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panadar
02-25-2006, 03:14 PM
After years of using Lightwave for sci-fi & spaceship work, I've decided to expand my 3d animation horizons and get into character modelling and animation. Especially since I've seen some work done by others. However, what I've seen has been done in other 3d software packages. And, it's awesome! Now, I realize that its really the artist, not the package. But, some packages make it easier to do some things than in others. Therefore, I'm using the breathtaking work that I've seen done in other packages as a personal challenge to myself to do what I've seen using Lightwave.

So, to that end, I have some questions about hair & cel-shading in Lightwave. Please understand again, I've never really used these things in Lightwave, as right now, I'm just getting into character modelling (Thanks Dan Ablan for your tutorials in 'Inside Lightwave'!!!)

After I finish modelling this character, I want to create two pictures of her. One photo-realistic, and the other one as a cartoon, anime style. I need to put some hair on her, texture her skin(photo realistically using SSS) I'm familiar with Sasquatch lite in LW in terms of what it does. Question is I want to braid her hair in certain places, and create a really nice hair style for her. I don't want this hair to look computer generated! I need the hair to look realistic! At least like some of the work I've seen using the other packages. Can Lightwave do this now, or will this be addressed in v9 of Lightwave? If this can be done now, are there any tutorials for this? Especially as I need to braid her hair, and even 'comb' it. Finally, about the cel shaders, are they going to to be improved in v9, or are they considered 'good enough' for now?

Thanks again for answering my questions. By the way, I want to say kudos to the new Lightwave team. I like what I see so far on the Newtek website. I'm really looking forward to the new release. Especially now that I'm learning character modelling & aniamtion.
JuanManuel
02-25-2006, 03:50 PM
Because of the NDA agreement, it is a tricky business to discuss the features of Lightwave9. If you have not pre-upgraded, etc, you could try going to the Lightwave9 section of the Newtek website.
Mattoo
02-25-2006, 04:07 PM
There's a bunch of threads that have been started on these topics before. It might be worth your time going over those first before you go much further.

Personally I can vouch for HairSpray as being a very good tool for sculpting hair suitable for Sasquatch (the full version).
However, it's true that Lightwave has had little development in this regard, including Sasquatch.

Hairspray
http://www.hurleyworks.com/
gerardo
02-25-2006, 05:54 PM
The other packages use commonly Shave&Haircut (there is an old version that it works with last LW versions yet, maybe you can get one, as far as I've listened, Joe Alter didn't stop its development for LW but he doesn't commercialize it openly anymore). Sasquatch needs an enhanced upgrade and although would be good to have other options, you may want to try with the full version. There are some interesting tutorials in Worley site by Stuart Aitken, you can see if it fits with your needs:

http://www.worley.com/TutFiles/StuFurTut/assets/images/figure01.jpg

Creating hair styles in fur mode
http://www.worley.com/TutFiles/StuFurTut/index.html

and creating hair styles using curves to create the guides (Hairspray is better for this as Mattoo suggested)
http://www.worley.com/TutFiles/StuTut/index.htm

About celshading I've seen really good work made with LW, but you may want to ask this on Spinquad too :)



Gerardo
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02-25-2006, 05:54 PM
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