LWS File Format (.lws)
An LWS file is a NewTek LightWave scene, a plain-text list of the LWO objects it loads along with the cameras, lights, item hierarchy and keyframed animation that arrange them.
LWS at a glance#
| Full name | LightWave Scene |
|---|---|
| File extension | .lws |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | NewTek |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .lws file can hold#
These are the things a LWS file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Skeletons and animation | Yes |
|---|---|
| Human readable | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of LWS#
What LWS does well
- Plain-text commands like LoadObject and AddCamera make a scene's structure readable without opening LightWave
- Keeps geometry out of the scene file entirely, so swapping an LWO object's detail level doesn't touch the scene
- Carries the full item hierarchy and animation envelopes needed to reproduce a LightWave scene layout elsewhere
Where LWS falls short
- Useless on its own: an LWS references LWO files by name, and the scene breaks if those objects aren't alongside it
- Tied to LightWave's own item and channel model, so scene-level features rarely survive a round trip through another application
- Almost no application outside the LightWave and Assimp-based tooling ecosystem reads LWS directly
Keep a scene as LWS while it's still being lit, animated and arranged inside LightWave's Layout.
Convert LWS to FBX or glTF once the arranged scene needs to move into a game engine or another DCC tool.
How to open a .lws file#
A .lws file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts LWS into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | LightWave 3D |
| macOS | LightWave 3D |
| Web | FileFlip |
LWS questions people ask#
What is an LWS file?
An LWS file is a LightWave scene: a plain-text file that lists the LWO objects it uses and adds the cameras, lights, parenting and animation that arrange them in Layout, LightWave's animation and rendering module.
Can I open an LWS file without the LWO objects it references?
Not usefully. An LWS file stores references to LWO object files by name rather than the geometry itself, so LightWave (or any other LWS reader) needs those LWO files in the expected location to reconstruct the scene.
Is LWS the same as an LWO file?
No. LWO holds a single object's geometry and surfacing, while LWS is the scene that arranges one or more LWO objects with cameras, lights and animation. The two formats are a pair: an LWS file is only complete alongside the LWO files it loads.
Converting LWS files#
Convert LWS to another format
FileFlip does not write .lws files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.