Nibiru Panneflek-Cook ATCM 3355 F23: Extra Credit Regional High-Speed Rail (HSR)

Extra Credit: Regional High-Speed Rail (HSR)

Concept

Public transportation is a big part of my life and an infrastructural organ, requiring diligent attendance in any city with hopes of yielding positive life outcomes for its citizens. Having relied on the DART to commute between the southernmost areas of the DFW Metroplex and Richardson for school and social activities during my first semester at UTD, my own experience is a testament to how mass transit networks help riders develop rich and multifaceted lives affordably through communal interdependence. Taking design cues from a cutting-edge bullet train built to withstand extreme weather conditions in northern China, this model is an aesthetic prototype for a locomotive transport vehicle intended for use in Texas.

Reference(s)

Dallas Area Rapid Transit Light Rail

China Railway CR400AF-G

Processes

Using the "Box" command, I created a rectangular prism, then filleted it dramatically to achieve the typical HSR engine silhouette. I then mirrored this shape to create a second car facing the opposite direction and placed a wagon with evenly filleted edges in the center of the two. After making minor alterations to a pulley wheel I learned about in episode 17 of "From Curves to Surfaces," the undercarriage came together quickly and was made of filleted and chamfered primitives. I split the surfaces of the hull along their isocurves and assigned them to different layers to paint them separately. 

 

Episode 11 of "Analysis and Modeling Techniques" included a "mirror" command tutorial. By watching it, I found that it is best to mirror curves before turning them into surfaces. I applied this knowledge when creating the doors and windows for this project, drawing and offsetting outlines of them into one of its sides, then flipping them to the other for symmetry. Subsequently, I used the "Split" function to carve these elements into the vehicle. Finally, as instructed by the directions in episode 12 of "File Management and Prototyping," I ran "ShowEdges" to verify the integrity of my structure.

Deliverable(s)

Black Ghosted Image

Color Ghosted Image

Primary Render

Secondary Render

Materials

All the materials used in this model are alterations of stock assets from Rhino. The windows are heavily tinted glass, while the exterior boasts an orange and cream-colored paint finish. Both the wheels and doors are metal, albeit of different shades, and I used black plaster for the sealant in lieu of rubber.

 

Certificates

File Management and Prototyping

Analysis and Modeling Techniques

From Curves to Surfaces