I have a collection of dozens of tapes and a few books on the subject of learning to use LightWave. Some of the videos are produced with a higher quality than others, and some of the books are produced with more clarity than the others, but neither the videos that I have nor the books are adequate for learning what is needed in all respects. Some of this teaching media is more complete than the rest. In the case of teaching by video, I find tapes useful as an addendum to printed documentation, but not a substitute. perhaps it's my old world education, but I still find the written word in tangible book style format to be a better teaching/learning device than either video or interactive CD-ROMs, and see this alternative media as a support mechanism in the learning process rather than a replacement for books or manuals. Because of all of this, I was anticipating getting my hands on the new book "Exploring LightWave 3D 4.0" by Todd Payne and distributed by New Era Press.
The book comes with a disk full of the LightWave Scenes, Objects, and Surfaces that the book's tutorials walk you through as essential learning components. Most of you realize, at least those of you in the Amiga LightWave community, that LightWave has been ported to the PC, and most of you are no doubt also aware that many Amiga LightWave users are using alternative rendering platforms, like the DEC Alpha, for rendering speed. This is important in terms of the book, because all of these alternative platforms or bridges to other platforms is targeted for learning. The neat thing about the port from the Amiga to the PC is that it was handled so seamlessly as to make the 4.0 software look virtually the same on both systems, at least in terms of moving around the interfaces of both LightWave and the LightWave Modeler screens. The book is therefor useful as a learning device to individuals in both platform camps. I also found that 3.x owners/users of LightWave can also receive an upgraded education from this book. There are some different tools in 4.0 as compared to 3.x, but the overall operation and theory is the same. I installed the disks contents, for instance, on both the PC version of LightWave 4.0 as well as on the Amiga Version of 3.5. The only difference was that in the Surfaces drawer, the images were in Targa format, so I used Nova Design's ImageFX to translate them to 24bit IFF's after I installed them on the Amiga version. The LightWave object format and Scene files are proprietary to NewTek, and as such, work the same on any platform LightWave works on.
And the Book's part in all of this? It's an absolute must for anyone who has not already mastered the LightWave and LightWave modeling process, which probably references the bulk of users. This is most especially true for 4.0 users, whether on the Amiga or PC side/Alpha of things or both. The book begins with guiding you through the steps of the LightWave installation process on various platforms, and ends with a discussion and examples of post-production concerns (rotoscoping, keying, actors, and more). In between are tutorials that demonstrate one or more LightWave capabilities, like modeling organic forms, positioning lights, morphing and deforming objects, using displacement maps, creating and altering procedural surfaces, planning and creating animations, and rendering. The tutorials are separated into beginning and advanced topics, and there are no doubt more than a handful of LightWave users who consider themselves as experienced that can learn a thing or two from the advanced section. Added appendices take you through the LightWave and Modeler configuration files and import/export issues among other concerns. The last section is a complete index of everything in the book.
It should also be noted that the book has been produced with an extra heavy cover stock and a reinforced binding, both added so that it can be laid open on a flat surface like the study manual that it is. The included graphics are sharp and well placed, and an added eight page color section in the middle references the tutorials in a very attractive way. All around, this book-disk combination is a first class production that should allow new and semi-experienced LightWave users to smooth out the LightWave and LightWave Modeler learning curve.
Explaining LightWave 3D 4.0: Book and Disk
MSLP: $59.95
New Era Press
23120 W. Lyons Ave. #143
Santa Clarita, CA 91321
Figure 1. A one-two LightWave punch, a highly instructive LightWave book and disk from New Era Press and author Todd Payne.
