[Krull]

Well hello

I have a friend who has a friend who has a friend that works at pixar and he said. ( not joking =) that pixar doesn't even use lightwave infact he told me ( first friend ) that lightwave is a joke and I need to switch to maya if I want to make it. Well ill tell you I laughed in his face defending lightwave, but then I thought about it and I don't know.

Is lightwave used by the film industries? or must I abandon it and switch to that dreaded looking maya? (in my opinion it looks like a childs toy but I haven't personaly touched it.) plz anyone with the facts come out b4 I have a nervous break down. thank you.

[ozwolf]

Unless i am mistaken i believe that Jimmy Neutron was made with lightwave but this is the only one i know of. I would have assumed that if pixar can write its own software for rendering (Renderman) then they would have developed their own modelling program as well. But i may be mistaken.

[mtmckinley]

I believe Pixar does use Maya as the basis of their projects. I'm sure by now that they've made many a custom plugin and script for it.

But, I don't think it matters too much. ILM uses XSI, I think. Framestore CFC uses Maya, I believe.

Lightwave is just as applicable as the others in my opinion. From what I understand, having a strong demo in Lightwave is better than having a weak demo in something else. If they like your work enough, they shouldn't have a problem training you for whatever they use.

[kumar]

Interesting thread,,, so i will tell you my personal experience.... Mike is absolutly right,,, have a demo in what you feel comfatable with... Thats what i am doing... the studio is somewhat interested,,,,, they have me in mind of grooming up to someday come in as a junior,,, i am happy with that,,, so i am learning max to meet their workflow,,,,, irritating i know... but just keep lightwave at heart and learn maya or max for work or something,,, flexibility is a good thing. Soon you will sercum to the dark side,,,,,,, Hahaha,,,,,, Maya is a slow attracter in my thoughts and you will like the neat powerful package in time i am sure.... But nothing beats modelling in LW.... thats agreed by all i think.

[Erich]

Lightwave is used by many many studios. Just check out cgtalk.com and Newtek's web site. Here are a few examples:

"LightWave has one of the world's best looking 3D renderers built-in, and it integrates with our other visual effects tools. Plus, it includes network rendering at no extra charge. For those reasons and a million others, LightWave has been our primary 3D program for the last eight years."
- Tim McHugh, Area 51

The things we find the most valuable about LightWave are the speed at which we can do our work and the well rounded tool set that it contains. It does everything that we need it to do and does it quickly."
- Steve Pugh, Visual Effects Producer, Eden FX

It was used in movies like Dune, Hellboy, The Passion of the Christ, The Last Samurai, Immortel, The Perfect Score, The Italian Job, Holes, Master and Commander, Gothika The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the TV series Star Trek, etc., etc...

And, check out these pages: http://www.newtek.com/products/light...cts/index.html

http://www.newtek.com/products/light...les/index.html

Well, I think you get the idea.

[Erich]

Also, there is this:

NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, acknowledges the Emmy® winners for Special Visual Effects at the 55th Annual Emmy Awards. The winners in both Special Visual Effects categories - “Series”, and “Movie, Miniseries or Special” - used NewTek's LightWave 3D® as the primary tool to produce the effects for the winning shows. NewTek also received the 2003 Emmy Engineering Plaque for LightWave 3D, in recognition of the role of LightWave® has played in the creation of television visual effects.

I hardly doubt LW is going away.

Cheers.

[Erich]

Ok. Last one. I promise:

Dan Novy – Flash Film Works
Nicholas Boughen – Rainmaker Digital
Mark Glaser – Sway Studios
Timothy Albee – Independent Filmmaker
Tokumitu Kifune – IKIF+
Tim McHugh – Area 51
Johnny Palchetti – IGT
Ron Thornton – Indestructible Productions
Eddie Robinson – Eden FX
Mike Hardison – Pixel Magic
Dave Adams – Digitial Domain
Dick Van Dyke
Emile Smith – Zoic Studios
Rob Powers – Ignite Digital
Don McCoy – Area 51
Chris Zapara – Eden FX
Meni Tsirbas – Independent Filmmaker
Charles Meyer – Wet Cement Productions

Recent blockbuster films: I Robot and Hell Boy, award-winning television shows Enterprise, Children of Dune and Battlestar Galactica, notable national commercials, game development, independent film and anime.

Cheers.

[Fallenswordsman]

Always good to have more than one string to your bow though. Modelling and artistic skills are transferable, all you need to do is learn how other packages do their thing.

[Krull]

That cheered me up

Now I have the facts and can stop panicing about switching. Im gonna stay the course im heading in with lightwave as my guide.
tho as kumar said, I will learn maya and max to expand my experiance. Thanks guys that helped out a confused little boy

[kumar]

Good Luck, there Krull.