At NAB 2013, the LightWave 3D Group, a division of NewTek, showed off the new After Effects Interchange feature and workflow enhancements for broadcast and motion graphics within LightWave 11.5, the company's 3D modeling and animation software.
"LightWave remains a go-to solution for the 3D motion graphics and broadcast markets-its ease of use, extensive features and affordability make it an essential tool for 3D graphics and visualization in television and film," said Rob Powers, president, LightWave 3D Group. "With the new After Effects Interchange tool in LightWave 11.5, we've improved the flexibility of the pipeline by allowing artists to easily share elements between the two programs."
With the LightWave 11.5 After Effects Interchange feature, artists can easily select elements in a scene such as animation, lights, and cameras and move them between LightWave and After Effects via the GoAE button. The new After Effects Interchange in LightWave 11.5 supports:
Cameras: Combine 2D footage and 3D elements by tracking the cameras of live-action footage in After Effects to cameras in LightWave. Move the cameras between After Effects and LightWave to achieve identical real-life camera movements inside LightWave.
Nulls: Send nulls from After Effects to LightWave and place them in 3D space for compositing.
Lights: Achieve the desired look by moving lights, including spotlights and point lights, between LightWave and After Effects for multiple test scenes.
Watch the LightWave 11.5 After Effects Interchange video tutorial detailing the many uses of this new interchange.
LightWave 11.5 also includes new features and functionality that enhance creativity and streamline productivity for everyone-from individual artists and designers to large animation or visual effects studios. Some of the many new features in LightWave 11.5 include the Genoma character rigging system with modular presets, predator and prey Flocking capabilities, per-object Instancing control, and soft-body Bullet Dynamics with support for FiberFX. Also included are Interchange Tools for Pixologic's Zbrush software, stereoscopic and depth-of-field motion blur in the Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR), major workflow enhancements, and more.
LightWave 11.5 supports Windows and Mac OS and is priced at $1,495. Registered LightWave 11 customers can upgrade to LightWave 11.5 free of charge; upgrade pricing from LightWave 10 or earlier is priced at $695.
Download a free full-feature 30-day trial version of LightWave 11.5 at www.lightwave3d.com/try.