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View Full Version : Digital Sculpting in Lightwave?

cptfishstick
10-25-2008, 01:27 AM
Hey,
I have been straying from my Animation dominant ways and am currently trying to work on my modeling skills, and I need some help. I am having a significant amount of difficulty creating models of intricate detail. Recently I have been reading up on a new modeling technique called digital sculpting. This looks like a great way to get considerable detail within my models. Programs like Z Brush and Mudbox seem to do the job well, but I am a college student and have no money to spare. Though I know Blender is free and has this feature built in, I have never been fond of Blenders interface design, and would prefer an alternative solution if such exists.

I was wondering if Lightwave had any features similar to digital scultping, nativley or via plugin.

If not, I was wondering if any of you had good links or recommendations on places to go to develop high detail models. I tend to model using the box method, because I am quite comfertable with it.

I really appreciate your time!
Korvar
10-25-2008, 10:03 PM
As of 9.5, no, Lightwave doesn't have any ZBrush-style digital sculpting. As Blender is free, there's a certain amount to be said for box-modelling to a certain level of detail in a modeller you're comfortable with (and Lightwave's is excellent, in my opinion), then loading the model into Blender to do the digital sculpt. That way, you only deal with the minimum of Blender's UI strangeness.
southparx
10-26-2008, 09:32 AM
there's an alternative to zbrush and mudbox: 3d-coat

http://www.3d-coat.com/

i've never used it myself but looking at its price it's $140 for professional license, seems like a very good alternative, granted polycount might not be as high as the two big guys, but it also has major features like painting and retopology

worth to look at... but still my best advice is to get zbrush for $595 - it's industry standard and tutorials are way plenty than the rest

good luck :)
phamarus
10-26-2008, 03:48 PM
I think modo can be something for you, it seems to have some good sculpting brush tools and texturing, and it handles boxmodeling similar to Lightwave but with the extra brush sculpt and texturing tools. along with that you can model hardsurface stuff pretty well too I guess.

However handling the same type of high rez polymodels can´t match that of zbrush,mudbox,or 3d coat..these are the big apps for handling sculpting in a more artist style similar to that of sculpting, but on the other hand they are limited in th base mesh creation, well zbrush does a good job with organic models by starting with zspheres, but to start with base shapes with low poly count and from a box modeling approach you would probably need something else too..so a good thing might be two get the one you like to work with box modeling and complement with
the highrez sculpting tools.

ohh..and there´s silo out there too similar to modo I would say.
and if you wan´t to use Lightwave as boxmodeler for base shapes..you might wan´t to check 3d coat it seems to have good support for lightwave Ivé heard
do a search on youtube for 3d coat..I believe there´s an video showing som intro.

The most challenge is in learning how to use normal maps,uv maps and displacement maps, especially when you wan´t to transfer to render programs or animation.

Michael
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