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reference materialFile Paths & Content Directory

What is a "File Path"?
A File Path denotes the location of files and is used by programs such as LIghtwave to manage all the elements within a scene. Within File Paths are designations that may include networked hard drives, local drives, directories and sub-directories as relevant.

Slashes, colons are important designations. Colons signify a volume. Slashes denote directories or sub directories.

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example D:\Yarberry\Assign1\Objects\box.lwo


What is a "Content Directory"?
This function within Lightwave denotes an abbreviated File Path which enables working with files from any number of workstations. Using the abbreviation accounts for the differing paths used by the various CPU's.

To use the Content Directory function
1. From the Layout, under the Extras Tab, select the General Options button.

2. Select the "Content Directory" button and a file requestor will appear.

3. Direct the path in the file requester to the main menu surrounding your files (this should be YOURlastnameFOLDER).

4. Select "Open."

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The following are various examples showing the relationship of File Paths to Content Directory designations . . . .











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Lightwave scene file shown with the instructions to load an object using a File Path string from a local hard drive directory.


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Lightwave scene file shown with the instructions to load an object using a File Path string from a networked hard drive directory.
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Content Directory specified as D:\Yarberry.
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Lightwave scene file shown with the instructions to load an object using a File Path string, abbreviated by the Content Directory instructions:

D:\Yarberry


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If you receive this warning, it indicates that the File Path information saved in the scene file does not match the current workstation file structure.

To correct this, you will need to do the following:

Check the Content Directory to insure it is directing the program to access files from the correct location and reload the scene file.

If changing the Content Directory does not work, select the "Alternate Object File" option from the Warning Alert box - and manually guide the path to the directory where the listed file is located. You will need to do this for each file used within the scene as prompted by the subsequent Warning Alerts.

After all files are loaded, save all objects and save the scene file - to record the correct File Path information for each object and each bitmap.
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