Bike Frame Design Software For Mac

1. Bike Frame Design Software For Mac Free

Vehicle modelling can be a difficult task, but in this tutorial, I'll take you through the steps you need to build your very own Confederate Wraith B91 bike. During the course of the tutorial, you'll discover that there are different ways to build organic and hard surface models. I'll also cover the importance of clean-up – so that the model can be used in production – as well as show you three paint methods I use to decal and colour the bike. Typically I build a model by slowly detailing it piece by piece. The most important thing to think about when you start to model is blocking in the correct shape. Proportions and silhouetting is everything in the real world, this is why the block-in stage should be first, and should always be carried out with due care. Once the block-in is set, tight and in the correct proportion, sculpting and detailing the model becomes a breeze.

This is where programs like rattleCAD come in handy. Manfred Rosenberger created rattleCAD as an open source (free and written by enthusiasts, much like this blog!) bike frame design package that runs on Windows, Linux and Mac (although Windows is the easiest to get going).

It doesn’t matter how much post-production a model goes through, if it’s the wrong size and shape, you can’t do much about it. So, in order to block in the model correctly you will need to do some research first. Create a blueprint. Start by collecting various images of the bike from different angles I collect various images of the bike from different angles and compile a front and side view by placing them in 3ds Max later. Most vehicle manufacturers and designers provide front, back and side orthographic views of the model in blueprint format. This was not the case for the Wraith – I couldn't find a back view. It didn’t really matter though, as I simply looked for references of similar bikes and took their back views as reference.

Block-in the model. Getting the proportions correct at this blocking-in stage is vital It is fundamental that you get the proportions correct at this blocking-in stage (as we'll be moving onto the sculpting and detailing phase next, there won't be the opportunity to fix any issues). First begin by blocking-in with simple primitive shapes, and also use splines for areas which have an organic flow to them. There is no detailing here, only edges and vertex have been added to match each silhouette shape.

Bike Frame Design Software For Mac Free

Primitives and splines. Use both editable poly shapes and splines to construct objects My workflow revolves around using both editable poly shapes and splines to construct my objects.

I tend to use splines mostly for organic shapes like the forks, because of the curvature. The bike frame and similar objects are built with a primitive cylinder. I always find it best to start with a solid base first and begin cutting from there. The simpler you can make things, the easier they will always be to get right. Organic detailing. Use spline paths to build the various sizes of the twig-like shape treads ZBrush could be used to do the organic modelling, like sculpting the treads on the tyres, for example, but 3ds Max has some great tools that achieve the same result. Here use spline paths to build the various sizes of the twig-like shape treads.

Next use a Boolean operation to create a compound object, so that the tyre print is cut out off the plane. Finally, make sure the edges are spaced evenly so that the wrap is smooth when you use the bend modifiers. Hard surface flow. To create this piece of the muffler, use splines and extrude downward For certain tasks organic modelling is best, and hard surface modelling is better for others. Hard surface modelling is usually used for building more mechanical shapes with hard edges, extruded surfaces and functional details. To create this piece of the muffler, use splines and extrude downward.

To build the horn shape, use a circle and convert it to an editable poly. Lastly, create the attachments using cylinders and extruded faces.

The symmetry modifier. Now that the bigger objects are finished and detailed, we can focus on the small details, these include bolts, rivets, cables and wires. These bolts and rivets are built in the same way as the hard surface shapes, by using primitive boxes and cylinders. For wires and cables that wrap around the bike's motor and handles, create a spline path, with Enable To Viewport And Renderer set to On from the Rendering sub-menu.

Create clean topology To finish the model, a double check on proportions and topology is needed before adding in a smooth modifier. Having a nice, clean topology flow will be helpful in keeping all the organic shapes smooth. Just the slightest uneven polygon surface can cause an ugly pinch or bump. To edit these and move our vertex evenly along an edge, the best tool to use is the Vertex Edge Constraint found in the Editable Poly menu under Edit Geometry. Collapse and clean-up.

