FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions (about this site)

Simple. Just email me at lightwavetutorials@shaw.ca . I try and answer all my email but there is never enough time so it may take a couple of days to get back to you. I am always looking for new links to add to the list so if you create a tutorial or see one out there that I don't have listed then let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Why have you put up this site?

I began bookmarking sites with LightWave tutorials years ago and after a while my set of links in my "Favorites" folder was getting a little out of hand so I eventually set up this site so I could easily navigate from one tutorial to another while I learned this huge program. I organized things and have just kept it up to date ever since. This site is the third version since I started all this craziness.

Where can I get a free copy of LightWave and/or the manuals?

Newtek (the makers of LightWave) will ship you a demo version of the latest version of LightWave upon request. You can't save scenes and renders will have a checkerboard across them but you can learn a lot and follow along with most tutorials with the demo version. A full manual is also included. A full manual in PDF format is also available from the LightWave 3D site. I do NOT condone piracy so I can't tell you where to find a full version of LightWave without paying for it. If you are a student there is a less expensive Educational Version of LightWave. This version is the full version of LightWave with the restriction that you cannot use it for commercial work.

Who are you?

My name is Scott Cameron and I live in Canada. I don't do this for a living, I manage a printing plant during the day, so for now this is just a hobby. But sometime in the future when I'm confident enough of my abilities I'll try to get a job in the field, for now I'm still learning. I only get to "LightWave" a couple of hours each night so my progress is slow but I am getting better as time goes on.

How long does it take to learn LightWave?

I can't say from experience because I am still learning and I've been at it a couple of years now and still consider myself a novice and an amateur, but then I only do this a couple hours each night. The pros out there still learn something new each day I'm sure. This program is huge and there is always a new plugin, a new technique, or a new version so the learning just never stops. As nike says JUST DO IT. Practice and practice some more.

I want to create a tutorial. Anything I need to know first that would be of benefit?

First of all let me take the time right now to thank you. Creating a tutorial can take time not only to write and set up the web page and to document accurately the procedure that you are teaching but it usually takes time to actually develop the technique in the first place, so thank you from the whole LightWave community.

• To create a good tutorial you should try to explain exactly why you are doing something so the reader understands the thought process behind the technique. Telling people to "press these buttons" and then "do this" is fine but it helps to know why we are pressing these buttons. Tell us the theory behind the technique.
• Please use an uncluttered and readable web page.
• By all means remember to link from the tutorial page to your home page. After doing the tutorial people like to poke around a bit so use this as your opportunity to showcase your 3D (and any other) skills. You may get some recognition, a job offer, who knows what out of it!
• Put your email address on the page so that people who do the tutorial can either give you feedback, or ask questions about the technique. You'll find that LightWaver's are a pretty likeable and amiable group.
• Always have someone else test the tutorial before you post it on the internet. There's nothing worse than writing a tutorial only to find out that you missed a couple of steps and you now have 100 emails questioning why the tutorial doesn't work!
• Please do a spell check before posting the tutorial.

Can anyone get into the 3D business?

Sure why not?!! Personally, I'm not in the business but there is no reason that someone with the determination and the time to learn the program and create a killer demo reel can't get into the business.

How can I contact you?

Simple. Just email me at lightwavetutorials@shaw.ca . I try and answer all my email but there is never enough time so it may take a couple of days to get back to you. I am always looking for new links to add to the list so if you create a tutorial or see one out there that I don't have listed then let me know and I'll add it to the list.