Mathematica Import/Export Format

LWO (.lwo)

MIME type: image/x-lwo
LightWave 3D object file format.
Native format of the LightWave 3D rendering and animation software.
LWO is an acronym for LightWave Object.
Developed by NewTek.
Binary format.
Stores 3D objects as a collections of polygons and their properties.

Import and Export are fully compatible with the LWO2 format.

Import and Export support the point, line, and polygon content of LWO2 files. Import also reads LWO2 patch data.

IMPORT AND EXPORT

Import["file.lwo"]imports an LWO file as a Graphics3D object.

Export["file.lwo", expr] exports a Graphics3D expression to an LWO file.

Import["file.lwo"] returns an expression of the form Graphics3D[ GraphicsComplex[vertices, polygons]].

The vertices are given as a list of coordinates, and the polygons are represented as integer indices taken to be the corresponding vertices.

Import["file.lwo", elem] imports the specified element from an LWO file.

Import["file.lwo", {elem, sub_a, sub_b, ...}] imports a subelement.

Import["file.lwo", {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] imports multiple elements.

The import format can be specified with Import["file","LWO"] or Import["file", {"LWO", elem, ...}].

Export["file.lwo", expr, elem] creates an LWO file by treating expr as specifying element elem.

Export["file.lwo", {expr₁, expr₂, ...}, {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] treats each expr_i as specifying the corresponding elem_i.

Export["file.lwo", expr, opt₁->val₁, ...] exports expr with the specified option elements taken to have the specified values.

Export["file.lwo", {elem₁->expr₁, elem₂->expr₂, ...}, "Rules"] uses rules to specify the elements to be exported.

See the reference pages for full general information on Import and Export.

ImportString and ExportString support the LWO format.

ELEMENTS

General Import elements:

	"Elements"	list of elements and options available in this file
	"Rules"	full list of rules for each element and option
	"Options"	list of rules for options, properties and settings

Data representation elements:

	"Graphics3D"	LWO file represented as a Graphics3D object
	"GraphicsComplex"	LWO file given as a GraphicsComplex object
	"PolygonData"	list of polygon indices, referencing the vertices given by "VertexData"
	"VertexData"	list of vertex coordinates
	"PointObjects"	list of Point primitives specified with absolute coordinates
	"LineObjects"	list of Line primitives specified with absolute coordinates
	"PolygonObjects"	list of Polygon primitives specified with absolute coordinates

Import and Export use the "Graphics3D" element by default for LWO files.

The "VertexData" and "PolygonData" elements correspond to the arguments of GraphicsComplex.

OPTIONS

General Import options:

Background	Automatic	what background color to use
ImageSize	Automatic	overall size of the graphics to display
Lighting	Automatic	what simulated lighting to use in coloring 3D surfaces

All options of Graphics3D can be given when importing from LWO.

Advanced options:

"VerticalAxis"

{0,0,1}

orientation to assume for the coordinate system used in the file

By default, Mathematica assumes that in the coordinate system used by LWO the vertical axis corresponds to the third coordinate.

With the setting "VerticalAxis"->{0, 1, 0}, Mathematica will apply the transformation {x, y, z}->{x, -z, y} to all graphics coordinates when importing from LWO, and the inverse transformation when exporting to LWO.