Making Morphing Props in Lightwave 3D for use in DAZ|Studio - Online tutorial
by adminMaking Morphing Props in Lightwave 3D for use in DAZ|Studio - Online tutorial
Author: JoeMamma2000
How to make simple morphing props with UV textures in Lightwave 3D Modeler for use in DAZ|Studio. You can use Lightwave Modeler to make simple morphing props that you can then use in DAZ|Studio. However, you’ll need two plugins and a few extra steps, especially if you are going to use texture maps and morphs. In Lightwave Modeler, you’ll need to install Dodgy’s .mtl import/export plugin (available for free at http://dodgy.ghostoutpost.com/Lscripts.html ). In DAZ|Studio, you’ll need to purchase the DAZ Morph Loader plugin, which is available at the DAZ store under “3rd Party Products” for about $10. And keep in mind that you cannot directly transfer a boned character from LW to DAZ|Studio and have the bones work. LW bones cannot be converted into anything usable in DAZ|Studio. Also, DAZ|Studio uses only UV mapping to map textures on its surfaces. There is no projection mapping in DAZ|Studio, as there is in LW. And DAZ|Studio requires a separate .mtl file, which describes the surface UV mapping, to be associated with any .obj file. Since LW does not have the capability to generate a .mtl file, you’ll need to Dodgy’s plugin to perform that function. And unfortunately, the Wavefront .obj file format does not include the endomorphs generated in Modeler. However, you can still transfer morphs from LW to DAZ|Studio by making a separate .obj file for each object, which includes the complete object with the morph applied. You then load the base object into DAZ|Studio, and use MorphLoader to load each morph object.
Step 1: Create a basic box in Modeler
Step 2: Modify the box to defeat smoothing in DAZ|Studio
Step 3: Apply surfaces to the box In Modeler
Step 4: Save the surfaced box as an .lwo file.
Step 5: Export the box object as an .obj file.
Step 6: Save the UV map image
Step 7: Run Dodgy’s MGMTLExport plugin
Step 8: Modify the .obj file
Step 9: Modify the .mtl file
Step 10: Load the surfaced object into DAZ|Studio
Step 11: Apply morphs in Modeler.
Step 12: Export the morphed object
Step 13: Import base object into DAZ|Studio
Step 14: Load morph using Morph Loader
