From the convertor docs (just a clip, not full docs!):
General:
LightWave Models are unusual in the sense that they, like the package they come from, are split into a static model with layers (.LWO) and an animation file (.LWS). More bizzare is that the model is a binary file and animation is an ASCII one!
In either convertor, if you select a .LWO (Model File), you will get a .B3D of the same name in the same directory. Since you selected only the model, there will be no animation, just a static model.
Conversely if you select a .LWS, the .B3D it creates from the animation data in the .LWS and the .LWO it references, will contain the animation which was present in the Scene.
The .LWO (Model) reader is (virtually) the same for both modules and there is a certain amount of flexibility in the kinds of effects you can achieve and can be imported.
Surfaces:
You can use as many surfaces as you like, but if these use images for the textures there are a few things that should be kept in mind.
* Base Colors blend with textures, so if you don't want colour taint, then use white as the base color.
* Textures need of the UV projection type, and have an associated UV Vertex Map. (Cubic, Planar etc. types are not supported unless they are a VMAP)
* Specularity equates to the Shininess in Blitz.
* The Reflection property of the surface will make one or more of the surface's layers become a Spherical Reflection Map.
The ranges are:
0 - No Reflection Mapping
0.1-50% = First Texture Layer is Reflection Mapped.
51-99% = Second Texture Layer is Reflection Mapped.
100% = Both Layers are Reflection Mapped.
* Color and/or Luminosity Maps are used for the layers of the surface.
* Transparency equates to the Surface Alpha
* Smoothing is now handled internally by the convertors and any baked Normals will be ignored (so it's best not to bake them in the first place 8D). Make sure all points are merged (welded) where possible, since only welded points can be smoothed across.
* Vertex Colors are supported as are Vertex Alpha (although I don't think Blitz does Vertex Alpha yet).
* Double Sided flag also works on a per-Surface basis.
On the Texture Map screen, the Blending Mode will allow you to create Additive and Multiplicative effects on your surfaces (for glows and shadows etc..)
Normal - er.. Normal
Add - Glows
Multiply - Shadows
Alpha - Alpha embedded Texture
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KeyFrames: **Important Note**
Internally LightWave uses rather complicated Function Curves to make sure your animation runs smoothly. So with just a few keyframes, you can get a nice animation going. It should be noted that Blitz uses simple Keyframed animation with 'basic' interpolation. It is therefore wise to liberally scatter Keyframes in your animation, since these are all the convertor has to go on. It would also make sense to put a keyframe at all referenced animation points.
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Lastly on General Principles, all models need to be Trippled (Triagulated) before attempting conversion.
*****DeformConv*****
DeformConv make several assumptions as to what you are trying to do...
It is assumed that you are making a single layer (although multi-surface) model to be deformed by bones which can either be from a Skelegon Layer (You must keep the Model in layer 1 and the Skelegons (if any) in layer 2) or simply Layout created Bones.
Keep in Mind:
* Deform does not understand more than one layer of model.
* It does not understand Nulls, so don't add any.
* Use your bones to move and manipulate the mesh.
* Weight maps should be 100% and 'Weight Map only' (Until Blitz supports Blended Weighting)