Newtek has introduced Lightwave 10 over at the Siggraph 2010.
LightWave 10 is ideal for all production pipelines—from large production facilities to small specialized studios. It offers the following new elements:
Interactive Display and Rendering Tools:
Viewport Preview Rendering (VPR) – See instant results with realistic view of scenes and objects with interactive light, nodal shading and scene set up
CG hardware real-time viewport shading – Real-time OpenGL view of Ambient Occlusion, Bloom, Stereoscopic Anaglyph and HDRI background images
Linear workflow – Supports consistent gamma, color space, and custom Look Up Tables (LUTs) for more realistic lighting, and to maximize compositing flexibility in a professional pipeline
Flexible Data Interchange Enhancements:
MDD with new enhancements and support for the Autodesk® Geometry Cache ? Freedom to move deformations and transforms between applications allowing for an extremely flexible, extensible pipeline for animation, dynamics, effects, and rendering
COLLADA™, FBX®,and ZBrush® interchange – Transfer, load and save camera data, lighting, objects, UV and image maps, plus parenting hierarchies, etc.
New Immersive, Real-Time and Game Tools:
Support for InterSense VCam, virtual camera system – Virtual production capabilities all for real-time interaction with 3D scenes
Support for 3Dconnexion line of 3D mouse ? Move through the virtual world and interact with models and scenes, controlling cameras and lights in real time
Bullet Rigid Body Dynamics:
Integrated dynamics and simulations ? Create dynamics, calculations and simulations for effects such as collapsing buildings, breaking glass, etc.
Advanced UV Mapping Tools:
Enhanced LightWave workflow with powerful new UV tools such as Transform, Scale Rotate, Move, Separate, Stitch, Relax, UV Unwrap, Front, Cubic, Spherical and Cylindrical projections, plus cameras with both UVs and an automated texture node
Pricing and Availability
LightWave 10 will begin shipping in Q4 2010. Artists may gain access to preview builds of LightWave 10 immediately through NewTek SIGGRAPH special offers.
- LightWave v9 for US$895 which includes a free upgrade to LightWave 10 and membership in LightWave HardCORE with immediate access to preview builds of LightWave 10
- LightWave v9 upgrade for US$495 which includes a free upgrade to LightWave 10 and membership in LightWave HardCORE with immediate access to preview builds of LightWave 10
- LightWave HardCORE membership for US$495 which includes a free upgrade to LightWave 10 and membership in LightWave HardCORE with immediate access to preview builds of LightWave 10
When LightWave 10 ships in Q4 2010 it will be available for a suggested retail price of US$1,495.00 LightWave 10 upgrades will be available for US$695. Educational pricing is also available. For more information, please visit or call NewTek Sales at 800-368-5441. International callers dial +1-210-370-8000.