[Robsoyo]

Howdo,

I'm trying to create a 3d version of a logo i created in Macromedia Freehand. I read that tutorial which tells you to use the EPSF loader, seems easy enough, but whenever I try to import mine it comes up with Error message, 'Unknown file format Not recognisized by this converter'

Does anyone know what file formats it does take. If you just save a freehand document it doesn't come with an extension. The guy who wrote the tutorial prefers Freehand for his vector works so it totally should work.

Cheers

[Robsoyo]

Apologies for that last post, don't know where my grammar went! Can comebody please help me though? I have a deadline for this logo thing Im doing and its getting very close. I have even installed illustrator incase that worked but whatever i save it as I get an error message in LW. What could be the problem?

Hope someone can help would be much appreciated

Thanks again

[rwhunt99]

You could try opening it up in Photoshop first. If you can then try to save it with a different file name as a eps file and then try to bring it into LW.

BTW, which version do you have? I have difficulty also but after I believe 8.3, things seem to work better.

Hope that helps :p

[Robsoyo]

cheers rwhunt, I tried photoshop, saving it as a photoshop eps, but when I try to load it in again, it causes LW to crash! haven't got a clue what i'm doing wrong. Im using v. 8.2. Never did get the free uprade to 8.3, or was it 8.5, is that still available?

thanks again

[rwhunt99]

Yes - as long as you have it registered, you can still download it up to 8.5. I'm sorry you're have a hard time.

Have you had problems in the past with crashes? I would try deleting your Configs and trying again, sometimes that helps.

If you image is not too complicated, you might load it into the background as a.jpg or .png file and using the pen tool and go from there. If you are trying to create 3D text using LW, I find that it brings in way too many points and I spend alot of time experimenting with the loader trying to reduce the point quantity down to a point where I am satisfied with the quality. I find that If I simply put it into the background, I can trace it with better results anyway.

[b3ta]

Robsoyo, can you export your logo from freehand as an EPS file? If so, you can then open in into illustrator, and from there choose export > Illustrator Legacy, and save it down to version 3, I find this imports fine every time for me,

Good Luck.

[Robsoyo]

Thanks for the info,

Its still not working though, exported to all different versions (3 upto 11) but when I click load on my ESPF loader it still causes LW to crash! All im trying it with is a bit of text at the moment aswell, nothing complicated. Think im going to download v 7.5. and how do you delete a plug-in then reinstall it? Any other suggestions?

Thanks much:eeek2:

[b3ta]

I guess you should update then ! I'm out of ideas - to delete a plugin go to the edit plug-ins button under the utilities tab, navigate to the offending plug-in and hit the delete button next to it. Re-installing is just a matter of going to the 'add plug-ins' buttons under the utilities tab.

Failing all this, I'm sure someone would be willing to import it for you and email the LWO file back, but obviously, not the prefered resolve !!

Good Luck.

[Robsoyo]

Ok so now i've updated to 8.5, deleted the plugin, reloaded it, and still it crashes. Nothing's working im at a loss now! Anyone any ideas?

Ive also noticed that modeler and layout dont seem to be synchronising, as in you,ve got your scene then go back to modeler, make a change, then back to layout and it automatically changes. And the top right button in modeler, to switch to layout, send object to layout etc, is greyed up so can't select anything. Any help with this much appreciated!



This is a test render of what im working on at the moment, all I wanted todo was import the text, because that particular font doesn't seem to work in LW. Just recently found i could use the font but only with certain letters, using the 'logo' tool, so built the rest. Just really need epsf loader cos I've started doing alot more vector work again.
The render's also a test of using a skydome and radiosity to light the scene, which i've never used before actually. Like the look but it is slow. Any ways to speed it up? Any comments would be good aswell. How could I make it look more like an actual object floating in the sky?

thanks

[Robsoyo]

2

[mikester]

try saving all eps files as illustrator 6 or earlier before loading in Lightwave

[Robsoyo]

Yup tried that, still makes modeler quit. Starting to give up now. :headbang:

Have another querie though, i've never used the motion mixer, all I want to use it for is to repeat a camera motion arking from left to right around an object. The animation is going tobe synchronised to a beat so ive keyframed the first left to right path, now is there a way with motion mixer to record that exact motion path and repeat it? Anyone know a good tutorial on the very basics of the motion mixer, or ideally one on using it to affect just the camera?

Hope someone can help, would be very much appreciated

[rwhunt99]

Actually you can, I was looking around, I saw a great tutorial explaining how to do it, but I just can't seem to find it. It explains the whole process, you just first create an actor then you record the motion and save it then you can plug it in anywhere in the timeline. I'm sorry I can't help you much

Also, it seem as though you are not running the Hub, that's why the buttons are greyed out, I would try first to delete your config files and exit out of LW and the hub and then try again. The Hub is the coordinator between the two programs, look down in the system tray and you should see it when it's running. Normally when you start up Layout, the Hub starts up automatically.

[Robsoyo]

Yeah not sure what was going on there, the Hub was working i think, it usually always automatically starts up. but now they all sync up fine so no worries there.

And ive managed to get motion mixer working now so all good. Thought there'd be some kind of record button or something, but you just click create motion and it automatically saves the motion frames in the timeline. Very Clever!:bow:

[5tib]

Lightwave doesn't always like Compound objects and complex EPSs. Try and simplify your vectors as much as possible, ungroup them, expand appearance (not sure about freehand any more but that's what you do in Illustrator)

Also try turning off auto axis drill in LW, that can be crashy.

Good luck, I remember 8.5 eps importer was a nightmare.