60 Lightwave Plugin.book
Lightwave FBX Plugins Guide
Version 6.0
November 2004
Copyright © 2004 Systèmes Alias Québec Inc.(“Alias”) and/or its licensors. All rights reserved.
Document:
Lightwave FBX Plugins Guide
Version:
6.0
Date:
November 2004
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i i i
Contents
1: Installing the Lightwave FBX Plugins
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Manual Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
LightWave 3D Plugin Naming Conventions . . . . . . . . 1
Installing the LightWave FBX Plugin on Windows . . . . 1
Removing the LightWave FBX Plugin from Windows . . 2
Installing the LightWave FBX Plugin on Mac OS X . . . 2
Removing the LightWave FBX Plugin from Mac OS X . 2
Renaming Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2: LightWave Plugin
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using the LightWave Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Exporting from LightWave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Importing to LightWave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Merging Animation Back to LightWave . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Supported LightWave 8.x Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Object Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Additional Features and Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . 7
1
Chapter 1
Installing the Lightwave
FBX Plugins
Overview
! Note:
FBX plugins are used by Lightwave® to import, export,
A plugin’s name can be changed as long as the
and convert files using the .fbx file format. This
extension (.p) stays the same.
document describes how to install FBX plugins on
Windows® and Mac™ OS X systems for LightWave.
Plugins for Lightwave are available for use with
Supported LightWave 3D Versions
Windows 2000/XP and Mac OS X.
The FBX Plugins are only available for LightWave 8.0.
These plugins will not run correctly on other versions
of LighWave:
Manual Installation
fbxlw80.p
In order for your 3D software to use the Lightwave
plugins, you must manually move these files into the
Installing the LightWave FBX Plugin
proper directories.
on Windows
This section describes the naming conventions,
supported software versions, and the installation
If, in earlier versions of LightWave, you had created
process for manually installing and removing the FBX
any menu items to import, export, or merge fbx
Plugin for LightWave 3D.
scenes, they will have to be removed and re-created.
1. Locate the fbxlw80.p file. By default, the plugin
! Note:
files are copied to the
LightWave 3D FBX plugins are currently available
C:\Alias\FBXPlugins<fbxver>\lw80 folder.
on the Windows and Mac OS X platforms only.
2. Make sure that the version number of the plugins
matches the version of LightWave 3D installed on
your computer. Plugins run correctly only on the
LightWave 3D Plugin Naming
version of LightWave 3D for which they were created.
Conventions
3. Remove all old versions of the LightWave 3D FBX
plugins before copying the new plugin.
LightWave 3D FBX plugins conform to the following
4. Copy the fbxlw80.p plugin file into the
naming conventions:
\lightwave-3d-80\Plugins\Input-Output folder.
fbxlw80.p
5. Launch LightWave 3D Layout.
The plugin extension .p is a standard .dll file that uses
a non-standard extension, as required by LightWave
6. Click Utilities>Add Plugins. The file browser
3D.
appears, prompting you for a .p plugin.
7. Select the copied fbxlw80.p plugin file in the
\Plugins\Input-Output folder, and click Ok.
2
Lightwave FBX Plugins Guide
M a n u a l I n s t a l l a t i o n
If the plugin is installed correctly, the options “Export
5. Click Install (or Upgrade). A progress bar indicates
to FBX”, “Import from FBX”, and “Merge with FBX”
the time remaining of the installation; when the
appear in the Edit>Edit Menu Layout menu, in the
progress reaches 100%, the Finish button is
Plug-ins Command list.
activated.
8. Add the FBX command to your File menu. Select
6. Click Finish to exit the installation program.
"Edit>Edit Menu Layout...", then drag the commands
7. Launch LightWave 3D Layout.
"Import from FBX" and "Merge with FBX" from
Plug-ins to your "File>Import" menu. Drag the
8. Click Layout>Plugins>Add Plugins. The file browser
command "Export to FBX" to your "File->Export"
appears, prompting you for a .p plugin.
menu.
9. Select the copied fbxlw80.p plugin file in the
\Plugins\Input-Output folder, and click Ok.
Removing the LightWave FBX Plugin
If the plugin is installed correctly, the options “Export
from Windows
to FBX”, “Import from FBX”, and “Merge with FBX”
appear in the Edit>Edit Menu Layout menu, in the
1. Exit LightWave.
Plug-ins Command list.
2. Go to the FBX Plugin Install shield.
10. Add the FBX command to your File menu. Select
"Edit>Edit Menu Layout...", then drag the commands
3. Locate the LightWave plugin.
"Import from FBX" and "Merge with FBX" from
4. Disable the LightWave option.
Plug-ins to your "File>Import" menu. Drag the
command "Export to FBX" to your "File->Export"
menu.
Installing the LightWave FBX Plugin
on Mac OS X
Disabling the LightWave FBX Plugin
If, in earlier versions of LightWave, you had created
1. Launch LightWave 3D Layout.
any menu items to import, export, or merge fbx
scenes, they will have to be removed and re-created.
2. Select Layout|Plugins|Edit Plugin.
1. Double-click the package icon to start the
3. Click File.
installation.
4. Locate the fbxlw80.p plugin in the list, select it,
and click Delete to remove the plugin.
! Note:
5. Exit LightWave 3D.
The LightWave FBX Plugin is installed to the
selected disk drive in the following folder:
<Macintosh™ Drive>/Applications/LightWave
Removing the LightWave FBX Plugin
3D 80/Plugins/Input-Output.
from Mac OS X
2. Enter your login password to continue the
1. Exit LightWave
installation when prompted.
