Build a Car in Blender for Racer - version 0.15
by Bob Hojaboom - June 19, 2006 - September 10, 2008
Software used in this Tutorial:
3D Modelling: Blender 2.45 (free for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X)
Image manipulation: Paint Shop Pro 7 (Windows) or GIMP (free for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X)
Mesh exporter: DOF exporter ver. 1.0 by Brent Burton Mr Camouflage's Python script (dof_export.py) both included in the "textures" folder and explained in Build_a_Car_1.html at Step 8. These are the prefered exporters to use for Windows. Or ASE exporter by Goofos (free for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X)
And Python version 2.5.1 or newer (free for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X)
A couple of Tutorials to check: here, Blender's quickstart webpage and 'Noob to Pro'.

## Step 1. Initial Set-up (Windows only)

I assume that you have Blender 2.45, Paint Shop Pro/GIMP, and Python installed.
We need some folders to put the files in so I use a Blender files folder. They should look like the image shown below using Windows Explorer after unzipping the download file.
The texture_files folder will be the folder that images will be loaded into Blender from. Make a folder in racer/data/cars named "tutcar". Copy the "tutcar" folder contents to your new tutcar folder. The files are: car.ini, car.shd, engine.wav, horn.wav, shift.wav, skid.wav, skid.wav2, starter.wav, torque.crv, views.ini, Copy of views.ini and two .tga files.

## Step 2. Using a Blueprint or sketch

Steps 2 through 4 show how to put a blueprint image of a car we want to make into Blender. RMB click on the image below, select Save Picture As... and save it in your texture_files folder. The citroen-2CV.jpg image s/b in your texture_files folder now.
Blueprint - from www.the-blueprints.com

## Step 3.

Start Blender, a cube located at 0,0,0 appears, using the top view (7-key) remove the camera and light. Select the cube, Tab-key into edit mode and set the bottom panel as shown.
Then press 3-key (side view). Click LMB on "view" and in the popup menu select with LMB "Global View", then "Orthographic" then finally "View Properties" and set the values as shown in left image below.
The cube s/b selected and in edit mode, Select all vetices with A-key then enter half of the cars's height, width and length values onto the cube using the dimensions of the blueprint image in the following manner. Tilt the cube for a better view.
Press S-key, press X-key and type 0.7500, press enter. - size x=width=0.7500 m. 1.5000/2 m
Press S-key, press Y-key and type 1.9150, press enter. - size y=length=1.9150 m. 3.8300/2 m
Press S-key, press Z-key and type 0.8000, press enter. - size z=height=0.8000 m. 1.6000/2 m
The values appear on the 'cube' as shown in the right image below.
Then save the file as "tutcar.blend".
Select the cube and enter edit mode, Tab-key. Goto top view, press 7-key and tilt the cube, then select four vertices on one of the sides and in top view press the Y-key to split the side from the cube. Then press G-key and X-key to move the side, hold down the CTRL-Key and move away from the cube 0.1000 m. Repeat for the other side, top, bottom and ends (G-key and Y-key for the ends, G-key and Z-key for top/bottom). Results below.
Select the top face four vertices then delete it with the X-key. We will use the bottom face for the top view image.
You need to have two large viewports for the rest of the tutorial as shown below. If you don't have the two viewports make them and we'll put the blueprint on the cube. Save the file.

## Step 4. Attach the Blueprint.

Left click in the right hand viewport and then left click the UV/image editor. Make sure that the is in the left port menu bar. Draw Type: Textured. Select (Object Mode). With the cursor in the left port press F-key to enter face mode the press A-key a couple of times to select all faces, they turn pink.
With the cursor in the right port, LMB click the Image button and then open. Navigate using the two dots to the texture_files folder and click on citroen-2cv.jpg and open image. Apply the image to the objext by LMB click on the small up/down arrows to the left of the image name, move the mouse up and LMB click "citroen-2cv.jpg", result below.

The image is upside down on the cube faces! We'll have to fix that by pressing the A-key to select all vetices in the right hand port, they all turn yellow and the UV image turns pink. While still in face mode, select the left side of the box only, RMB click the desired face and then press 3-key and put the cursor in the right port and press the M-key (Mirror) left click on "X Axis" and again press M=key and click on "Y Axis" the face in the left port should now be the correct orientation. Now we have to scale/move/rotate the UV face to fit the cube face properly. With the face still selected in left port press U-key and click on "Project From View" and then in the right port move (G-key), scale (S-key) or rotate (R-key) to put the UV face in the position shown below.

Repeat the process for the right cube side view (Ctrl+3-key), front view (1-key) put rear blueprint here, rear view (Ctrl+1-key) put front blueprint here and if you have a top/bottom then you use (7-key/Ctrl+7-key) and put the top view on the bottom and the bottom view on the top.

Press F-key to get out of face mode and then press tab-key to enter edit mode, select front, back or top faces and then click on the "Flip Normals" button to orient the image properly. You may have to also use the mirror (M-key) to correctly orient the front/rear faces. In the left port press M-key to move to layer 11 and rename the cube OB: views.

The .dof parts of the car that we have to make are:

1. body
2. bodyshdo (made from body and wheels)
3. wheels
4. brakelights
5. brakes/suspension parts (optional)
6. steering wheel
7. interior (optional)
8. driver (optional)

We will need textures for the objects we make. Some textures that were used on other cars are shown below.
The left image is from the Lamborghini Murcielago body texture that now comes with RACER, on the right is the Honda Spoon from older versions.

These body textures are used with UV mapping and I may not use a texture like this, instead I may use simple images like below for the body texture.
Other textures needed for other objects we make will be shown when appropiate.
Don't forget that information about a car you are modeling can be found using GOOGLE.

Now let's go model a car - continued on Build_a_Car_1.html