Inside LightWave 3D 5.5

This book targets users who are intent on mastering the art of creating 3-D graphics and animations in this versatile, cross-platform program. There's a good combination of explanation of features and specific task instructions; for the latter, you use the project files on the included CD-ROM. The book starts off with advice on interface configuration and takes you all the way to sophisticated effects and animations. The authors explain the concepts of lighting, color, and motion and help you plan your project according to its purpose and intended audience. Next you learn about modeler, layout, and animation techniques such as physical, computer, and scanned models and polygons, layers, MetaNURBS, scenes, keyframing, virtual cameras, lenses, angles, and plug-ins. Part 2 teaches you to build 3-D scenes using the LightWave modeler. Part 3 has you create animation scenes and familiarizes you with Bones and Character animations and facial animation. The last part of the book focuses on rendering and postproduction processes. You learn compositing and output techniques, add video and sound effects, use the Super Cel Shader plug-in for cel animation, and learn the basics of Lscript. An appendix describes various Objects and Tools plug-ins. Besides project files, the CD-ROM also has demonstration versions of freeware and shareware plug-ins and sample models, tiles, and textures. --Kathleen Caster