Review: Newtek Lightwave 3d
Newtek Lightwave 3d
LightWave 3D was an early entry into the the world of 3D animation, and with their latest releases are certainly on par with any other 3D animation software on the market. In this article I'll try to point out the various aspects and features of LightWave 3D from the point of view of an experienced 3D animator.
Performance and capability:
The first thing one requires from 3D animation programs, is (of course), performance and capability. LightWave 3D delivers these in spades. With support for n-gons, LightWave is now the equal of any other software on the market. However, experienced animators will notice that while rendering speed is much improved from previous versions of the 3D animation program, it could nevertheless definitely be improved further. If you use LightWave 3D I'd advise you to go in for a higher-end machine and graphics card to cut rendering times to a reasonable level.
How about capability?
LightWave can deliver everything from hard body dynamics that allow you to create solid objects, to soft body and cloth dynamics that allow for more subtle 'soft' or wind effect animations – for example, for when you want to create realistic hair for a 3D character that blows in the wind. Best of all, I've found that LightWave uses a variety of 3D systems to generate it's effects, allowing you to achieve just about any creation or effect once you master it's workings. For example, it uses Hypervoxels for particle effects, and metaballs to create reflective liquid droplets. I'm very impressed with the vast capabilities of this 3D animation software – if you can imagine it, LightWave can probably make it.
A reasonably intuitive Interface:
Now for the Interface, always the 'make or break' point with 3D animation programs. I find LightWave's interface reasonably intuitive. It unfortunately does not allow too many 'undo' steps, but other than that it is an excellent software, and relatively easy to learn. The various tabs and functions are set up so that even a new user experimenting around with the software will end up being able to create basic objects at least, and a person will usually only have to refer to the manual for more complex effects. There are tabs at the top, and each tab allows you access to a whole range of tools on the right. Once you know this, you just have to play around with this 3D animation program a bit to become basically proficient.
One controversial aspect of the interface is that the object modeling and scene layout occur in completely separated areas joined by an interfacing hub. Whether you like this interface or not depends greatly on your personal preferences. The creators of LightWave 3D are working on providing an integrated option, but that still lies in the future. That said, the separate areas for modeling and layout are not really a problem at all, but may take a little getting used to.
So what's the final word on LightWave 3D?
Lightwave 10 has many new features and will be a great competition for leading 3D programs and is increasingly used by large 3d studio's. Remember that LightWave 3D has been arround for some time and is used in some of the most visually appealing movies and series on the planet - Babylon 5,
the Star Trek Series, the incredibly visually appealing "300" and even in Star Wars. It is certainly a high standard 3D animation program that is adequate to your needs.
