Lightwave 3D request for Help.
by Scott Warren · in Artist Corner · 11/06/2012 (1:02 pm) · 6 replies
I haven't seen detailed help for Lightwave 3D since the Skeleton Pack was introduced back in 2008(ish).
The contents were Documents in PDF and well written. Exported Mesh's, Plugins, Texture files, and weapons like a Fireball, a gun and a sword. In my opinion it was the best ever written TGE pack in existence.. ever.
While reading this, remember that it's about "help" specifically for Lightwave 3D users, namely me.
I went searching Amazon.com for new books that are specifically written for T3D and found a new book that GG's very own David Wyand has written.. the same guy that wrote the exporter for Lightwave 7(ish) that is no longer updated and does not work for Lightwave 9+.
www.amazon.com/Torque-3D-Game-Development-Cookbook/dp/1849693544/ref=sr_1_1?s=bo...
Surely a book I will be buying to add it to my library. Thank you Dave.
With all that said, I really need some great guide that's specific to Lightwave 3D. Preferably from a community member that has extensive knowledge about getting an object from Layout into a form that works with the dae2dts.exe program.
The next specific help I need is how to eliminate Texture issues in T3D 1.2 when the textures are supplied in the same folder. I have had varied success for all the steps but without consistency.
If you are such a member, please advise me with clearly written help for changing layer names, adding nodes, exporting to collada, converting to *.dts ( with the dae2dts.exe file ) and getting the results into T3D.
I am not a total bone-head here, I do know how to read manuals, search Google, and how to use Modeler and Layout. But somewhere along the pipeline I miss the mark... which is why I come here see if i can get a full guide or some specific help through email or something. For the member(s) that help me.. assume I am totally new and your teaching me every step required and why... May be a lot to ask for but for me to get a full understanding about a method I require no stone left un-turned.
P.S. I still drive my instructor at college crazy with all my "Why do it that way as opposed to this way" questions.
Feel up to helping me out?
Thanks in advance.
The contents were Documents in PDF and well written. Exported Mesh's, Plugins, Texture files, and weapons like a Fireball, a gun and a sword. In my opinion it was the best ever written TGE pack in existence.. ever.
While reading this, remember that it's about "help" specifically for Lightwave 3D users, namely me.
I went searching Amazon.com for new books that are specifically written for T3D and found a new book that GG's very own David Wyand has written.. the same guy that wrote the exporter for Lightwave 7(ish) that is no longer updated and does not work for Lightwave 9+.
www.amazon.com/Torque-3D-Game-Development-Cookbook/dp/1849693544/ref=sr_1_1?s=bo...
Surely a book I will be buying to add it to my library. Thank you Dave.
With all that said, I really need some great guide that's specific to Lightwave 3D. Preferably from a community member that has extensive knowledge about getting an object from Layout into a form that works with the dae2dts.exe program.
The next specific help I need is how to eliminate Texture issues in T3D 1.2 when the textures are supplied in the same folder. I have had varied success for all the steps but without consistency.
If you are such a member, please advise me with clearly written help for changing layer names, adding nodes, exporting to collada, converting to *.dts ( with the dae2dts.exe file ) and getting the results into T3D.
I am not a total bone-head here, I do know how to read manuals, search Google, and how to use Modeler and Layout. But somewhere along the pipeline I miss the mark... which is why I come here see if i can get a full guide or some specific help through email or something. For the member(s) that help me.. assume I am totally new and your teaching me every step required and why... May be a lot to ask for but for me to get a full understanding about a method I require no stone left un-turned.
P.S. I still drive my instructor at college crazy with all my "Why do it that way as opposed to this way" questions.
Feel up to helping me out?
Thanks in advance.
#2
You might want to check out www.clintons3d.com/plugins/lightwave/index.html
11/06/2012 (4:56 pm)
From what little research I have done on this question, It seems that LightWave has problems exporting to a proper Collada format.You might want to check out www.clintons3d.com/plugins/lightwave/index.html
#3
11/06/2012 (5:26 pm)
Thank you Jimmy, I'll look to see what I can find on that subject.
#4
Made a Ball 2 meters in size.
Lightwave 9.6 - Layout Export as Collada:
Works but it's the size of a walnut.
Same file run through dae2dts:
Works but is the size of a basketball.
The same file was imported into Lightwave 10:
They measure the same in both versions.
Lightwave 10 - Layout Export as Collada:
No Good. The bounds is the size of a basketball, but no object or materials can be seen. not even with resizing.
Same file converted to DTS:
No Good. The bounds is the size of a building, but there is no object or materials visible.
Thanks for the response. Now I know the Collada exporter in Lightwave 10 is not good. Fortunately I own other software that can correctly export collada format.
11/06/2012 (9:32 pm)
I did some testing based on your pointer Jimmy, here are the results:Made a Ball 2 meters in size.
Lightwave 9.6 - Layout Export as Collada:
Works but it's the size of a walnut.
Same file run through dae2dts:
Works but is the size of a basketball.
The same file was imported into Lightwave 10:
They measure the same in both versions.
Lightwave 10 - Layout Export as Collada:
No Good. The bounds is the size of a basketball, but no object or materials can be seen. not even with resizing.
Same file converted to DTS:
No Good. The bounds is the size of a building, but there is no object or materials visible.
Thanks for the response. Now I know the Collada exporter in Lightwave 10 is not good. Fortunately I own other software that can correctly export collada format.
#5
I recommend that you keep experimenting and see if you can't smooth out your pipeline as well. And keep posting here too! There are still a few of us LightWave users left. :)
11/07/2012 (7:34 pm)
I find that very odd. I use LightWave 9.6 and I haven't run into such issues with the exporter. Also, the texture issue looks more like a incorrect UV map setup. Try changing the order of your layers. For instance, if you have bounds setup in the first layer and the nodes aren't properly named, then it might appear as if no object is exported because only a collision mesh is being created (it took me awhile to figure this one out).I recommend that you keep experimenting and see if you can't smooth out your pipeline as well. And keep posting here too! There are still a few of us LightWave users left. :)
#6
Thanks for the encouragement.
11/07/2012 (9:44 pm)
I'll do that Caleb, I'm not ready to give up on LW 10 Collada exporter yet.Thanks for the encouragement.
Torque 3D Owner Scott Warren
Textured Ball
[IMG]http://media.use.com/images/s_2/d255615f35142ec9bafe.jpg[/IMG]
Collision Mesh
[IMG]http://media.use.com/images/s_2/38f6295aacb992f9f2b8.jpg[/IMG]
Layers window
[IMG]http://media.use.com/images/s_2/f71a83f4cdc5ca12cf74.jpg[/IMG]
Nodes schematic
[IMG]http://media.use.com/images/s_2/29ef2c97a00aec4b2e06.jpg[/IMG]
This nodes setup works with the dae2dts.exe exporter, meaning I get no errors and it returns a DTS file.
I placed the DTS file and the T3D.png texture file into the same directory.
After placing the object into the scene I have nothing but a Gimbal and what seems to be the bounds outline at the corners.
So I attempted to make the Texture visible in the Material editor but I have no success.
I have the same problem in T3D 1.1, T3D 1.1(patched) and T3D 1.2 MIT