LightWave Power Guide: The Definitive Guide to LightWave's Hidden Power, with CD-ROM (Inside) [Paperback]

Dan Ablan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Inside | Publication Date: October 1996

This definitive guide to LightWave's hidden power provides a breakdown of functions and some of the most popular plug-ins. LightWave Power Guide focuses on the most powerful functions of LightWave, highlighted by examples of those functions in use. Topics such as LightWave's plug-in architecture, character animation, inverse kinematics, and advanced modeling are covered in depth and accompanied by tutorials that teach real-world skills. LightWave Power Guide also presents valuable information on third-party resources and how to succeed in the business of animating. Whether you are a beginner looking for an easy-to-understand guide or a professional wanting to explore new levels of creativity with the true power of LightWave, LightWave Power Guide will inspire you to create stunning 3D animations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This definitive guide to LightWave's hidden power provides a breakdown of functions and some of the most popular plug-ins. - Explores LightWave's more advanced features

- Enables users to begin creating professional-quality LightWave animations

- CD-ROM includes models, textures, project files, and demonstrations of LightWave animations

Product Details

• Paperback: 587 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Publishing (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562056336
• ISBN-13: 978-1562056339
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,630,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dan Ablan is president of AGA Digital Studios, Inc., a 3D animation, photography, and training company in the Chicago area. AGA Digital has produced 3D visuals for broadcast, corporate, and architectural clients since 1994, as well as post-production services in conjunction with Post Meridian, LLC. AGA Digital Studios, Inc. also provides lifestyle photography services with Dan.
Dan is the author of 13 books from New Riders Publishing, Thomson Course Technology, and Sybex. They are: LightWave Power Guide (v5.0), Inside LightWave 3D (v5.5), Inside LightWave [6], LightWave 6.5 Effects Magic, Inside LightWave 7, Inside LightWave 8, and co-author of LightWave 8 Killer Tips. His latest books are Digital Photography for 3D Imaging & Animation, Inside LightWave v9, and The Official Luxology modo Guide. He also is the author of [digital] Cinematography & Directing, and served as technical editor for [digital] Lighting & Rendering. Dan was also a contributor to After Effects 5.5 Magic, from New Riders Publishing. His 12th book is just out this month - The Official Luxology modo 301 Guide. Book #13 is now available, also from New Riders Publishing and Adobe Press -
Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques. Dan has written the revision to this popular series from Ben Willmore.

Dan is also the founder of 3D Garage.com, a website dedicated to computer software based video training. 3D Garage is owned and operated by AGA Digital Studios, Inc. and offers high quality DVD-ROM based LightWave 3D, modo 3D, Mac and Photoshop training courseware. Dan offers a two day, one on one digital photography workshop through 3D Garage.com as well. AGA Digital Studios, Inc. is a NewTek authorized LightWave training facility and reseller. Dan Ablan has written columns and articles for LightWave Pro magazine, Video Toaster User magazine, 3D Design magazine, 3D World magazine, and NewTek Pro magazine. Dan has been teaching LightWave seminars since 1995 across the country, and at AGA Digital Studios, Inc. Some of the companies Dan has trained include Fox Television, ABC-TV New York City, CBS-TV Indianapolis, WTTW-TV PBS Chicago, Lockheed Martin, and many others. Dan served as Editor-in-Chief of Keyframe Magazine (now HDRI 3D magazine) for two years.

In addition to his daily duties at AGA Digital Studios, Inc., Dan Ablan is also an accomplished photographer having photographed since 1980. Coming from the days of film and darkrooms, he has studied photojournalism in college, and has made the full transition to digital. He and his wife have a portrait studio in the Chicago area (www.AblanGallery.com).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Power comes in many voltages, March 12, 2000

By 

E. A. Wilson (Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LightWave Power Guide: The Definitive Guide to LightWave's Hidden Power, with CD-ROM (Inside) (Paperback)

Dan Ablan's LightWave Power Guide was the first guide to the software powerhouse Lightwave 3D that I have purchased. The book was intended for version 5.0 of the software, thus it is a little outdated for those who are looking for a book that covers the latest version, 6.0. However, what the book covers applies to even the latest versions of Lightwave.

While the cover looks neat and the book is accompanied by a CD-ROM (filled with tutorial examples, some basic textures, plug-in trials, and example avi movies), the book really did somewhat disappoint me - in that it led me to believe that it was intended for both beginners and professionals. I found that this book did not help me to advance my skill very much, but rather was a well-written overview of the basic features (and some not-so-basic) of Lightwave 3D.

I would only recommend this book for beginners - especially those who have had no previous experience with any other 3D animation software. For them, this book will be a valuable resource; for me, it just takes up space on the shelf.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for every beginner! Fun,easy and informative!, February 3, 1999

By 

Mike, illustrator([e-mail]) (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: LightWave Power Guide: The Definitive Guide to LightWave's Hidden Power, with CD-ROM (Inside) (Paperback)

When I entered LW3d for the first time I realised that I was going to need some serious help with understanding this rather complex animationsystem. And this book certainly does the job. Ablan takes you through every dialogbox and describes every single function in a easy way. He'll teach you everything between basic Metanurbing to morphing facial expressions and matte compositing. this book gives you the basic knowledge needed to produce high-end animations. Giving this book some time and practise, you will really learn how to master the Power of LightWave.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Should only be read by beginners, but beware, bad tutorials, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: LightWave Power Guide: The Definitive Guide to LightWave's Hidden Power, with CD-ROM (Inside) (Paperback)

I bought this book after reading the 5 star reviews, and have to admit to being dissappointed with it. Most of the tutorials are for absolute beginners, and the one tutorial I was interested in, the tornado animation, is very badly presented. If you follow this tutorial by the book, you will end up in a mess, which is because the author neglects to mention certain things like 'position your goal null below the last bone', otherwise leaving it where the author leaves it will distort your tornado out of all recognition. There are spelling mistakes at the crucial surface info like 'smoothing on, amount=0.0?? The picture quality in the book is very poor, especially if you want to compare your work with a tutorial. Captions under the pictures saying things like 'the object with the correct polygons selected' are just plain grey all over. I felt I'd wasted my money with this book.