Lightwave Export Problem
by dr_boom · in Constructor · 08/21/2007 (12:32 pm) · 6 replies
I have Bryce 6 which can import Lightwave objects. However, when trying to import lighwave objects from Constructor i get an "invalid format" error in Bryce. I am not familiar with Lightwave, but shouldn't this work in theory? I did notice that the object i exported is much smaller in filesize as a lightwave export than the size of the actual scence/map itself. It's just a single building.
About the author
#2
What is the version that Constructor exports as? I'm going to check with DAZ as well.
Also, are there future plans to sell exporter "plugins" for different formats-versions? That would be great, since this is a very nice tool to work with for anyone who maybe does not have modeling skills or the money for Max, Maya, etc...like me :)
Thanks again!
08/21/2007 (1:42 pm)
Thanks David,What is the version that Constructor exports as? I'm going to check with DAZ as well.
Also, are there future plans to sell exporter "plugins" for different formats-versions? That would be great, since this is a very nice tool to work with for anyone who maybe does not have modeling skills or the money for Max, Maya, etc...like me :)
Thanks again!
#3
08/21/2007 (1:48 pm)
Well, it's not meant to be used as a full modeling suite and CSG modeling is rather limiting in many aspects. Plus, Dave (who created the LW exporter for Torque) put it together in a weekend more as a "wow, let's see if I can do it" than a fully-featured LWO export tool. I have no idea what spec he used, or if he used the LW SDK. I'm not even sure of the version of LW that was out at the time. I think 8 was out and 9 was still in progress.
#4
Tried importing into milkshape and it came back with the following error:
"Cannot read Lightwave object 6.5x!"
I know it's not meant to be a full modelling suite, just saying i like this feature and i have plans for it if i can get it to work. :)
08/25/2007 (4:50 am)
FYITried importing into milkshape and it came back with the following error:
"Cannot read Lightwave object 6.5x!"
I know it's not meant to be a full modelling suite, just saying i like this feature and i have plans for it if i can get it to work. :)
#5
LightWave object files come in two flavours: LWO and LWO2. LWO is the original format while LWO2 was introduced in LightWave 6. Both have a file extension of 'lwo' and you'd only be able to tell the difference by looking within the file itself -- the text LWO2 is present within the first few bytes in the file. If I recall the major enhancement to LWO2 was UV channel support.
For Constructor I went with the LWO2 format as it has been around for many years (since 1999) and I needed UV support. It sounds like MilkShape needs to update its importer.
As for Bryce 6, if it can load up LightWave objects created in LW6 and beyond then it sounds like it is expecting certain chunks to be present or in a certain order within the LWO file. I wrote the exporter to follow the IFF guidelines present in the LWSDK documentation but the only software I tested against was LightWave itself.
As for the difference in file sizes: the LightWave object format is a binary one while Constructor's scenes and map files are text based so that would produce a difference.
- LightWave Dave
08/27/2007 (11:40 am)
Greetings!LightWave object files come in two flavours: LWO and LWO2. LWO is the original format while LWO2 was introduced in LightWave 6. Both have a file extension of 'lwo' and you'd only be able to tell the difference by looking within the file itself -- the text LWO2 is present within the first few bytes in the file. If I recall the major enhancement to LWO2 was UV channel support.
For Constructor I went with the LWO2 format as it has been around for many years (since 1999) and I needed UV support. It sounds like MilkShape needs to update its importer.
As for Bryce 6, if it can load up LightWave objects created in LW6 and beyond then it sounds like it is expecting certain chunks to be present or in a certain order within the LWO file. I wrote the exporter to follow the IFF guidelines present in the LWSDK documentation but the only software I tested against was LightWave itself.
As for the difference in file sizes: the LightWave object format is a binary one while Constructor's scenes and map files are text based so that would produce a difference.
- LightWave Dave
Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake