LWCAD tools feedback.

[W-Tools]

Dear LightWave and LWCAD users!

I've decided to start this public discussion, because I am going to reduce some abundant tools in LWCAD and need your feedback.
This thread is ONLY about LWCAD 3.x tools! (actual version is beta 3.592)

Please let me know your opinion about following topics:

1. Which tools in LWCAD are unuseful and should be totally removed.
2. Which tools should be merged into multi-function tools.
3. Which are the most useful tools in LWCAD for you.

Please try to be brief as possible as you can. And if you have any question which is not related to previous three point, please start a new thread or use support link on wtool3d.com.

Thank you for your help!

[digefxgrp]

Viktor-

First off I’d like to say I use a lot of LWCad in every modeling session.

Also, most of what I do is “entertainment” based, not arch-viz.

Most used LWCad Tools:
Snap Panel
Snap Move
Snap rotate
Snap Scale
Snap Mirror
Vector Clone
Knife Tool
Line, Rect, Rect3P, Circle, Curve, and Arc tools
Trim
Merge, Reduce, Close, Explode, and Join Curves
Extend
Fillet
Boolean 2D
Engraver
Profiler
Extrude
Offset and Mass Offset
Mass Round
Curve-to-Poly
Curve-to-LWCurve
Curve-to-PolyLine
LWCurve-to-PolyLine
Box and Box 3P
Bool
Cap Hole 2
Fix poly
Pattern 1D and 2D
USC Face and 3pt
Shape library


Occasionally used:
Point
Pline
Elipse
Chamfer
Thickness
Handle
Pipe
Cylinder
Tube
Drag and Weight
Array Tool
Radial Clone
Rail Clone
UCS Edge
Delete

Never used:
Roof
Floor
Window
Door
Fence
Stairs
Nail
Road, Road Lines, or CrossWalk
USC or Line Magnet
Jitter Tool
Select Random
Select Surface
Volume
Area
Make Convex
Analyze Curves
Point
Star
Ngon
DXF import/Export


Tools that could be merged together:
Circle and Ellipse
Fillet and Chamfer
Pipe and Handle
Box and Box 3P
Rect and Rect 3P
Window and Door
Roof and Floor

Thanks again for creating this fantastic suite of tools for LW!!

-Craig Paup
DigEfxGrp

[octopus2000]

Originally Posted by W-Tools

Dear LightWave and LWCAD users!

I've decided to start this public discussion, because I am going to reduce some abundant tools in LWCAD and need your feedback.
This thread is ONLY about LWCAD 3.x tools! (actual version is beta 3.592)

Please let me know your opinion about following topics:

1. Which tools in LWCAD are unuseful and should be totally removed.
2. Which tools should be merged into multi-function tools.
3. Which are the most useful tools in LWCAD for you.

Please try to be brief as possible as you can. And if you have any question which is not related to previous three point, please start a new thread or use support link on wtool3d.com.

Thank you for your help!

question: is LWCAD a plug in that gives lightwave an ability to support NURBs?

[cagey5]

[JBT27]

I use all tools in the CadArchViz menu.

I use all the tools in the Cad Edit Modify and Multiply sections. Also the Reality tools.

I do not use so much the Edit (cur-pol) and Edit (cur) tools.

Fix and Analyze tools I do use, except for Analyze Curves.

I use all tools in Cad Primitives, but Primitives 3D not so much.

I use the Convert (cur) and Convert (pol) alot.

I think consolidating some tools is a good idea, like LW itself, in the name of efficiency. But I am dubious about ditching tools because everyone does everything sooner or later, and even the odd mostly unused tools are better there than not, because if they are not matched by some core function in LW, it would be a shame to lose functionality.

Julian.

[wrench]

I'd like to see an option to replace standard LightWave tools in the process of installing LWCAD - I hate trying to remember why the snap isn't working because I'm just using the standard move tool instead of the LWCAD one. I don't mean to delete that functionality - it's not possible anyway - just to replace those tools in the menus and keyboard shortcuts, in short to make a LWCAD-optimised Modeler menu system (shame you can't add a preset to those Configure windows).

