NewTek Inc. has just released LightWave 3D [8], the latest edition of its Emmy-winning 3D software package. LightWaveÆ [8] adds a wide range of new character animation tools and dynamics to the robust modeling, animation and rendering capabilities that have made LightWave a leading production tool in film, broadcast, print, game development and Web development.
LightWave 3D [8] is available for a suggested retail price of $1,595. Registered owners of LightWave 3D [7.5] or earlier are eligible to purchase a LightWave [8] Electronic Upgrade Pack for $495. To locate the nearest authorized reseller or distributor, see our reseller locater at www.newtek.com.
"LightWave 3D is the cornerstone of many of the most sophisticated and efficient pipelines in the 3D graphics industry," said Jim Plant, ceo and president of NewTek. "We are very pleased to bring an extensive new set of tools and improved workflow to what is already considered the most complete and affordable professional solution for 3D content creation. Our users are already finding that LightWave [8] will boost productivity for any pipeline and integrates easily with other popular production tools."
LightWave's character animation system is enhanced with faster inverse and forward kinematics, import and export functions for character rigs that make it easy to apply rigs to new meshes, as well as the ability to cut, paste and adjust hierarchies with speed and ease. Setup and control of character animation is fast, flexible and intuitive, with many users reporting that they can now rig in LightWave in a fraction of the time it would take in other popular character animation systems.
"THE CAPTAIN SCARLET project requires fast and precise CG production with a terrific photoreal look, and the solution to those needs is NewTek's LightWave 3D," said Ron Thornton, CG producer for Scarlet Digital Imaging Ltd. "LightWave's native renderer was what just we needed in order to achieve the photorealistic look we required. As for the modeling and animation, LightWave was designed with this kind of production in mind, and gave us the speed and flexibility we needed to meet production deadlines with absolute control and quality."
Rigid body dynamics are new to the LightWave toolset, and the cloth and soft body dynamics tools have been enhanced for greater speed and easier setup and control. Cloth can not only be made to move naturally but the new "sewing" features allow the user to tear or separate sections in response to dynamic events. Another addition is that dynamics can be applied not only to meshes but to character skeletons - for example if the animator sends a heavy object on a collision path with a character, the character will automatically react to the strike with real-world motions, based on where the object impacts the character.
"I've always felt that LightWave was the best all-around value for feature-film quality 3D," boasted Timothy Albee, indie filmmaker (the short, KAZE: GHOST WARRIOR). "Right out of the box, the modeling, rendering and animation tools deliver exactly what I need to accomplish my production work, and with the new additions in LightWave [8] for dynamics, character rigging and IK, I can't imagine using anything else."
The LightWave [8] update also features enhanced modeling tools, including a variety of edge tools, filleting and chamfering via the new Rounder tool and a variety of other ways to quickly create new geometry, for easy modeling of any needed form, organic, architectural or mechanical. Workflow has been enhanced with a powerful new scene editor with spreadsheet and dopesheet, a dopetrack view, a node-based expression editor and enhanced OpenGL displays for the viewports in both Layout and Modeler.
"The new animation tools in LightWave [8] have made all the difference for us," said Pancho Eekels, lead designer, Digital Extremes. "We have always made great use of LightWave's powerful modeler but with the new animation tools we can accomplish everything we need with LightWave right out of the box. We're using LightWave as our exclusive 3D application for production of our new game, DARK SECTOR."
LightWave 3D [8] Enhancements:* Improved workflow in Layout and Modeler* Rigid Body Dynamics* Improved Soft Body Dynamics* Faster IK, FK* Bone Dynamics* More powerful and flexible character animation controls and tools* Improved character setup workflow* New Particle System Tools* Animatable UV coordinates* Improvements to LScript scripting language and to the API
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools, including VT[3] and LightWave 3D, winner of the 2003 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
