What can lightwave do for me?

[Orochi Master]

I'm interested in lightwave3d to do games. I'm new in this tecnology and I'm learning new tools and looking for a program like lightwave.

I know that I can do a "plug-in" to link lightwave with a language like C++ or Java. I've found a link that talks about that:
http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/developer/7lwsdk/docs/index.html

But I didn't understand very well how can I use this plug-in to movement a character in a Virtual World.

So my doubts are:
- how can I make games using the lightwave tool?
- what must I do to understand how to create a link between a programming language and lightwave3d?

Please help me to understand what can lightwave do for me....

[rabid pitbull]

lightwave is used to make the animations and characters used in games, along with all the environments. the whole make a game idea is a big one. i suggest that you investigate all that is invloved. there is no single application that makes a game, many are used of a wide range. it is a very complex procedure.

but to try to answer your question I would say that lightwave would be used to create all the things that you see in a game, the programing is what ties it together.

good luck

[Orochi Master]

Thanks!
But do you know if is there a tutorial to make a whole game (a simple game, like a box in movement) using a programming language like C++ (Microsoft Visual C++ for example)?

[Flat]

I'm sorry but you look like you don't need LW right now.

Making a game is a rather complicated task. Actually it takes lots of people doing lots of hard work to make one. Not even to mention the budget.

Now, if you want to do some game programming on your own you first must have a rock-solid programming level. I mean pro level, not just having read Visual C++ for dummies. THEN you can delve into Direct3D or OpenGL and start pushing points & polys around in real time.

What Lightwave does, or any other 3D soft for that matter, is provide the animations and models needed for a game. I should rather say it gives you the tools needed to make these animations and models. You still have to produce good quality work, and it's as tough or even tougher as producing good quality code.
Lightwave is a tool, a great tool but only a tool. It'll not make a game for you.

There used to be a time when games, successful ones, could be made by single (though very talented) people. Nowadays the teams and budget involved are more on a par with your regular Hollywood movie.


Anyway, a good place to start programming for games is here (http://www.opengl.org/developers/code/tutorials.html).

Good luck !

Phil

[meshmaster]

should not be what lightwave can do for you but what can you do for lightwave...

Some of the worst modelling programs around can do spectacular things in the right hands.

[Lynx3d]

The SDK hasn't really to do much with creating games in the first place...

usually if you're not ID Software or similar big company you will get (a licence for) a good game engine, a few coders to do the rest and a few artists to create the game models and their motion etc...somthing like this :)
The only problem that would concern LW is to find converters to import/export the game models and other data (or render specific maps), and that's where you might need the SDK if there aren't any tools yet.

The most popular way to get started seems to be participating in a game mod project, that means you basically take a game like it is, and create new models, rules, stats, etc. but don't invent the whole thing again.
A lot less coding, usually existing import utilities (i think UT2003 comes with Maya PLE) and other utilities for level editing etc. because those games like UT2003 are made to be modified. That way they can sell even more of them :D

Oh and you don't want to do 3d games with Java i guess ;)

[Orochi Master]

Thanks for all. I didn't understood very well how I could make games, and if lightwave could help me.

[Suede]

You can download DirectX SDK software from Micrsoft´s homepage. I did it a while a go when I was trying to learn Visual Basic. There are some great tutorials and examples on how to write DirectX code i Visual C++. And there are some mesh objects included. Maybe you should try that.

[NiPeR]

Actually, there is an application that you can create games with. The application is called 3D Game Studio and the creator is Conitec.

The application includes a modeller, a programming lanuguage called C-script(which is a simplification of C++). I don't know if you can import LW models.

Webpage: http://www.conitec.com/


//NiPeR

[Nakia]

YOu can always do SDL. Its a good way to break into making games for Linux, Mac OS X, IRIX, Solaris and Windows. Your game engine is what ever you choose to write it in i.e. python, C, C++, perl, Java, ....
Alot of garage game makers use SDL.
I say make models and scenes with LW and drop em into SDL, yeah your game will really be 2D but it would rock if you are good.
Heres SDL link
http://www.libsdl.org/index.php
Heres a good link with lnfo:
http://linux.oreillynet.com/pub/a/linux/2001/09/21/sdl.htm
One good thing about it is it portable over multiplatforms. Its Open Source for those that dig that.
You can do OpenGL with it also.
I say LW and SDL is good combo.

[Nakia]

make that link
http://linux.oreillynet.com/pub/a/linux/2001/09/21/sdl.html