Scene Files

October 17, 2006

This document describes the changes made to the LWSC file format that bring it to version 4 (LightWaveŽ 9.2 and later).

Baked Object Identifiers

In releases prior to LightWaveŽ 9.2, objects loaded into a scene were dynamically assigned identifiers based upon their load order each time the scene was loaded.  In cases where third-party plug-ins had cached these fluid identifiers, issues could result when objects were deleted from the scene, or when the load order of objects was altered manually (by direct editing of the scene file).  Objects would receive new identifiers the next time the scene was loaded, and the plug-in could be left with an invalid reference (often breaking the scene).  Staring with LightWaveŽ 9.2, scene objects (Cameras, Lights, Bones, etc.) are all now assigned identifiers that can be considered "unique" within the domain of the scene, and permanent as long as the object remains a member of a particular scene domain.

These new assigned (or "baked") identifiers appear on the line in the scene file where the object is declared, e.g.:

	AddNullObject 10000000 Null
	AddBone 40020000
	LoadObjectLayer 1 10000003 G:box.lwo
	AddCamera 30000000

Once "baked", these permanent identifiers are saved into the scene file along with the object, and are re-assigned to the object whenever the scene is loaded again.  New objects added to the scene are assigned new identifiers which are "baked" onto them and remain theirs while they exist in the scene.  When objects are deleted from the scene, all remaining objects retain their previously assigned identifiers, and the identifier of the object deleted from the scene becomes available for re-assignment to the next new object added.

Re-formated Goal

The numeric format of the GoalObject entry has been changed to hexidecimal.