Pshelf FAQs
This section covers some of the most commonly asked questions about Pshelf. If you have a problem that isn't answered here, or isn't tackled in any of our video tutorials (see Support), then please email us:
OVERVIEW
How does Pshelf work?
Is Pshelf a Lightwave plugin?
Are Pshelf collections cross-platform?
What are the system requirements for Pshelf collections?
Will my type of user benefit from using Pshelf?
What is the Owners' Area?
DOWNLOADING / INSTALLING
I've bought a collection. How do I get hold of it?
Can I download my collection(s) more than once?
I go to the download page, but there are no links!
I try to log in, but the browser keeps asking for my password?
Can I download my product(s) with AOL?
What do I do once I've downloaded my product(s)?
Does Lightwave have to be installed on my computer?
I purchased a Pshelf collection a while ago. How do I get it to work with Wi-Viewer?
Where can I find my Pshelf Collection's Registration number?
GENERAL OPERATION
I can't see my presets in Lightwave. All I see listed is 'none'!
When I run Wi-Viewer, I get a 'script error'?
I use a Pshelf preset and Lightwave crashes. Why?
I use a Pshelf preset and Lightwave asks me for some missing images. Why?
How do I find out about how to use the scene files I received with my collection?
How do I find out if my collection(s) have been registered properly?
USER ACCOUNT
I've forgotten my password. How do I find it out?
I can never remember my password. Can I change it?
My email address has changed. Can I update this on my account?
LICENSING QUESTIONS
I use Mac and PC. Can I install a Pshelf Collection on both machines?
Do you offer volume discounts for Pshelf Collections?
Q: How does Pshelf work?
A: Pshelf collections each come with a set of tools to make your Lightwave surfacing life easier. The fundamental ethos behind each one is to make surfacing objects faster and less painful.
Collections include: surface presets, object files, utility scene files and an external library manager - Wi-Viewer - for quickly directing all the necessary assets associated with each collection to your current project.
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Q: Is Pshelf a Lightwave plugin?
A: No! Pshelf is designed specifically to be a plugin-free surfacing solution. Many users find shader plugins difficult to use, partly because they involve learning yet another new interface element and also because surfaces stop working if you load up objects on systems without that particular plugin installed.
Our collections comprise surface presets and fully surfaced object files. They will always work with Lightwave's base installation. Their value comes in the amount of time and effort we've invested in creating surfaces and objects of exquisite quality. This effort allows you to raise the quality of your own work, while reducing the time it takes to produce.
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Q: Are Pshelf collections cross-platform?
A: Yes. The Lightwave files themselves are completely cross-platform,. However, there are two versions of our external Wi-Viewer application. This application is freely available and distributable, so you can simply download the platform version(s) you require from our support area.
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Q: What are the system requirements for Pshelf collections?
A: You will need: Lightwave 6.0+ (LW7.5 or 8+ preferred)
For Wi-Viewer you will need:
Windows 2000/XP or MacOSX 10.2.1 or higher.
20MB available hard disk space.
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Q:Will my type of user benefit from using Pshelf?
A: Pshelf collections have been designed with two types of Lightwave user in mind:
• Beginners or users who want to improve their surfacing skills.
• Professionals, or serious hobbyists, who need to apply professional quality surfaces quickly and simply.
If you consider yourself among these categories, then Pshelf collections are for you.
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Q:What is the Owners' Area?
A: When you buy a Pshelf collection, you get given a username and password. This gives you access to an exclusive area of our website called the Owners' Area.
The Owners' Area serves a few functions:
• It is where you obtain your product downloads.
• It is where you can access support information exclusive to Pshelf owners.
• It is where you can change your contact/account information (email, password etc...)
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DOWNLOADING / INSTALLING
Q:I've bought a collection. How do I get hold of it?
A:Once your payment has been authorized, you will receive an email to the address you provided during the buying process. This will contain a username (your email address) and a password. These give you access to our website's download area.
To download, simply go to the Owners' Area and open the link Downloads / Purchases. Once you have entered your username/password you will get download access to your product(s).
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Q:Can I download my collection(s) more than once?
A: Yes. You can download your product(s) as many times as you like. But please bear in mind that a single licence only entitles you to install a Pshelf collection on one Macintosh machine and one Windows machine. You may also create one backup copy. The download area is there to help you out if you should suffer a system crash or other loss of data.
Please remember that we are a small developer. We rely on the goodwill and honesty of our customers. Copyright violations severely impact our ability to continue producing high quality tools and tutorials for the 3D community.
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Q: I go to the download page, but there are no links!
A: If you're a returning customer, then your web browser may read the pages in the Owners' Area from cache. If this is the case, then newly added product links will not appear.
There are two ways to rectify this problem:
• Hit the 'Refresh Page' button in your browser.
• Clear your browser's cached page file. In Windows IE this is found in the 'Tools' menu under 'Internet Options'.
If your browser asks for a username and password once you've refreshed, simply type in your login details again and you will find that live links appear in your download page.
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Q: I try to log in, but the browser keeps asking for my password?
A: Internet Explorer has a 'Security' setting that stops websites downloading unwanted cookies or other potentially dangerous files onto your computer.
