Editing LightWave 3D (section)

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2012}}
In 1988, Allen Hastings created a rendering and animation program called ''VideoScape 3D'', and his friend Stuart Ferguson created a complementary 3D modeling program called ''Modeler'', both sold by Aegis Software. [[NewTek]] planned to incorporate VideoScape and Modeler into its video editing suite, [[Video Toaster]]. Originally intended to be called "NewTek 3D Animation System for the Amiga", Hastings later came up with the name "LightWave 3D", inspired by two contemporary high-end 3D packages: Intelligent Light and [[Wavefront Technologies|Wavefront]]. In 1990, the Video Toaster suite was released, incorporating LightWave 3D, and running on the [[Amiga]] computer.

LightWave 3D has been available as a standalone application since 1994, and version 9.3 runs on both [[macOS|Mac OS X]] and [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] platforms. Starting with the release of version 9.3, the Mac OS X version has been updated to be a [[Universal Binary]].

The last known standalone revision for the Amiga was LightWave 5.0, released in 1995. Shortly after the release of the first PC version, NewTek discontinued the Amiga version, citing the platform's uncertain future. Versions were soon released for the [[DEC Alpha]], [[Silicon Graphics|Silicon Graphics (SGI)]], and [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] platforms.

LightWave was used to create special effects for the television series ''[[Babylon 5]]'',<ref name=NGen31>{{cite magazine |title=Toolbox |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=31|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=July 1997|page=29 |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_31/page/n29}}</ref> ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', ''[[Space: Above and Beyond]]'', ''[[seaQuest DSV]]'', ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'', and ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''. The program was also utilized in the production of ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' as well as ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'', ''[[Sin City (film)|Sin City]]'', and ''[[300 (film)|300]]''. The short film ''[[405 (film)|405]]'' was produced by two artists from their homes using LightWave. In the [[Finland|Finnish]] Star Trek parody ''[[Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning]]'', most of the visual effects were done in LightWave by Finnish filmmaker [[Samuli Torssonen]], who produced the VFX work for the feature film ''[[Iron Sky]]''. The film ''[[Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius]]'' was made entirely in LightWave 6 and [[Messiah (software)|messiah:Studio]].

In 2007, the first feature film to be 3D animated entirely by one person made its debut, ''[[Flatland (2007 Ehlinger film)|Flatland the Film]]'' by [[Ladd Ehlinger Jr.]] It was animated entirely in LightWave 3D 7.5 and 8.0.

In its ninth version, the market for LightWave ranges from hobbyists to high-end deployment in [[video game]]s, [[television]] and [[film|cinema]]. NewTek shipped a 64-bit version of LightWave 3D as part of the fifth free update of LightWave 3D 8, and was featured in a keynote speech by Bill Gates at [[WinHEC]] 2005.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

On February 4, 2009, NewTek announced "LightWave CORE" its next-generation 3D application via a streamed live presentation to 3D artists around the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newtek.com/core/ |title=NewTek LightWave CORE™ |access-date=2016-08-09 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216090742/http://newtek.com/core/ |archive-date=February 16, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref> It featured a highly customizable and modernized user interface, Python scripting integration that offered realtime code and view previews, an updated file format based on the industry standard [[Collada]] format, substantial revisions to its modeling technologies and a realtime iterative viewport renderer. It was planned to be the first LightWave product to be available on the Linux operating system. However, on June 23, 2011, CORE was cancelled as a standalone product and NewTek announced that the CORE advancements would become part of the ongoing LightWave platform, starting with LightWave 10 (which was originally LightWave HC, intended to be a transitional software system comprising the classical Layout and Modeler applications during the initial stages of CORE, in order to supply compatibility with the existing toolset for LightWave).{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

On December 30, 2010, NewTek shipped LightWave 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dmnnewswire.digitalmedianet.com/article/NewTek-Ships-LightWave-10-1300917 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129111501/http://dmnnewswire.digitalmedianet.com/article/NewTek-Ships-LightWave-10-1300917 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |title=NewTek Ships LightWave 10 |website=Dmnnewswire.digitalmedianet.com |date=2010-12-30 |access-date=2016-08-09 }}</ref> It added an interactive viewport renderer (VPR), interactive stereoscopic camera rigs, linear color-space workflow, real time interactive physical teleoperation input (Virtual Studio Tools), and data interchange upgrades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/lw10.php |title=NewTek LightWave - LightWave 10 |access-date=2016-08-09 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902035756/http://www.newtek.com/lightwave/lw10.php |archive-date=September 2, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref>

