The best modeling plugin for LightWave 3D becomes even better

WTools3D has released an update of their LWCAD plugin software, an amazing architectural design and visualization plugin for LightWave 3D. Watch the LWCAD 5.1 new features in action and get a great overview of what you can do with this new updated version! Learn more at  wtools3d.com.

 LWCAD 5.1 new features

LIST OF new features

Interactive Mode: New interactive mode for Rectangle, Circle, Arc and derived tools

Pivot Handle: New behavior of Vector Clone, Move Snap tools

Angle Tool: New behavior of Angle and Rotate Snap tools

Arc Tool: New spiral mode and spring mode (using depth)

Radial Clone: New spiral mode

Array Clone: New rotate handle
                        New Show Handles and Show Buttons option

Ucs Grid: Reverted back to three modes: OFF,LW,UCS

Fence: Simplified into two library types: fence and column, no presets
             New start-end column buttons
             New TAN button

Round: Updated to round edge of closed NURBS surfaces

 LWCAD 5.0 key features

Smart Mesh

    New unified geometry system based on polygons and NURBS surfaces

    Shared edges between polygons and nurbs surfaces are defined by new curves

    Curve version 2 - new version of nurbs curve with variable knot vector (backward compatible)
                                 - closed segments
                                 - improved editing options

    Flat surface        - flat nurbs polygon based on new nurbs curves
                                 - compatible with polygons
   
    Nurbs surface    - standard nurbs surface with 2,3, or 4 edges
                                 - open-closed along U or V direction


Smart Selection

    New in-built selection system
    Fully integrated into smart edit tools

Smart Edit

    Minimalistic set of editing tools
    Complete set of editing operations compressed into few tools
    Works with smart mesh and nurbs curves

Multilingual support

    All menu items, panels and messages are translated into:
    German, French, Italian and Japan languages

Automatic installer

     Professional installation, LWCAD is set up automatically for specified LightWave

LWCAD 5.0 updates

Primitives

    All curve primitive tools support curve 2
    All surface primitive tools support polygons and nurbs surfaces
    Point Tool: can divide new curves and smart mesh
    Line Tool: new spline mode which creates an interpolated curve

Convert

    Curvs To Surfs: converts curves to polygons or flat surfaces
    Surf To Curvs: converts smart mesh to curves
    Quads To NURBS: new tool, converts quad polygons to nurbs surfaces
    Freeze NURBS: converts smart mesh to polygons

Modify & Clone

    All tools upgraded to work with smart mesh
    Drag & Weight - updated to be able to drag smart mesh and curves

Edit

    Join-Explode: updated to work with smart mesh, new auto corrections
    Divide: new tool for dividing smart mesh and curves
    Reduce: updated to reduce flat nurbs surfaces as well as polygons
    Flip: new tool for flipping orientation of smart mesh and curves

Smart Edit

    Offset: Mass Offset upgraded to support smart mesh and smart selection
    Extrud: Mass Extrude upgraded to support smart mesh and smart selection
    Round: Mass Round upgraded to support smart mesh and smart selection
    Loft: new skinning tool, creates blended surfaces on smart mesh
    Patch: new patch tool, creates nurbs and flat patches
    Profile: Profiler upgraded to support smart mesh and smart selection

Shape Library

    Export Instance Data: new tool for exporting LWCAD instance positions into text file
    Export Instance Lwo: new tool for exporting LWCAD instances as LWO objects

Snapping

    All snap modes updated to also work with Smart Mesh
    NEAR: disabled pol snap on ucs in perspective viewport
    INT: intersections between polygons, edges, curves, lines, axis and projections
    UCS grid: visualization of grid snapping
    UCS grid: works on pol edges, curves, constraints, axis, and projections
                      visualize ruler on ucs axis   
    RULER: works on nurbs segments, pol edges, and nurbs surface edges
    PROJ: visualize all nearest and possible projections
    AUTO UCS: new intuitive automatic mode, aligned to left corner

Learn more at wtools3d.com