Blender F1 Challenge Description and Rules

The Blender F1 Challenge "challenges" Blender 3D users to create the Formula One car of the future. It can be one day, one year, or one hundred years! If you look at all of the past favorites, you will see that these are no ordinary F1 cars. Some touch the ground and others do not. What you do is use your imagination.

Looking back at previous Blender F1 Challenges
If you take a closer look at the top entries from previous Challenges (links are in the menu to the left), what do they have in common? Attention to detail! Lighting, texturing, composition and precision modelling made these entries stand out from the rest. The time spent on these models really shows in their quality.
Textures! No doubt the best models had the best texturing. Texturing makes the model look real. It is amazing what a properly placed decal or detailed reflection map can do to make a model come alive.
Lighting! The best finishers also had lighting that showed the important features and added to the overall scene while maintaining a realistic feel. Several entries in the past have been (in my opinion) underlit. A model could be the most incredible creation ever but that will not matter if we cannot see it!
Composition! Composition is how the objects are placed in the scene. Take a close look at the top Challenge entries and you will see that the composition is very similar. Three-quarter angles from a slightly higher perspective. Also look in any car magazine and you will see similar composition. People are natually used to seeing certain types of objects from a particular point of view. Cars are one of them.
Listen to the Community! Many of the images submitted to the F1 Challenge were posted on the Community forums (such as BlenderArtists.org) for critique before being submitted. Based on what was suggested by fellow Blender users, many of the entries were modified for the better. The Community can be an awesome tool to help you make your images better if you listen to them.
One additional observation, if I may. Never underestimate the effect of having your image tell a story. Several of the entries had simple stories built into them and that can give them a human touch and add excitement. Take some time to thumb through any magazine and look at the advertisments. The best ones always tell some sort of story however simple it may be.....

Now... a word about the rules. The Blender F1 Challenge has always been about using and learning Blender and to have fun at the same time. I have always strived for fair and even rules to give every Blender user from newbie to guru a chance at placing well. So now...
THE RULES...
2001 Blender F1 Challenge winner by Christoffer GreenThe ONLY design criteria required is that all entries must make use of an open-cockpit configuration common to contempory Formula One cars. The image to the left shows a past entry (by Christoffer Green and the FIRST Blender F1 Challenge winner) using this style.
Any Blender version that is available for download (including CVS versions) can be used to create the basis of the entry. This essentially means that Blender must be used for modelling, lighting and texturing. ANY RENDERER can be used to render the image. Plug-ins for Blender are allowed provided that they are available to all Blender users. Post-processing of images is allowed for enhancement uses only such as adding titles, color correction, brightness, contrast, etc. Adding crucial elements (such as backgrounds, characters, etc...) in post-production will not be accepted.

Entries must be submitted as a JPEG image no larger than 1280 pixels wide or high. Please include the following:
- The name you want used on the Challenge web site
- A desription about your entry such as creation details or story about the image
Either send an email attachment to curtis@seesystems.com or email a web link to the files so I can download them (preferred method). Entries can be updated at any time before the contest ends so do not be afraid to make those last minute tweaks. Wire frame images from Blender will be required for the top 5 finishers.

The Challenge will start April 19, 2009 and end June 20, 2009 at midnight Pacific coast USA time. This will give you plenty of time model, texture, light and render your F1 masterpiece!

2009 Blender F1 Challenge prizes from the Blendr e-Shop now up for grabs!!

  • 1st prize: “Bounce, Tumble and Splash!” Simulating the Physical World with Blender
    This book has been written by Tony Mullen, the successful author of the "Introducing Character Animation with Blender" book.
    The book offers step-by-step instructions on Blender's more complex features, while showcasing the unique objects and characters that can be created in Blender.
  • 2nd prize: “Essential Blender”
    Second print, on heavy quality paper!
    Essential Blender, the latest book from the Blender Foundation, is your official guide to learning the fundamentals of this open and free 3D software suite. The book can be used as a step-by-step guide for people new to Blender or new to the latest changes in Blender. This book is the ideal companion for the previous 2.3 Blender guide.
  • 3rd prize: Big Buck Bunny DVD set
    Big Buck Bunny - Project Peach - was Blender Foundations second Open Movie project, produced in the studio of the brand new Blender Institute in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
    Five artists and two developers have been invited to come over to Amsterdam for seven months to create a funny & furry 3D short movie with Blender. Lead by renowned Blender artists Sacha Goedegebure (story and direction) and Andreas Goralczyk (art direction) you can expect this to be a hilarious 3D cartoon!

The important thing is to learn and have FUN! NOW, boot Blender up and build the F1 car of your dreams!!
Thanks!
CurtisS