How To Texture Models In Lightwave 5.6

[McJobless]

This guide expects that you have a high knowledge of modding LegoRR, and that you already have a model ready to be textured. It also expects that you know at least SOME basics of Lightwave.

Step 1: Have a model created in 5.6 format.

According to several internet resources, newer versions of Lightwave do not exactly replicate the format of older Lightwave model versions when exporting models. You'

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need to export it to .obj and then save it in .lwo format from within Lightwave's Modeler tool to make sure you have a properly working model (provided you used another tool to create the model in the first place).

Step 2: Create a surface in Modeler.

NOTE: In this step, I note how to create one surface which you apply one image too. If you want to do different images for different sections, you need to select the group of polygons you want to have as one surface, and then hit the "Surface" button, then select the next bunch of polygons and hit the "surface" button and repeat.

This is probably the most complex, but maybe the easiest step to perform. In the "Display" tab, select the "Sel Conn" button to select everything. Next, goto the "Polygon" tab. Click the "Surface" button. Type in a name for the surface (make it unique, because in the next step, every object in an animation will have it's surface listed, and it can be confusing if these names aren't seperate). Check the "Smooth" box, hit "Apply". Now, go back into the "Surface" box (by pressing the "Surface Button") and play around with the Diffuse, Specular , Glossiness and Smoothing Angle numbers, until you get something which will look good with your selected textures. Save your model.

Step 3: Apply the texture in Lightwave.

Close Modeler, and open "Lightwav". Select the "Objects" button up the top. Press the "Load Object" button and select the model you saved above. Close the "Objects" window. Select the "Surfaces" button up the top. Use the drop-down menu at the top of the "Surfaces" window to select your texture (in most cases, it is already selected for you). Next to the "Surface Colour" button, select the "T" button. Click on the "Texture Image" drop-down box, and select the "Load Image" item. Find the .bmp file you wish to use, and select "Open".

Step 4: Modify the texture to suit your needs.

Under the "Texture Reference Object" drop-down box, play around with the "Texture Size" button. It will change how big the image is on the model, and if it is too big, if will become a repeated tile image. The "Automatic Sizing" button will adjust the texture to be a "perfect fit" for the model. The "Texture Type" drop-down box is specifically for applying textures on special shapes. In most instances, "Planar" will surfice (mainly since LegoRR uses mostly square models), but you can use the other modes to suit your fancy. In some instances, playing with this option will fix your textures if you can't get them to display correctly.

You may try to play with the other options, but in my reseach, despite knowning what they should do, did not do anything. If you are able to make the perform some action, please inform me.

Step 5: Save the object.

Finally. Select the "Close Panel" button, then press the "Objects" button again. Use the "Current Object" drop-box to select you model, then press the "Save Object" button. Save your model.

Congratulations, you now have a textured model which is (probably) done the same way as the developers. Now, remember to add your object to an animation and to have the .bmp file saved in the same directory as the .lwo file, as these are important to make sure the model loads correctly...also remember that you need to have correctly indexed textures, so use Paint.Net to load a premade LegoRR image, then erase it and do your artistic skills to make the image, then save it as a new bitmap else where.