Version 9 adds comprehensive new
features such as a node-based materials editor, optically correct
cameras, adaptive pixel subdivision, Catmull-Clark subdivision
surfaces, sub-surface scattering and vast render speed improvements.
Reborn! LightWave v9 is the newest generation of the Emmy®-winning 3D application from NewTek.
The
most noticeable changes for v9 are the addition of a node-based
materials system that adds new shading models to LightWave, such as
Oren-Nayar, anisotropic, and sub-surface scattering; the greatly
improved rendering speed for today's high-demand scenes; and the
enhancement of subdivision surfaces in Modeler and Layout, including
Adaptive Pixel Subdivision, which gives you a variety of capabilities
for film-quality displacement mapping, normal mapping (including ZBrush
support) and level-of-detail control at render time. LightWave now has
one of the most comprehensive toolsets for matching real camera lenses,
an addition that will greatly enhance the ability of visual effects
artists to match 3D elements to live footage.
Among
the changes that contribute to enhanced workflow in Layout are faster
OpenGL performance and additional OpenGL hardware shader support,
building on the initial implementation in version 8.5. For many scenes
this provides a very accurate preview of the look of the final image or
animation in real-time, without the need to create test renders. The
GUI has been enhanced to allow far more user configurability than in
the past. You can adapt the look to fit your needs and preferences to
provide the best workflow for the ways in which you use LightWave.
Features:
- Rendering:
- Implementation of BSP/KD Tree Algorithm to achieve improved speeds as scene complexity rises
- Complete replacement of the original ray tracing core
- Improved multi-threading with dynamic segmentation to insure maximum use of available CPUs
- Typical
speed improvements at 2.5x over LightWave version 8.5 for today's
increasingly ambitious high-polygon count production scenes
- Adaptive Pixel Subdivision:
- Adaptive subdivision of a mesh based on distance from camera and visibility
- Choice of Adaptive Sub-division methods Per Object, Per Polygon and Per Pixel
- Highly optimized mesh, tied to render resolution when using Per Pixel
- Visibly similar to micro-poly displacement
- Modeling:
- Added Catmull-Clark Subdivision Surfaces
- Subdivision
level can be controlled via numerical values, envelopes, expressions,
motion modifiers, textures, procedurals, gradients and more
- Edge Selection
- Edge Weights
- N-gons (polygons greater than 4 sides) for subdivision surface modeling
- Node Editor:
- New Shading Models
- Normal Maps from ZBrush 2 Supported
- Branches can be imported and exported
- Math Animation Nodes
- Animated Gradient Node
- Work how you want to work: Layers in Nodes; Nodes in Layers; Layers Only; Nodes Only
- Full support of native controls and envelopes
- Available in Layout and Modeler, and maintains context when switching between the two
- Full
SDK Support for third parties to create nodes (including shading
models) and for third party renderers to interface with and query nodal
shaders.
- Advanced Camera Tools:
- New
rendering technology renders scenes using arbitrary camera lenses and
warps. This allows for some fantastic effects, such as:
- Camera plane deformations
- Arbitrary projections
- UV map generation
- True orthographic rendering
- Space warp simulations
- Lens distortion duplicating physically accurate real world lenses or non-existent "imaginary" lenses
- 360 degree panorama rendering (one camera)
- OpenGL:
- Preview lighting scenarios within the UI
- Less need for preview renders
- Hardware shading of procedural textures
- Other:
- Timewarp - Time Re-mapping and Warping Shader
- CCTV Shader
- HV Deformer: HyperVoxel Particle Displacement Shader
- Stress Map
- Sketch Image Filter
- Pixie Dust Volumetric shader
- Relativity 2
- Quaternion Rotations
- Mesh Editing in Layout
- Native 64-bit support
- Multiplatform
- Dual and multi-core support
System Requirements:
- System RAM: 512 MB minimum requirement, 1 GB recommended
- Graphics Card: nVidia FX 5200 series (minimum), ATIFireGL V 5100 (minimum)
- Graphics
support: Full OpenGL (OpenGL 2.0 support, or ARB_shading_language_100
OpenGL extension in earlier versions, required to use GLSL features)
- Driver: Latest from chipset manufacturer
- Dedicated Video RAM: 64 MB per display minimum requirement, 128 MB recommended
- Minimum Screen Resolution: 1024x768 minimum requirement, 1280x1024 recommended
- Hard Drive Space: 230 MB for program installation (not including content)
- Windows® 32-Bit:
- Operating System: Windows® XP
- Processor: Intel® or AMD
- Windows® 64-Bit:
- Operating System: Windows® XP Professional x64 Edition
- Processor: Intel® EM64T or AMD64
- RAM: 1 GB
- Macintosh®:
- Operating System: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 Panther(TM)
- Processor: PowerPC® G4 minimum requirement, G5 recommended
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