The db&w Tools are a collection of small plugins for LightWave 3D.

They've initially been written out of personal need, due to user suggestions, as a playground or to complement our products.

As of November 1st 2018, all future versions will only be available to our patrons on Patreon. We want to continue developing the plugins for you, with you.

As of April 2024, the db&w Tools are also available on gumroad since Patreon doesn't allow for new patrons to join while we pause.

We hope that you will enjoy using them ;)

Installation

Release History

Toolkits are a collection of plugins to facilitate new features.

• Spline Toolkit (S-Tk) // a set of plugins for spline handling in Layout, currently WiP, to be developed in multiple stages. //
• Projection Ex // extended projections for db&w Tools plugins //
• Layout Groups // Selection groups for items in Layout //

• Triplanar Mapper - Cubic mapping with edge blending
• Multi-Image Sampler - Use a selection of images for texturing
• Random Image Mapper - Texture a surface randomly with multiple images
• PBR Texture Set - // PBR Texture Set - a single stop node for PBR Textures using both a Metallic or Specular workflow //
• Texture Repetition - // Randomize and tile an image //
• Sprite Sheet Sampler - // Use a sprite sheet as an image sequence //

• Weave - Weave procedural texture, our #ThankYouPatrons present for patrons in 2019
• Reflection Lines - Reflection Lines procedural texture, our Christmas present for patrons in 2018
• Scratch - Scratch node to create procedural scratches, our Plugin of the Month for February 2021

• Audio Frequency Node - analyses audio and extracts frequency specific amplitudes

• Sequencer - turns sequences of numbers into a pseudo-random distribution
• Time Info - returns the current time and frame
• Get Automatic Size - Exposes the automatic size and bounding box as computed by LightWave 3D
• Elbow Node - Helps clean up node graphs - is not related to rigging. ;)

• Bilerp - // A simple gradient in UV space using four colours for the edges as well as a texture projection //
• Colour Booster - boost colour by multiplying them
• Colour Space - //convert from one colour space to another //
• Hash Colour - // Creates a colour based on the hash value of the current surface name //
• Simple Colour Corrector - //colour correct a value with a few extras //
• Chroma Key
• Triplanar Mixer

• Sticky Front UV - stick a front projection to moving items and, optionally, render the UVs for a compositing tool

• Image Gradient - Samples an image to extract colours

• Instance Filter - Select instances in a viewport and use the selection to change specific attributes.
• Instance Inspector - Exposes information about a specific instance
• Instance Info Plus - Exposes information about the current instance

• Material Tweaker - Tweak materials, don't twerk them.

These nodes create or operate on boolean values. These are integers that are either 0 (False) or 1 (True) and can, for example, be used to switch between two values depending on various conditions.

• Boolean Comparison
• Boolean Logic
• Ray Type Comparison
• Boolean Switch

• Ratio - split a value into two values using a ratio
• Remap - remap values from one range to another // * Schlick's Approximation - //a quick fresnel like node with sugar on top
• X-Maths - // Compute and experiment //
• Oscillator Node - // Multiple waveforms //
• Wheel Rotation - // Compute a travelled distance and the matching wheel rotation //

• Scalar Booster

• Single Light Lambert

• Extended Spot Info

• Multi-Mixer Mix multiple inputs using individual weights, similar to the native Morph Mixer

• Scalar/Vector/Material Multi-Switcher Switch between multiple inputs using an index

• Channel Blender // - Convert from vector to scalar and back//
  * Channel Reference (in progress)// - Reference any channel from a node//
• Cache// - Cache values that are used repeatedly to speed up node graphs//

• Variables (Angle, Colour, Distance, Percentage, Position, Rotation, Scalar, Scale)
  // a collection of nodes similar to the native constant nodes, but with the option to motion blur the evaluation of their envelopes or even drive the time of evaluation directly - update //
• Multi-Variables Node A node that hosts multiple variables of different types including GUI controls for them.

• Vector Motion Blur // Applies motion blur as a displacement based on motion vectors store in a vertex map. //

• Oscillator - // Multiple waveforms //
• Audio Frequency - // Extracts audio spectrum amplitudes from an audio file //

• Transform Deformer - // Apply a transformation as a deformer to a mesh. //
• Spline Morph - // Deform using a chain of morphs, interpolated as splines. //

• Depth Limiter
• Simple Colour Corrector
• Tonemapper

• Simple Colour Corrector

===== Generic Plugins (Layout)=====

• Colour Space Converter
  * Surface Selector
  * Render Delta
• Open Directory
• db&w Tools Documentation
• Wheel Rotation Control
• Presetto
• Paste Picture
• Explore Image

• DoF Helper - visualise and edit the parameters that affect Depth of Field.
• Second Unit - Store selected global settings per camera in Layout
• Scene Comment
• Command Statistics
• Render Audio Notifier (Windows)
• Render Priority (Windows)

• Revenge of the Lenscap

• Polygon Picker

• UV Distort // An interactive tool to distort UVs to match an image //
• UV Transform // An interactive tool to transform (move, scale, rotate, fit) UVs //

Preset System

As of November 1st 2018, all future versions will only be available to our patrons on Patreon.

We mail links to personalised builds to all patrons as soon as we release them.

Older db&w Tools are available in our download section for Windows and MacOS.

These plugins are copyrighted by db&w GbR. Current builds are only provided to patrons as of November 2018.

These programs are provided as is without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

A summary of our first six months on Patreon

Andrew Comb uses many free db&w Tools in his Advanced Shading Tutorial presented at the San Diego LightWave Users Group.

Plugin Proposals

FRs for existing Plugins