The BASF Coatings division has developed virtual AUVOT (Automotive Vehicle of Trends) shapes to help gain a realistic impression of colours, effects and surfaces on a complete car during the early design phase.
The company says that AUVOTs display the interaction between colour and geometry, and the importance of light in the digital world of automotive coatings, helping manufacturers understand the impact of colour in industrial design in one shape with two distinct sides.
BASF says it has introduced four different AUVOT shapes which stand for various car segments in the automotive market – from compact cars to SUVs. Each of the shapes represent distinct automotive features that reveal effect highlights on the edges, showcasing dramatic flop behaviour at the same time. BASF says that while one side of the automotive geometry simulates various elements that can be found on every car, the other side features spectacular unreal formations that reveal the potential of automotive coating and give surprising insights on the behaviour of a colour.
“To visualise and display all elements relevant to coatings – such as the colour itself, the effect and the surface – is already challenging in the real world and requires deep knowledge,” said Florina Trost, Senior Designer Automotive Coatings Solutions EMEA at BASF. “Translating this knowledge into the virtual world and bridging those two worlds opens a new field of work. Our mission was the technically correct and primary realistic appearance of paint as well as a persuasive portrayal of a colour concept on the right shape.”
Representing elements of BASF’s dome shapes and panels, which will still be used to present future trends, the virtual 3D shapes are intended to support designers who will evaluate automotive colours for the upcoming model year. The company says AUVOTs are a valuable tool for OEM designers and BASF’s internal coatings experts to speed up and perfect the overall colour design process, as they are no longer solely dependent on physical samples that need to be painted and shipped. BASF added that the digital twin of a real colour concept can also be used as a starting point for further discussions with its designers, helping to develop unique shades that perfectly fit to the OEM’s models and also underline the value of the automotive brand. This is why the digital geometries of the AUVOTs have a minimum amount of trim parts to interrelate with transportation design.
The AUVOTs are part of BASF’s digital paint competence, complementing its AUROOM digital platform which gives OEM designers access to the database of photo-realistic virtual car colours and tools.