Category: Automotive

What a year 2019 was. In typical fashion, it was one of ups and downs. And that’s just in the automotive industry; the less said about the rest of the world, the better! There was plenty to love for auto fanatics of all types; I myself enjoyed my time at Geneva 2019, Goodwood Festival of Speed, and LA Auto Show to name just a few.

But now we’re in 2020, a year that will no doubt be as unpredictable as those that came before it. From the continuing rise of electric vehicles and fresh, new startup companies to the shifting priorities of consumers, we’re no doubt in for quite a ride.

 

The customer is always right

The old adage still holds true and the automotive industry will no doubt see a shift into a more consumer-centric approach. I’ve talked before about how the industry needs to change its approach to consumers, especially in regards to its adoption of evolving tech. And the wider market might actually be listening to me!

Brand loyalty is a fickle beast and today’s car shopper is less likely to stick with just one brand. In 2020, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw people prioritise quality over affordability. This quality goes beyond the car itself and permeates the entire buying process. The most successful brands will be those who can deliver a quality service where people want it, whether that be online or even in a shopping centre. We’re not about to see the death of the dealership, but 2020 should be the year they start to change their approach to consumers.

 

Going electric

It’s been a trend every year for a while now, but electric vehicles are still a hot topic. No longer the pie-in-the-sky ideas of a select few, we’re starting to see mass adoption of EVs from some of the biggest names in the industry.

The list is expansive: Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Kia, Mercedes, Mini, Peugeot, Porsche – need I go on?

It’s a trend the public is interested in so it allows manufacturers to be environmentally conscious and still make money. Whether we will see another major public interest, autonomous vehicles, make a big impression this year I’m not so sure. My money is on “probably not yet”.

 

The age of the startup

If you had asked me to predict the future of the industry a year ago, I would have had a lot of good things to say about Dyson’s automotive efforts. They may have been very clandestine, but it was enough to get excited about. Alas, that dream is over. It was, to quote Dyson, “not commercially viable”.

It’s a shame to see as it wasn’t too long ago I was singing their praise. At least they seem to be salvaging something from the project; they will continue their promising work in the battery. And, as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

But other car startups will no doubt have a fantastic year. Tesla will continue to do their thing with their Cybertruck, though we won’t see that hit the roads until 2021 at the earliest.

They aren’t the only fish in the sea though. Chinese manufacturer Byton is releasing their electric SUV in China in 2020, with an expansion to Europe and the US in 2021. Rivian’s R1T will start to hit the road in late-2020. And there’ll be plenty more choice on top of those. And no doubt some newcomers will make themselves known.

Whatever happens, it will be an interesting year. There’s always something unpredictable around the corner. As for me, you will be able to find me at whatever auto show I can find my way into. Roll on the rest of 2020!

At REALTIME, we can’t help but love cars. Nothing excites us more than the new developments that wait around the corner. We channel this passion into everything we do. If you would like to discuss your next project, get in touch with me at [email protected].

This is a letter to my true love in life: cars. I am one of many individuals around the world passionate about cars. Even before Henry Ford first brought them to the masses, there has always been a community of people who love cars in the way others love movies, or walking, or their family.

I jest, but sometimes it’s not too far off. For some, cars are more than a way to get from A to B. They’re more than a daily convenience or just another piece of technology like the TV or the microwave. For some, a car is an expression of their personality. There’s a make or model for each individual. You ask 100 people what their favourite car is and you’ll have 100 different answers. But there is no universal reason why we love cars; everyone is driven by a different quality (pun not intended).

When it comes to a love of cars, you can put people into many different categories.

 

The driver

If you need to get from A to B, why not do it in style? Who even cares about B – sometimes you go from A to A just for the thrill of the drive.

This person loves the feel of the car when they drive. They don’t necessarily have to love cars; if it has some horsepower underneath the hood, then that’s all they need. They enjoy the personality of the car itself. How it handles. How the gear stick snicks into place. How it glides around a corner. They’d feel right at home on the Top Gear track. Whether they feel like the car is an extension of themselves or they love taming a beast, there’s nothing better in life than getting behind the wheel.

 

The enthusiast

This person is almost the opposite of the driver. For them, they don’t have to be in the car to appreciate it. They might not even have a licence. They just love the craft of the car.

They can tell you the detailed history of McLaren. They’ll talk for hours about Britain’s illustrious car history. You might not want a lesson about the Morris Minor but you’re getting one. New or old, petrol or electric, this is their hobby. If they have the money, they might be a collector, wishing they could have a garage like Jay Leno’s. Some people collect stamps; some collect cars.

 

The Zen mechanic

For this person, they love a car that is in desperate need of that love. It’s seen better days, but the mechanic doesn’t think its glory days are over yet.

