How do complex 3D models (like cars) originate?

[ronll]

I have a lot of experience in surface modeling architectural type shapes, and I have played a bit with solids, nurbs, Rhino, Sketchup etc. But I am blown away by the accuracy of some models I have seen, especially cars. I can understand how they are built, but where do the model builders get the info about the shape and dimensions? Do they laser scan an actual car or do they get the points from the original manufacturer's designs?

[epelj1]

Check out http://www.the-blueprints.com and http://www.smcars.net

 

I'd love to be able to do something like that, I just don't have the patience.

[ronll]

Holy cow!. From glancing at those sites it appears that these things are made by hand from scratch! I really thought that they were laser scanned or something.

[epelj1]

Also, check out http://www.3dartistonline.com/tutorials.php Go to Issue 10 and download the "American Muscle Car" tutorial.

 

There are lots of tutorials out there, but this is the most comprehensive (read: dumbed-down) one I've found.

[ronll]

Thanks for the info Jason. Like you, I don't have the patience to do that but it's fascinating to see the process.

[Bruce Hart]

Another blueprints site:

http://www.suurland.com/

[alrawli]

Also alot of car models used for TV adverts are derived from the actual CAD data used to manufacture the cars.

[Brodie Geers]

Wow, really cool stuff. I hope this isn't off-topic, but are there similar sites for architecture? Either free blueprints or cheap ones geared more towards modeling rather than building?

 

-Brodie