SAN ANTONIO, TX — NewTek, Inc., will soon release LightWave 2018, the new iteration of their 3D animation system. The software for Windows and Mac operating systems will be available on January 1, 2018 and introduces new features that are well suited for physically based rendering and VR rendering. The new release also extends the functionality of popular features like the buffer system, FiberFX, cel-shading, object deformations, and others.
“We’re proud that LightWave has a long history of being the ‘go to’ 3D application for artists who need to deliver the finest, most realistic art and animation on time and on budget,” says Dr. Andrew Cross, president and CTO for NewTek. “LightWave 2018 furthers that tradition with finely tuned tools that improve every aspect of the user experience from rendering to lighting to surfacing, cameras and more.”
LightWave 2018 offers completely rewritten rendering, shading and lighting architecture for greater realism, accuracy and ease-of-use. There is now an expanded workflow for render and light buffers that simplifies compositing and offers more flexibility, including realtime preview of new buffers in any viewport using VPR, as well as custom buffers using the node editor.
Using the new volumetric render primitives, artists can specify physically-based properties, scattering, absorption and emission parameters, along with powerful node networks. The new lighting architecture brings physical lights that can be optionally visible to the camera, and improved loading of IES Web files to better match the intensity of real manufactured lights. The Surface Editor has been overhauled for the new shading system with powerful node-based materials that are presented with a familiar interface. And a virtual reality camera includes both cylindrical and spherical modes for creating stereo 360-degree renders and animations for VR applications.
LightWave 2018 (www.lightwave3d.com) will be priced at $995. Registered owners of any previous version of LightWave 3D can upgrade to LightWave 2018 for $295 through March 31, 2018. Educational pricing is also available.