Apply a MeshSmooth modifier and collapse the stack to finalise the bike model The bike is now ready to be completely smoothed out and cleaned up. To do this, apply a MeshSmooth modifier and collapse the stack to finalise the bike model. This model is a now a high-poly model, but it is not yet ready for rendering.

We want to do all we can to bring down the render time, so delete any extra geometry. Extra geometry will mostly be found around areas where locking loops are applied, such as in corners. Mental Ray materials.

Using the Slate Material Editor is a great starting off point to begin painting Using the Slate Material Editor is a great starting off point to begin painting. What is great about using mental ray renders is its vast library of metal materials and the Arch & Design material. Use the chrome and brushed metal materials for the bike. Plastics and car paint material would also be great to use here. The materials are good, but just a little tweaking in the Material Parameters can make them look like convincing, real-world surfaces. Use a UVW map modifier. Add more lights to direct attention to certain areas on the bike My models are usually set around a traditional three- point light setup, but here I add more lights to direct attention to certain areas on the bike.

Since we are using mental ray, I opt to use photometric lights, which does its best to replicate real-world lighting. For the shadows, apply ray-traced shadows and for intensity, choose Kelvin scale. Not only do these two settings give nice soft shadows, but they also make the room look like it’s a cool temperature. Final render settings. Tight and wide ambient occlusion renders help to bring out the shadows on the bike Now we're ready to render out the bike in HD format and also render a few passes for compositing purposes.

Don't just render out of 3ds Max: Tight and wide ambient occlusion renders help to bring out the shadows on the bike. Rendering an RGB mask channel helps in the selecting of certain parts on the bike for colour correcting or lighting.

Lastly, a z-depth pass is rendered out for focus. Composite these all together and your bike image is finished. Words: Josh Flores is skilled in low and high poly modelling, and his Confederate Wraith motorcycle was built using organic modelling and hard surface skills. This article originally appeared in issue 181.

Explaining the evolution of motorcycle frames without making folks glassy-eyed from boredom is not an easy task. Things I'm avoiding: massively difficult engineering jargon and theory, as well as exotic and esoteric frame types. The chassis designs that have dominated the industry did so because they worked, and those are the ones I shall touch on. Most folks know nothing about frames, which is a pity. So much R&D has gone into frames. Why are frames made the way they are? Why does a modern sportbike look so much different from the bikes of yesteryear?

A mixture of factors determines how a frame is designed: cost, intended usage, bike weight and performance level, “feel,” as well as material choice. All frames are a juggling act between these factors and usually quite a few more. Those characteristics are all closely related, so they all are taken into account when a chassis is being engineered. Early motorcycle frames served chiefly as a mounting point for all the things that make a stack of tubing different from a motorcycle. As riders learned how much the frame contributed to the ride, handling, and performance of a motorbike, frame technology evolved right alongside other motorcycle components. A prototype Indian from 1901. Note the diamond frame design - not a radical departure from most bicycle frames of the period.Motorcycle frames started looking markedly different from bicycle frames in the earliest part of the 20th century.

Simply stated, engines, being more powerful than human legs, dictated a different design. Fast-forward to modern times. Bikes have both front and rear suspension. The frame serves to act as a link between these pieces as well as giving the bike its strength and structure. It’s generally agreed that the most responsive chassis designs incorporate a super-stiff section that runs from the headstock to swingarm pivot in as straight a line as possible to minimize extraneous deformation. The cradle, or single-loop frame moved the engine lower, improving handling. Harley-Davidson photo.The earliest frames were diamond frames: a simple diamond shape in one plane that supported the engine.

Not long after, the single-cradle frame came about. The single-cradle — or single-loop, as it is sometimes called — featured tubes that closely followed the shape of the drivetrain, allowing the engine to sit closer to the ground. Generally, moving weight closer to the ground enables a motorcycle to handle more nimbly and be more stable. The single-cradle frame is in the autumn of its life. It is still seen in some dirt machines where light weight and low cost of manufacturing are prized.

