Afalk
05-15-2003, 01:32 PM
I've been doing general 3D work for a number of years now, and
recently had the opportunity to start doign content creation for
games.
Being a dedicated lightwaver, I've found a few positive things,
but many less than positive things that I'm hoping thorugh
discussion and suggestion, might be addressed by Newtek
and within the community itself.
Lightwave's modeling tools allow intutive and high quality
work to be created in a straight forward way. The texturing
tools, espescially if you tie in to Aura using the LWPreview are
fantastic, and the animation tools just keep getting better
with each itteration of LW.
ON the downside though, is that once you have your new
piece of content, you need to get it into a format that your
game engine can use/recognize, or equally frequent, need
to hand off your content to a larger production flow that
all too often uses a different app (Max or Maya most often).
LW itself can provide the export ability to work with other
applications like Max/Maya either through the standard
export OBJ/3DS or the improved export capabilites available
through plugins like the DStorm 3ds export.
I've also used the Kaydara filmbox export plugin set, but
its still a bit shaky at times and has its own limitations, as
do all the exports.
For game specific content creation MDL/MD2/X, again, I
turn to plugins. MrB's plugin packages to be precise or
the LWMODL for NNW content.
All of these plugins do allow me to work in the games
development arena, BUT none of this would be
needed if Lightwave was actually supported better in
the gaming industry.
A number of games (and its growing) have native support
for 3DS/Gmax or Maya for the creation of objects and
character models. The toolsets released by the majority
of game engines and games do Not support LW
models, which relegates us to the export plugin dance
detailed above.
Newtek is also one of the few companies I have never
seen getting involved with the IGDA (International Game
Developer's Assoc) either directly or even at the Gamasutra
portal.
We have an amazingly powerful and flexible tool in our
hands. With it we can deliver content as good, or better
than our counterparts using other apps and methods.
There are a lot of potential converts out there, and a whole
market segment that we, as Lightwave users, could expand
into, but the impression from the Game Development side
of things has been that in the final analysis, Newtek and
Lightwave's Community don't take the game development
market seriously. As a consequence, the game development
market and its 3d users seem to return the favor.
I LOVE Lightwave! I would love to see Newtek and our
community make a serious move into the Game Development
area. We know it can be done, and done well (Serious Sam
leaps to mind), but thus far, Lightwave has been relegated to
the side-lines. I respectfully submit..... "Its time to Play!"
Thanks for reading through this, and I'm looking forward
to seeing what you all think.
Tony
Gryphon Designs Ltd (http://www.gryphondesigns.net)
recently had the opportunity to start doign content creation for
games.
Being a dedicated lightwaver, I've found a few positive things,
but many less than positive things that I'm hoping thorugh
discussion and suggestion, might be addressed by Newtek
and within the community itself.
Lightwave's modeling tools allow intutive and high quality
work to be created in a straight forward way. The texturing
tools, espescially if you tie in to Aura using the LWPreview are
fantastic, and the animation tools just keep getting better
with each itteration of LW.
ON the downside though, is that once you have your new
piece of content, you need to get it into a format that your
game engine can use/recognize, or equally frequent, need
to hand off your content to a larger production flow that
all too often uses a different app (Max or Maya most often).
LW itself can provide the export ability to work with other
applications like Max/Maya either through the standard
export OBJ/3DS or the improved export capabilites available
through plugins like the DStorm 3ds export.
I've also used the Kaydara filmbox export plugin set, but
its still a bit shaky at times and has its own limitations, as
do all the exports.
For game specific content creation MDL/MD2/X, again, I
turn to plugins. MrB's plugin packages to be precise or
the LWMODL for NNW content.
All of these plugins do allow me to work in the games
development arena, BUT none of this would be
needed if Lightwave was actually supported better in
the gaming industry.
A number of games (and its growing) have native support
for 3DS/Gmax or Maya for the creation of objects and
character models. The toolsets released by the majority
of game engines and games do Not support LW
models, which relegates us to the export plugin dance
detailed above.
Newtek is also one of the few companies I have never
seen getting involved with the IGDA (International Game
Developer's Assoc) either directly or even at the Gamasutra
portal.
We have an amazingly powerful and flexible tool in our
hands. With it we can deliver content as good, or better
than our counterparts using other apps and methods.
There are a lot of potential converts out there, and a whole
market segment that we, as Lightwave users, could expand
into, but the impression from the Game Development side
of things has been that in the final analysis, Newtek and
Lightwave's Community don't take the game development
market seriously. As a consequence, the game development
market and its 3d users seem to return the favor.
I LOVE Lightwave! I would love to see Newtek and our
community make a serious move into the Game Development
area. We know it can be done, and done well (Serious Sam
leaps to mind), but thus far, Lightwave has been relegated to
the side-lines. I respectfully submit..... "Its time to Play!"
Thanks for reading through this, and I'm looking forward
to seeing what you all think.
Tony
Gryphon Designs Ltd (http://www.gryphondesigns.net)