Lightwave to Terragen and Nuke Camera Export

LIGHTWAVE TO TERRAGEN AND NUKE CAMERA EXPORT

This LScript exports camera animation and render settings to perfectly match scenes between Lightwave and Terragen.

The script works starting from Terragen2 

It also exports .chan file to match camera and lens animation with Nuke 3d camera.

INSTRUCTIONS

Select a folder where the files will be saved.

Choose a base filename for the files.

Choose the frame range and the camera to export

To match exactly the motion curves, the script bakes the camera animaton so you'll have a keyframe every frame.

The script exports .pos, .rot and .fov as individual text file

or a .tgc as Terragen camera node file

or a .chan as channel file

in addition the script exports a Terragen render node with the LW render settings to match the exact frame and aspect ratio of the final image.

This must be done anyway because the camera zoom and hfov are in relation with the frame aspect ratio. So if you don't export the render node file you need to change manually the render settings into Terragen to match the same render settings in LW (frame width, frame height and pixel aspect ratio)

Once you saved a file (or the files) you need to import them into Terragen:

1) If you saved the single pos, rot and fov files you need to import them for each correspondent channel in the Terragen camera panel.

So to import the .pos file you need to select "import animation file..." near the Position tab. And so on for the .rot and .fov files.

Note that the script exports the horizontal fov only, so import the .fov file in the perspective section of the camera panel and select "Use horizontal fov".

The other parameters (vertical fov and focal length) are automatically calculated by Terragen.

2) If you saved the .tgc camera node you need to import it using "Insert clip file..." from the Terragen File menu.

You'll find the imported camera node into the Node Network. You have only to attach it to the render node(s).

3) If you saved the .chan file you need to import it into the import section of the camera panel. In the bottom of the panel choose the file in the "Import filename" tab and than click on the "Import chan file" button. Go back in the general section of the camera panel and

select "Use horizontal fov".

4) When you import .chan file into Nuke 3D camera you also have to manually set "full size format" in the Project Settings panel with the same format you set in Lightwave scene and manually correct the horizontal aperture in the camera panel.

Always remember to change the image width, image height and pixel aspect ratio into the render node to match the same render setting in LW or

use the script Export Render Node button and then import the render node into Terragen (using "Insert clip file..." from the File menu).

You'll find the imported render node into the Node Network. You'll need to attach the camera to it and to Reset the camera view to refresh

the viewer.