New features


LightWave 3D 2023

Explore, discover, and be inspired

Procedural Geometry Nodes

Procedural Geometry Nodes are a system that allows users to generate and manipulate geometry using a procedural approach. Procedural generation involves using algorithms or rules to create content rather than manually designing every detail. This is fully animatable over time, and integrates with LightWave's instancing toolset.

Some of the nodes include:

  • Boolean CSG
  • Combine Geometry
  • Evaluate Geometry
  • Extrude Geometry
  • Filter Geometry
  • For Loop
  • From Mesh
  • Geometry VDB
  • Grid Geometry
  • L-System
  • Line, Point, Poly Geometry
  • Primitive Geometry
  • Scatter Points
  • Spline Geometry
  • VDB Geometry

TurbulenceFD

TurbulenceFD has been acquired by LightWave Digital and is now included for all 2023 licenses. This provides LightWave users with a native Voxel-Based Gaseous Fluid Dynamics plugin commonly used for creating realistic fire, smoke, and other fluid effects.

Unreal Engine 5.3 Bridge

Unreal Engine is a popular real-time 3D creation platform widely used in the gaming industry, as well as in various other fields such as architecture, film, virtual production, and simulation. LightWave's support of the Bridge in Unreal Engine 5.x means real-time communication from LightWave Layout to Unreal Engine 5.x.

Instance Painting

Instancing refers to a technique used to efficiently duplicate and render multiple copies of the same object or geometry in a scene. Instead of creating individual copies of an object, instancing allows LightWave to replicate the geometry without duplicating the underlying data. This can significantly improve rendering performance and reduce memory usage. This new toolset allows the LightWave artist to place these instances using a paint brush interface.

Text Tool in Layout

Create Dynamic Text directly in Layout allowing individual text characters to be animated. Support for beveling, justification, alignment, surfacing, and many other adjustments.

LightWave Pro Tools (Formerly OD Tools)

A large number of workflow enhancement tools developed by users for users now included native. These span across all of LightWave, including Modeler and Layout, as well as addressing some transfer of assets to and from other applications.

ChronoSculpt

ChronoSculpt is designed for sculpting and editing animated 3D meshes, with a particular emphasis on the manipulation of deformations and animations over time.

Key features of ChronoSculpt include:

  • Time-Based Sculpting: ChronoSculpt allows artists and animators to work with 3D models and animations on a timeline. This timeline-based approach facilitates the manipulation of deformations and animations at specific points in time, giving users precise control over the temporal aspects of their 3D content.

  • Deformation Editing: Users can sculpt and shape 3D meshes, correcting deformations or enhancing details over time. This is particularly useful for refining character animations or addressing issues with complex deformations.

  • Sculpting Brush Tools: ChronoSculpt provides a variety of brush tools for sculpting and modifying 3D surfaces. These tools include standard brushes for shaping surfaces and specialized brushes for dealing with deformations.

Quality of Life Updates

Many fixes, additions, and enhancements to your daily workflow to make your LightWave experience easier:

  • Consolidate Surfaces
  • Node Editor
  • Adding Under Mouse
  • Mouse wheel zooming
  • Quick fit all
  • Drag-n-drop support
  • Custom colors
  • Group to compound node
  • Node presets
  • Add node shortcuts
  • Flat node menu
  • VPR node editor shortcut
  • Tidy selected nodes
  • Duplicate nodes
  • Node connection early rejection
  • Global node graph tree