For them, fixing up the car is an escape. Leave behind the stresses of modern life like the job and the bills, and the spare room that needs painting. They can spend hours in the garage tweaking the engine. It’s like meditation for them. It’s actually a psychological concept. ‘Flow’ is the term for when someone gets in the zone, their focus unbreakable. Eight hours later and they realise they haven’t eaten all day.

 

The community

Whatever person you are – whether it’s one of the above or something else – the best part is the community. If you love cars you’re in good company. They attract people from all walks of life and each person has something valid to say about your shared pastime.

Everyone has that same energy and lust for life. That same sparkle in their eyes when they talk about cars. And when you can all spend time together, in this mutual love for automobiles, there’s nothing greater. And – above all – cars give you freedom unlike anything else. Go wherever you like; do whatever you want. The feeling that you could hit the road at any time, just you and the car. That’s why we love them.

At REALTIME, we all love our cars – we even have a blog on it already! That passion translates into our work, examples of which you can find in abundance here. If you ever want to talk about your next project, get in touch with me at [email protected].

 

It was a game of two halves at this year’s LA Auto Show, known now as ‘Automobility’ to underline the shifting sands in ownership and propulsion technology within the industry. A total of 67 global debuts underline this show’s status as one of the most significant on earth and half of these debuts were EVs which, in the context of a number of big block V8 stories made for an interesting yin and yang of the modern-day US car market.

Karma

In addition to the stunning SC2 concept, Karma Automotive made a huge splash at Automobility, showcasing the voluptuous and encouragingly production-ready Revero. New for the show was the re-engineered and further-enhanced Revero GTS – still sporting the 1.5l internal combustion engine from the BMW i8 in the front and hybrid generator in the rear. A hugely special car to look and spend time inside. Just smell that Bridge of Weir leather too…

Audi

Audi debuted its attractive e-Tron Sportback model, a second derivative of the e-Tron full EV. The Sportback style brings with it greater aerodynamic efficiency than the standard car and so owners can enjoy an extra 6 miles’ range or best part of a whole average journey extra in LA between charges.

So interesting on the Audi stand too, to see the sound of the internal combustion engine actively celebrated less than ten yards away from the e-Tron. This exhibit allows you to put your foot down and experience the growl of either the RS5, TTRS or R8 powertrains. Game of two halves, y’see.

Kia Habaniro

This gullwinged EV SUV concept gives us a powerful indication of the next Niro. I’d love to have been in the meeting when they decided upon the name…

Lexus

This beautifully executed convertible, perfect for California, conceals a seemingly old-school 5.0l V8. Knowing how well Japanese brands research and understand their markets, there’s clearly still significant demand for machines like this.

Chevrolet Corvette

Motor Trend’s 2020 Car of the Year may perhaps sport the same styling details as it always has but the bold decision to move to a mid-engined layout has driven a significant change in overall proportions. Feedback from the world’s press tells me that this was the right call to make.

Land Rover

The wait for this relaunched icon is over for US eyes and we were treated to three versions on the Land Rover stand. Boasting mild hybrid technology towards the top of the range and with more green technology on the way, I for one was hugely convinced by this, Solihull’s latest upscale mud-plugger. It has managed to strike the perfect balance between solidity and out-and-out desirability – let’s hope the road tests also bear this out.

Dodge

Only in the US: The Dodge Challenger cocked a snook at the environmental lobby, celebrating 50, that’s right, 50 years of the muscle car. This anniversary edition comes equipped with the not-at-all-apologetically-named Hellcat Redeye V8 engine, pictured below. Maybe the last hurrah for this kind of car but no-one I spoke to was of the opinion that this didn’t deserve its place at the show.

Porsche

Porsche had availed itself of a completely separate room to show its latest range of staggeringly well-engineered new cars for the US market. It was a privilege for me to take a good look at the new Taycan EV, which hits all the numbers we’d expect of it, including the sticker price too, of course. Will no doubt do so very well all over the world nevertheless.

Ford

Boasting a very competitive >300 mile range from its 332 horsepower EV powertrain, the Mach-e is the blue oval’s take on the overwhelming trend in today’s search for environmentally responsible mobility, ‘bringing the famous pony into the electric age’ is how it is billed. Very neatly judged, Ford reckons that there might be so much equity in the Mustang nameplate that they’re even considering setting it up as a sub brand. A gallop too far? We’ll have to see…

 

So, yes, a uniquely American interpretation of the state of the art; such an interesting story of stark contrasts. I’d love to fast forward ten years to see what’s on show then!

Our outstanding senior automotive artist Damian has been kind enough to share some of his process, testing Quixel in UE4 creating this beautiful image.

