Reference

LWO (LightWave)

LWO is the 3D object format of LightWave 3D, a modeling and rendering app long used in film and television. A .lwo file stores a model’s mesh geometry and surface (material) data.

Files & formatsGeneral

LWO (LightWave)

Also known as: .lwo file, LightWave object, NewTek LightWave

LWO is the 3D object format of LightWave 3D, a modeling and rendering app long used in film and television. A .lwo file stores a model’s mesh geometry and surface (material) data.

Object format of LightWave 3D
Stores mesh geometry and surface materials
Scenes use a separate .lws file

What LWO holds

An LWO stores mesh geometry and surface settings — the materials and shading for the model. In LightWave, objects (.lwo) are kept separate from full scenes (.lws), which add lights, cameras, and animation.

LightWave was widely used in TV effects, so older production assets often arrive as LWO files.

Sharing LWO models

Some 3D apps and plugins import LWO directly; others do not. To be safe, export from LightWave to a neutral format like OBJ, FBX, or glTF before moving a model elsewhere.

Related terms

Keep reading the reference.

Files & formatsOBJ (3D model)OBJ is a plain-text 3D geometry format that stores a model’s vertices, faces, and texture coordinates. It is one of the most widely supported interchange formats, but it carries no animation and stores materials in a separate .mtl file.General Files & formatsFBX (3D)FBX is a rich 3D interchange format owned by Autodesk that can carry geometry, materials, textures, rigs, and animation in a single file. It is the common pipeline format for games and film, and files tend to be large because they bundle so much.General Files & formatsglTF / GLB (3D)glTF is an open, royalty-free 3D format from the Khronos Group, often called "the JPEG of 3D." It bundles geometry, materials, textures, and animation in a compact, runtime-ready form, and GLB is its single-file binary version used on the web and in AR.General