Table of Contents

Introduction

1. LightWave Modeler

Understanding Modeler

Key Areas of Modeler

3D Modeling in LightWave

LightWave v10 Modeler Interface

Tabs and Menus

Create Tab

Modify Tab

Multiply Tab

Construct Tab

Detail Tab

Map Tab

Setup Tab

Utilities Tab

Selection Tab

View Tab

Points, Edges, and Polygons

Selection Modes

Modeler General Commands

Using and Understanding W, T, M, C, S

Modeler Options

The Next Step

2. LightWave Layout

Understanding Layout

LightWave Layout Interface

Menus and Tabs

File Menu

Edit Menu

Windows Menu

Help Menu

Surface Editor

Image Editor

Graph Editor

Virtual Studio

Scene Editor

Parent in Place

Items Tab

Modify Tab

Setup Tab

Utilities Tab

Render Tab

View Tab

Modeler Tools Tab

Preferences

The Next Step

3. Texture Creation

Using the Surface Editor

Organizing Surfaces

Selecting Existing Surfaces

Working with Surfaces

Working with VIPER

Common Surface Settings

Introducing the Node Editor

The Next Step

4. Lighting

Working with Lights

Light Color

Light Intensity

Adding Lights

Clone Lights

Mirror Lights

Ambient Light and Ambient Color

Lens Flares

Volumetric Lights

Global Illumination Options

Global Light and Lens Flare Intensity

Radiosity and Caustics

Applying Lights in LightWave

Simulating Studio Lighting

Enhanced Lighting with HDR

Using Projection Images on Lights

Using Area Lights

The Next Step

5. 3D Cameras

Focus on Cameras

Setting Up a Camera

Motion Effects

Stereo and Depth of Field (DOF)

Camera Concepts

Additional Camera Types

The Next Step

6. 3D Animation

Creating Motion with Keyframes

Automatic Keyframing

Manual Keyframing

Control Curves with the Move TCB Tool

Navigating the Graph Editor

Working with Channels

Working with the Graph Editor

Adjusting Timing in the Graph Editor

Copy Time Slice

Navigating the Curve Window

Exploring Additional Commands in the Graph Editor

Footprints

Using the Curves Tab

Editing Color Channels

The Next Step

7. Motion Graphics

Modeling 3D Text

Working with Backdrops in Modeler

Building Over Images

Pivot Points in Modeler

Importing EPS Files

Animating Text

Lighting, Motion, and Backgrounds

The Next Step

8. Modeling Everyday Things

Modeling Fruit

Begin with Bananas

Orange You Glad You Got This Book?

Create a Cluster of Grapes

Building a Fruit Bowl

Building a Set for the Still Life

The Next Step

9. Particle Animation

Particles In LightWave

Creating a Basic Particle-Motion Scene

Working with Particle Wind

Introducing Particle Collisions

Surfacing Particles

Using Images on Particles

Editing Particles

The Next Step

10. Dynamics in Motion

Dynamics in LightWave

Understanding Dynamic Controls

Hard-Body Dynamics

Soft-Body Dynamics

The Next Step

11. Bones and Rigging

Understanding Bones

Creating Hierarchies

Creating Multiple Hierarchies

Bone Weights

Applying Weight Maps

Skelegons

The Next Step

12. The LightWave Render Engine

Working in the Render Globals Panel

Setting Up an Animation to Render

General-Purpose Rendering

Saving Renders

Thoughts on Rendering

The Next Step

A. Plug-ins and Additional Resources

Exporting Scenes and Objects

Package Scenes

Working with Plug-ins

Where to Find LightWave’s Plug-ins

Loading Plug-ins

LScripts

Learn Your Tools

More References You Can Use

Reading References

Audiovisual References

Web Resources

What’s on the DVD

Technical Support Issues

DVD Contents

Using the Video Files

System Requirements

Loading the DVD Files

Index