On February 20, 2012, NewTek began shipping LightWave 11 Software, the latest version of its professional 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newtek.com/newtek-now/press/25-lightwave-news/465.html |title=Press Release: NewTek Ships LightWave 11 Software &#124; NewTek |access-date=2012-03-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222214346/http://www.newtek.com/newtek-now/press/25-lightwave-news/465.html |archive-date=February 22, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> LightWave 11 incorporates many new features, such as instancing, flocking and fracturing tools, flexible Bullet Dynamics, Pixologic [[ZBrush|Zbrush]] support, and more.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features/ |title=LightWave - New Features |date=2013-01-17 |access-date=2016-08-09 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117105036/https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features/ |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref> LightWave 11 is used for all genres of 3D content creation-from film and broadcast visual effects production, to architectural visualization, and game design.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features/ |title=LightWave - 2015 Features Overview |website=Lightwave3d.com |access-date=2016-08-09 |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117105036/https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lightwave3d.com/community/gallery/ |title=LightWave - Gallery |website=Lightwave3d.com |access-date=2016-08-09 |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117104251/https://www.lightwave3d.com/community/gallery/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On January 31, 2013, NewTek shipped LightWave 11.5 which debuted a new modular rigging system called Genoma.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features_11-5/ |title=LightWave - New Features |date=2013-01-17 |access-date=2016-08-09 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117104940/https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features_11-5/ |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref> The flocking system was reworked, gaining predator and prey behaviors. The bullet dynamics system was improved to include soft body dynamics, wind forces and to react to bone deformations. Interlinks to [[Adobe After Effects|After Effects]] and ZBrush (via GoZ) were added as well.<ref>{{cite news|title=LightWave 11.5 Now Available|url=http://www.evermotion.org/articles/show/8031/lightwave-11-5-now-available|publisher=Evermotion|date=1 February 2013}}</ref> New tools, based on a new experimental subsystem were added to Modeler. It was originally thought that this subsystem would allow further enhancements to Modeler, but disclosures by a developer in the main user forums (since removed by moderators) indicated that this approach had been too problematic and another avenue was being considered to enable Modeler to evolve. FiberFX, the hair/fur system in LightWave, also saw improvements with the 11.5 release, to work with soft bodies and to also directly support curves from Modeler for guiding hair. Additionally, braid and twist support was added, to ease creation of complex hairstyles.

On November 1, 2013, NewTek shipped LightWave 11.6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features/ |title=LightWave - 11.6 Features Overview |date=2014-11-06 |access-date=2016-08-09 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106185651/https://www.lightwave3d.com/new_features/ |archive-date=November 6, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref> This release brought a new animation tool, spline control, along with improvements to ray casting (to enable items in the scene to be precisely positioned on a surface, with optional offset. nVidia's CgFX was also implemented, albeit via the legacy shader system. STL support was added to enable output suitable for 3D printers. The virtual studio system was also enhanced to support a LightWave 3D group-authored add-on called NevronMotion, enabling direct motion capture (full body and facial) using consumer devices such as the Kinect (on Windows only) and re-targeting via a simplified user interface. A simplified Python system was made available for the Modeler environment and for common functions. The timeline for Layout support via this simplified system has not been disclosed. Alembic support was also introduced. Since the release of 11.6, two minor patches have been released to resolve software issues (11.6.1 and 11.6.2). In early May 2014, 11.6.3 was released to address a licensing system limitation.

On November 24, 2014, NewTek released Lightwave 2015. The release upgraded Bullet physics integration (constraints, motors, dynamics affecting bones), Genoma rigging automation plug-in with scripting, edge rendering, and the dynamic object parenting workflow. It also added a plate perspective matching tool, and [[Importance sampling]] to [[Global illumination]].<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The retail price was lowered by a third.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cgw.com/Press-Center/News/2014/LightWave-2015-Makes-Debut-with-New-Pricing.aspx |title=Computer Graphics World - LightWave 2015 |access-date=2014-11-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129124417/http://www.cgw.com/Press-Center/News/2014/LightWave-2015-Makes-Debut-with-New-Pricing.aspx |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |df=mdy }}</ref>

On January 1, 2018, NewTek released Lightwave 2018. Features include: Physically Based Rendering System, Render & Light Buffers, New Volumetric Engine, OpenVDB Support, New Lighting Architecture, Surface Editor - Material Nodes & Surface Preview, Virtual Reality Camera, Modifier Stack & Nodal Modifiers, New Cel Shader & Enhanced Edge Rendering, More Integrated FiberFX, Layout-based Parametric Shapes, Physically Based OpenGL, & a Noise Reduction Filter. New Modeler Features include: "A 'Layout View' viewport shows the current camera view from Layout. In addition, LightWave 2018 Modeler provides new fully interactive tools including Lattice, Smoothing, Array and Spline Bridge to speed up your modeling."

In January 2019, LightWave 2019 introduced new integration tools with [[Unreal Engine]], animatable mesh sculpting and painting in Layout, new [[UV mapping]] and UDIM tools (as well as support for smoothing groups) in Modeler, improved [[FBX]] interchange, shading model customization tools, new shape primitives, [[OpenVDB]] creation, shading/rendering enhancements, and workflow/UI improvements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/technology/lightwave-3d-introduces-new-unreal-integration-tools/|title=LightWave 3D Introduces New Unreal Integration Tools|last=Zahed|first=Ramin|date=2019-01-22|website=Animation Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-05}}</ref>