Contents -- Revealed Series Vision -- Author Vision -- Chapter 1 Learning the LightWave Interfaces -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Launch the Layout and Modeler -- Launching the Modeler and Layout Interfaces -- Learning the Common Interface Elements -- Using the LightWave Hub -- Enabling Automatic Saving -- Switching Between Interfaces -- LESSON 2 Use the Pop-Up Menus -- Using Keyboard Shortcuts -- Editing Keyboard Shortcuts -- Switching Menus with the Menu Tabs -- Understanding Menu Button Colors -- Editing Menu Layouts -- LESSON 3 Work with Files -- Learning the Native File Types -- Loading a File -- Saving Files -- Importing and Exporting Files -- Learning the Supported File Types -- LESSON 4 Set Interface Options -- Setting the Content Directory -- Using the Undo Feature -- Setting the Number of Viewports -- Positioning and Hiding the Toolbar -- Setting the Default Units -- LESSON 5 Explore the Viewports -- Moving, Rotating, and Zooming Viewports -- Maximizing the Viewport -- Manually Changing the Viewport's Size -- Changing the Viewport's View -- Changing the Viewport's Display Mode -- Working with Grids -- LESSON 6 Get Help -- Accessing the Online User Reference -- Viewing the Help Line -- What You Have Learned -- Key Terms from This Chapter -- Chapter 2 Creating and Selecting Objects -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Create Primitive Objects -- Creating Primitive Objects -- Modifying New Objects -- Creating Accurate Objects with the Numeric Panel -- Creating More Objects -- LESSON 2 Create Text -- Loading Fonts -- Adding Text -- Manipulating Text -- Using the Multi Text Tool -- Creating Logo Text -- LESSON 3 Create Points and Polygons -- Using the Point Tool -- Spraying Points -- Adding Points to an Object and Randomly Placing Points -- Creating Polygons with the Pen Tool -- Making Polygons from Selected Points.

Creating Metaballs and Metaedges -- Triangulating Polygons -- LESSON 4 Create Curves -- Sketching Curves -- Using the Bezier Tool -- Drawing Splines -- Creating a Spline Cage -- Creating a Curve from an Equation -- Making a Curve from Selected Points -- LESSON 5 Select Objects -- Using the Selection Modes -- Selecting Points and Polygons -- Selecting with a Lasso -- Deselecting All -- Selecting Entire Objects -- Using the View Menu to Select Object Parts -- Using Selection Sets and Parts -- LESSON 6 Use Layers and Hide Objects -- Viewing an Object Name -- Selecting a Layer -- Showing Layer Objects as Background -- Moving Between Layer Sets -- Moving Objects Between Layers -- Hiding Objects -- What You Have Learned -- Key Terms from This Chapter -- Chapter 3 Transforming Objects -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Translate Objects -- Moving Objects -- Moving Objects with Falloff -- Dragging Points -- Shearing Objects -- Using the Magnet and DragNet Tools -- Using the Rove Tool -- Moving Along Normals -- LESSON 2 Center, Align, and Snap Objects -- Centering Objects -- Aligning Objects -- Using the Snap Drag Tool -- Moving Polygons to the Ground Plane -- LESSON 3 Use the Falloff Options -- Using Linear Falloff -- Using Radial and Point Radial Falloffs -- Using Point and Polygon Falloffs -- LESSON 4 Rotate Objects -- Setting the Action Center -- Rotating Objects -- Bending and Twisting Objects -- Using the Dangle and Vortex Tools -- Rotating About Other Axes -- LESSON 5 Size and Stretch Objects -- Resizing an Object -- Stretching an Object -- Scaling Edge Segments -- Tapering an Object -- Scaling an Object with Precision -- Scaling and Smoothing Polygons -- Scaling About an Object's Center -- LESSON 6 Transform and Distort Objects -- Adding Roughness -- Smoothing Objects -- Distorting Along an Axis -- Distorting with a Spline Guide -- What You Have Learned.

Key Terms from This Chapter -- Chapter 4 Extending, Duplicating, and Dividing Objects -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Bevel Faces and Edges -- Beveling a Face -- Beveling Edges -- Using the Rounder Tool -- Beveling Multiple Polygons as a Group -- Using the Magic Bevel Tool -- Beveling Along a Rail -- Using the Router Tool -- LESSON 2 Extrude and Lathe Shapes -- Extruding Shapes -- Lathing Curves -- Extruding Along a Rail -- LESSON 3 Create Specialized Objects -- Using the Seashell Tool -- Making Objects Spikey -- Creating Skin Objects -- Creating Objects by Morphing Polygons -- LESSON 4 Duplicate Objects -- Mirroring Objects -- Cloning Objects -- Replacing Points with Objects -- Cloning Along a Rail -- LESSON 5 Work with Arrays -- Creating a Rectangular Array -- Creating a Radial Array -- LESSON 6 Subdivide Objects -- Adding Points to a Polygon -- Using the Knife Tool -- Subdividing Polygons -- Using the Band Saw Pro Tool -- Splitting Curves and Polygons -- Cutting Selected Polygons -- What You Have Learned -- Key Terms from This Chapter -- Chapter 5 Constructing and Detailing Objects -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Reduce and Remove Objects -- Reducing Points -- Reducing Polygons -- Viewing Statistics -- Deleting Points and Polygons -- Collapsing Several Polygons to a Point -- Combining Rows and Columns of Polygons -- LESSON 2 Combine Objects -- Using Boolean Operations on Objects -- Drilling Objects -- Using the Bridge Tool -- Creating Patches from Curves -- LESSON 3 Convert Object Types -- Smoothing Objects with Subpatches -- Converting Curves to Polygons -- Converting Subpatches to Polygons -- Converting and Editing Metaballs, Metaedges, and Metafaces -- LESSON 4 Weld Points -- Merging Points -- Welding Points -- Unwelding Points -- Setting Point Values -- LESSON 5 Align Polygons -- Merging Polygons -- Flipping Polygons and Curves.

