Using the Backdrop in Lightwave Modeler
Loading design drawings of other images as a backdrop into the viewports is a great way to translate the 2D image to a 3D object
Loading images
- Open the Display Options (Shortcut: d)
- Select the Backdrop tab
- Select the viewport you want to load your image into
- f.i. If you are loading the right side view, and you have the Bottom Left viewport set to "Right", choose BottL
- Load your image by selecting (Load Image) where it will say (None) (image)
- Image Resolution: the width and height in pixels used by lightwave to display the image
- 512 means 512x512 pixels
- Creating your image at one of these resolutions will speed up working with them
- Size: how big your image is in Lightwave
- Fixed Aspect Ration: 1 means your image is square
- If your image is not square, I think it is best to make it square and convert it to 512x512 or 1024x1024 in Photoshop
- If you are using a rectangular image, adjust this accordingly, or uncheck this and correct with the width, found after Automatic Size
The backdrop settings are not part of your object. Saving your object will not save your backdrop settings. You can save your backdrop settings using the Presets pull down menu in the Display Options (Backdrop Tab)
Choosing Display Settings
- In Color Wireframe mode, it is hard to see the geometry.
- Switching to Color Wireframe makes the wireframe be dislayed in color, making it stand out a bit more.
- Choosing Hidden Line (Hidden line removal: only shows edges and points that are not obscured by polygons) makes it easier to work with. If you want to work on the now inisible side of the object, simply switch from Front to Back.
- Removing the grid makes for a display that is even easier to read (Display Options (d) → Layout Tab → uncheck Show Grid)