2. Locate the fbxlw80.p plugin. This file is found in
the <application directory>/Plugin/Input-Output
! Note:
directory.
You must obtain administrator privileges to
3. Delete the fbxlw80.p file.
continue installation.
The Welcome window appears.
3. Click Continue to start the installation process.
4. Select a destination disk for your application to be
installed and click Continue.
Chapter 1: Installing the Lightwave FBX Plugins
3
R e n a m i n g P l u g i n s
Renaming Plugins
All plugins can be renamed as long as you do not
change the file extension. However, it is only
advisable to rename files when you want to keep more
than one version of the FBX Plugins in the same
directory.
If you choose to backup your files, all files with the
same name as those you are installing should be
renamed with the extension .FBX_BAK.
! Note:
It is recommended that you always remove old
versions of FBX plugins before installing new
versions.
5
Chapter 2
LightWave Plugin
Overview
By default, the pop-up menu offers to export the FBX
file with the same name and directory as your
This document shows you how to export .fbx files
LightWave scene file.
from LightWave, how to import .fbx files into
LightWave, and how to merge back animation from
.fbx files to LightWave.
This document also includes important information
regarding the LightWave features supported by this
version of the FBX plugin and MotionBuilder software.
! Note:
For information on supported features between
LightWave and other 3D software
(cross-package support), consult the Alias
fig 2-1: FBX Exporter menu.
website (http://www.Alias.com).
2. You can modify this by clicking the browser button
MotionBuilder software supports LightWave version
next to the Address field.
8.x and higher through the FBXLW80.P LightWave FBX
3. Select which parameters to export and click OK.
plugin. Importing and exporting files between
Wait for a confirmation dialog box.
MotionBuilder software and LightWave 8.x is covered
in “Using the LightWave Plugin” on page 5 and
“Importing to LightWave” on page 5.
Importing to LightWave
This plugin provides additional support for weight map
deformations and multi-layered object deformations.
To import to LightWave:
1. Launch LightWave 8.
Using the LightWave Plugin
2. Select File>Import>Import from FBX.
This section describes how to export models from
3. Use the file browser to select the FBX file to be
LightWave using the .fbx file format, and how to
imported, and the folder where your .lwo files are
import .fbx files into LightWave.
created (fig 2-2).
Exporting from LightWave
To export from LightWave:
fig 2-2: FBX Importer window.
1. Select File>Export>Export to FBX.
4. Select the take you want to import.
5. Click OK.
6
Lightwave FBX Plugins Guide
S u p p o r t e d L i g h t Wav e 8 . x Fe a t u r e s
Merging Animation Back to
Textures
Embedded textures are
LightWave
supported.
Only UV texture maps are
To merge back to LightWave:
supported. Other mapping
methods are not yet supported.
1. Launch LightWave 8.
TRS Animation
Translation, Rotation and Scaling
2. Load the original LightWave scene.
animation is supported for
3. Save the scene as “working copy” (or any other
importing and exporting.
temporary name).
Bones
Only Limbs are supported. Limb
4. Select File>Import>Merge with FBX
Nodes are converted to nulls.
5. In the pop-up menu, click the browser button next
EndoMorphs
EndoMorphs are supported.
to the address field, select the appropriate FBX file,
Bone and Morph animations are
and click OK.
both supported at the same time
on the same object.
The LightWave MorphMixer must
be applied to the object before
EndoMorphs can be imported into
your MotionBuilder software.
fig 2-3: FBX Merger window
Line Polygons
Line polygons (polygons with two
vertices) are supported on
Supported LightWave 8.x
export.
Features
Lights
This section lists the following LightWave features
supported by the FBX plugin. Features are organized
Multiple Lights
Multiple lights are supported for
by object files, lights, and cameras.
importing and exporting.
Translation and
Translation and Rotation
! Note:
Rotation
animation is supported for
LightWave envelopes are treated as
importing and exporting.
MOTIONBUILDER FCurves.
Lights in
• LW Point, Linear, and Area light
MotionBuilder
= Point light
software
• LW Spot light = Spot light
Object Files
• LW Distant light = Infinite light
SubPatch
SubPatch objects are not visible
All Lights keep their original light
Objects
as a SubPatch surface inside
type when you merge back to
MotionBuilder software.
LightWave.
When exporting SubPatch
Cone Angle
Light cone angle animation is
objects, you can activate the
Animation
supported.
Freeze option, which makes the
object a Polygon mesh.
Intensity
Light intensity animation is
Animation
supported.
If you do not activate the Freeze
option, the Subpatch cage is
Color Animation
Light color animation is
saved as a mesh.
supported.
Materials
Multiple materials are supported.
Chapter 2: LightWave Plugin
7
S u p p o r t e d L i g h t Wav e 8 . x Fe a t u r e s
Cameras
Multiple
Multiple cameras are supported
Cameras
for importing and exporting.
Camera Field of Camera vertical and horizontal
View Animation
field of view animation is
supported. They are converted to
Zoom Factor in Lightwave.
Translation and
Translation and rotation
Rotation
animation is supported.
Camera Roll
Camera Roll is supported when
Animation
the camera has a Camera
Interest (target).
Camera Interest
There is limited support for
Camera Interest (target). The
camera must not be parented.
Camera Pixel
Supported.
Ratio
Camera Target
Improved camera target support.
If you parent the camera, the
animation is plotted to the
camera.
Camera Up Node Camera up node supported by
plotting its effect on the camera
roll animation.
Additional Features and
Enhancements
This section lists the additional features and
enhancements found in version 6.0 of the FBX
plugins for Lightwave.
Merge Back
• Improved functionality. The merge back process no
longer requires the FBX Root.
Document Outline
