Hi, im planning on modeling a complete 4 stroke, internal combustion engine. I want it to be as accurate as possible. The point im stuck at is that i cant find any material for references, as like cutaway sections, or schematics of engines. All i can find are wiring diagrams. If anyone has any ideas or a place to find schematics of engines, it would be greatly appreciated!!!
I actually have a 20 second cartoon animation of a 4-stroke engine in motion, on DVD. Cross-section view. If you want me to post it, I’ll have to rip it from a the DVD, and then make a DIVX (WMV whatever you want) to post. This will take a while to do.
Found this link: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm
I hope it helps.
Thanks for the help, but im trying to make an actual full blown engine. details and all. I need wring diagrams, orthographic views, etc.
Open the hood of your car. Seriously. Or drive around town this weekend until you find some old guys who are showing off their '67 Chevys to each other, and take pictures.
Try to take pictures that capture not only the details of the engines, but of the cars. Experiment with camera angles that you might want to use. A digital camera records a lot of details for you. The proud owners of the cars will think that you’re really admiring their pride-and-joys (and you should do that, of course). What shots work? Why do they work? Take your images home, pop them onto the slide-viewer program, and rearrange the slides. Bingo: instant storyboard #1.
When you are building your model, think in-advance of how you intend to use the model. That’s (all) that you have to build. There’s no point in doing any more work than what is actually going to show-up on “film.” Furthermore, since the technical requirements of each shot (camera-angle) will be different, your modeling is likely going to result in several different models, not just one.
A shot of the engine in the car does not require pistons, belts, flywheels, or anything else that is not actually in the frame. Since you also have complete discretion as to where you choose to put your camera, what lens you choose an so-on, let the two two work together to produce the most effective shot in a practical amount of time and effort. Plan the shot completely before you construct it! Only a CG-geek would hit the “Pause” button on the DVD and start criticizing the image… to the audience, “okay, got it. It’s an engine. It’s a '65 Ford V-8 with way-cool chrome and it looks good.” Little does he know or care that all the parts of it which are out-of-sight do not exist.
A cutaway of the engine obviously is there to demonstrate some aspect of the engine’s operation, and once again it needs to be simplified to the point that it shows that aspect clearly… Undoubtedly a different model from the first. Quite probably a whole series of different models, each one illustrating one aspect. To determine what each model needs to be, you need to know in advance how it will be used and seen.
It takes a real conscious effort to break-away from the modeling, to resist the obvious temptation to do that step first and to do it “perfectly, just-in-case.” Put on your cinematographer T-shirt and study the lighting and staging options using simple geometric shapes as placeholders. (“When you can get little wooden blocks to put on a compelling performance, then the real thing’s gonna be dynamite.”) Then slide on your director’s hat and choose the shots. Stitch them together in rough animatic form and decide what works. Then sign-off on what you have done … only then do you slip on your model-builder’s gloves and start to work. In a CG project of any size, the director’s job is done first, not last.
Lastly: compositing should be one of the foremost tools in your belt. You don’t have to set up the render so that you push the “Go” button and the entire finished image pops out like Venus rising up from the surf. :o Instead, you do what you do in Photoshop and use “layers” of information that can be sandwiched on top of one another, or behind or through or what-have-you, to get the effect that you want. (Blender: “Sequence Editor.”) This can take much, much less computer time but it requires much, much more advance planning on your part. If you have the signed-off shot layouts rigidly worked-out in advance (even with yourself!), you can save (literally) days of precious computer time.
Wiring diagrams? Are you creating an electronic fuel injection engine, with all of the extras, like pressure sensors, oxygen sensor, mass air flow sensor, fuel intake/return sensor, spark plugs, coils, etc, etc…
Wow, thanks for that helpful enormous post. The only problem I have is that I am going to be showing the internals. I want this thing to look realistic. I need every part modeled. I know this is going to be a very very very tedious task, but i believe i can accomplish it. I just need reference images. I really dont think taking pictures is going to help, Although that tells me what the outside looks like, i need reference pictures of the same engine, inside and out. Im actually going to go down to a dealership and see if they can help me out. I was just hoping there was something on the web before i did that.
Spin: Yes, every part. I know Im crazy
Thanks again for the help.
Library or Chilton’s book may got what you need.
It may sound crazy, but I saw a clear plastice model of an engine in a store, and they are fairly accurate. Maybe one of those can help too.
You should make the engine ‘generic’, because getting reference to a specific enging may be impossible, unless you tear your neighbor’s car apart.
that is extremely ambitios. I wish you luck. I know from my limited knowledge, that just in your head(s) alone there are so many parts. My head spins just thinking about that, let alone a whole engine, Hopefully you arent going for a whole driveline that has that much detail…
Oh if you want really good diagrams, and pictures, the official repair manuals for audi/porche/volkswagens are really really good. They are pretty thourough. Though they usually cost about 100$US… so… not really the cheapest reference.
here’s a site:
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pbegley/4stroke.htm
This seems like a bike/car guy’s site maybe if you e-mail him he’ll have some detailed pic, he has some good info on his pages anyway.
Thanks for all the help. I really haven’t found exactly what i need, but i have put all the resources together to come up with an idea of what im going to do. I realized what many of you have said about too many parts is true. Although im not going to be modeling every single part, im going to do alot of them, at least most of the external ones, All of the internal parts will be basic. This engine is going to be used in an animation to show the workings of an engine, so it’s better off that the internals arent too complex anyway. Making this engine is going to teach me alot about them. I’m very excited. Thanks again for all the help!
Well, heres a beginning of a long Work in Progress. I know its not exact. still needs tweaking and scaling the bars and whatnot, but its a start.
The Crankshaft:
Well, heres an update. nothing is complete, its still in it early stages. I need to tweak everything, get rid of hole that shouldn’t be there, etc. But give me some crit. By the way, im doing this all from many pictures, so its not accurate.
Update:
What’s everyone so :o about? It’s just an engine.
Simple thing.
Of course, accurate CSG Modelling would be a big help, but it’s not necessary. Once you know how an engine works, it’s fairly instinctive to model. Accuracy is a case of looking at the parts a few times.
A tip: model the casing as early as possible. I’d have done that before the pistons, personally.
Have fun 
I would go to a hobby store…or even…(EVIL) Wal-mart… And buy a model engine block. They have some pretty good ones out now.
You know it is NOT unheard of for a 3d artist to use a real life model to copy into 3d…I think they all do it. If you want the best result I would not use a Photo but an Actual 3d model you can hold. Plus you get the fun of putting it together and glueing your fingers together!!!
Thanks for all the advice! Heres an update with the block mostly done.
Sorry if its kinda hard to see whats going on.
Looking great!
Just out of curiousity, are you aiming to model the engine of a specific vehicle?
Sweet, nice start. I had a similar ambition a few years ago, but shortly after I started I ceased to have any free time (wow, I haven’t had free time for 3 years!) 
Anyway, here’s as far as I got (not from Blender btw):
