Chapter 1. LightWave v9 Modeler

Imagine that LightWave is a virtual television studio and 3D models are your actors. Although some animations can be created with animated textures or photographs, most include 3D models. These models are made up of points, edges, and polygons. This chapter takes you on a tour of LightWave Modeler. Along the way, I’ll explain points, edges, and polygons and show you how to use them to create 3D objects—which you will then animate and render in LightWave Layout.

LightWave Modeler is where your 3D animations begin. That’s not to say you can’t start animating right away. NewTek Inc., the makers of LightWave, have included a terrific amount of prebuilt content for you to use and explore. In fact, you can load a sample scene in LightWave v9 Layout and click the Render button to create your very first animation without ever launching Modeler. But to really know your software, you must first understand what a 3D model is all about.