How to Use Curves in Maya to Design a Car

Use Maya to create your own 3D car model.

3D models were one of the most interesting and powerful inventions of the late 20th century. More and more, you see them being used in movies, television and video games. Many models are created for a single use, such as a movie. Others are created and sold online at sites like Renderosity and Dosch 3D. There are several methods to design cars in most 3D modeling programs, but if you are using Maya, you will find that an effective approach to creating the body of the car is to use the "Maya" curves function.

Instructions

1. Click on the Maya shortcut on your desktop to start the application.

2. Go to the menu and choose "Create." From the options, choose the "Curve" tool.

3. Go to the "Front" view of the scene and draw an outline of the shape of the car as it would appear near the middle. Use the other views as references as you work.

4. Create multiple profiles of the car in this way, with each representing the shape of the car at a particular point along its length. Use the same number of points in each profile. Use the "Move" tool to place the profile curves where they should be along the length of the car.

5. Hold down the "CTRL" key and click on the profile curve at one end of the line. Then select all of the profile curves one by one from that point.

6. Go to the menu and choose "Surfaces." Select "Loft" and choose "Polygon." Your model shape will now be created. Save your work.

References

• Pixel Street Studios: Maya Loft Object Tutorial