For many 3D-animation pros, the enhanced particle tools,
and the new dynamics capabilities introduced in LightWave v9 (and discussed in detail in
this and the next chapter, ???Dynamics in Motion???), are enough by themselves to justify the
cost of the software. You might hear the term dynamics often in computer graphics.
Without being too technical, the concept of dynamics in LightWave refers to the ability of
animated objects to influence each other??™s motion and interact naturally. But more than
their value, these tools give you control and flexibility over the types of images and animations
you can create. That,my friends, is what makes LightWave great!
This chapter takes you into the world of LightWave particle animation.We??™ll start with the
basics so you can familiarize yourself with how the particle tools function in Layout. From
there,we??™ll apply surfacing to particles using HyperVoxels to create smoke, fire, and water
effects. Then we??™ll explore how you can apply dynamics to the particles, such as wind and
collisions. In this chapter, you learn how to:
?—? Work with particles in LightWave v9
?—? Create surfaces to particles using HyperVoxels
?—? Use dynamics to change particle motions
Particles In LightWave
Many 3D pros tend to think you need to run out and buy the expensive stand-alone particle
creation tools to get decent particle animation.
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