Software Review
Lightwave 11
Publisher: NewTek
Platforms: Windows 7, Mac 10.6 or better
Description: 3D creation, animation, effects and rendering software for film and television
MSRP: $1,495 New, $695 Upgrade
Expected Release: Available Now
Official Website: http://www.newtek.com/
Samples: Click Here
Demo: Click Here
Special Discount: N/A
Critique Issue: Issue #77 (07/12)
Critiqued By: Mark Bremmer
Final Score: 9.8
Finally! NewTek is hitting it’s stride again with Lightwave 11. In my review last year about Lightwave 10.1, I’d commented enthusiastically about my conversation with Lightwave user and evangelist, Rob Powers. He’s been in the trenches with Lightwave on multiple film productions and has been able to bring that common-sense utility and passion for workflow quality into the forefront.
I’d enjoyed getting reintroduced to Lightwave (LW) and rated it very highly. But also apparent was where it was lagging in what is now ‘standard’ abilities in competing software. LW 11 is now engaging those ‘standard’ features into version 11 and NewTek is doing it with a very sharp eye towards user friendliness.
Now here’s the thing: LW 11 was released in February 2012. So this review is a little behind-the-curve in terms of the typical timeline where the reviews accompany the marketing blast that is common for such releases. The benefit to you, the reader, is that I’ve also had an opportunity to try it and speak in detail with others that have been using LW 11 for several months now. So I’m weaving in some real-world observations that are not just mine as well.
Spaceship
Ease of Use
We are finally in the golden years of 3D software development. There is now a nexus of hardware capability and software/user information that is allowing companies to create 3D tools that are both powerful and easy to use.
A prevailing comment from experienced LW users is that they have refined many of their everyday tools, simply making them more efficient and easy to use. In fact several users commented specifically about some tool sets that have languished, unchanged, for years. They were very positive about the new and improved usability.
But what if you are a new user or merely considering whether LW is worthy of your budget and learning time? How easy is it to use? These are critical questions. In years previous, LW new versions were released with virtually no information about how to use the new features. The culture that allowed that to happen is no longer present and NewTek has been very aggressive in improving its documentation including adding how-to videos for both elemental and advanced features and abilities.
For absolute new users, 3D is a big animal to tame. However NewTek, like their competitors, has been making great strides in taking care of their users – because there are simply more of them now. The price-point of 3D software now lets virtually any studio engage a 3D package for special effects.
Then, if that’s the case, why LW? Another excellent question. LW is a “Full” 3D solution and by that I mean that users can start from basic concept and run through full final rendering with the software. LW has and continues to have a solid place in film and television production – the production pipeline is complete. Other 3D software offers partial solutions or ‘packages’ designed for specific audiences like Architectural Previsualization or Motion Graphics. With LW, you get everything.
Depth of Options
For a better idea of feature sets, please check out this review for what was introduced in LW 10.1. In this article , I’ll be covering what is new in v11 and describing the benefits for micro filmmakers. In a nutshell LW 11 is very much worth looking at as a micro filmmaker because it has a the ability to create full environments or super-impose Computer Generated environments (CG) with shadows over live footage. That wasn’t the case before. Additionally, there are other enhancements in LW 11 that I won’t cover here because the utilities aren’t as great for micro filmmaker needs.
Unified Sampling
You know how much time you spending lighting a real film studio to get things where they need to be? Likewise in the CG world. LW 11 has finally consolidated something called “Sampling” into a single place in the program. Sampling is instructions to a given ray of light about how to react in a scene; how many times it should bounce, reflect, etc. Previously, users were forced to control that information in a bunch of places. Now, the Sampling controls in the Render Globals area means faster, easier control and better global quality vs. render time tuning.
Instancing – Cars
Instancing
You gotta have instancing. CG used to be for creating single elements, limited hard-edge environments, or virtual studios. Instancing lets LW users create hundreds of thousands of instances of objects – buildings, blades of grass, stones etc., all without setting your CPU on fire trying to manage that many objects. Instancing has become a standard ability for most 3D software and now it’s part of LW too. Instancing lets you, the humble filmmaker, create complex hard edge modeling like space ships, or organic scenes like grassy fields. You can then drop these into you background in post.
Instancing – Grass and Trees
Flocking
Flocking is just too cool and is a blast to use. It also completely engages Instancing, mentioned above. Simply put LW users can now create a bunch of moving objects that have object avoidance abilities – they don’t run into each other. Birds, zombies, fish, insects, space ships and more.
Flocking
Bullet Dynamics and Fracturing
Some micro filmmakers make thoughtful and cerebral efforts and are applauded for their creative exploration. Then there are those of us that make those same films but who require destruction and dystopia. Bullet Dynamics is a widely used mathematical engine that LW has engaged into the program for super fast calculating physics and believable real-world gravity interactions. Objects rolling down a hill and colliding and interacting with their environment is set up to happen automatically. Couple with that the additional new ability to break and shatter things realistically now gives the LW user both the power to create and destroy beautifully. Dystopia never looked so good.
Bullet—Fracturing—Bullet-Dynamics
Shadow Catcher Modes
This feature has been highly requested amongst LW users – and has been available in competitors products for some time which made the waiting for its arrival in LW especially painful. Well, LW has it now. The Shadow Catcher Mode lets you render CG objects and animation with lighting to match your live footage. This includes cast shadows but then only have the objects and shadows to composite with – no background or green screen to matte out. To. Die. For. Very, very glad to see this as part of the LW package now.
Shadow-Catcher
FiberFX
As you might think, the new FiberFX is for creating fur and hair. However, for the creative it can also be used for grass, feathers and more. What I really like about this updated implementation of ‘fur’ is that it is now multi-threaded to fully use your computers computational abilities but it can also be textured with the new Solid Volume Mode. This new mode lets users alter the thickness and tapering of individual hairs, all the way from super thin strokes to a tapering, conical appearance.
FiberFX – Render Plant Fibers
Performance
LW version 10.1 introduced greater stability and multi-threading. LW 11 is now extending that stability and multi-threading abilities to the extended tool sets it has. Just good, sped up performance.
Value
LW has now made the very important jump to a full fledged contender again. LW has been a long time favorite of television and film studios due to its history and very robust ecosystem of plug-in developers which significantly increases the utility of this software.
The price-point of this software is firmly in the middle to lower end of comparably featured software. LW is back in the realm of a smart, efficient and comfortable software to use. You won’t be sorry if you purchase it.
Final Comments
So, here’s the deal. Lightwave is back in the contenders circle. It works well and reasonably easily, does just about everything you might want to throw at it as a micro filmmaker. This may come down to a work-flow and interface decision. In this price area, Maxon’s Cinema 4D and Luxology’s modo are also worth a look. While very similar, they all have some different strengths, weaknesses and interface pathologies. LW 11 is a great and capable software worthy of serious consideration. I In the end it’s going to come down to what your needs are and what you are most comfortable working with. Bravo NewTex for making this storied software a competitor again.
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Breakdown
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Ease of Use
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9.5 |
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Depth of Options
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9.8 |
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Performance
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9.8 |
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Value vs. Cost
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10 |
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Overall Score |
9.8 |
Mark Bremmer
Mark Bremmer has operated his own commercial studio for over 18 years. He’s been fortunate enough to work for clients like Caterpillar, Colgate, Amana, Hormel Foods, Universal Studios Florida, and The History Channel producing stills, digital mattes and animations. Mark contracts regularly as an art mercenary with production houses that shall remain nameless by written agreements. If you've seen shows like The Voice, The Grammy or the ESPY Awards, then you've also seen some of Mark's day-job work.