Spinning Quads -- Creating Double-Sided Polygons -- LESSON 6 Adjust Curves and Edges -- Smoothing Two Adjacent Curves -- Adjusting Curve Ends -- Adding Edges -- Reducing and Removing Edges -- LESSON 7 Use the Measure Tool -- Measuring Distance -- Measuring Angles -- Locating the Center of a Polygon -- What You Have Learned -- Key Terms from This Chapter -- Chapter 6 Surfacing Objects and Mapping Textures -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Apply a Surface -- Naming Surfaces -- Selecting an Initial Color -- Changing the Diffuse and Specular Values -- LESSON 2 Use the Surface Editor -- Saving and Loading Surfaces -- Loading Surface Presets -- Changing Edit Mode -- Using the Surface List -- Copying and Pasting Surface Properties -- Changing Preview Options -- LESSON 3 Set Surface Properties -- Setting Basic Surface Properties -- Setting Advanced Surface Properties -- LESSON 4 Use the Texture Editor -- Layering Textures -- Loading an Image Map -- Editing an Image Map -- Positioning Images -- Using Procedural Textures -- Creating Gradients -- LESSON 5 Use Environment Settings and Shaders -- Setting Reflection and Refraction Options -- Understanding Shaders -- Selecting an Alternative Shader -- LESSON 6 Use Vertex Maps -- Creating New VMaps -- Setting Map Values -- Painting Map Values -- Using Weight Maps -- LESSON 7 Work with Vertex Color and UV Texture Maps -- Coloring Points -- Using Vertex Paint -- Adding UVs -- Viewing UV Texture Maps -- Adjusting UVs -- What You Have Learned -- Key Terms from This Chapter -- Chapter 7 Using Objects, Cameras, and Lights in the Layout Interface -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Load and Save Scenes -- Using the Toolbar -- Loading Scenes -- Loading Objects -- Saving Scenes and Objects -- Importing and Exporting -- Using the Content Manager -- LESSON 2 Use the Layout Viewports -- Learning the Unique Layout Views.

Using the Schematic View -- Setting the View's Position, Rotation, and Zoom -- Panning About the Selected Object -- Fitting Objects Within the Viewport -- Changing Layouts -- Changing Grid Size -- LESSON 3 Work with Objects -- Selecting Objects -- Selecting Multiple Objects -- Selecting All Objects -- Cloning Objects -- Mirroring Objects -- Clearing Objects -- Replacing Objects -- LESSON 4 Add Lights and Cameras -- Adding Null Objects -- Adding Lights -- Adding Cameras -- Changing to a Camera or Light View -- LESSON 5 Set Object Properties -- Selecting Objects -- Accessing the Tabbed Panels -- Adding Custom Objects -- Enabling Level of Detail -- LESSON 6 Set Camera Properties -- Setting Camera Resolution -- Enabling Antialiasing -- Enabling Motion Blur -- Enabling Depth of Field -- Using a Camera Mask -- LESSON 7 Set Light Properties -- Setting Light Color and Intensity -- Enabling Lens Flares -- Enabling Volumetric Lights -- Enabling Shadows -- Using Projection Maps -- Enabling Global Illumination, Radiosity, and Caustics -- What You Have Learned -- Key Terms from This Chapter -- Chapter 8 Modify Layout Objects -- Tools You'll Use -- LESSON 1 Translate, Rotate, and Transform Objects -- Moving Objects -- Rotating Objects -- Moving and Rotating Pivots -- Sizing, Stretching, and Squashing Objects -- Specifying Transform Offsets -- Using the Numeric Adjustment Controls -- LESSON 2 Work with Bones -- Using Bone Edit Mode -- Creating Bones -- Selecting and Modifying Bones -- Breaking and Fusing Bones -- Copying Hierarchies and Deleting Bones -- Enabling Bone Modes -- Setting Bone Properties -- LESSON 3 Work with Skelegons -- Adding Skelegons in the Modeler -- Selecting and Editing Skelegons -- Restructuring a Skelegon Chain -- Converting Skelegons into Bones -- LESSON 4 Morph Objects -- Morphing to a Target -- Creating Endomorphs in the Modeler.

Accessing the Morph Mixer.