by Jeremiah Hall (doddleNEWS)
LightWave 11.5 is coming in Q4 2012, according to The LightWave 3D Group (a division of NewTek, Inc.). The new version includes several new features, such as Genoma, better After Effects intergration, ZBrush and more.
Genoma – Genoma is a new instant-rigging system for biped and quadrupeds in modeler, giving the artist several customizable-preset skeletal parts, from hands to wings.
LightWave 11.5's Genoma instant-rigging system.
Enhanced Adobe After Effects integration – The artist can now choose elements, such as lights, cameras and animations, and see them in After Effects compositions. The artist will also be able to make changes using After Effect’s Camera Tracker and send it back to LightWave.
Enhanced ZBrush integration – The artist can now send models from LightWave to Pixologic’s ZBrush and back again. ZBrush’s styling tools can be imported into LightWave and attached to objects.
LightWave 11.5's Flocking particle system.
Flocking – Flocking is a new particle system for items to move in, as The LightWave 3D Group calls it, “organic ways.” This will include prey and predator behaviors, where flocked items can chase other flocks or find and chase the closest prey. Other features in Flocking include Plane, Pursuit and Arrive directors and adds in node controls.
Instancing – Instancing now has Per-Object control of scale, stretch, offset, rotate and nodal controls. There are also new Copy and Paste functions and Path Mode optimizations to add flexibility.
Other improvements include Soft-Body dynamics in Bullet, as well as improvements to the ViewPort Preview Renderer.
The LightWave 3D Group says LightWave 11.5 will be shipping sometime in Q4 for $1495.00 for a full version and $695.00 for upgrade from a previous version.
About Jeremiah Hall
