NewTek - Overview

Easy Text won't launch; I get an error. Re-booting LightWave and my computer doesn't fix it.

The easy Text Config file is corrupt. 
Try clicking on the "Reset Easy Text" button under the Easy Text button on your interface if you are on the PC. If this does not work, use the following procedure.

For PC
The Easy Text config file has corrupted. To fix this issue, close modeler. Use windows explorer to navigate to where your LightWave configs files are stored. This is typically on the drive where your operating system is installed in the "Documents and Settings" folder under either "Administrator" or the name you logged in under. You will see easyText.cfg, LW3.cfg, LWEXT3.cfg, LWM3.cfg...(If in LightWave 8, replace 8 where the 3 is or 9 where 3 is for LW9). Simply select the easyText.cfg file and hit delete. Now re-launch modeler and Easy Text.

For Mac
The Easy Text Config is currupt.
Go to Users/YourComputerName/Library/Preferences
Easy Text Preferences are located here
Delete it and re start Easy Text

I installed the USB dongle and LightWavae still says no hardware lock found and runs in Discovery Mode.

XP is the culprit here. We need you to download the latest Sentinal Drivers for your dongle. 

Go to: http://www.safenet-inc.com/support/tech/sentinel.asp

Click on Sentinal SuperPro. Scroll down and download Sentinel Protection Installer v7.3.0 or higher. Should be the first link.

Intall this and re boot

Now run LightWave

I launch LightWave or Modeler and I get a message saying: "No license key can be found. Contact NewTek. Running in Discovery mode"

When you launch LightWave you get the error and a "Product Lock Code"
Note this number and your lightwave serial number and go to http://reg.newtek.com/
Here you will register your LightWave 3D with NewTek and get your license key. This is a 16 digit number. Follow the instructions on the site to install the unlock code. 

If you have any problems, please call NewTek Customer Service at 1-800-toaster.

When I launch LightWave, I don't get the 3D Arsental Tab

Your configs are bad or not in the right place.
Follow the steps outlined in the first entry of the 3D Arsenal FAQ called "How do I use 3D Arsenal with my existing LightWave?"

When I load video mapping scenes I don't see numbers, only colored rectangles.

Your configs are bad or not in the right place. Follow the steps outlined in the first entry of the 3D Arsenal FAQ called "How do I use 3D Arsenal with my existing LightWave?"

I get an error on rendering when it tries to save a frame.

Your configs are bad or not in the right place. Follow the steps outlined in the first entry of the 3D Arsenal FAQ called "How do I use 3D Arsenal with my existing LightWave?"

I get an error ehen I try to use nay of the 3DArsenal tools like the keyframe tools.

Your configs are bad or not in the right place. Follow the steps outlined in the first entry of the 3D Arsenal FAQ called "How do I use 3D Arsenal with my existing LightWave?"

When I hit OK to make my text in Easy Text, it crashes.

Make sure you are not adding an "enter" or "carrige return" at the end of the last line of text. You want the cursor sitting at the end of the last line.

On my Mac, using LightWave 7.5, I have to load a font everytime I enter Modeler.

That is a bug with LightWave 7.5 on the Mac. You will have to load the fonts you want each time you launch Modeler.

The Faces of my text render with weird artifacts on the surface.

Check the surfaces panel and make sure that "smoothing" is not turned on for the "faces" by accident. If it is checked then turn it off by un-checking the smoothing box.

Some of the faces of my text are invisible.

Sometimes when creating text in LightWave we can over bevel an object and cause points to cross. This will flip polygons and this is what has happened.

In Modeler, you need to select the face polygons and look at whick way they are facing. If you find the one that's backwards (the invisible one), select just it and hit the "f" key to flip it.

When I go to load scene, I do not see the Logo Arsenal directories for the scenes like in the tutorials.

Your Content directory is not set correctly.
Hit the o key
Content Directory is at the top
set it to c:3D Arsenal Master Content where c is the drive you installed to.
Now close the window and try loading a scene.

I do not see a big versionof the image when I render a test frame.

Your display type is set to none. This sometimes gets turned off when starting a render. 
Go to render options and check to see if 
the "image viewer" is on for "display". In VT systems this can also be set to Video Toaster or VT and the renders are displayed on the output monitor.

This scene takes forever to render.

Some scenes take longer than others to render. Especially when using features like particles, Hypervoxels, Volumetrics and Ray-tracing. That's just the way it is. Usually, if something takes a longtime to render and we put it in there, it is worth the wait!

When I tried to replace the logo, your logo here is still there and my logo is either visible or inv.

The wrong item was selected when you replaced with your object and something else besides the stand-in got replaced. Maybe a light or another object. Reload the scene, make sure Objects is selected in the lower left and "Your Logo Here" is selected in the current item popup right above it. Now try replacing the logo again.

When I load scene I get error saying an object or image cannot be found.

Make sure your content directory is set properly. Hit the "o" key. Content directory should be set to:

c:/3D Arsenal Master Content where C is the drive you installed to. 

This shouldn't happen but if it does the object or image is in the appropriate Dir. If it is looking for an image navigate to the appropriate/images dir and find it. If it is an object, go to the appropriate/objects dir and locate it. Once found and loaded, re-save the scene and you will not have the problem again.

When I use Content Manager I get an error about object failure.

This is a known bug.The content manager will actually do what it should except for one thing.

