LightWave 3D overview

LightWave 3D is the most complete and flexible software solution for 3D graphics and animation.

LightWave 3D is versatile enough to make the transition to and from all kinds of projects. Proven for years in television, film, and games, LightWave 3D is also being used to create graphics for print, web, industrial design, architecture, medical imaging, and anywhere else a 3D package is needed. A full, robust program, LightWave 3D includes many of the tools that other packages require to be purchased separately. Soft-body dynamics, particles, hair and fur, plus unlimited render nodes, to name a few; LightWave 3D ships with all the tools an artist needs to create.

What’s new in version 2020.0.0

Version 2020.0.0:

Physically Based Rendering System: Completely rewritten rendering, shading and lighting architecture for greater realism, accuracy and ease-of-use.
Render and Light Buffers: Expanded workflow for render and light buffers that simplifies compositing and offers more flexibility, including real-time preview of new buffers in any viewport using VPR, as well as custom buffers using the node editor.
Volumetric Engine and Open VDB Support: Using the new volumetric render primitives, artists can specify physically based properties, Scattering, Absorption and Emission parameters, along with powerful node networks
Light Capabilities: New lighting architecture brings physical lights that can be optionally visible to the camera, and improved loading of IES web files to better match the intensity of real manufactured lights.
Surface Editor, Material Nodes and Surface Preview: The Surface Editor has been overhauled for the new shading system with powerful node-based materials that are presented with a familiar interface.
Virtual Reality Camera: Includes both cylindrical and spherical modes for creating stereo 360-degree renders and animations for VR applications
Modifier Stack with New Deformation Nodes: Unlocks and simplifies the previously fixed order of operations for Bones, Morphs, Subdivision and Displacements with the ability to drag and drop to re-order mesh deformations interactively.
Cel Shader and Enhanced Edge Rendering: Offers flexible non photoreal render control over material shading and allows gradient-based cel shading, while Edge Rendering uses any material available in the Surface Editor to shade any line.
More Integrated FiberFX: Expanded to integrated closely with the new lighting and shading system and can use any material on the fibers. Fibers are now generated using the new primitive object architecture
Layout-based Parametric Shapes: Parametric shapes allow for creation of virtual primitive shapes in Layout that can be displaced, surfaced and rendered without needing any geometry.
Noise Reduction Filter: Speeds up render times by using less Global Illumination rays and samples, while allowing for clean up of the resulting noise using filters instead of increased render settings.
New Modeler Features: Layout View viewport shows the current camera view from Layout. Also new are fully interactive tools including Lattice, Smoothing, Array and Spline Bridge.
Additionally, LightWave 2018 includes new enhancements to the Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR) and introduces many additional new features and improvements such UDIM texture support, more supported presets, FiberFX, Unity 5 support, and more.

View older LightWave 3D versions

4.8

(5 Reviews of LightWave 3D)

Comments
User Ratings

chikega

Nov 27 2022

2020.0.0

0.0

Version: 2020.0.0

Unfortunately Lightwave 3d appears all but abandoned by its new owners, Vizrt. The last version 2020.0.2 was released on July 15, 2020.

IngeMortier

Mar 28 2013

11.0

5.0

Version: 11.0

For me the best 3D editor and modelling software on the market. Not cheap though.

Guest

Mar 7 2005

8.2.1

Version: 8.2.1

Thanks, More stable since update, great app.

Mar 4 2005

Ironic that Newtek now say on their page 'this update has been thoroughly tested and is stable' yet with every update Lightwave comes with another bucket of bugs and half broken wonky features. Not trying to be a total dis to LW, it has many assets. Unfortunately stability and quality control have never been among them. One reason perhaps that many designers and animators have moved elsewhere...

Sep 1 2004

8.0.1

Version: 8.0.1

The updater doesn't work through the Newtek FTP.