How to create and manipulate primitive shapes in Lightwave Modeler

1. Lightwave Modeling
3D Animation III

2. Making Objects
 The modeling
process
 Start with primitive
shapes
 Modify the primitive
shape
 Use additional
primitives to add or
modify object

3. Making Primitive Shapes
 Select the primitive
shape you wish to
make
 Draw out the shape in
one viewport
 Makes a new 2D shape
 Draw out in another
viewport
 Pulls the shape into a
3D shape

4. Making Primitive Shapes
 How big do you want
it?
 Before you draw out your
first shape, think about
what you are making
 Set the grid size to match
the normal dimensions of
the object you are
making
 Simply zoom in or out to
set the grid size
 Zoom tool or , & .

5. Let’s Get Started
 Start up Modeler
 Put your cursor in the
top view, then press (,)
and (.) to change the
settings in the Grid
window
 Set the grid size to
500mm
 2 500 mms = 1 meter

6. Let’s Make Something
 Select the Create tab
 Under Primitives
select Box
 In the Top viewport,
drag out a box
 6 grid marks wide
 3 grid marks tall
 Click on the + to
center, if necessary

7. Let’s Make Something
 In the Front viewport,
drag up on your box
@ ½ a grid mark
 Click on the + and lift
the box so the top of
the box is 2 grid
marks off the ground

8. Let’s Make Something
 In the Right viewport,
click on the + and
drag the box to the
center grid line.
 Press Enter to make
the shape

9. Let’s Make Something
 In the upper right,
select the top of the
2nd layer
 Select the bottom of
layer 1
 This allows us to see
what’s there without
modifying it

10. Let’s Make Something
 Select the Disc tool
 From the Top viewport
draw out a circle
 From the Front
viewport drag out the
table leg so it goes
just inside the table
top
 Click on Disc to make
the leg

11. Let’s Make Something
 Copy the leg
(command C)
 In the Top viewport,
move the leg to the
upper left of the table
 Select Edit > Paste
(command V)
 Now you have two legs

12. Let’s Make Something
 Copy again
(command C)
 Move the two legs to
the right side of the
table
 Select Edit > Paste
(command V)
 Now you have all four
legs

13. Put it All Together
 On the Legs layer,
select Edit > Cut
(command x)
 This puts whatever is in
the layer into memory
 Select the top of the
first layer
 Select Edit > Paste
 All your pieces are in
one place

14. Other Shapes
 Ball
 Great for making
anything that needs to
be round
 Balls
 Globes
 Planets
 Heads

15. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Under Primitives
select Ball
 In the top view drag
out a circle shape
 In the front view drag
out the 3rd dimension
of your ball and press
Enter
 Press Command X to
delete the ball

16. Other Shapes
 Disk
 Great for making tubes,
pipes, pop cans,
stems, ???

17. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Select Disc
 In the Top viewport
drag out a circle
 In the Front viewport
pull out a cylinder
shape
 Click on Disc to turn
off
 Another way to make
your shape beside
Enter

18. Other Shapes
 Cone
 Good for anything that
needs a point
 Pencil tip
 Missile head
 Teepee
 ???

19. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Command X your
Disc and select Cone
 In the Top viewport
drag out a circle
 In the Front viewport
pull out a cone shape
 Click off Cone to
make your shape

20. Other Shapes
 Capsule Tool
 Makes capsules
 Rounded cylinders
 Pills, water towers,
rounder cubes, ???

21. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Command X your cone
and select More >
Capsule Tool
 Click and drag in the
Top viewport to make
the thickness of your
capsule
 Drag in the Front
viewport to make the
length
 Press Enter to make the
shape

22. Other Shapes
 Toroid
 Hollow disc shape that
can be easily modified
 Number of sections
 How many sections
make the circle
 Number of sides
 Number of surfaces
that make the tube
 Radius
 How big the hole

23. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Command X your
capsule and select
More > Toroid
 In the Torus
dialogue box leave
the settings the
same and press OK

24. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Command X the
Torus
 Go back and make a
new Torus, but this
time change some
of the settings and
see what you can
make

25. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Reset the Torus
settings:
 Select the Toriod
shape again and
reset your settings:
 Sections 36
 Sides 16
 Radius 1M
 Start/End angle 0/360

26. Other Shapes
 Gear
 Under Primitives >
More > More
 Makes… gear shapes!
 Lots of modifications
available
 Teeth
 Teeth taper
 Inner & outer radius
 Thickness

27. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Command X your
Toroid
 Under Primitives
select More > More
> Gear
 In the dialogue box
leave the settings
the same, then
press OK.

28. Other Shapes
 Gemstone
 Creates a multi-faceted
diamond shape
 Two handles
 Changes the height
of the top or bottom
of the shape

29. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Delete your previous
shape
 Select More > More >
Gemstone
 Click in the Top
viewport to make the
shape
 Change the handles in
the front view
 Press Enter to make the
diamond

30. Other Primitives to
Check Out
 Wedge
 Like the Toroid, but
with 4 surfaces

31. Other Shapes
 Platonic
 Makes multi-faceted
closed shapes

32. Text Shape
 Text
 Allows you to make
text as a shape
 Helps to type in what
you want in the Back
viewport
 Handles allow you to
change the size and
kerning of the letters

33. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Command X to clear the
viewports
 Select Text
 Change the Front
viewport to Back
 In the Back viewport,
type in your name
 Grab the handles to
scale and kern your
letters
 Press Return when done

34. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 While you still have
the Text tool
selected, press N
 Brings up the Numeric
Text Tool box
 Here you can set:
 Font, alignment, axis,
scale, center point,
kerning, etc.

35. Other Shapes
 Logo
 Super easy way to
make 3D text
 Just plug in what you
want, set the font, and
you’re done!

36. Experiment with Other
Shapes
 Clear your viewports
 Select Logo
 Type in what you
want, choose a font
 Press OK

37. Assigning Surfaces
 Before you save your
new object, now is the
time to decide which
polygons in your shape
need to be categorized
as a separate part so
you can color just that
part
 You can have as many
surface categories as
you like for your new
object

38. Clean the Slate
 Click File > Close All
Objects
 This will reset Modeler
so it doesn’t remember
all the shapes we
made and makes
assigning polygons
easier

39. Make a Logo
 In the Create tab select
Logo
 Set the font, type in
your name and press
OK
 In the Modify tab rotate
your name so it faces
the front and move the
name so it sits on the
‘floor’

40. Select the Front and
Back Polygons
 Select ‘Polygon Mode’
 In the Left viewport,
hold the Option key
and draw a circle
around the front of
your text
 Hold the Shift & Option
key, then also select
the back of your text
 Selected polygons are
now highlighted

41. Choose a Color
 Press Q
 Shortcut for ‘Change
Surface’
 In the Name section,
assign the new name
‘Text Front & Back’
 Turn off ‘Make Default’
 Click on the color box
and choose a color
 Press OK

42. Select the Side Polygons
 While still in Polygon mode,
click in the lower left to
deselect the current polygons
 In the Left viewport drag your
mouse up and down inside the
sides of your text to select
only the side polygons
 Make sure you don’t accidently
select the front or back

43. Choose a Color
 Press Q
 In the Name
section, assign the
new name ‘Text
Sides’
 Click on the color
box and choose a
color
 Press OK

44. Check Your Work
 In the Perspective
view, zoom in and
rotate your view to
make sure the
polygon surfacing
turned out the way
you planned.

45. Time to Save Your Object
 Select File > Save
Object
 In the Objects
folder, create a new
folder called ‘My
Objects’ and save
your new object
there.

46. Save a Copy for your
Homework
 Select File > Save
As
 Select the Desktop
and make a copy of
your object there
 Attach it to an email
to me

47. Lightwave Modeling
3D Animation III