LightWave

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LightWave 3D

Screenshot of LightWave 3D 9.0 (Layout)
Developer: NewTek, Inc.
Latest release: 9.0 / July 13, 2006
OS: Mac OS X, Windows
Use: 3D computer graphics
License: Proprietary
Website: www.newtek.com

LightWave (or, more properly, LightWave 3D) is a computer graphics program for 3D modeling, rendering, and animation. Although the program originated on the Video Toaster, which itself originated as an add-in card for the Amiga 2000, but then as a separate piece of hardware, it has since been ported to directly support the Amiga, Mac OS X, Windows, and Sgi IRIX. The rendering engine, ScreamerNet has also been ported to Linux platforms.

LightWave has long been known for its excellent rendering abilities and unusual user interface (for example, icons are not used; instead functions are all given descriptive titles).

LightWave was one of the first high profile industry standard 3D packages featuring a built-in radiosity render engine, complete with a complex light calculation model for support of caustics.

Some functions within LightWave are multi-threaded, which means that those components can simultaneously use as many as eight processors in the same machine when performing complex calculations.

Programmers can expand LightWave's capabilities using an included SDK and also a special scripting language called LScript. This SDK is based on the powerful C language and almost anything can be created, from a custom shader to a different scene format exporter. LightWave itself includes dozens of free plugins and many more can be obtained from different developers around the globe.

Contents

[edit] History

Screenshot of LightWave 3D 9.0 (Modeler)
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Screenshot of LightWave 3D 9.0 (Modeler)

In 1988, Allen Hastings created a rendering and animation program called Videoscape, and his friend Stuart Ferguson created a complementary 3D modeling program called Modeler, both sold by Aegis Software. It is these two programs that would evolve into what would eventually be known as LightWave 3D.

NewTek planned to incorporate Videoscape and Modeler into its video editing suite, Video Toaster. According to Hastings, NewTek originally intended to call the new 3D program 'NewTek 3D Animation System for the Amiga.' Later, in December 1989, Hastings came up with the name 'LightWave 3D,' inspired by two of the high-end 3D packages of that time: Intelligent Light and Wavefront. In 1990, the Video Toaster suite was released, incorporating LightWave 3D, and running on the Commodore Amiga computer.

LightWave 3D has been available as a standalone application since 1994, and version 9.0 now runs on Mac OS X and Windows-based PC computers.

LightWave gained fame as the program used to create special effects for the Babylon 5 and seaQuest DSV science fiction television series; the program was also utilized in the production of Titanic as well as the recent Sin City and Star Wars movies.

In 2001, a rift developed between NewTek management and a group headed by Vice President of 3D Development Brad Peebler, which included original developers Allen Hastings and Stuart Ferguson. For the second time in its history NewTek faced a major walkout, this time with most of its key LightWave engineers and programmers leaving the company. After months of public confusion, the breakaway group formed a new company, Luxology. They have since shipped their own 3D package, modo.

NewTek and LightWave have been honored with Emmy Awards since 1993 and won their 10th and 11th awards in 2004. In 2003 NewTek was awarded an Emmy for technology for its major impact on the television industry.

Now in its ninth version, its market ranges from hobbyists (because of its low price point) to high-end deployment in video games, television and cinema. The company recently shipped its 64-bit version of LightWave 3D (part of the fifth free update of LightWave 3D 8), and was featured heavily in a keynote speech by Bill Gates at WinHEC 2005.

LightWave 3D 9 was officially launched on 13 July 2006. It was in a period of public beta testing from February to July 2006. New features include a node-based surface editor and Adaptive Pixel Subdivision (APS) that will allow the mesh to vary in complexity dependant on multiple user-defined criteria including distance from the camera, maximising rendering efficiency. Many improvements made on the render engine to speed up the rendering process. Also there are many improvements made on the Modeler, including true edge-weighting and implementation of Catmull-Clark Subdivision Surface algorithm.

[edit] Unique Features

[edit] Modeler and Layout

Unlike other 3D packages, LightWave is composed of two separate programs: Modeler and Layout. Each program is specifically designed to provide the most efficient workspace for specific tasks. Appropriately, Modeler provides tools for creating 3-dimensional objects, whereas Layout provides a workspace for lighting, animating, and rendering. When the two programs are running simultaneously, a feature called the Hub can be used to automatically synchronize data between the two applications via TCP/IP protocol.

Layout contains the LightWave renderer which provides the user with several options including Ray Tracing options, multithreading, and output parameters. This differs from most 3D computer graphics packages such as the popular Maya and 3D Studio Max, whereas they contain the renderer and the modeler all in the main program. This attributes plenty of versatility to LightWave as the user has several specific options they can customise via either program. It creates less confusion as well, and can provide easier methods of organisation.

[edit] Integration

A long-standing debate in the LightWave user community has consisted of whether or not to integrate Modeler and Layout into a single program. In response to this, NewTek has begun an integration process by including several basic modeling tools with Layout. The initial results of this integration process can be seen in the latest version of LightWave.

[edit] External links

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