New Car

Is anyone in the process or just about to start creating a car for beam ?
any chance of taking the time to make a tutorial for a complete noob ?

 

Keeping in mind I am not a modder (well, I can work my way around the engine, transmission and differential modding and thats about it so far)

A vehicle mod for BeamNG requires 3 things.

1. A 3d model (or often referred to as a mesh). This is the shape of the vehicle which BeamNG will render onto the screen.
2. Textures. Technically not required, highly advisable to have it. These are pretty much a series of image files which are accurately plastered across the car. Smaller detail and surface shading can be textured on. Things look far far better with some texturing, otherwise your models will be 1 flat colour and a real car isn't 100% solid colour when you look at it
3. JBeam. Technically the most important part for BeamNG. No JBeam and you have no vehicle. The JBeam is usually multiple seperate files, each one has almost a form of code in it (although as a programmer I hate people referring to it as a code or programming because it really isnt what I think of as code or programming). A vehicle in BeamNG is simulated as a collection of nodes, beams and coltris. Nodes are simply a co-ordinate in 3d space. These co-ordinates are then linked with beams which might have different strengths etc. In a way its kinda like K'Nex with the beams being those straight rods and the nodes being the little connector bits in between (dunno if theres a better term, I played with lego was a kid not K'Nex Although I guess you have lego technic axles as beams and the other technic connection parts as nodes). You might hear the term physics skeleton, this refers to the JBeam as it is essentially the skeleton of the vehicle. Coltris are then simply a bit that fills in the gaps between the beams to give a solid surface that nothing can penetrate through (and also used for aerodynamic modelling), but the physics of the vehicle moving around are based mainly on the nodes and beams.

Point 2 is kinda related to point 1. But the modelling and JBeam are very different subjects. A complete noob tutorial, sadly these 2 subjects are too complicated for a complete noobs guide.
Modelling wise you need some 3d modelling software. Popular choices are 3ds max (not free, but there is a free student copy which as an apprentice you might be able to get access to) and blender (totally free), get one or the other and start looking at tutorials on using them. 3d modelling can be complicated and a car is a very bad beginners project, usually you start with a box, then you gradually make more complicated objects, working to making a car will take some time.
JBeam. Notepad++ is most peoples software of choice for that. Take a look at any of the existing vehicles JBeams and you will see its quite daunting. I tried to make one for a model Fundador sent me and havent had much success. Seems to be one of those things where some people from the documentation on JBeam (its all on the BeamNG wiki) have worked out how it all pieces together and as a result can make vehicles and almost everyone else hasn't. I'm going to try again a few more times but its not the easiest thing in the world :/

 

thanks for all the help.. im about to start my first model in 3d Max but what scale size should i do ? is there a way of re-scaling if i get it wrong ?

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also what about the damage ? how do i design how its all gunna cave in ect..?

 

Well considering starting with a car is a terrible idea in 3ds max when you are learning, it doesnt matter what scale size you do as its not going outside of 3ds.
Damage is the JBeam.

 

here is some info i through together

to make a car you need to know how to 1)model in a 3d program and 2)Know how to make a jbeam. Making a jbeam is in the wiki. As for how to make a model for the car, look up how to make a car in blender.

Wiki on Content Creation
WIKI

some programs you will need (all free)
Blender
Notepad ++
paint.net

some tutorials
basic texturing
a basic blender tutorial
creating a cube to start learning

 

Personally I have used both 3ds max and blender and I recommend blender as it is the one tool that if you can learn it becomes very straight forward and I find it is more Torque3D friendly...