NewTek announced late last week that Lightwave 6.5, the new upgrade to their award-winning 3D software, is now available for download from their Website. The new version was originally to be called Lightwave 6.1, but NewTek decided that due to the large array of new features and improvements they would pitch it as a more significant upgrade. "Lightwave 6.0 was a monumental release, and the new architecture it provides has allowed this release to consist of hundreds of features in a relatively short amount of time. Upgrades to follow should be no less significant. What began as a service patch has turned into a major upgrade, and what's more, we're giving it away for free!" said Brad Peebler, vice president of 3D graphics at NewTek. The company claims that this new version has over 500 new features and additions, although many of those are enhancement and optimization of existing tools. New features include light and texture baking, faster bone deformations, OpenGL transparency and much more. In addition, the Motion Designer dynamics engine is now seamlessly integrated into the interface. Lightwave 6.5 is available at www.newtek.com and is free for registered users of 6.0.