LightWave 3D [7]

LightWave 3D [7]

LightWave 3D has consistently dominated the television and film markets. The game development market is soon to follow. Designed for production use, LightWave boasts the industry's fastest most beautiful rendering engine, complete subdivision modeling, and an animation system built upon the worlds fastest, most accurate 3D Inverse Kinematics (IK) engine. With LightWave 3D [7], the best, just got even better.

Caustics in LightWave 3D provide fast and accurate light reflection and refraction. Generally, a caustic appears in the real world when light reflects off a curved surface or refracts through a transparent surface so that it is focused on a small area.

Bottle Image Courtesy Darkside Animation

Digital Confusion is a new Depth of Field filter included in LightWave [7] which offers traditional depth of field control but also includes several additional features, including rendering of hidden geometry for accurate background blurring, and optional iris shapes for matching various camera styles, and also the aspect ratio and rotation angle of the camera lens. The user also has the option of selecting a reference object from the Autofocus menu to automatically compute the proper focal distance.

Image Courtesy AristoMenis, MeniThings, LLC

LightWave High Dynamic Range Images (HDRIs)

High Dynamic Range Images (HDRIs) are used to create a single image containing more color information than traditional photographic equipment. HDR Images are used in conjunction with Radiosity to help produce true-to-life environmental lighting. LightWave 3D is one of the first animation packages with built-in HDRI support.

When using LightWave's Radiosity feature, HDR Images will photorealistically 'cast light.' For example, when using an HDRI as an environment map, you can simulate the lighting effects of the original photograph. Using the photograph to illuminate the 3D models guarantees a perfect composite every time.

Images Courtesy Darkside Animation

Hypervoxels are NewTek's breakthrough rendering technology for greatly simplifying the creation of extremely detailed 3D surfaces. A Hypervoxel is a 3D pixel used to create volumetric effects such as liquids, fire, smoke, dust, ash, gelatin, rusted materials, clouds and many, many more. With surface, volume and sprite modes, nearly any effect and level of detail can be achieved.

Images Courtesy Pixel Magic

LightWave 3D is a true, real-time subdivision surface modeler. With complete interactivity with tools such as bevel, smooth shift, and more, modeling becomes like sculpting with digital clay. Plus, with the ability to model in any viewport including the perspective view, defining and altering objects is instinctive.

Images Courtesy AristoMenis, MeniThings, LLC

Motion Mixer was designed to bring the same concepts found in non-linear video editing to computer animation. With Motion Mixer, now included in LightWave 3D, you can store, re-use, and adjust motions for entire hierarchies. You can even use transitions to mix and blend different motions together. By defining "actors" within a LightWave scene, it is possible to use a timeline to extend, trim, move and scale motions. Incredibly complex animations can now be created in LightWave using a library of relatively simple moves.

Images Courtesy AristoMenis, MeniThings, LLC