Everything is exported to the new dir including the object giving the error. The only thing that is not exported is the scene. So click ok on the error, then manually grab the scene from the 3D Arsenal Master Content dir and paste it into the scene dir of your new content dir and everything should work fine.

This will be fixed in a future version.

Can I use 3D Arsenal with Vista?

Yes, The configs for 3D Arsenal go in a different location when using vista. The get copied into c:/users/username instead of c:/documents and settings/username

Otherwise it is the same and will work with all versions of 32 bit LightWave.

TriCaster MPEG-2 Record Modes - Regular vs. Studio Profiles

Various encoder attributes for file recording purposes are governed by the Record Profile. The Record Profile switch appears in the Record/Stream tab (Figure 110) of the Live Production screen. By default, TriCaster uses the Regular Profile. This profile records a high quality ‘platform agnostic’ MPEG-2 encoded file. The Regular Profile is an excellent choice for general purpose use, producing quality equivalent to or better than the common ‘DV’ file format in most situations.

TriCaster’s Regular Profile MPEG-2 files are widely compatible with other video software. Later editions of Windows® and OS X® provide native support, and a suitable codec is also often installed by third-party DVD viewing and authoring software. Systems running older versions of Windows may lack an appropriate codec, but in such cases, scouting around on the Internet is likely to turn up a (free or inexpensive) MPEG-2 one (just search for something like “Windows play mpeg-2”). Even so, a specific program may lack compatible MPEG-2 file support. At the time of writing, a few applications may require the use of third party file conversion utilities.

The Regular Profile is supplemented by a very high quality alternative called the Studio Profile. Enabling the switch labelled Use MPEG-2 Studio Profile under Record Profile elevates TriCaster’s encoding quality:

• Regular Profile –double bit-rate MPEG-2 (I-frame) encoding
• Studio Profile – new double bit-rate 4:2:2 MPEG-2 (I-frame) encoding

The Studio Profile produces higher quality than all previous TriCaster recording formats (including SpeedHQ™). The resulting files fulfil the requirements for “High Profile” MPEG-2 encoding established by the Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG).

Please check Wikipedia for more detailed information on High Profile MPEG-2 encoding.

How to install 3D Arsenal on a Mac

First make sure you have LightWave Layout, Modeler and Hub closed. Now download the appropriate Configuration Files, located here:

http://newtek.com/3DA/downloads/

If you dont know what version of LightWave you have then open the program and check in the title bar. Make sure the program is exited before going on.

Inside the ZIP file you downloaded is a folder with three Preference files (two if you use v9), move these into Macintosh HD: Users: Your user folder: Library: Preferences (the folderYour user folder is dependent on your login name) where you will likely be told these files already exist . If prompted choose to Replace the existing files with the new ones were moving in there.

For the Universal Binary edition the files must go into the LightWave3D folder in Preferences. The files must also be renamed and have the words LightWave and Prefs removed from their name. So the file LightWave Modeler 9 Prefs becomes just Modeler 9

Now, insert the 3DACT Disc 2 - Content DVD, inside the DVD there is a folder calledToasterdudes, highlight this folder and go to Edit > Copy. Navigate to your LightWave folder in Applications and open up the Plugins folder, now go to Edit > Paste to put the Toasterdudes plugins into this folder.

If you have LightWave 9 youre done: you can start up LightWave and everything should work. If you have LightWave 7 or 8 you may need to do the following step:

Start Layout or Modeler and press Option + F11 to bring up the Edit Plugins menu then pressScan Directory. Navigate to your LightWave Plugins folder where we pasted the Toasterdudes folder earlier. We will highlight the Plugins folder and click Choose. Its a good idea to restart LightWave once you have done this so everything is properly saved out.

How to install 3D Arsenal on a PC

First make sure you have LightWave Layout, Modeler and Hub closed. Now download the appropriate Configuration Files, located here:

http://newtek.com/3DA/downloads/

If you dont know what version of LightWave you have then open the program and check in the title bar. Make sure the program is exited before going on.

Inside the ZIP file you downloaded is a folder with three LW...CFG files (two if you use v9), move these into C:Documents and SettingsYour user folder (the folder Your user folder is dependent on your login name) (Documents and Settings is Users on Vista and 7) where you will likely be told these files already exist. If prompted choose Yes to overwrite the existing files with the new ones were moving in there.

Now, insert the 3DACT Disc 2 - Content DVD, right click on the drive in My Computer and choose Open. Inside the DVD there is a folder called Toasterdudes, highlight this folder and go to Edit > Copy. Navigate to your LightWave folder* in and open up the Plugins folder, now go to Edit > Paste to put the Toasterdudes plugins into this folder.

If you have LightWave 9 youre done: you can start up LightWave and everything should work. If you have LightWave 7 or 8 you may need to do the following step:

Start Layout or Modeler and press Alt + F11 to bring up the Edit Plugins menu then pressScan Directory. Navigate to your LightWave Plugins folder where we pasted the Toasterdudes folder earlier. We will highlight the Plugins folder and click OK. Its a good idea to restart LightWave once youve done this so everything is properly saved out.

*LightWave locations depend on various versions:
7: C:LightWave
8: C:Program FilesLightWave [8]
9: C:Program FilesNewTekLightWave3D 9
On Windows 64-bit Program Files will be Program Files x86, if you do not have a LightWave install in this folder you may have chosen to install the 64-bit version. 3DACT is recommended for 32-bit versions of LightWave.