Hardwoods (often maple) is used for many string instruments. In general though, you can get away with most hardwoods and exotic hardwoods.
MajorStorm:
I really like this model, and the quality you’ve achieved. I do have a couple things to say about some details.
The UV mapping for the wood texture isn’t quite correct for the bridge and side of the violin. For all the vertical surfaces the direction of the wood grain should be vertical. For the bridge especially, this is very important from a mechanical standpoint. The bridge supports up to 20 pounds of string tension and if the grain runs horizontally it would collapse. Similar idea for the vertical sides of the instrument.
Additionally, the bridge tapers at the top. This taper only applies to the side facing the scroll (or top of the instrument), and the top width should be about half or a little less than half the base width.
I know this is a really specific criticism, but from a photo-realism perspective the physics, as well as the lighting and materials are important.
Building off of LG’s response, maple is generally a go to material for most string instruments. In general though, hardwoods are the way to go.
(Sorry, I’m that guy who plays string instruments)
I didn’t really know what I was doing going into the project, so I didn’t know much about violins…But if I ever work on a violin again in the future, I’ll be sure to keep these things in mind.
kyaustad
April 6, 2017, 12:51pm
43
I love this and think I could learn a lot from this scene. Would you be willing to share the packed blend file?
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I’ve made a lot of changes to it and I am currently using the file as a testing ground for physical dust simulations so it will be very cluttered. If you’d like I could make a copy of it and clean it up a bit to send to you. You can send me a private message if you’re interested.