One of the best-selling CD-ROMs this year is the Light ROM, a large collection of 3D files, most of which were intended for use with LightWave. The second volume of this collection has gone one step further towards a LightWave-only stance, because all the objects are stored in LightWave's format, but the image-based files can still be used with any other 3D package.

One of the first things I look for in a CD is an index, because it saves a great deal of time searching for the right image. Thankfully, as with the first disc, Light ROM 2 has an excellent index, with thumbnail images of rendered objects and textures.

One of the most interesting new additions to the collection is the `animaps directory'. This contains several animations for mapping on to objects.

As you might expect, there is a healthy selection of spaceships and sci-fi-related objects, but that's not the only priority of this collection. There is quite a good range of objects, and you'll find plenty of buildings, humanoids, cars, planes and animals. One directory that has received a serious boost in size is the botany directory which has several highly-detailed objects.

Unfortunately, although this is quite a comprehensive collection, there are several files on this disc that also appeared on the first disc. In spite of this, there are still plenty of new objects - enough to fill up the space vacated by the objects from Imagine and other 3D formats that have been removed.

"A must-have for LightWave users who don't have the first volume."