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    Scene Express 2 :: LightWave

    Getting Started with Scene Express 2
    Getting Started with Scene Express 2

    Part 5. LightWave Export

    Screen captures are from VNS 3.
    Scene Express for WCS 6 does not include VNS-specific features.

    1. Open the Atlantis project from the WCSProjects\SX folder on your hard drive. Save the project as AtlantisLW.

    A computer screen displays 3D modeling software with multiple views of terrain and a structure, alongside a properties table.

    2. Before doing anything else let’s make sure our export camera is LightWave-friendly. LightWave isn’t as forgiving as VNS and WCS and doesn’t allow a targeted camera to have additional pitch, bank, and/or heading rotations. We have two choices when it comes to exporting cameras for LightWave: use a targeted camera without any rotation or use a non-targeted camera. The Theater camera is the only one we’ll export and it’s a non-targeted camera. That means the exported LW camera will match the VNS/WCS camera.

    A computer interface for a camera editor labeled "Theater." Options include camera type, floating, interactive elevation, and other settings. Controls for advanced features can be revealed.

    3. Go to the Render Task Mode in the Scene-at-a-Glance and add a Scene Exporter Component.

    A screenshot of the Visual Nature Studio 3.0 software showing the "Cameras" section in the side menu. A right-click context menu is open with "Add Component of this type" highlighted.

    4. Name it LW and change the Output Format to LightWave. Replace Exports\AtlantisLW in the Output File field with LW\AtlantisLW. This will create a LW folder in the SX project folder to hold the LightWave files. Temporary files will be saved in an Exports folder.

    Screenshot of Scene Exporter Editor software window showing options for naming, output format, priority, start time, and output and temp file paths. Features also include export scenario selection.

    5. VNS Only. Go to the Terrain page. Choose Geographic – WGS 84 from the Coordinate System dropdown list.

    A software window titled "Scene Exporter Editor - LW" with various terrain and boundary configuration options including coordinate system settings, grid cell size, and a dropdown menu for "Geographic - WGS 84".

    6. We’ll export the entire scene with one DEM object with 200 Columns and Rows. That will give us a grid cell size of about 5 meters.

    A software interface labeled "Scene Exporter Editor - LW" with options for terrain settings, grid parameters, bounds coordination, and fractal depth adjustments.

    7. There are no LOD options in the LightWave format.

    Screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - LW showing the LOD tab with options for detail levels, transitions, foliage appearance, object transitions, and distance labels. Some checkboxes are ticked.

    8. Turn to the Texture page. This controls the texture draped on the terrain. The Image Format field also applies to the sky texture. The Texture Map defaults to Any Size. Increase the Columns and Rows to 1000. This will give us a terrain texture resolution of about 1 meter per image pixel.

    A settings menu for "Scene Exporter Editor - LW" displaying options for texture map export, image format selection, and tiling settings. Several boxes contain numerical values.

    9. The Foliage page gives us an export option not available in other exporter formats. HD Instance is a great LightWave plugin from Happy Digital that uses instances of objects to save memory. It’s the best way to render thousands of trees so that’s what we’ll use. Find out more about it with the What’s This? button. While you’re there, download and install the demo plug-in as we’ll be using it shortly.

    Screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor in LW with various settings for foliage and labels, including options for export format, image size, and transparency. A cursor hovers over the "HD Instance" option.

    10. The Sky page defaults will serve us quite nicely so leave them alone. On the Misc page, select Create all new object files.

    A screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - LW window showing settings under the 'Sky' tab. Various sky export features like gradients, clouds, celestial objects, starfields, atmospheres, and volumetrics are checked.
    A screenshot of the "Scene Exporter Editor - LW" window with tabs for General, Terrain, LOD, Texture, Foliage, Sky, Misc, and Misc2. Various settings for exporting 3D Objects, Walls, and Vectors are shown.

    11. Go to the Misc2 page Cameras section and select the Theater Camera. Select the Afternoon Light and deselect Export Haze.

    A software interface of the Scene Exporter Editor - LW is displayed. It has options for exporting cameras, lights, and haze, with selections set for 'Theater' camera, 'Afternoon' lights, and haze export.

    12. Return to the General page and Export Scene Now.

    A Scene Exporter Editor window for exporting scenarios in LightWave format. Fields include name, priority, output format, start time, output file, and temp path, with options to export or show advanced options.

    13. This will open the VNS Export Control window. Go to start exporting.

    Screenshot of the VNS Export Control window showing options for exporting including formats, options like burn shading, output, resolution, and a "Go" button to start the export process.

    14. VNS will ask you to confirm the creation of new directories in the SX project folder. You won’t get the WCSProjects:SX\Exports window if you’ve already done other Scene Express tutorials.

    Dialog box with the message "Path does not exist. Create a new directory?" and buttons labeled "OK" and "Cancel." A cursor is positioned over the "OK" button.

    15. VNS Export Control will let you know when the export is complete.

    A screenshot shows the VNS Export Control panel with various export options and settings for LightWave. The panel includes file type selections, render options, resolution settings, and export progress.

    16. Launch LightWave and open the AltantisLW scene file from your WCSProjects\SX\LW\Scenes folder.

    Screenshot of a file directory showing three folders named "Images," "Objects," and "Scenes," each with a "File Folder" type and a date of 7/7/2001.

    17. Here’s what the Theater camera view looks like in LightWave 9.

    A 3D model of a scene with a geometric wave pattern in blue and a boat in the foreground. The background features abstract mountain-like shapes.

    18. The number of rendered HD Instance trees is very limited in the demo. Here’s what the rendered scene looks like with the full version of the plugin.

    A computer-generated image shows an amphitheater partially submerged in water, situated near a forest and rocky hills.

    19. Exported files from this tutorial are in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Output\LW folder on the VNS 3 DVD. The completed project file is in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Projects folder on your hard drive.

    Produced by Scott Cherba for 3DNature

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