The LightWave 6.5/7.0 Project Handbook (Graphics Series) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The LightWave 6.5/7.0 Project Handbook deftly explores LightWave's rich features while still being approachable enough for beginners. Complete with a CD-ROM that includes demo versions of the program as well as the data files needed for each chapter, this book is well suited for the new LightWave user willing to sit down and learn the program.

Ten chapters detail the application, from the fundamentals of creating objects and animation to the deeper features of particle systems, texture mapping, and rendering. Although there are no color pictures, each chapter is richly illustrated and the screen shots used in the book are included in color on the CD-ROM. Final renderings of each project are also included.

The author writes clearly, laying out the purpose of each chapter in the first few paragraphs, followed by a step-by-step tutorial towards the final goal. Each tutorial ends with a closing discussion and suggestions for going further with the techniques just covered. Early chapters cover the creation of text and basic shapes, models, and the use of particle systems. The latter half of the book covers texturing and rendering, and creating sophisticated images ready for broadcast.

A veteran of the 3-D animation world, LightWave dates back to the early days when the Amiga ruled and a 16 MHz computer (yes, 16) was considered fast. Now up to version 7, LightWave has been widely used in both television and feature films and boasts a worldwide user base. Contemporary computer graphics artists owe a great deal to LightWave, and new users climbing the LightWave learning curve can't go wrong with The LightWave 6.5/7.0 Project Handbook. --Mike Caputo

Product Description

Harness the power of NewTek's LightWave, one of the most powerful, multi-platform 3D applications available.

With The LightWave 6.5/7.0 Project Handbook, you'll explore the best array of features and functionality that make LightWave a tool of choice for the television and film industries. Using a variety of real-world examples and in-depth tutorials, you'll gain all the hands-on practice needed to understand this feature-packed application. From creating objects in the Modeler to setting up scenes in Layout, both new and experienced users will understand the enhancements found in versions 6.5 and 7.0.

The book is packed with information on everything from creating text, logos, and using cameras and lights, to modeling, texturing, surfacing, animation, and more. Self-contained chapters give the book a flexible structure that allows newer users to progress from start to finish, and more experienced users to jump from topic to topic. So whether you are just getting started with LightWave, or are upgrading to the newest release, you'll find a wealth of practical techniques and ideas to move you a step ahead in your creation.

Key Features: - Covers versions 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0 - Includes in-depth coverage of the new surface texturing techniques - Details rendering techniques ranging from photorealistic to hand-drawn cartoons - Provides practical uses for weightmaps, morph mixing, and subdivision surfaces - Includes worked-through examples using particle animations and hypervoxels - Covers many frequently asked questions, including how to create raindrop ripples and lightning bolts - Includes a variety of hands-on tutorials written in n easy-to-read, conversational style - Provides in depth examples of popular animation tasks

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1 edition (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584500948
• ISBN-13: 978-1584500940
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,097,379 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than other Lightwave books, October 11, 2001

By	"beamtracer" (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews

This book is good. I've got the other Lightwave books by Dan Ablan. Ablan knows his stuff, but is sometimes not a good teacher as he takes many things for granted and doesn't explain everything.

Patrik Beck, the author of this book, is a better teacher. He doesn't assume you already know everything, so doesn't leave anything out. Despite his simple way of explaining things, Patrik Beck manages to show you some of the most amazing effects I've seen done in Lightwave.

I wish this book was around a couple of years ago when I first started to learn Lightwave. It would have made things a lot easier.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beamtracer is not informed, November 17, 2001

By A Customer

I have to disagree with beamtracer's comments. This book has some very basic info, and mr. beck seems to not cover as much as mr. ablan. I'll give you an example - the ablan books inform you not only what to do, but why you're doing it, and add to that the variations which are possible. This book just suggests to perform a function (such as create text) without telling you how to load text, text options, or mac users.

The examples are extremely simplistic and like lw applied, it should not have a v.7 in the title as it's clearly not written for anything involoving lightwave 7. Why are these publishers saying it's for v.7? There is a ton of stuff not covered dealing with lw 7. If they're not going to cover it, then don't put it on the title. I was hoping to find more useful real world examples using particles or expressions or better modelling.

-Molly Grant

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Where is Lightwave 7.0?, December 4, 2001

By	"bkna" (Zaragoza, España) - See all my reviews

This book is helpful for beginners (like me). It applies Lightwave to several problems using a wide set of tools with imagination. Sometimes I missed some explanations: why this value for that field, ...

Can't say Lightwave 7.0 manual is the best manual I ever read... I think Dan Ablan's "Inside Lightwave 6.0" it's a better book providing a lot of detailed information, but these are different books covering different areas and projects so you can learn a lot from both.

My biggest complain about this book is that the author did not take a look at Lightwave 7.0 nor reviewed his tutorials, so many of them don't work as expected in release 7.0 (although it is said that enhancements made in the new release are noted in the book, it's not really true). For instance, "additive" blend mode in release 6.5 is now called "normal" in 7.0, standing "additive" for a different blend mode; some window panels have now different parameters... but you won't find a note for that, so read your Lightwave manual carefully. 7.0 it's just marketing...

Nevertheless you can learn a lot from the basic techniques and how to approach different problems. It is a good book to get started with Lightwave.