B
PS. Thank you Viktor for the excellent tools. Like Julian, I think consolidation could bring some benefits but would hate to say any deletion.

[Riff_Masteroff]

Originally Posted by W-Tools

" . . . , because I am going to reduce some abundant tools in LWCAD and need your feedback. . ."

Viktor: which tools are you intending to "reduce"? You post leaves me hanging on a limb because you request our input and do not counter with your own specific thoughts.

btw, I downloaded the beta a few hours ago, and will give it a going-over. Especially since I have needed to do work-arounds so that can make proper use of some tools such as mass round.

[chunderburger]

Victor, I'd prefer to see tools relegated to a legacy tab in lw cad so nothing is gone and new tools replace or improve them.

I would like to see a snap tweak tool like XSI's
a snap lathe tool
UV support in tools

and handles on tools such as in XSI/maya
also the ability to use edge selections with the mass rounding tool
I would like to see tools be usable within the perspective viewport so we can model in perspective without other views.

check out maya/xsi's pivot manipulation system and xyz translations/rotation/scale tool handles

and a repeat last tool command that can be assigned to a keyboard shortcut

[Snosrap]

Thanks Viktor for a great set of tools. Our shop does not use LWCad for archviz work. As it turns out LWCad is very useful in the furniture design field! It would be nice to see a few more developments to assist in that area. Number one would be having the ability to dimension objects and then create a .pdf, or adding the ability to create "drawings" similar to Inventor and SolidWorks etc. Also it would be nice if your tools remembered their last used parameters and by pressing the "n" key fired the tool with those last used settings, similar to just about every standard LW tool with the few exceptions like MultiShift.

[digefxgrp]

it would be nice if your tools remembered their last used parameters

YES...YES...YES!!! This is a feature that is most needed I must say.

[3dWannabe]

I don't own LWCAD, but I've been considering purchasing it. I can see that in addition to archviz, there are many features that would be useful in logo design and general modeling.

I bet there are many free tools that are only available in 32 bit (like some pixtrix plug-ins), or only available in Modo - or only partially supported or no longer supported at all - that provide unique features and ease-of-use for general Lightwave users.

It would be great to have those 64 bit and well supported.

As I'm just learning, I'm not the proper one to comment. But ... I bet most heavy users have their lists of non-CAD features that are 'must-have'.

LWCAD isn't an inexpensive product, and having more general modeling features (after all the must-have archviz features are implemented, of course), would certainly help tip me into purchasing mode.

[CaptainMarlowe]

Hello Viktor, and first of all, thanks for this great plug-in.
I'm modeling almost exclusively historical architecture, but mainly for hobby purposes.
Thus, LWCAD is clearly my primary tool in LW, especially since the beta has gone 64-bits on Mac !

To the topic :
- Tools I'd like to be removed : none

-Tools I'm using all the time :
all tools in primitives tab
all tools in arch viz tab
almost all tools in edit tab.

-Tools I'm not using so often :
fillet, chamfer, blend in edit (cur).
analyze curves

I have just downloaded the latest beta and not yet tested the new stairs tool, but I can already know it will come in handy for me !

[logank]

Most used:
Cad Primitives:
-Arc ,line,rectangle
-Curve to poly

CAD EDIT:
-all the modify tools
-vector clone
-Mirror tool
-mass round

CAD ARCHIVIZ:
-Engraver
-Profiler
DXF Import

I use Lwcad every modelling session .Great plug-in.

Gianmarco

[juanjgon]

First thanks for this great set of tools and your hard work.

I really cant find any tools i dont use sometimes, perhaps with the exception of only Dimensions and DXF tools. All tools inside LWCAD are useful.

A tool i miss i some kind of mixed poliline tool, like you have in Autocad. The tool could work like line tool, but with the ability to switch to curve or arc with OpenGL buttons, to draw complex polilines.

Best,
Juan J. González

[meshpig]

Originally Posted by octopus2000

question: is LWCAD a plug in that gives lightwave an ability to support NURBs?

LW specific 'non-uniform rational basis splines' AFAIK... lwcad is modeler on Steroids