Object instances in Layout

[dragon108]

I wan't to create an army of soldiers runing through the valey. Many of them will run in a same manner.

In Flash you can create one object, and then create as much as you want instances, without changing the file size. And also if you change object all other objects are changed.

Is this possible in Lightwave? There must be a way. I so it in the movies!!! :D

Please help!!!

"Give yourself something to work toward constantly." - Mary Kay Ash

[jb_gfx]

You can use Particle FX, you just have to link your object to the particles using FX Linker.

It's not possible to have random movements tho, I mean if you have a character with a walk cycle then all the instance will walks exactly the same way, there is no way to randomly delay the animation.

Tips: using the particles' self interaction feature your characters can avoids collisions between the other instances. The effect can be pretty good.

There is also a commercial plug-ins by Happy Digital called HD Instance wich look pretty good, it even allows to randomly color the instances, alas it suffers from the same problem when it comes to animation, you can't apply some randomness to movements.

The top of the top is AI Implant for Lightwave but the price may be a problem and it's still in beta stage.

[mips]

there is

[mips]

seems I hit the Enter button too fast, sorry...
So let's start again:
There is a tutorial : A Flock of Birds (in the newtek tuts, animation) that will help you I think.

[Red_Oddity]

Yeah, but it's not really instancing is it?

Instancing means you can add as many objects/instances/references as you like with a minor penalty in memory and render times...

[Flat]

Yup. Instancing it is not. :(
Check the new poll thread on the feature request board for a discussion on the subject.
Though HD-Instance seems to do instancing I've not been really convinced by their gallery : too few objects, too similar.

Phil, who'd like to see proper instancing in LW8.