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NewTek Shows LightWave 6.0 at NAB |
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(April
25, 1999)
In
visiting NewTek´s booth at NAB it took awhile to find out what was happening
with LightWave 3D because all the demos and stations were showing off
NewTek´s new Video Toaster NT. Finally, on Monday afternoon, NewTek began
giving 15 minute demos every hour of LightWave 6 (which won´t ship until
later this year). Here are a few of the differences I saw between version
5.6 and 6.0:
1) Caustic
Lighting – example: the pattern the light makes when it shines onto
the water of a swimming pool. Caustic lighting will also properly handle
color (i.e. glass of red wine) in the light reflections so that you
don't have to fake proper color reflections.
2) True Subdivision
Surfaces / Point Weighting. In Modeler you can now modify the weight
of points. You can determine how much influence (or lack of influence)
points have, allowing you to add an extraordinary amount of detail to
your objects. A way to describe it is like working with sculpting tools.
(Example of point weighting: if you took a box and hit MetaNURBS, it
turns into a ball of putty. You would have to use more segments to make
it tight - like corners. By weighting the points you can easily and
quickly create hard edges without creating extra segments.)
3) You can
now use gradient color and can see it in Modeler or Layout.
4) You can
now model (and make changes) in the perspective view, which will affect
your object in all views. All tools work in the perspective view.
5) The four
view screens in Modeler are now all OpenGL.
6) You can
now select a point on one half of your object and tell Modeler "whatever
you do to this point do to the point on the opposite side". This
allows you to adjust both sides at once and saves time from having to
delete polygons, merge, mirror, etc.
7) Everything
is interactive. For example, when you move the knifing tool over an
object, you can see what changes it will make to it. The interactivity
also shows through with more sculpting like options, eliminating the
need for numeric panels. However NewTek has left all the old ways of
doing things in LightWave 6 for those that don't prefer the new method
of modeling.
8) Everything
(Layout and Modeler) is customizable. You can move tabs, delete buttons,
rearrange buttons. You can rebuild the entire interface! Teachers will
especially find this useful because it will allow them to introduce
new commands one at a time to students.
9) The Image
Editor and Surface Editor now open in Modeler (in addition to Layout).
You can make surface changes to an object in Modeler just as you would
in Layout and all elements will be saved. You can also load images in
Modeler and can adjust the image on an object in real time, instantly
seeing the results of your actions. Furthermore, you can now do all
texturing in Modeler.
10) There
is now more than one camera in Layout.
11) In Layout
you can multi-select bones and rotate them together.
12) There
are many new commands for bones. You can quickly an easily select a
bone and tell it "you are part of the IK chain" or "you
are not part of the IK chain." It all happens instantly.
13) Multi-channels
are now supported in the motion graph. You can delete information in
the channels that you don't need. You can also multi-select in channels.
14) In Layout
you can now have multiple views and customize them! Example: You can
set up your character running and see him from different angles.
15) You can
have more than one camera in Layout (multiple cameras).
16) Lighting
commands are on the side now so that you don't have to open numerous
panels to make changes (i.e. distant light to spot).
17) Everything
now happens real time in the window (both Layout and preview). For example,
changing surface attributes will update in real time so you can see
changes.
18) You can
copy and paste attributes now. (i.e. you can copy from one attribute
to another like making changes to color map and easily copying and pasting
those same settings to specularity.)
19) UV Mapping
is now a part of LightWave 6.0!
20) In Layout
you can set hot keys.
21) HyperVoxels
2.0 is included with LightWave 6 and it doesn't bring up separate window.
It is now integrated.
22) There
are now handles on your motion graph so that you can effect each keyframe.
(i.e. you can change heading pitch and bank separately).
23) The Scene
editor in Layout now handles multiple selections.
24) Open
GL view has real time reflection maps.
LightWave 6 will
ship later this year for $2,495. Upgrades will be around $500-$600.
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