This modified Kawasaki frame is a semi-duplex specimen. Most of the frame is of the duplex design, but the backbone is shared between the two sides. This allows the fuel tank to be narrower, an important styling element for some. Photo by Spurgeon Dunbar. The step up from the single-cradle frame is the duplex frame. Some bright fella realized that if two single cradle frames were run in tandem with some reinforcement tying them together, the frame would be vastly less flexible.

The most famous early duplex frame was probably the Norton Featherbed of the 1950s, but many notable examples have been produced since. Related to the duplex frame is the half-duplex, which is sort of a blend of single-cradle and double-cradle (duplex) frames: They typically exist as a duplex section beneath the engine, but often include a larger diameter single tube in the spine and for part of the frame’s downtubes. The most famous half-duplex frame is probably the Harley-Davidson four-speed frame.

As riders and powerplants began to test the bounds of duplex frames, engineers looked for ways to reduce chassis flex further. Enter the twin-spar frame, also known as a perimeter frame. A twin-spar frame moves the upper portion of the duplex rails outward, to the perimeter of the bike. By widening the upper portion of the frame, the entire frame becomes less compliant. The headstock and swingarm pivot area become even more resistant to heavy loads that can occur during cornering and braking. These frames are typically made stiffer still by their material choice: Most modern perimeter frames are made of boxed aluminum, making them visually quite large, but structurally very light and strong.

A pretty famous perimeter frame would be Yamaha’s Deltabox series. Those big, broad shoulders are the 'perimeter' of the frame, hence the term for what is otherwise called a twin-spar setup. This frame is far lighter than the single cradle frame shown earlier, despite its bulkier appearance. Photo by Lemmy. Related to the perimeter frame is the trellis setup. Trellis frames are really not very different from a twin-spar frame.

You could think of them as a subset. Instead of using a large boxed section of material, trellis frames employ twin tubes that make their way from headstock to swingarm pivot. Those tubes get added stiffness and rigidity from shorter sections of tubing welded between them.

(Well, most of them can be welded. Steel is the usual material used in trellis frames.) The end result looks like latticework, or a trellis, hence the name. The most notable trellis frames are probably those of Ducati, which have been a hallmark of the Monster line since its inception. Trellis frames use short sections of tube to provide stiffness. Photo by Lemmy. A less-than-common frame style is the pressed-steel frame and closely related monocoque chassis. Rather than using traditional frame building materials, such as boxed sections and tubing, pressed-steel frames boast formed sections made of light-gauge sheet steel that’s been formed and pressed in dies and then spot-welded.

Frames made this way are usually light and easy to manufacture. They are particularly susceptible to impact and rust. A fairly famous pressed-steel-framed bike was the Honda Dream. Monocoque frames are similarly constructed, but incorporate the bike’s outer skin (bodywork) as a structural piece of the frame. Older Vespa scooters utilize this design. This Vespa's monocoque frame is easily visible with the bike assembled, because that frame specifically uses the 'skin' of the vehicle as an integral member of the chassis. The last item that relates to frames is actually the engine.

At some point, an engineer realized that because engines are, structurally, just very rigid aluminum boxes, they could serve double duty by acting as a part of the frame. You may have seen engine and frame combos described as “stressed members.” (You might also have heard an old-timer define this type of frame as a “keystone” frame; their heyday was in the early part of the 20th century.) The stressed-member frame is usually characterized by an engine that appears to “hang,” with no visible means of support beneath the engine. The stressed-member design can be used with more than one style of frame, so you will often hear this incorporated into the description of the chassis.

('It's a stressed-member, dual-spar design.' ) This frame is a stressed-member frame. Note the large open area that utilizes the engine as an integral part of the structure. Photo by Lemmy. Frames are quite literally the support structure for your entire bike. Not only have frame designs evolved tremendously, but so have metallurgy and manufacturing processes. All that means that frames do a better job than ever of keeping our wheels pointed in the right direction, providing performance that would be other-worldly by the standards of old.

And that’s why things are the way they are.