phaser beam

[steveo1259]

has anybody got a phaser beam they can upload plz, preferably in LWO format

[enzolima]

uhm... particles?

[axeman3d]

No need for particles. Lightwave ships with a laser beam object already in it, in the content section. At least it did in the older versions, it was called something like shiplaser A, B and C in the Space objects directory, and was used in one of the scenes that used to ship with lightwave. A slight tweak of the colours and it serves as a phaser.

[steveo1259]

unfortunaltley, my installation of lightwave didnt like the contents so much so i had to leave them out of the installation. could someone explain how to do it with particles plz?

[enzolima]

Here's a universal way to do it:

Make particle shape
Create origination point for particles
Create direction for particles
Set particles to dissapear when they hit an object
Set number of particles
Set dissapation amount/time
Set spread angle
Set starting beam width

I think that should very much be outfigurable for all programs. This is the way i did it in MAX, but that was quite a while ago.

[Chris2005]

I use 3DS MAX and I have a plugin called Lightning. It allows you to create lightning bolts, along a line or from Object A --> B. I just change the attributes to have no forks and no bends or curves to make a straight line and then add my materials to look like a phasor, and I am done.

[axeman3d]

Easiest of easy ways is to make a beam. Create a thin cylinder and a slightly wider outer cylinder. Make both semi-transparent, add glow and add a fractal texture in the right colour. Makes a dandy beam that you can stretch out and retract to suit your animation. If you have a phaser texture handy you can also just use the old gaming trick of creating 2 planes, horizontal and vertical, that cross each other so they look like a + when viewed straight on. Slap on your phaser texture and away you go.

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/sci-fi3.htm

The link is to an image of mine used at "How Stuff Works" and was made using the old 2 cylinders method.

[Chris2005]

With the Lightning plugin you can even make your own animations with it.

[axeman3d]

I wish there was something like that for Lightwave, we have to do it the hard way.

[steveo1259]

i tried particles but it only gave me an object which didnt do anything.

[fleet47]

This is a mesh I like to use as a phaser.

go to
http://www.lwg3d.org/v3/meshes.php?item=757[/url]

[steveo1259]

i cant see or download that mesh, it says something about corp member or something or other. can you send it to me please

[fleet47]

You can go to http://www.lwg3d.org and register there. Then you go to resources, meshes, down the list to general, and then down the list to Easy-Aim cutting beam.

[Chris2005]

Lightwave makes things so hard. Thats why I went with MAX

[steveo1259]

i have already made an account there, but i still cant see it