Lightwave object

Title(s): Lightwave object

Version ID: NewTek LightWave 3D Object File Format

Date released: Most recent format specs dated October 16, 1996

Date: 1990

Creator(s): NewTek

Contributor(s): Allen Hastings & Stuart Ferguson

Relationships:

• Previous Version(s): Inherited from Videoscape 3D and Aegis Modeler 3D on the Commodore Amiga, both circa. 1988.

• Contains: none

• Syntax Format(s): LightWave 3D objects are stored as IFF files with a FORM type of LWOB. A FORM LWOB must contain a PNTS chunk, a SRFS chunk, and a POLS chunk. There may be zero or more SURF chunks anywhere in the file and up to one CRVS chunk. The POLS and CRVS chunks must be preceded by the PNTS chunk and the SRFS chunk. LightWave 2.0 also has the ability to save and load surface descriptions as FORM LWOB files that contain only a SURF chunk. Details and further explanation found here: Lightwave 3D Object File Format, 11/28/1994

• Family Format(s): none

Description: LightWave 3D objects are stored on disk as 3D meshes consistsing of points, polygons (which can be faces, curves or patches), and surfaces. Files can contain a single connected mesh or several disjoint meshes describing a single logical object. An object file may also contain one or more surface definitions with no mesh.

History: A detailed account, from 1988 to 2009: LightWave History.

Example(s): Example Template Detailed object file example found here: LightWave Object File Example

Identifier: none.

Documentation: Documentation Template Documentation found here: LightWave Object File Format

File Extensions: - Extensions of the engineering format, excluding the dot.

Applications: - Applications that the engineering format uses.

• Native application(s): Engineering Format Application Template - Applications which are primarily designed to specifically run this engineering format.

• Interoperable applications: Engineering Format Application Template - Applications which can read or write files of this format, but are not native applications for the format.

Magic numbers: n/a

Format(s): image/x-lw

Rights: Proprietary license

Sustainability Factors: n/a

• Standardization: n/a

• Adoption: n/a

• • Licensing and patent claims: n/a

• Self-documentation: n/a

• External dependencies: n/a

• Technical protection considerations: n/a

Typical use: 3D Design

File classification:

• Type {Binary, Text}: - The type of file, choices are binary and text.
• Raster data: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports raster data.
  • Raster data 2D: - Can the format support 2D raster data? Example: A format that can contain 2D pixelated data supports 2D raster data.
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Raster data 3D: - Can the format support 3D raster data? Example: A format that can contain 2D pixelated data of a 3D model supports 3D raster data.
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Geometric representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports geometric representations.
  • Implicit representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports implicit representations.
    • Implicit surfaces: - Can the format support implicit surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with mathematical equations that contain the independent variables x, y, and z, like x^2 + y^2 + z^2 * R^2 = 0, supports implicit surfaces.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Implicit curves: - Can the format support implicit curves? Example: A format that can contain curves that are generated with mathematical equations that contain the independent variables x, y, and z, supports implicit curves.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Point set: - Can the format support point sets? Example: A format that supports surfaces and lines that are generated by points that form triangles supports point sets.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Mesh: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports mesh.
    • Manifold surface meshes: - Can the format support manifold surface meshes? Example: A format that supports surfaces that are mathematical spaces in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Manifold volume meshes: - Can the format support manifold volume meshes? Example: A format that supports volumes that are mathematical spaces in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Non-manifold meshes: - Can the format support non-manifold meshes? Example: A format that supports meshes that are not manifolds
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Parametric representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports parametric representations.
    • Parametric surfaces: - Can the format support parametric surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with parametric equations supports parametric surfaces.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
    • Parametric curves: - Can the format support parametric curves? Example: A format that can contain curves that are generated with parametric equations supports parametric curves.
      • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
      • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Contour sets: - Can the format support contour sets?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • NURBS: - Can the format support Non Uniform Rational Basis Splines? Examples: The engineering formats IGES, STEP, ACIS, and PHIGS
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Multi-resolution models: - Can the format support models with multiple resolutions? Examples: A format that supports a highly detailed and lowly detailed model simultaneously supports multi-resolution models.
  • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
  • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Dynamics: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports dynamics.
  • Kinematics: - Can the format support kinematics? Example: Does the format allow model parts to rotate?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Assembly: - Can the format support assembly? Example: Does the format allow the assembly instructions to be explicitly specified with a model?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Force(s): - Can the format support forces? Example: Does the format support acceleration forces?
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Boundary representation - Can the format support models with boundary representations?
  • Manifold surface boundary representations: - Can the format support manifold surface boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Manifold volume boundary representations: - Can the format support manifold volume boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
  • Non-manifold boundary representations: - Can the format support non-manifold boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
    • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
    • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
• Material transparency: - Can the format support transparency? Example: Does the format allow models to have a clear window in a car?
  • Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
  • Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.

References: - A list of references regarding any aspects of this engineering format; any reading material supplemental to this page.