Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
The Render menu tab (Figure 2-93) lets
you change settings in the Render Options
window (such as turning on raytracing and
choosing an output format for your anima-
tion). You'll also find tools to render individ-
ual objects, single frames, or full
animations, and the ability to activate
LightWave's Versatile Interactive Preview
Render (VIPER), which lets you see
changes to your surfaces in real time. Talk
about power!
The View menu tab (Figure 2-94) gives
you the ability to change your viewport
setup, adjust the grid, and make complex
selections.
rendering if you have broken it apart into
small, bite-sized pieces to work on it more
easily.
•
Load Object Layer
lets you load just
a single layer from an object rather than
loading all its layers at once (which is what
Load Object will do).
•
Save Trans(formed) Object
is some-
thing I use a lot when I want to “freeze” an
object's deformations, position, orientation,
and scale into a single object I can use in a
background layer for reference while
sculpting a model that will interact with it in
an animation. (This is what I did with the
sled-dog models in earlier illustrations.)
•
Save Motion File
will save all of an
item's movement, rotation, and scaling into
a single file, which you can then load onto
any other item.
•
Content Manager
is a tool used to
consolidate the items in your scene and
gather all the resources used into one cen-
tral location. This can be a lifesaver when
you need to share your complex scenes
with others or simply need to port the
scene between work and home.
The File Menu
The File menu in Layout has many of the
same functions as it does in Modeler.
Rather than repeat that information here,
I'll touch on the more esoteric functions:
•
Load Items From Scene
loads the
objects (and lights, if you wish) and all their
motions into the scene on which you are
currently working. This is a great way of
combining a complex scene for “in-camera”
Figure 2-95: The File menu.