Our website does NOT use cookies or write any other kind of files to your computer. However, for some reason this behaviour can occur if your browser's security protection settings are set too high. In Explorer these are found in the Internet Options panel of the Tools menu, or, for Mac users, in Preferences/Security Zones.
By setting this option to 'Medium' or 'Low' the eternal password box should disappear and allow you to login successfully.
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Q: Can I download my product(s) with AOL?
A: Some users have experienced problems trying to download through the AOL interface. We therefore recommend using a normal web browser, such as Internet Explorer, to complete the downloading process.
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Q: What do I do once I've downloaded my product(s)?
A: Your product download comes as a compressed archive which will first need to be expanded. Once you've done this you can install the library using Wi-Viewer. Installation instructions for libraries are included in the Wi-Viewer user manual, as well as with each download package.
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Q: Does Lightwave have to be installed on my computer?
A: Although Wi-Viewer is a standalone program that does not directly refer to Lightwave during operation, all your preset surface files need to go into the correct location in order to be available through the Lightwave interface. Therefore, the installer will not be able to install any surface presets unless you can direct it to your Lightwave installation.
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Q: I purchased a Pshelf collection a while ago. How do I get it to work with Wi-Viewer?
A: Old versions of Pshelf Collections that made use of the Pshelf Manager application will not be installable in Wi-Viewer. You will therefore need to obtain an upgrade. These upgrades can be found in your Downloads / Purchases section of the Owners' Area. They are free.
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Q: Where can I find my Pshelf Collection's Registration Number?
A: On our website at:
Where appropriate, each product you purchase will be listed with its registration number. This is a permanent record.
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GENERAL OPERATION
Q: I can't see my presets in Lightwave. All I see listed is 'none'!
A: Lightwave's Preset Shelf can be accessed via the 'Presets' button located on the main interface. However, this menu is 'contextual' which means it can show various types of preset file, depending on the currently open editor.
As Pshelf presets are based around surfacing, you must have the Surface Editor window open in order for the Preset Shelf to display the correct thumbnails. Doing this will solve the problem of (none) presets!
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Q: When I run Wi-Viewer, I get a 'script error'?
A: This problem may occur for a couple of reasons:
• Macintosh - You are running a version of OSX lower than 10.2 (Jaguar). Wi-Viewer requires 10.2 or later to run.
• Windows - You have moved your Wi-Viewer application outside of the main installation folder.
Wi-Viewer requires third-party plugins to operate and the relationship between the application and its plugins must be maintained. You should therefore leave the Wi-Viewer folder alone and create shortcuts or aliases if you need access to the app from another location.
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Q: I use a Pshelf preset and Lightwave crashes. Why?
A: The Glass and Water collections use LW7.5's newly added 'Surface Thickness' gradient feature. Earlier versions of LW should ignore this, but it can crash all version of Lightwave if the 'Raytrace Transparency' box isn't checked within Render Options.
If you experience a crash after loading a Pshelf preset, try switching this setting 'ON' and rendering again. This bug was fixed from LW8+.
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Q: I use a Pshelf preset and Lightwave asks me for some missing images. Why?
A: Many Pshelf presets make full use of high quality image maps that we've created specially. These files need to be located correctly in each project you work on, otherwise the preset file cannot locate them.
This is normally a tedious problem with Lightwave presets and one that stops people building preset libraries. However, we've written Wi-Viewer to handle all the assets associated with Pshelf surfaces and objects.
Therefore, if you would like to use a Pshelf preset on a project, run Wi-Viewer, locate the surface you wish to use from the Entry dropdown menu and 'extract' it to your current content directory. The errors will then disappear.
Wi-Viewer comes with a comprehensive manual which can be accessed through the main 'Help' menu. Refer to this for more detailed information about Wi-Viewer's operation.
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Q: How do I find out about how to use the scene files I received with my collection?
A: The Support area of our website contains lots of tutorials and information about Pshelf collections. As well as PDF tutorials, we are also creating a growing list of video tutorials in QuickTime format that demonstrate various features and benefits of Pshelf collections.
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Q: How do I find out if my collection(s) have been registered properly?
A: Open the Library Info window. This can be accessed via the main menu: LIBRARY > LIBRARY INFO. Here you will find a lot of useful statistics about your library including: total file size, media library path and your registration number.
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USER ACCOUNT
Q: I've forgotten my password. How do I find it out?
A: Visit the Owners' Area main page and look for the link Forgotten Password?. You will be asked to input your email address and a new password will be immediately sent to you.
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Q: I can never remember my password. Can I change it?
A: Yes. To change your login details, you simply login once to the Owners' Area, click the Account Details button and make any necessary changes to your login or personal details. Remember to click the 'Save' button when you're done. Any changes will be made instantly to our database.
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Q: My email address has changed. Can I update this on my account?
A: You can update all your details by logging in to the Owners' Area and clicking on the Account Details button. Remember to click the 'Save' button when you've finished making any alterations.
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LICENSING QUESTIONS
I use Mac and PC. Can I install a Pshelf Collection on both machines?
A.Yes. A single Pshelf Collection is licensed to be installed on a single Mac and Windows computer (2 copies). If you need to install on more machines than this, you will need to obtain a multi-seat license. Please contact us for multi-seat pricing:
business@the-worms-of-art.com
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Do you offer volume discounts for Pshelf Collections?
A. Yes. Please contact us for multi-seat pricing: