topic Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave in Visualization

ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:46:38 GMT

Hi,

I'm an old AutoCAD user trying to adapt to ArchiCAD. I use Lightwave for rendering, and would like to hear any tips and tricks if anyone here is using that combination. What are the best ways of exporting? Can you create AC GDL objects from LW models?

(I use AC 7 and LW 7.5)

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

stefan — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:38:25 GMT

To create GDL objects, export to 3ds from Lightwave and import in ArchiCAD as a Library object.

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 12:02:17 GMT

Thanks!

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Bricklyne Clarence — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 16:44:07 GMT

stefan wrote:
To create GDL objects, export to 3ds from Lightwave and import in ArchiCAD as a Library object.

(Yikes!!!!!)

......that wouldn't work. He (She?) uses ArchiCAD v7, that doesn't import 3DS objects/files without the import plugin. I suggest you try to find the 3ds-import plugin to import the objects into ArchiCAD. I believe there was a link to a download site somewhere on the forum. I'm not sure about whether or not there was one for version 7; I'm pretty sure that there were some for versions 8 and 8.1, in German however. Alternatively you can just upgrade to ArchiCAD v9 which has the 3DS import version built in and in English ( if that is your Lingua Prefere) plus it has a ton of other upgrades and optimizations that you'll just lovecoming from version 7; not to try to plug it or anything.

As for importing from ArchiCAD to Lightwave, once you're done with all your modelling in ArchiCAD then export from the 3D window as a LWO or OBJ object. I believe Lightwave accepts both formats, but I'm not sure which is preferable for rendering pruposes since I haven't used Lightwave in a very long time.

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

stefan — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 10:07:57 GMT

Bricklyne wrote:
stefan wrote:
To create GDL objects, export to 3ds from Lightwave and import in ArchiCAD as a Library object.
(Yikes!!!!!)

......that wouldn't work. He (She?) uses ArchiCAD v7, that doesn't import 3DS objects/files without the import plugin. I suggest you try to find the 3ds-import plugin to import the objects into ArchiCAD. I believe there was a link to a download site somewhere on the forum. I'm not sure about whether or not there was one for version 7; I'm pretty sure that there were some for versions 8 and 8.1, in German however. Alternatively you can just upgrade to ArchiCAD v9 which has the 3DS import version built in and in English ( if that is your Lingua Prefere) plus it has a ton of other upgrades and optimizations that you'll just lovecoming from version 7; not to try to plug it or anything.

As for importing from ArchiCAD to Lightwave, once you're done with all your modelling in ArchiCAD then export from the 3D window as a LWO or OBJ object. I believe Lightwave accepts both formats, but I'm not sure which is preferable for rendering pruposes since I haven't used Lightwave in a very long time.

The import plugin exists (but is hard to find).
In older ArchiCAD versions, you could import OBJ-files, with support for smoothing angles. This is gone now, for whatever reason.
I didn't remember ArchiCAD being able to export LWO-files... Maybe I should boot ArchiCAD again (it's been a while).

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 16:56:38 GMT

stefan wrote:
The import plugin exists (but is hard to find).

Hello Stefan

I'm searching this "hard to find plugin" to import .lwo file into ArchiCAD.
Have you some "tracks" to find it ?

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

stefan — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 07:26:45 GMT

I never had a plugin to open LWO or LWS files in ArchiCAD, but I thought Lightwave was able to export 3ds-files, which you can import into ArchiCAD. ArchiCAD 9 has the plugin included, for older versions I can send you a copy. They're free, but were a bit hard to find.

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 07:36:35 GMT

Thanks for the quick reply Stefan

It is what I want to know.
Then no easy way to import Light Wave Object in ArchiCAD without Light Wave…

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

stefan — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 07:39:23 GMT

Are you saying that you have a Lightwave object you want to import, but you don't have Lightwave?

There are conversion programs to do that, so for a one-time conversion I want to give it a try.

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 07:54:16 GMT

stefan wrote:
Are you saying that you have a Lightwave object you want to import, but you don't have Lightwave?

Yes, I find some site with lightwave object —like this one http://dmi.chez.tiscali.fr/models16.html — and like to use it on ArchiCAD

stefan wrote:
There are conversion programs to do that, so for a one-time conversion I want to give it a try.

Does this conversion programs are freeware or not?
How can we do a try ?

Does some other program can open .lwo and export .3ds like Cinema 4D CE6 ?

Yes it works

Thanks for the Work around Stefan…

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 09:27:03 GMT

Fmr wrote:
Does some other program can open .lwo and export .3ds like Cinema 4D CE6 ?

Yes it works

The 3D is correct and the 2D symbol of the object in ArchiCAD works too…

… but i have some problems with the materials of the Light Wave objects.
I can see them in Cinema 4D CE6 but they "disappears" in ArchiCAD after the export of C4D and the import in AC8.1 with "3DSKonverter". I obtain a beautiful monomaterial object…

I try to export an C4D object in ArchiCAD by the same way and he works fine —the materials also—.

For the Lightwave object i try to merge it or to Open in C4D with no changes for the final result.
It seems to be a problem of "affectation" of materials in C4D all the materials of the lightwave object are list in the right window, contrary to C4D Objects
but when i reopen in C4D the 3DS file just the first one does exist and affect the all object.

I need some advice for … C4D use… and 3DS export in this program…

I hope that I am not too confused in my explanations…

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

stefan — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:19:57 GMT

Nice link!

I use two conversion programs:
3dexploration is an old shareware application (now known as Deep Exploration). And the other I use, 3D Win, is also shareware (both PC-only).

But if Cinema4D CE works for you, then it's even better, since you have direct control over the model and it's materials. No need for additional applications.

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 17:07:09 GMT

stefan wrote:
But if Cinema4D CE works for you, then it's even better, since you have direct control over the model and it's materials. No need for additional applications.

It works but…i have a problem of "bad index" for the materials of the Light wave objects in C4D.
The differents materials are "here", the object look like a "good object", I can do a render which seems correct, but if i want to export to the 3DS —or another…— format it become a mono material object…

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

stefan — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 07:55:44 GMT

AFAIK, different materials on one object are not supported in the 3ds file format.

There is an option in the C4D CE import/export settings for Lightwave files to generate different objects for different selections. This forces the model to be split up, so I guess then all materials end up on different objects.

Beware, the models you are looking at are high-poly meshes, which will make ArchiCAD slow down to a crawl!

And the 3ds format has a built in limit of 65000 vertices (or faces?) per mesh, so the ArchiCAD 3ds-importer will have to do a lot of optimizing and preparation.

Re: ArchiCAD to Lightwave

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:15:04 GMT

Stefan

You are a Genius .

It works perfectly, the solution was to set the lightwave import to be split up and the different materials have now a good affectation. 3DSKonverter works fine and I can swich material one by one in the object menu of the ArchiCAD object.

Thanks again