LightWave 3D provides a comfortable, intuitive working environment that draws a real-world metaphor between an actual soundstage and your personal computer. Withing LightWave Layout, create dramatic lighting effects, photo-realistic surface materials and intricate camera movements. Render still images or entire animations in 24-bit color.
Create new props with the powerful tools in LightWave Modeler. From technical geometric forms to free flowing organic shapes, this model shop does it all.
LightWave 3D's new plug-in architecture is supported by a growing number of independent developers. This allows you to customize LightWave with additional features such as gravity, particle systems, image processors and more surface materials.
No other 3D package offers this much power and flexibility at such an affordable price. From flying logos to broadcast quality special effects, find out why LightWave 3D is the choice of professinal 3D artists . . . and everyone else who needs professional looking results.
LightWave has one of the largest, established user bases of any 3D package, with tens of thousands of systems in place today. It has been used on TV shows to produce the final special effects shown on air. Babylon 5 won an Emmy for its LightWave-produced graphics, and the Video Toaster also won an Emmy, due in part to its LightWave 3D system.
LightWave 4.0 includes a number of new features, including inverse kinematics for character animation. There will also be a new plug-in filter system that will allow users to add features like real world physics or advanced animation features. LightWave Modeler will also feature multiple undo and redo, and Metaform, which allows simple creation of organic and aerodynamic objects.
LightWave will offer the same basic feature set on all platforms as well as full cross-compatibility. This will allow users to bring scenes, objects, textures and other LightWave files from one platform to another, such as their home-based Amiga or PC to the SGI they use at work. "One of the things our customers love about LightWave is its easy-to-use interface," says LightWave Product Manager Brad Peebler. "Cross-platform compatibility means that a user can sit down at any computer and know how to use LightWave."
This compatibility also means instant-access with the large body of third-party products already available for LightWave 3D, which has the immediate benefit of expanded opportunities for developers. A prime example is Viewpoint Datalabs International, Inc., a leading distributor of high quality three dimensional objects. "Our company has always supported LightWave 3D," said John Wright, President of Viewpoint Datalabs. "We're excited about expansion across multiple platforms."
NewTek also stressed that there are no plans to stop development or support of any of their Amiga products in the foreseeable future. "The majority of our user base currently uses Amigas, and many users prefer it for desktop video and graphics applications," said Jenison. "However, since LightWave is quickly becoming a standard for professional 3D graphics users we felt it was time we provided LightWave's power to other platforms." LightWave for the PC and SGI platforms will ship first quarter of this year.
"We're going to shake up the industry by pricing LightWave as aggressively as we can, but we've shaken up industries before," said NewTek President Tim Jenison. "LightWave has already proven that a 3D system doesn't need an inflated price tag to be taken seriously. Nobody has higher standards than the special effects wizards in Hollywood. They've chosen LightWave because of its powerful feature set, unparalleled user interface, and flexible, top-notch output quality."