do LWCAD tools have bevel options?

[RenderBlur]

Hi,

Newbie question here, I was looking at the LWCAD website as I'm thinking about buying LWCAD3, and it surprised me to see in all the pictures and tutorials that outer walls of buildings had razor sharp edges instead of being rounded (or chamfered if that's the correct term).

Here's just one example:
http://www.wtools3d.com/pictures/tutorials/business_center_2.jpg

I watched the use of the Stair tool in their Online Help tutorial and that too produced an object with sharp edges.

Do the LWCAD tools in general have any options to bevel or round edges? If not, does one create walls/buildings in LWCAD then use Lightwave modelling tools to add rounded edges as a separate step?

Any help from LWCAD users out there is very much appreciated, thanks!
-Jim

[brian.coates]

I haven't by any means explored all of LWCAD's tools but I don't remember ever seeing a bevel / rounding option.

The snapping tools alone are worth the price though.

[Bytehawk]

maybe engraver falls in this category ?

[hrgiger]

Well, you could bandsaw a small strip just below the edge you would like to bevel and then use engraver to create the bevel. Since you can create your own profiles for engraver and profiler, it would work like a bevel.

You just have to know where you can use it since engraver only works with 4 point polygons.

I think it might be worth mentioning to Viktor as a feature request though. Everybody would find a beveling tool useful, not just for CAD.

[dee]

If not, does one create walls/buildings in LWCAD then use Lightwave modelling tools to add rounded edges as a separate step?


Why not? You can use Mass Round or Rounder or sometimes a shader like Edge from Dpont's DP Kit works as well.

[RenderBlur]

Thanks for the replies! I'm not sure the lack of bevelling options in the toolset would keep me from buying LWCAD, it's just given me pause. If I just use Lightwave's tools to create a building I'd still have to bevel everything as another step anyway, so adding LWCAD would still speed up the overall process.

-Jim

[bjornkn]

Before you start bevelling all your models you should definitely have a look at DP's Edge node. It works great! I rarely bevel anything in LW, at least not if it will not be quite close to the camera. But then I prefer to do it in SketchUp. Rounder messes up all the UV mapping, and is generally a real challenge to fight with IMO. Mass round is part of LWcad AFAIK?

[RenderBlur]

I've looked at the various edge node options, but of course these all assume the rendering is in Lightwave. I have a possible job oppurtunity in which just the 3D models of buildings are required, so that's part of what has led my questions about bevelling the actual models here in this thread.

-Jim

[SP00]

LWCAD won't do everything for you. After you setup your buildings or objects with sharp edges, you will need to use the native LW tools to finish off the rest. The various bevel tools in LW are great. Rounder is probably the best tool for what you want. It is easy and accurate.