LW 11 not importing OBJ poly groups or vertex groups

#1

I have OBJ files that have both polygon part groups as well as vertex groups and LW 11 isn’t importing any of that, only material groups.
LW 10 did this perfectly, but not LW 11, and I’ve looked all over the options for something like “Import my OBJ files correctly like you used to”, but can’t find anything like that.

Luckily I’m just using the trial or else I’d be really upset, but there’s no way I’m going to buy it if it can’t import OBJ files correctly.

So, is OBJ import broken in LW 11 or am I just blind and stupid? :wink:

#2

Have you tried the same exact object in LW 10.x? Does it work or not? Also, it takes two to Tango, import problems do not necessarily mean the problem is on LWs side.

Let us know.

#3

Well yeah, I have tried it in LW 10, as I made sure to specifically state in my first post, second sentence.

And yeah, the problem is on LW’s side, being that Softimage, Maya, Modo and UV Layout all recognize the part and poly group in the same object.

What’s different in LW 11 from LW 10 is the mysterious “OBJ ZBrush Mode” option is gone from the options list. OBJ files import into LW 11 in the same way as they would in LW 10 without that option checked, i.e., no poly group information.

Please don’t tell me I’m the first person to ever notice this…

#4

twosheds,

was not trying to make “stupid” remarks in regards to your question. Guess I honed in too much on your, “I have obj files” part of the sentence as a general statement, and not a specific as in exact one that was tested.

anyways. . . . I wish you Good Luck with Your Problem.

#5

Well it’s okay man, and thanks for your reply. :smiley:

Although it’s not exactly my problem - it’s Newtek’s problem, as this will definitely keep me from upgrading since I use the OBJ format enough that it’s important enough to me to use programs that read the files correctly.

I really wish LW didn’t render so nicely because it would be so much easier walking away from it forever. With Newtek it’s just a never-ending cycle of add new tools, break old tools. :hmm:

#6

I take it you tried the Newtek Forums where one has a really good chance of getting an answer or direction?

#7

I just thought I’d try here since it’s nothing urgent and I know a lot of the NT forum people hang out here too, plus I lost interest in that forum back when they started screwing it all up.

#8

That’d require them to be up for more than an hour or two at a time. :rolleyes: :wink:

#9

By the way, anyone can try this in Modeler 11 if they want to.
Simply create some simple object, select some polygons and create a part.
Then export as OBJ, load it back in and the part you created is gone.

Another funny thing I just discovered is that Hub still lists http://help.lightwave3d.com as the help site, yet that doesn’t’ even exist any longer.
And I found a thread about it too, here: http://forums.newtek.com/showthread.php?127476-http-help-lightwave3d-com

Of course, Newtek didn’t even bother to reply to that thread, nor have they fixed the URL even in the most recent LW version.

Makes me wonder if they even care about LW anymore. I’d just as soon see them sell LW to Autodesk to use as a Softimage plugin. :wink:

#10

In LW 11, type the letter o to bring up the options panel.

In the OBJ tab at the top, uncheck OBJ One layer and OBJ One VMap, you can also uncheck OBJ Reverse Ka & Kd.

The default settings are set up to automatically work with ZBrush which only accepts one layer and one vmap.

I hope this helps!

(For GoZ to work with ZBrush, those boxes DO need to be checked)

#11

I’ve tried all those options and it still doesn’t load OBJ files with any polygon part groups.

Thanks anyway though.

#12

Is the behavior the same in 11.0.1/2/3? None of them seem to work properly? Have you filed a bug report on it yet? Sounds worthwhile.

#13

Well I don’t know about 11.0 or 11.01, as I was using the trial version of 11.02, and I wasn’t even aware there was a .03 yet.

Have you tried this to see if it’s happening for you? As I wrote above it’s as easy as creating an object with a few parts, exporting it as OBJ and reloading it and looking for parts.

#14

I highly suggest you use the proper way to contact Newtek and let them respond to this.

https://www.lightwave3d.com/contact/

#15

You are correct twosheds.

Time to submit a bug report.

#16

Rendering in LW11 is, sometimes, 3-4 times faster than any previous version of LW… :slight_smile:

There might be solutions to the problem though (I hope you have filed a bugreport on this), depending on exactly what you are doing outside of LW with the exported OBJ. As far as I understand it, the parts are exported correctly, but not imported? (I can confirm that LW does not load the parts back when loaded from the OBJ, but, does the other apps load them?). So, basicly, is it an export issue, or is it an import issue?

It does beg the question; what is it that you do outside of LW that forces you to import new OBJs?

#17

hmnnn, on vacation? Or is my hunch correct?

#18

Kinda busy trying to make a living if you don’t mind. I’m not here to solve Newtek’s problems, I came here to ask about this particular problem.

And now my LW 11 trial is almost expired and I’ve decided I really don’t care one way or the other if it works or not. We’ll see what LW 11.5 brings. I’m not buying a 3D package unless it has all the features I require, and working properly, nor am I wasting any of my time begging Newtek to fix a problem they should be well aware of. You would think by now they’d have learned that when they change a tool, they often tend to break it, so you would think they would test new tools to see if they still work as they did before.

Not my problem.

And what might your “hunch” be?

#19

Exactly that! :slight_smile:

#20

True that there are issues they are aware of, but also those that they are not aware of, unless a bug is reported to their fogbugz system.

Just saying…