Car tire modeling (works best with Cinema 4D version 9.5 and up)

Level: beginner
This modeling technique will show you also how to do it very fast

and most efficient way in Cinema 4D.

Same polygon modeling technique is possible to use in

other 3d software such as 3Ds Max, XSI or Maya etc.

Please remember to use centimeters as units because it’s important to have in order to use this tutorial. Also we get more realistic results when using real world units.

1. Start with tube and with the following settings:

-Inner radius 150 cm

-Outer radius 200

-Rotation segments 36

-Cap segments 2

-Height 100 cm

-Height segments 4 (edit: I forgot to put this, now fixed ;-) )

We want to make the tire round. Just mark Fillet option on and

set 2 segments with radius of 20 cm.

2. Press C to make object editable. Then select 6 rows of inner polygons as

shown in the image A. Then delete them. You can use loop selection tool

in version 9 and up. B Change to point tool and click right mouse button ->

select optimize (picture C)-> click OK. This removes all unnecessary points.

A

B

C

3. We are still in the point tool mode. Go to Right or Front view to see your tire from the side.

Select second horizontal point row from top and second from the bottom. Just at the

tire edge (see image). Use the loop selection tool.

Select rotation tool and add value of 5 degrees in H

box. Click apply. Now we have some twist on the edges!

Next select first upper and bottom point rows next from the middle point row.

This time add 10 degrees of rotation in H box.

Click apply. See result below.

Now you can see how a simple tube is starting to look

more like a car tire. Next we will use the outer edge to model the tyre pattern.

4. Select polygon tool and select facing polygons as in the image.

Use bevel tool with extrusion of 2 cm and inner offset of 2 cm.

Click apply

5. A Select outer polygons around beveled polygons with loop selection then click right mouse button and select – split (B).

Now we have a pattern that we can use around the tire. Rename this part as tire_pattern.

A

B

6.  Now we have made the first tire pattern. Actually this pattern itself has already 10-degrees rotation from the whole 360-degrees rotation of tire belt. So now we need to duplicate more patterns and add the rest and remaining 350-degrees to complete the tire belt.

Go to Functions – Duplicate. Select Linear mode. Put 35 copies and checkmark generate instances. Change all values into 0 in position boxes. Click Tool – apply. The pattern is now belting the tire. Only problem is that we have it now in one side only. This can be solved by using symmetry tool. Objects -> Modeling -> Symmetry .

Change mirror plane to XZ and drag tire_pattern copies and tire_pattern under it. Now you have pattern in both sides of the tire!

7. Now we have pattern on the outer edge but not in the middle of tire. Let’s model middle pattern.

Select facing polygons and add same bevel values

as before (2cm and 2cm). Then select the beveled and its outer edge and split this pattern. Rename this for example as tire pattern 2. Then go to functions- duplicate and just repeat the function because the values are still the same.

Fantastic! Now you have made inner belt pattern

Just put this under Symmetry and you’re done.

Remember to keep the hierarchy right, put tire pattern 2 under and inside tire

pattern. Otherwise it won’t be visible to hierarchy of symmetry tag ;)

You can finally add some lighting, materials and background. Here’s the final wireframe I’ve got.

Congratulations if you’ve made this far. Now have some coffee!