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Summary: I want to buy Lightwave
Review: He demonstrates the power of Lightwave even I don't have Lightwave. I try replicate in Truespace.
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Summary: Great guide to LW6
Review: I feel this book is a must for anyone using LightWave 6. It starts from the very basics (changes to Layout, Modeler, Surface editor; customized interface, setting up your own tool groupings etc.) to some of the more advanced features (expressions, skelegons, weight maps, radiosity and caustics).Not only does this book get you up and running with the new version, but it has some great tutorials. In particular, the head modelling tutorial is great...the best I've come across so far (I like the fact that not only does it take you through modelling the head, but texturing it too). So in my opinion, this book is invaluable to the LW6 user.
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Summary: Very good.
Review: I have a very good job because of this book. Dan... You are the man.
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Summary: Best 3d book I have bought.
Review: I have spent a lot of money on 3d books in the past but this is the best by a distance, that I have bought. The head modeling tutorial in particular is just fantastic, I defy anyone to find a better modeling tutorial than this, its just brilliant. The really great thing is that the methods taught are easily transferable to other software packages and not just relevant to Lightwave. The only thing I would say is that if you are a beginner, prepare to work very hard, learning to make good 3d is tough, but if you are really prepared to do the hard work this book can take you a long way down the road. I would give it six out of five if I could !
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Summary: I've overcome my fear of 6!
Review: I have to say this is the most useful book I've ever seen for Lightwave, and I too have been using LW since the Toaster days. I've learned more in the first 100 pages than I learned in - when did the Toaster come out? - 85? This one takes the confusion out of learning the new interface, and guides you to an understanding of WHY things things are different now. I have overcome my fear of 6!
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Summary: Dan Ablan, A Man for All Seasons
Review: I purchased this book because the manuals that come with Lightwave 6 are not very good for people with low level strengths in 3d. That is me. I have taken a seven hundred dollar course in Lightwave 5 and had classes in Lightwave 2 in film school. 3d is a challenge to say the least. And in spite of my training I am still a baby at it. Dan Ablan's book came highly recommended in the Lighwave newsgroup when it was first released. I have not progressed far in the book so I can not give it a proper review. But I will say that it is far better to learn from than the Lightwave manuals. Dan takes the time to explain what you are doing and why during tutorials. The LW manuals just have you parrot steps and hope you learn from repetition and osmosis. But what probably impressed me most is when I was not getting the result expected in one of the early tutorials, I asked members of the alt.lightwave newsgroup what I might be doing wrong. Dan Ablan wrote me back personally and walked me through the problem. I know I am not the only one. I have seen him write numerous people personally. I have a friend who works in a production house who has also received responses from Dan. And I see reviews here that say the same. What other book could you buy where the guy who wrote the book cares enough to answer your questions? I don't think you should buy the book expecting Dan to write you and be your best friend but I thought I should mention this. I have not gone far in the book because I am easily discouraged (aka. too lazy about) working with 3D. You will not learn from any book if you don't participate with it. However my experience from this book is if you sit down and do the exercises...learn you will.
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Summary: Inspirational
Review: I see the software with different eyes now, after using it for almost 10 years. Thanks Dan.
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Summary: Skills and so on ...
Review: I think this book is one of the most useful issue. It provides you a lot of useful information about 3D world creating. I hope that you`ll be able to find something interesting (never mind what are you - beginer or professional). Good luck.
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Summary: TO THE READER FROM LONDON - FROM DAN
Review: I'm not sure where you're getting your information there buddy, but I never "pretended" to know LightWave on the Amiga - I knew it - inside and out. I started using LightWave on the Amiga with version .9, and I have 3 Amiga's to boot. I ran my own business with the Amiga version of LightWave, and am here today because of it. I'm well aware of Babylon 5, as well as SeqQuest, and know many of those animators personally. So, please don't write public reviews which "pretend" that you know my background. And, I still have my Amiga. Dan Ablan
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Summary: I sincerely recommend it to you
Review: If you are a lightwave user and recently have upgraded to version 6, you should read this book. It is complementary to lightwave user manuals, but not redundant or repetitive. It has great things like examples in using skelegons, weightmaps, uv, radiosity&caustics, expressions, ik, and many other important features of lightwave6. What is more, you will find a huge tutorial in order to model, texture and render that head you see in the cover! Also, chapters and exercises are not destined to explain a function or button, but they are destined to illustrate common, useful, and complex tasks, like modelling/texturing/rendering of a house in a forest, setting a complete bone structure for a human figure, lip sincronization, creating a broadcast animation, etc... things i didn't like: there are too many examples and exercises with Relativity plugin (that is really cool, but not shipped with lw6..)..., and other minor stuff.. to resume: if you want to start with lightwave[6] and begin to use all its potencial and marvellous capabilities since now, this practical and useful book will really help you. Sincerely, it worths each penny you pay (and more). good work, mr.Ablan & his co-writers
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