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Plugins and Scripts > Lightwave

Doom3 / idtech4 Plugins for Lightwave 11

A set of 5 python scripts for importing and exporting Doom3 skeletal mesh and animation files.

Installation:

  1. Copy the python files into the plugins folder or some subfolder like C:\Program Files\NewTek\LightWave11.0\support\plugins\scripts\Python.
  2. The scripts will appear in the Additional dropdown list

right click the links below to download

Mesh Import:

md5meshimport.py - load md5mesh files into modeler

Skeleton Import:

md5skeletonimport.py - select the mesh in layout and use this script to load the corresponding skeleton. Any other meshes can be set to use bones from the main mesh. Keyframes for the basic skeleton pose are set at frame -10.

Animation Import:

md5animationimport.py - select the mesh portion of the skeletal mesh in layout and run this script to load an md5anim skeletal mesh animation.

  • Match file frame rate - set Lightwave frame rate to match that of the md5anim file
  • Start Frame - imported animation will start on this frame

Skeletal Mesh Export:

md5skeletalmeshexport.py - export a skeletal mesh in md5mesh file format

  • Base Pose Frame - frame that contains the skeletal mesh bind pose
  • Export in bone creation order - default of unchecked seems to work for all cases. when checked bones are exported in the order they were created, otherwise they are exported in heirarchy order

Animation Export:

md5animationexport.py - select the mesh portion of the skeletal mesh and run this script to export an md5anim animation file.

  • Base Pose Frame - frame with the bind pose
  • Start Frame - animation start frame
  • End Frame - last frame of the animation
  • Export in bone creation order - default of unchecked seems to work for all cases. when checked bones are exported in the order they were created, otherwise they are exported in heirarchy order

The advantages over the original plugins are

  • fixes the mesh mirror problem
  • runs on 32 or 64 bit versions of Lightwave
  • skelegons are ignored
  • weight map names do not have to match the bone names
  • surfaces do not need to be assigned manually
  • full md5mesh shader names are imported
  • no limits on the number of bones.
  • helper null is deleted after export is completed
  • gives a warning if the mesh isn't made of triangles

Notes:

  • Meshes still import with Z up, so a workflow for imported and Lightwave original Doom3 assets needs to be developed.
  • The base pose for animation export should proabably be a copy of the first frame of animation. The difference between the base pose and any animation frame is what gets recorded into the file.
  • Click here to go to the old Doom3/Quake import export plugins page for 32bit Lightwave 8 and 9 plugins. The original plugin usage notes can be helpful with the python versions here.
you tube here

February 22, 2014:

  • reversed LW11.5 changes in mesh import for compatibility with LW11.6
  • mesh and animation export has the option to use bone creation order or heirarchy order
  • script version number shows in the ui title
  • fixed rotation flipping problem in the animation exporter

August 8, 2013:

fixed mesh import for python changes in LW11.5

old Doom3/Quake import export plugins

April 22, 2012