Fast-Tracking Auto Design in 3D

When you think of hybrids in the car industry, you usually think of a box -- something square or rectangular with headlights and taillights. But thanks to the Palumbo Motor Car Co. of America and Autodesk, in the near future you will be able to think outside the box. In fact, you might even think of a top performing sports car that is as economical as it is fast. Palumbo's M-80 is a two seat, mid-engine prototype created to compete with the world's best in its class. The fuel efficient and environmentally friendly hybrid gas-electric engine will make it unique among the world's top sports cars.

To design their digital prototype, the Palumbos, founder Joe Palumbo and his son, Jason, used an Autodesk software package. Initially, the company's experience with Autodesk was on the 2D side with AutoCAD. However, they wanted to upgrade to Autodesk's Inventor 3D software because it would give them the power of 3D design without compromising their prior investments in their 2D processes. Although they knew the additional investment in 3D would, in the long run, help them save time in design workflow, they were concerned that, in the short run, the learning curve might compromise their overall progress. "Learning a new tool, especially as powerful as 3D software, takes time away from the progress we're making in the design process," says Jason Palumbo. Nevertheless, they made their decision to go with Autodesk Inventor assuming that their previous AutoCAD experience would quicken the learning process. "We were right! Having prior AutoCAD experience helped us breeze through important steps such as learning how to sketch and interaction with 3D elements. Even without AutoCAD I could imagine it being relatively easy to pick up as the features and functions were all very intuitive."

Shortly after their Inventor upgrade, they entertained the idea of using 3D design software for finalizing the exterior of their digital prototype. "We felt more comfortable relying on a complete Autodesk pipeline than relying on another solution," Joe Palumbo explains. "It felt natural to stick with Autodesk's products and a natural choice since AliasStudio is the industry leading software already for conceptual design. It really was an easy decision." But just how easy was the learning process for the senior Palumbo? "While learning the software, within one week, I had the first draft of the exterior drawn, taking an additional four months to finalize. I became self-sufficient pretty quickly, but whenever I needed support from Autodesk, it was as close by. My trainer, Kevin Richards, was a tremendous help and always available."

Although the Palumbos do not have a finished product, they plan to have their physical prototype completed within the next 12 months. If they are to achieve that goal, the value of having a fully functional digital prototype cannot be underestimated. They have used their digital prototype and 3D models for important investor presentations. "Having a 3D model designed in AliasStudio has been a great asset and sales tool," Joe Palumbo remarked. "Every angle of the car can easily be shown by manipulating the design on the computer screen. For example, the exterior can be shown with the top up or down with just one click of the mouse."

The Palumbos divided the workload between the two programs. Joe Palumbo worked on the M-80's exterior with AliasStudio and Jason worked on the chassis with Inventor, as he explains: "AliasStudio was particularly effective, excellent, in fact, for designing the exterior of the vehicle in 3D. Inventor was particularly effective for designing our prototype chassis digitally in 3D. Designing new components right on top of already completed components has been particularly effective for new component design. For example, we have been able to design our roll bar for the M-80 right on the prototype frame we designed. This gives visual and dimensional verification and ensures that it looks the way we want it and fits the way it is supposed to."

Not only did the software help the Palumbos increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall design process, but it also gave them more latitude, as Joe Palumbo continues: "AliasStudio gave us the freedom to work with multiple iterations of the same design -- swapping in and out different surfaces, radii and lines to give you very different visual feelings. The challenge we faced was to keep things in perspective so that the whole design or each individual part could actually be manufactured and at a reasonable cost."

Speaking of cost, this was another area where the software proved invaluable. "AliasStudio helped us work within our limitations and remain focused," Joe Palumbo adds. "AliasStudio lets its users manipulate lines and surfaces, keeping the initial design intent intact, helping you determine whether your design could be produced within your budget. This was a very important part of the overall success of our design."

Perhaps the most important aspect of the Autodesk software package is problem solving. "Initially, certain lines proved to be too sharp and back drafted so manufacturing would be a problem," Joe Palumbo reveals. "However, with just a few changes, the design intent was kept intact and the problem solved -- parts would no longer be difficult to produce. Without AliasStudio, we might not have seen this problem until the full-scale mockup was produced, making it much harder to change. The cost to change at this stage could be quite expensive. AliasStudio enabled us to retain ownership of our design and incorporate changes much later in the process increasing flexibility in our design decisions."

