various settings for the screen shot.

[ddustin]

Are you saying the normal map (assumption) on the rotor surface does not apply to the boolean hole (good thing I would think)?

Yes, and the bump (not normal) comes from the material - I should have exposed more of the various settings for the screen shot.

 

Have you used the normal material plugin?

I used it the other day and it worked great.

 

David

[Stuart Rogers]

Have you used the normal material plugin?

I used it the other day and it worked great.

Not yet, but it's only a matter of time - I'm really impressed with some of the normal map work some people have produced here.

[ddustin]

Have you used the normal material plugin?

I used it the other day and it worked great.

Not yet, but it's only a matter of time - I'm really impressed with some of the normal map work some people have produced here.

 

What I mean't was the normal map plugin to make a normal map from geometry.

 

I have fought with ways to create rolls of material that looked good.

The normal map plugin worked very well. I created the geometry, made a normal material, rendered it out, then brough it back in as a normal map.

 

David

[Stuart Rogers]

What I mean't was the normal map plugin to make a normal map from geometry.

Ah, I mis-read you. No, I haven't used it yet, but I can see how it could be very useful for creating fine detail - especially for those of us who aren't so handy with Photoshop! (I think we're wandering off-topic a bit here...!)

[MMZ_TimeLord]

Nicely done Stuart... that should help Boxster out.

[the_black_mage]

what you could do is apply a bummap have the areas where the holes are supposed to be go inward, then apply the transparency map a little smaller than the bump map and apply that.