NewTek Lightwave 3D: Working in 3D Space

Animation IVWorking in 3D Space

Loading an Object Loading an Object

In the Items tab Object button

Shortcut +

Object Layer If the object was saved

in separate layers you can load the layer items separately as separate objects

Loading an Object From Scene

Neat trick of loading an object from another scene

Brings in all the animation that came with the object Can even import the

lights that were used in that scene if you want to

Let’s Get Started Start up

Lightwave 3D

Select the Items tab

From the Load section, select ‘From Scene’

Let’s Get Started From the Aviation

folder select ‘MustangLowRes’

In the Load from Scene dialogue box, scroll down to the Lights folder and select all 3 lights

Don’t select the camera

Select OK

Let’s Get Started Switch to Camera

view (6)

Drag the timeline slider and notice that the airplane already has motion applied to the object without you doing anything! All you need to do now

is move the airplane around

Working in 3D Space Direction

X value – left & right -X = going left from

center +X = going right from

center Red arrow

Working in 3D Space Direction

Y value – up & down -Y – going down from

center +Y – going up from

center Green arrow

Working in 3D Space Direction

Z value (Assuming the

camera is in front of your object)

-Z = Moving towards the camera from the center

+Z = Moving away from the camera from the center

Choosing What to Move

Current item pop-up menu Sometimes an object is

made up of one piece Cow for instance

Sometimes an object consists of several pieces The Mustang airplane Choosing what to move

is VERY important

Choosing What to Move

Who’s the boss? When an object is

made of of several pieces (or other objects) typically, one object controls all the other objects

This is called parenting Whatever the parent

does, the children do the same thing

Moving Things Around

Press M to bring up the Motion Properties dialogue box

Click on the Parent Item pop-up menu

Notice that ‘m-body11’ is the top dog or parent for the whole object If you want to modify the

whole object, this is what you choose

Moving Things Around

Select the Modify tab

Select the Move button (t)

In the Current Item pop-up menu select ‘m_body11’

Moving Things Around

Using the Camera view and Top view move the Mustang away from the camera and to the upper left

Working in 3D Space Rotation

Heading Rotating along the

horizontal axis Y axis Red circle

Working in 3D Space Rotation

Pitch Rotating along the X

axis Nodding up and

down Green circle

Working in 3D Space Rotation

Banking Rotating along the Z

axis Rocking back and

forth Blue circle

Moving Things Around

In the Modify tab select the Rotate tool

Select the bank, pitch and horizontal circles to straighten the plane so it appears to be heading toward the camera (you)

Moving Things Around

In the Auto Key Modifier pop-up menu choose Auto Key Modified This allows us to

modify the object we loaded from a scene that had key frames already added

Move the timeline slider to 120

Moving Things Around

Select the Move tool

Using the Camera and Top view, move the mustang closer to the camera and to the upper right. You should see a

motion path from frame 0

Moving Things Around

Move the timeline slider to 60 Halfway through

our animation

With the Move tool, select the green arrow and make the mustang dip low

Working in 3D Space Size vs. Stretch

Size Scaled equally along

all axis points Stretch

Allows you to scale each axis independently

Working in 3D Space Sizing

Simply drag left and right on the object to make the object smaller or bigger

Can also use numerics window to set an exact value

Working in 3D Space Stretch

Red handle Stretch along the X

axis Green handle

Stretch along the Y axis

Blue handle Stretch along the Z

axis

Add a Little Perspective

Move the timeline slider to 0

Select the Size tool and scale down the mustang to 0.500

Add a Little Perspective

Move the timeline slider to 120

Select the Size tool and scale up the mustang the 1.250

Drag the timeline slider back and forth to check out the animation

Aligning to Path Rather than setting all the

heading, pitch and bank settings manually, have the object Align to Path instead

This option works only if the object was made facing toward the +Z plane Our mustang faces the

wrong way so this won’t work

Isolating Motion Turn on or off axis

points using the numerics box Only the control

handles still active appear on the object

Use the sliders for the axis point you wish to change

Add a Little Perspective

Switch to the Top view

Go to each key frame and align the horizontal motion to follow the path

Add a Little Perspective

Switch to the Camera view

At each key frame change the pitch value to follow the motion Use the P value in

the numerics window Click on the green

circle

Add a Backdrop Easy way to fill the

background of your animation with: Solid color Color gradient Image

Add a Little Perspective

In the Windows pop-up menu select Backdrop Options

In the Backdrop tab, check the Gradient Backdrop Zenith to nadir color

sets the range of color from top to bottom

Add a Little Perspective

This gradient actually works well the way it is for our sky so after checking the box, close the window

Press F9 to check out a frame of your animation

Making an Animation Lots of different

types of animation outputs in Lightwave

We use only one QuickTime (.mov)

Make an Animation Select the

Render tab

On the left select Render Globals

Animation Settings Select the General

tab This sets what part of

your scene to render

Check the settings: First frame = 1 Last frame = 120 Step = 1

Leave off everything else

Animation Settings Check out the

Render tab This sets what

Lightwave should render Shadows,

reflections, transparency, lens flares and other effects

Animation Settings Check out the

Camera tab This allows you to

change the camera focal length, render dimensions, motion blur effects

Animation Settings Check out the

Lights tab This allows you to

change the settings to any of the lights in your scene

Animation Settings Check out the

Output tab This sets how you

wish to save your animation

Lots of options, but we only need one QuickTime

(.mov)

Animation Settings Check the Save

Animation box

Click on the Type pop-up window and choose QuickTime (.mov)

Click the Animation File box

Name and save your animation file to the desktop

Animation Settings Once your Render

Globals settings are set, click Render Scene (F10)

The Render Status window comes up and shows you each frame as it’s rendered out.

Save a Copy of your Scene for your

Homework Select File >

Save Scene As

Save the scene file (.LWS) to the desktop

Later, you will attach this file to an email to me

Animation IVWorking in 3D Space