SAN ANTONIO, TX — NewTek (www.newtek.com) is now shipping LightWave 11, the latest version of its professional 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software. LightWave 11 incorporates many new features, such as instancing, flocking and fracturing tools, flexible Bullet Dynamics, and Pixologic Zbrush support.
The new release is designed to support the creative process, providing the artist with the ability to interact in realtime with 3D content, to work seamlessly with the full range of software applications in production pipelines, and to render on unlimited render nodes.
LightWave 11 incorporates new technology, such as the Virtual Preview Renderer (VPR) for onscreen realtime rendering and Anaglyph Stereoscopic Preview for realtime interocular, red-blue anaglyphic separations. Other features include instancing, which allows users to duplicate a vast number of objects in a scene without experiencing memory overhead, and flocking, which allows users to animate realistic motion of grouped objects.
Users can also pre-fracture objects so that they are ready for destruction with a new modeler tool. The release offers support for new controller types, including the Sony Playstation Move, allowing users to easily control and record the item results with a LightWave channel. Additional LightWave 11 features include powerful new render buffer capabilities, robust Python scripting functionality, FiberFX enhancements, and user interface improvements.
Price for Version 11 is $1,495. Upgrade pricing from earlier versions of LightWave is $695. Educational pricing is also available.