This is a feature that most LightWave users have wanted for years, and for which they previously had to rely on a third-party plugin, HD Instance.Īll the usual Radial Array and Rectangular Array options are available, along with Motion Path, Time Offset and Random Seed. Instancing enables you to duplicate any piece of geometry many times without the huge memory overhead that comes with loading lots of objects. Features added in LightWave 11.0 and 11.5 So what are those new features? Let’s run through the most significant ones. And, as those version numbers indicate, this level of commitment was not a one-off. Unlike many previous upgrades, LightWave 11.0, 11.5 and 11.6 have seen new features integrated seamlessly, along with a major tidy-up of the interface. Recent releases have provided LightWave users with a much better workflow, and a set of tools that start to make the software competitive with the other big 3D packages once more. Since then, LightWave has taken on a whole new lease of life. While the impact of the first release he oversaw perhaps wasn’t as great as it should have been, it was a clear indication of the vision he had for the future of the software, particularly through its virtual studio tools. Darkside uses LightWave alongside a range of other 3D software, notably Softimage, in its broadcast work.Ī few years ago, LightWave underwent a huge change, with Rob Powers, virtual art department supervisor on Avatar, joining NewTek as vice president of 3D development. We use Softimage alongside LightWave on a lot of jobs as well, and this combination has generally served us well.Ī breakdown from Darkside Studios’ VFX work on the six-part BBC sci-fi drama Outcasts. This year alone, we have used it on several fully animated pilots and numerous Discovery and National Geographic Channel shows, as well as several commercials. Most people know the type of TV programmes LightWave has been used on (most of the Star Treks, Battlestar Galactica, CSI, and so on), but fewer know how heavily it is still used at major US facilities like Stargate Studios, or that it was used on SyFy’s recent hit show, Defiance.Īt Darkside Studios, we created nearly all the VFX in the BBC shows Outcasts and Origins of Us in LightWave, and also work on shows such as Horizon, Spooks and Hustle. Certainly, after LightWave 9.6, the program lost its way for a few years, but even at its lowest ebb, it was still a great render solution. So when I was asked to review the latest version of the software, I couldn’t help thinking how remarkable it is that this privately owned, independent 3D application is still here, when nearly all the world’s top 3D packages are owned by one giant, publicly traded company. All these years later, I still use LightWave. When I started using it, I realised it was my future.
It integrated with a third-party product called the Video Toaster, which contained within it a 3D program called LightWave 3D.
Over 20 years ago, while living in Atlanta, GA, I worked with a fantastic bunch of guys on a piece of music software called Bars and Pipes on the Amiga. Darkside Studios co-founder Andy Bishop looks back over the entire 11.x series of releases, and assesses the work NewTek has left to do.
The past two years have seen a remarkable resurgence in LightWave’s fortunes.
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