Starting all the way through to the end
 

hello im am basicly a newb at lightwave.
i have tried a bit of maya and a bit of lightwave and i think i like lightwave the most. i have made a couple of basic models and some animations such as the ocean and some mountains. anyway im getting a little bored of all this basic stuff and i would like to make something a little more interesting. i know all the basic functions of lightwave etc.
I would really like to make a biped or a qaudroped and rig it up so that it can be animated. however i find that its is really hard for me to model things from scratch. the other thing i find really difficult is to set up a model ive made with bones.
i would really like to do this so i can make and animation. however i am only 15 so i dont have the money to pay for all the tutorials can i please have some suggestions. the first thing i would like to know its how does one join 2 polys together?

Im a noob too. I've start out with the McLaren tut. Phillip has done an awesome job with those tuts, but maybe I should start out with the lava lamp. :p

I was wondering how to connect polygons too. I haven't made it that far yet. I know this: the big frigging book to so hard to read!

As much as I hate to do it: I guess I'm gonna have to learn how crawl before I can walk! :confused:

When you say join 2 polys, are you referring to simply merging two touching polygons together or joining them with extra geometry?

For the first, simply select your two polygons and then apply the Detail/Merge Polys command ('Z')

If the latter, then you have a couple of methods. If there's space between the two sets of geometry (ie: two faces with nothing in between, no shared points, etc), then you need to create extra polygons. Select the points you need to join in a clockwise direction and press 'p' to create a polygon from those points.

If the two polys have points that are nearby, and simply need to be joined together, then you can simply select pairs of points and apply the weld ('^w') tool.

you know it's funny i bought the whole Mclaren tute and i haven't even touched it yet. I can't seem to find any time to do that.

WAT!!!! if i had that kind of money i would definatyl make the model why dont you give me the tutorial:(

We're all constantly going through a learning process... i consider myself to be a noob aswell!;)

If u wanna rig stuff, i always recommend making a simple box model first. Set up a whole bunch of skelegons in Modeler and then get it out in Layout and rig it up properly with all the Ik and stuff... Then use the same rig on ur final model which will be based on the box model that u would have made earlier. Or at least, that's what i do for my quadruped things... This way i feel its faster, and less intimidating:D

Hi guys,,, hehe remembered the time i learned to rig...was right here during a competition... So just go and try it... you should have some characters in your content directory.. So look it up and see how they have done it and then try one yourself. And if you win or buy some points,,, then can get the rigging tutorial from simplylightwave... phillip has done a nice one.

Hey
 

hey guys, philip has a excellent free vieo turoail on rigging. He also has a free head modeling tut you should check out or go to my site http://www.3d-wiz.com I have some free lightwave tuts on there to.