Basics of Architecture in Lightwave

[RyanSW]

Now I know Lightwave is 3D Software not CAD. So how does one do architecture in Lightwave?

 

Should I do my floorplans in AutoCAD or Rhino and then import them to Lightwave to kinda extrude? Or how does it work? Also how does scale work in Lightwave?

 

Are there any basic tutorials to build like a shed or something - no textures or anything. Just the modelling aspect of it.

[IC]

I've been using AutoCAD and LW for years. They both have their problems but they are great programs.

 

What I generally do for exteriors is:

Model in AutoCAD(or whatever) and export to 3ds. Take the 3ds file into LW and texture, embellish and render. Sometimes I model in LW too but if you're working from a dwg file, it's an opportunity lost not to model in AutoCAD.

For interiors:

Model, texture and render in LW.

 

You won't get better tutorials for all kinds of CG work than Dan Ablan's Inside LightWave books.

 

LightWave isn't CAD but then neither are any of the other 3D apps. I have it set to work in mm as we work in metric in the UK. The scale in LW is very intuitive. When you're modelling from a 2D drawing, you just switch to numeric mode and you can type in (eg) 3.256mm+2.122mm+0.980m+1.345mm and it does the calculation for you.

[RyanSW]

so I should model in Cad or ArchDesktop and then just open LightWave 7 and never even touch Modeler until Im working on an interior space?

[IC]

It's not quite that simple. Modeler goes hand in hand with Layout if you want a good render. Open the exported model in Modeler first then, press m for merge. Check the scale in the bottom left hand box.

 

Then attend to scale and texturing. After that, spend as little or as much time as you have on the model. You've got to get it to Layout asap and once rendering has started you can still refine the model (with FPrime you can refine as you go with just about no delay).

[otacon]

I would model with whatever program your most comfortable with. For me i do everything in lightwave, model, texture, render...but then again im not very familiar with autocad. Plus i think its most efficient if you can keep the number of programs you have to use to a minimum.

[RyanSW]

I would model with whatever program your most comfortable with. For me i do everything in lightwave, model, texture, render...but then again im not very familiar with autocad. Plus i think its most efficient if you can keep the number of programs you have to use to a minimum.

 

Can you do floorplans though in LW?

[otacon]

No, I usually convert the dwg to dxf and work from that to make floorplates.

Example here

[Allen]

Sounds like I work the same way as Otacon: DXF for the base vertexes (what's the plural for vertex?), and model from there.

 

Oh, and I supposed you could do floorplans from LW - but it would be like digging a ditch with a hammer - the hammers a great tool - but it's not for digging ditches. Get a CAD program. (http://www.intellicadms.com)

[vpii@vpii.com]

What is otacon working for Charles now at 2dimes?

[Allen]

What is otacon working for Charles now at 2dimes?

He could probably tell you...but then he'd have to kill you. Talented team there.

[MooseDog]

http://www.wtools3d.com/

 

if your budget supports it, this is a pretty nifty lw tool. stays consistent with otacon's less moving parts philosophy, which i second .

 

for me at least, modeling in lw is painlessly fast and easy. to each their own tho

[Charles Gaushell]

LOL...

 

Thanks Allen - Kudos to everyone in this thread. Yes, Jason has been with us for almost a year now.

 

Some day I'll get the rest of you here. We would have a lot of fun and hopefully a lot of money....

[Allen]

Yea...live in a loft over looking the river...I could do that.

 

Back to work (placing nose back on grindstone)

[Jure]

I work the same way as other have allready mentioned.

First I clean up floorplans in Autocad to get rid of unnecessary layers and lines then flatten the whole thing to one layer. I save that as v12 dxf and open it in modeler. From there it's straight modeling with LWcad (very helpfull!!!) and other standard tools (extrude, bevel, band saw, bridge etc.).

[ihabkal]

LOL...

 

a lot of money....

 

that's what my previous employer told me...

[shortstuf2890]

How do you save an object in lightwave as an image file so you can view it in other programs.

[IC]

What do you mean exactly?

You can screen grab by pressing the 'print screen' button or you can render an image of your object (try the help files for that one-the options are huge).

[MetaHumanitY]

No, I usually convert the dwg to dxf and work from that to make floorplates.

Example here

 

 

That´s a fantastic model and render! Radiosity?

[otacon]

Background radiosity.

[4DM]

(what's the plural for vertex?)

 

I believe the word you are looking for is 'vertices'...

 

Cheers,

 

D.

[Allen]

Duh...I knew that :-) Thanks.

[bjornkn]

My number 1 choice for modelling architecture to be used in LW (or elsewhere) is SketchUp.

It works very well with Autocad drawings, and it exports uv-mapped objects as 3ds, obj and others.

It's a great program, very user-friendly and along with a nice set of user-defines shortcuts it gives you a great workflow

[3dworks]

very happy using formz here, which has a good LW im- and export. in my opinion this program has one of the best combinations of CAD features and solid modelling features: layers, symbols, instancing/cloning, both real solids and surfaces, very good boolean operations, updated ACIS core. it is also useful if you do work with different renderers - we use it for both EIAS and LW. in our workflow FZ is for the geometry creation process only. surfacing and texturing is then all done in modeler/layout.

 

cheers

 

markus

[Limbus]

The very nice LWCAD Plugin was allready mentioned.

I find these to free snapping plugins irreplaceable when doing Archviz stuff:

 

SP_Move

http://www.flay.com/GetDetail.cfm?ID=2180

and

Snap_Line

http://www.flay.com/GetDetail.cfm?ID=1998

 

Florian

[sonny]

try plotting yor dwg as eps from autcad then import them into lw as eps. rescale the impoted eps to the right size in modeller then proceed modelling either by tracing over the imported plan from another layer or by using lwcad for measurement precision.