I created this scene as I wanted to try my hand at some environments after finding out that Quixel’s Megascans are now part of Unreal Engine. Also Inspired by my recent trip to Scotland, which was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to, I really wanted to do a nice and realistic scenario similar to Isle of Skye from Scotland. So after realising that Megascans contains a really nice and realistic package of ‘Islandic’ mesh and material content, I decided to give it a go and try to replicate that mood which inspired me out in Scotland.

Using Megascans meshes and materials was really simple and user friendly, placing an object by one click, and adjusting them straight away In Unreal Engine as they are being created while exported from Quixel ‘Bridge’. The biggest challenge for me as an Automotive artist was to design the actual 3d background to create a nice and moody composition. But after all, everything was really quick and easy thanks to all of the Megascans assets and intuitive workflow which Unreal Engine 4 gives you. 

First thing I realised was that if I wanted to make a really good looking scene I needed to Scale the assets at least 10-15 times to achieve effect I was looking for. So I created a simple terrain using plain objects from 3dsMax. I started adding assets to the scene and when it reached the level of detail i was looking for I added atmospheric fog to bring everything together.

Also I decided to keep making materials as simple as possible, I always tend to receive the best results when using simple properly matched materials.

The next step was to create some matching lighting for the car in this particular scene. After few different approaches, the best solution was to use just few spot lights and horizon from the sky HDRi. Again… simple equal best result!

When the car was lit and i’d chosen the body colour I wanted, I deceived to add some livery to the car. For that I simply used decals which gave me quick and best result I required.

Next I decided to do some more shots to show how powerful the Megascans assets looked.

You should always keep everything tidy and organised, doing that meant that every light scenario I created was packed into a separate level with cameras, this means have an instinctive workflow for later. Every level works like different camera view, plus different lighting setup. You can also see that even some objects have a separate level.

 

From the very beginning of this project I knew I would be using use real-time Ray Tracing feature called RTX which always works perfectly in UE4.

 

Without further ado, testing Quixel in UE4, the results!

Recreating a car in CGI: Cars are a work of art. From the body lines to the composition of the headlight, every section has been meticulously crafted and thought through to a level Picasso would be proud of. But this isn’t a one-off artwork, these are marketable products, open to being altered by a customer. So no matter what, you need to ensure the designer’s vision is still represented accurately.

If you work with an external company to develop CGI assets – be they for adverts or a configurator – you want someone who can represent that vision. Anyone can take the CAD data to recreate the car, but if you want the feel to be correct, you need to recreate the passion of the designer.

 

The bigger picture

That CAD data is the start of the journey. With it, a CG production company can accurately recreate every minute detail.

Understanding how best to represent goes beyond its form. It is about understanding the car,  the brand, how best to show the lines, the details, the blood, sweat, and tears gone into creating the beauty that stands before you. What separates the good from the great is their dedication to realising the why of the car.

The audience. The market. The picture. To deliver the best, they have to become an extension of your id. In the case of the configurator, they might have to integrate with your wider system, capable of being a sales platform that can easily translate the buyer’s preferences in a way that still instils the emotional connection. They aren’t just modelling the car; they are digitally recreating the entire process, down to the individual stitch.

 

The smaller details

And you know what they say about that: the devil’s in the detail. Using just the CAD data would give you a pristine CG model. That isn’t necessarily a good thing. Part of creating the best CG assets is making something that looks real. During the buying process, you don’t want consumers to spend their time questioning whether or not what they are seeing is real.

Translating the car into a CG model means making it look real in the most literal sense. It means recreating the exact stitching on the seats, to the point where you can see the leather stretch. It means taking the texture of the fabric and materials and demonstrating the feel of it. Hours of craftsmanship go into the real-world models, sometimes in areas you might never see, such as the texture on the back of the paddles affixed to the steering wheel. Let’s use this medium to enlighten the customer on exactly what they are about to receive.

The attention to detail should carry over to every area. For instance, the paint shouldn’t just show that it has metallic flakes in it that give it that lustrous shine. In reality, the flakes can be of varying sizes and shapes, influenced to lie a particular way. The top coat can be candied to enhance the lustrousness, all of which is more than just a pretty wet line. The realisation of these elements goes towards turning some metal into that aforementioned work of art.

Done right, by the end you’ll have more CG assets than a movie has frames. The entire process is reminiscent of the attention to detail you’d find in a multi-million dollar Hollywood production.

All of this can take time, though nowhere close to the manufacture of the real thing. But you need someone who can work with your schedule to deliver according to your roadmap. Whether you’re aiming for a car launch or a motor show, a brochure or a configurator, these CG assets need to play their part as an important cog in your marketing and sales campaign. Nothing can go wrong. And with the right people, it won’t.

At RealtimeUK, we know that recreating a car in CGI takes more than polygons. We have a history of delving into our clients’ wants and needs. We are an extension of your company. If you would like to discuss your upcoming project, get in touch with me at [email protected].