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LightWave 3D is the perfect combination of power, speed and
value. Easy to learn and
use and versatile enough for any application. LightWave is a
complete modeling,
rendering and animation system used extensively in broadcast
television production, film
visual effects, video game development, print graphics and
visualization. LightWave
offers extensive platform support including, Windows 32-bit,
Windows 64-bit and Mac.
LightWave also offers full support of systems with multi-core
processors. In addition to
LightWave’s highly regarded photo-real render engine each
license comes with 999 free
render nodes, making it the most affordable, efficient render
pipeline option on the
market.
LightWave 3D® is a complete modeling, animation and rendering
solution. Its native renderer is unparalleled and serves as the
centerpiece in the production pipeline of many facilities both
large and small. Render nodes are free and set up is quite
straightforward. LightWave Modeler excels both as a subdivision
surface and a polygonal modeler, fast, efficient and again,
straightforward in functionality. In addition, an industry
leading node-based texturing and shading system allows you to
create any look you desire - quickly and easily.
At NewTek, our mission is to develop cutting-edge and
feature-rich products which allow ordinary people to do
extraordinary things. We have a history of revolutionizing the
industry with powerful, easy to use tools that work like you do
- and don't break the bank in the process. It is our mission to
make it realistic for you to realize your dreams, no matter
where they take you, from architectural visualization, to
independent production and major studio visual effects.
You'll find LightWave is the most complete and robust 3D
system right out of the box anywhere at any price. It is a
thriving, dynamic system, ever evolving to meet the needs of our
users. We work closely on a day-to-day basis with LightWave
artists so that we know exactly what you are trying to
accomplish. The LightWave renderer is first class and infinitely
easier to set up and use than any other, not to mention the fact
that unlimited render nodes are free.
We take great pride in the fact that LightWave artists have
won more Emmy Awards than those using any other package. We are
proud of the fact that our user community is the most
passionate, most active and most helpful in the industry.
LightWave is more than a 3D program, it is a business, it is an
art form, it is a film, it is a game, it is realistic, it is
cartoonish, it is moving, it is still... it is whatever you make
of it.
LightWave is in the midst of a major renaissance driven by
the needs of 3D artists worldwide. Vast improvements have been
made to the system in the LightWave v9 development cycle. A
large troupe of LightWave artists contribute to the development
efforts through the Open Beta program, where registered owners
of LightWave v9 gain early access to the software for testing
and feedback. As a result, the LightWave v9 series, including
the recent LightWave v9.5, has seen the addition of the
following benefits:
Character Animation Enhancements:
- FiberFX: Complete hair and fur solution for all
platforms.
- Collada, FBX and OBJ I/O support: Improved
compatibility with other applications.
- Enhanced IK and Animation Systems: Provides
improved character animation controls.
Rendering:
- IES Lighting: Accurately duplicate physical
lights from manufacturers’ datasheets.
- Radiosity Cache: Unique animated and static
caching with size multipliers.
- Photoreal Motion Blur: Artifact-free live action
blur as if photographed with film
- New anti-aliasing methods: Greater control for
balancing quality with render speed.
- New global illumination and radiosity: Easily
create photorealistic scenes, sharacters and
products while simulating the effect of real-world
lighting in photography.
- Progressive previews for global illumination:
Provide immediate feedback
- Implementation of state-of-the-art BSP/KD Tree
Algorithm: Provides much faster and more efficient
raytracing; bigger scenes render a lot faster.
- Improved multi-threading with dynamic
segmentation: Insures maximum use of available CPUs,
optimizing render times.
Adaptive Pixel Subdivision:
- Speed increases many times over previous
versions of LightWave: More efficient render times
for today's increasingly ambitious high
polygon-count scenes for production.
- Adaptive subdivision of a mesh based upon
distance from the camera and visibility: Allows for
effective use of system resources for workflow
viewing versus rendering.
- APS Choice: Per Object, Per Polygon and Per
Pixel: Provides the widest range of flexibility.
Advanced Camera Tools:
- RealLens Camera: Physically correct cameras
allow recreation of any real-world camera lens for
matching footage rendered in LightWave to real-world
photography. (a must for compositing CGI and real
footage together)
- New rendering technology produces scenes using
arbitrary camera lenses and warps: Create fantastic
effects such as: camera plane deformations,
arbitrary projections, UV map generation, true
orthographic rendering, space warp simulations, lens
distortion duplicating real-world lenses or
"imaginary" lenses and one-camera 360° panorama
rendering.
Node Editor:
- New subsurface scattering materials and shaders:
Accurately simulates lighting and shading for
materials such as marble, milk, etc., as well as a
specific and easy to use material for skin shading.
- Material Nodes: Conductor, Dielectric, Delta and
more: Allow for the creation of physically accurate
surfaces such as glass, liquid and metals quicker
and easier than ever before.
- New Make Material and Standard Nodes: Allow for
conbination of shading models and other node maps to
create your own distinct material.
- Blinn, Oren-Nayar, Ambient Occlusion and other
shading models: Provide unlimited shading
possibilites.
- Shaders for sub-surface scattering & anisotropic
specular & reflection shaders: Allow for easy-to-use
chromatic dispersion in surfaces, and offer
spectacular visual impact.
- Support for normal maps from ZBrush® 2 and
Mudbox™: Adds incredible detail to low-poly models
via displacement.
- Workflow flexibility: Nodes can be used freely
with layers and even shader plug-ins.
- Full support of native controls and envelopes:
Best of both worlds when texturing materials - quick
and easy traditional layers and powerful and
flexible nodes.
- Full SDK support: Allows third-parties to create
nodes (including shading models) and for third-party
renderers to interface with and query nodal shaders.
A vast selection of third-party nodes and cameras is
already available.
Modeling:
- Improved editing performance: Create and edit
your models and meshes faster than ever before.
- New screen drawing system in OpenGL: See the
results of your changes faster than ever before.
- Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces: Expand and
simplify the modling workflow by widening
subdivision capabilities to include edges, edge
weighting and n-gons.
Other LightWave Benefits:
- Native 64-bit support: Ability to access more
RAM allows for creation of more complex and
realistic scenes, as well as production at higher
resolutions for film, high-definition television and
print.
- Multiplatform: Provides complete operating
system flexibility from work to home: Windows
32-bit, 64-bit, Mac Universal Binary.
- Dual & Multicore support: Allow you to tap into
the full power of the latest advancements in
hardware technology.
- Unlimited Free Render Nodes: Make photorealistic
rendering affordable across a large network.
- Free technical support: Saves time and money.
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