Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book!
Review: The book is both straight forward and easy to understand, (I've already learned better habits and methods within the first three chapters alone). The author does recommend reading the standard manuals provided by Newtek first, Since the book is not a "rehash" of the manuals, but takes on a 'let's get down to business and show you how to become productive' attitude.After doing the basic tutorials in the Newtek manuals, I felt that I still needed more instruction. Although it good to learn the software by doing alot of experimentation, I feel this book will help foster the proper habits of using the application, habits already learned by skilled lightwavers. Thanks Dan, and I do look forward to your upcoming book for expert users!
Rating:
Summary: Great Help
Review: The book successfully demonstrates practical use of frequently used tools in addition to showing how to approach projects. It is great for beginners trying to learn the nuances of Lightwave. Although Dan could have saved a lot of trees by omitting the first chapter, the rest of the book has proved useful in learning the program. I would recommend it to everyone starting from ground zero as I did.
Rating:
Summary: No wonder its out of stock!
Review: The highest rating! Computer books and software can be divided into two categories: 1) those that you wish you had not spend your money on in the first place and 2) those of which you wonder how you could have lived without them before. Dan Ablan's "Inside LW 6" belongs to the second one. So does LightWave. The book has become my official "LW Bible" - everything you need to know is there, and more.... Well written, the tutorials DO WORK when you replicate them. Despite heavy weight (800 pages or so) it is a light and enjoyable reading. Highly recommended. Also doesn't matter if you have software version 6, 6.5 or (just announced at Siggraph'2001) version 7 - the explanations are good enough to help you feel comfortable in the latest environment. I have had no problem so far. Also a MUST HAVE because the future 7.0 eddition of the book to appear by the year's end is supposed to have complementary tutorials, NOT the same ones, so BOTH books will definitely constitute a necessary item in my library, especially that Newtek's manual is somewhat dry and sometimes tedious for me. IF you can buy this book at a discount off internet do not even hesitate, nor think twice - just grab it, since it is an excellent and important aid. I only wish there was a FAQ section added, perhaps after each chapter, with various questions from people, dealing with presented or similar problems, as I am aware Mr. Ablan receives and knows of, since he's been famed in the industry for responding to his readers and genuinely going outwards to help them, as has been also my very positive personal experience. Thank you! Looking very much forward to Mr. Ablan's next jewel.
Rating:
Summary: Thanx Dan
Review: The only thing better than the book was taking Dan's class! The information in it is complete from the ground up. New users or pros, get your hands on this book, it's worth the money!
Rating: 
Summary: what this book is for
Review: this book is an appendix to the lightwave program itself. its purpose is to help you become familiar with the program and eventually use it. enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Not good for Begginers
Review: This book is mostly for intermediate to advanced users. It barely delves into basic modeling or animation. It's good if you worked with previous versions, since they cover new features of Lightwave. So don't get this book if you are starting out. It would be really confusing even if you used other 3d apps before, since they focus more on tecniques and not on the app/interface itself. It feels like it is geared towards previous Lightwave users, instead of teaching you how to use the software from the ground up. Instead, they show you advanced examples so it would be hard for you to understand what is it that you are doing, even though you understand what they are telling you to do. It's useless doing something if you don't understand what you are doing.
Rating:
Summary: Best overall text
Review: This is probably the most comprehensive text I've used on LightWave. Very modeling intensive. It has rigging(bones)tutorials, but the "LW Applied 6.5/7" rigging tuorial is better. A must buy for the LW artist.
Rating:
Summary: Must have Book
Review: This is without a doubt THE book for anyone that uses Lightwave 6. The book will take the mystery out of just about EVERY aspect of lightwave 6 and walk you into area's that you never thought you would ever understand or use. The writing style Dan employs isn't the usual do this, do this, do this. He writes from real world experience and passes that knowledge on in an interesting easy to follow way. The head modelling section will take you to a new level of character modelling and is worth the price of admission by its self.
Rating:
Summary: As with the previous Inside Lightwave Book
Review: This was another great resource for me, both as far as learning new things, as well as for quick references in times of need =) The only thing is.. this book is huge....and I mean BIG and HEAVY. Not the book you would carry around in a backpack.
Rating:
Summary: An Inspirational Learning Experience
Review: What can I say except Brilliant. Inside L6 covers just about all areas of this great new software that you could want, everything from Modelling(face on front cover for one!),broadcast animation,Automating animation,lighting,character animation,compositing... Its all there! What hit me was the amount of info in this book. Not only tutorials, but plenty of professional hints and tips on how its 'done' in the real world. After running through the tutorial on automating a Starliner (using Cycler/ChannelFollower to raise/lower landing gear using a null!), there was discussion on how to mimic real-life camera work, thoughts on weight and movement to give the final animation a 'non-CGI' feel. Tutorials, Guides, Advice, Insites on how the experts do it... Its the best buy in LW books so far!
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