According to the Palumbos, both software packages were well worth the investment. "Costs associated with building scale models were reduced dramatically when we could eliminate this step," Jason attests. "With AliasStudio and Inventor, we were able to move from digital prototype to full scale mockup in one easy step. We have experienced a 75% savings in time and money since we started using both of these Autodesk products."

Now we go from a sports car to a luxury sports utility vehicle, namely the Acura MDX, a crossover luxury SUV manufactured by Honda. Like the Palumbos, Honda uses Autodesk's Automotive Design software due to its popularity and its intuitive features. Ricky Hsu, the principal designer of the Acura MDX, explains, "Honda uses Autodesk AliasStudio software because it's the most popular 3D software used for industrial designers. It's the most commonly used software within industrial design firms and has been for some time. AliasStudio is intuitive, complex and easy to create shapes and forms, while allowing us to quickly visualize what we constructed in a 3D format. Also, it allows our designers to feed data into the system, so they are then able to easily create a 3D model. The goal for any designer is to use the software to capture the design intent, visualize it and interact with it to get 3D feedback. The first step of that is to create a digital model that relates to human factors -- the size and mechanics are all important concepts to keep in mind. The software allows our designers to check those things while creating a 3D surface at the same time."

So, how does 3D software blend in with traditional sketches? Where does 2D leave off and 3D take over? "For the most part, the first step of Honda's design process is done traditionally, with pencil and paper," states Hsu. "Our designers initially complete a thumbnail sketch, then feed the sectional drawing into the computer, or they can use the sketches and begin creating the 3D model going off of the initial sketch. Next, our designers experiment in 3D right away using AliasStudio software. This process has become much more refined, allowing our designers to begin modeling instantly, checking for surface imperfections in the early stages of design. In the next phase, as the modeling continues to progress in the digital form based on the surface we refine, we are able to assess the 'highlights,' i.e., how the reflection interacts with the surface. AliasStudio also allows our design team to check for surface imperfections, i.e., how a shape relates from one side to another. From this, we can gain a better understanding of the quality of the surface before the 3D model is even constructed. This function allows us to do several steps of refinement in the virtual world, helping us get much closer to our final goal much quicker than the older methods of building and reviewing a model in clay. Lastly, after the digital model has been created it is sent to engineers to be studied and evaluated. AliasStudio files can be converted into different formats easily read by other systems. This is key in communicating with other groups at Honda in the development phase."

Hsu believes the software's primary area of effectiveness is in designing the vehicle's exterior. "AliasStudio is critical for anything that involves the design surface, or anything that has to do with designing a quick, digital prototype. AliasStudio is a great tool for that! It's also very useful in designing the exterior (body) of the car, which sometimes takes a month or two to create." Hsu thinks that timesaving is a vital measure of the software's effectiveness. "Working digitally is a big part of the first year of development (it can take three-four years to create a new production car), but AliasStudio allows us to create the first prototype that everyone can look at, interact with and agree upon. All the steps leading up to the first prototype are completed in AliasStudio, including the interior and exterior of the car, the headlights, taillights, door handles, etc."

One way to solve a problem is to catch it before it becomes full-blown. "AliasStudio software can help us define issues in our design phase before they become problems. Sometimes in the design phase we may overlook very important points, known as hardpoints, but AliasStudio allows us to check those points throughout the design phase and make sure there isn't a problem with the shape we are creating."

Of course, designing is one thing, but engineering is quite another. Sometimes the two can be at odds. "After a certain degree of development has occurred on the automobile's exterior, Honda goes back to the interior engineers to make sure there aren't any problems or inconsistencies between the two. We can check certain areas and confirm that we are meeting the criteria for both the exterior and interior. AliasStudio helps define those problems because in the end, you don't want to create a shape or part that cannot be manufactured."

Hsu thinks that cost effectiveness is not a critical issue when designing for a major automobile manufacturer. "Honda ensures we have the software and hardware necessary to do our jobs well." And that certainly includes software applications from other manufacturers as well as Autodesk. However, Hsu says that AliasStudio is extremely useful in the initial stage for designing. "AliasStudio is the best tool for industrial designers; they (Autodesk) have a rich history and a user-friendly product since it's developed by designers. There really isn't any other software out there to compare it to. It's the best tool for accuracy in automotive design."

J. Paul Peszko is a freelance writer and screenwriter living in Los Angeles. He writes various features and reviews as well as short fiction. He has a feature comedy in development and has just completed his second novel. When he isn't writing, he teaches communications courses.