Lightwave [6] For NT

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgDuring the week of March 6, 2000, NewTek began shipping the eagerly anticipated Windows NT versions of LightWave [6]. This is NewTek's most significant upgrade to LightWave in 10 years, and the new upgrade features advanced modeling tools, groundbreaking rendering capabilities, advanced character animation features and a refined working environment. The new version boasts more features than we could possibly list. The most interesting ones are: Radiosity and Caustic Rendering -- NewTek claims that LightWave [6] can deliver the nuances of lighting better than any other 3D package on the market; VIPER (Versatile Interactive Preview Renderer) -- this tool provides users with an interactive preview of key elements of a scene that would usually require the time of a full scene render; Skelegons -- these are a new type of polygon that appear like 3D bones, however, Skelegons are automatically updated as users make modifications to their model, as well as providing a wealth of tools for creating bone structures and control and maintenance of characters; and Endomorphs -- a feature that allows users to change the expression, mood or action by training a single model. Endomorphs are ideal tools for lip-synch and complex morphing scenarios. There is no doubt that LightWave [6] is a massive upgrade, and the new tools and features will become invaluable to LightWave users. However, we've been waiting a long time for this, and after all of the hype and pre-release publicity NewTek has been building up, I truly hope LightWave [6] can not only live up to, but exceed our expectations.