LightWave 2015 & 3rd Powers SIGGRAPH Week SPECIAL

The LightWave 3D Group and 3rd Powers have teamed up to offer a POWERFUL CREATIVITY Bundle for 3D artists! During SIGGRAPH Week August 10-17, 2015, buy a new full license of LightWave 2015 and receive the FULL SUITE of 3rd Powers Plugins FREE! A value of over $600!

Ready to upgrade from an earlier version of LightWave? Upgrade to LightWave 2015 during SIGGRAPH Week and get the 3rd Powers LW Brush plugin FREE! A $169 value!

Learn more about the powerful features of LightWave 2015 and prepare to deliver impressive results.

Artist Spotlight: Bruce Branit

Respected for his LightWave 3D visual effects work on Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space Nine, Bruce Branit left the Hollywood Hills and moved east to the plains of Kansas where he opened Branit FX. Today his studio creates visual effects for popular television and film projects, and in his spare time, he uses LightWave to create viral videos that are shared by millions. “LightWave lets me produce films and Web serials that use visual effects in a way that’s unexpected for a micro-budget project. That’s why I’m basing the future growth of my company on this platform,” explains Branit. Read more about this talented artist here.

LightWave 2015 Update 3 Announced

The latest update to LightWave 2015 will be available August 10, 2015 beginning SIGGRAPH Week. Adding to the already robust feature set of LightWave 2015, this latest release offers numerous fixes and improvements, system updates for Python and support for NVIDIA Optimus technology. Many others include improved support for AE CC2015, FBX interchange, Unity, Alembic, and the GoZ interchange for ZBrush R47. Registered users can get the LightWave 2015 Update 3 by logging into their account on the LightWave 3D website.

Cel Shading Primer

Who doesn’t love a good tutorial? Artist Kevin Phillips covers the basic of node-based cel shading in LightWave 3D. This four-part video tutorial series covers a range of strategies and approaches to producing various styles of cel shading in LightWave, including front masking (as seen in cel shading), how to get more unique styles and looks using tools in the Surface Editor, and creating a complete cel shade network in the node surfacing sytem.

90 Days of Awesome, Free!

Haven’t made the move to LightWave 2015 just yet? During SIGGGRAPH Week, we are offering a 90-day full feature LightWave 2015 trial as a free download. Now is your chance to get to know the new features in LightWave 2015 and see how they really fit in your workflow. This exclusive 90-day trial wll only be available August 10-17, 2015, so download yours today!

Quick Start Videos Coming Your Way!

Just getting started with LightWave and looking to familiarize yourself with its user interface and features? The LightWave 3D Group has created a series of videos that will be shared over the next few weeks that are Quick Start videos for new users. These include videos from versions 9 through 2015 for both Windows and Macintosh. However, if you have advanced beyond the beginning stages, there are plenty of videos in our video training library designed to help you master the many features of LightWave (both earlier and current releases). We encourage you to give them a look!

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!

The Asylum extends its biting franchise yet again with its third Sharknado movie in as many years. Known for its campy television series and movies The Asylum knows how to create a visual feast for viewers. Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, which aired July 22, 2015 on the SyFy Channel, delivers plenty of exciting VFX created with LightWave 3D along with cameo appearances from notable celebrities and thrilling attractions like Universal Studios. Watch the trailer and prepare for shark-infested everything!

Create Expo 2015 - A Smashing Success!

The first Create Expo for LightWave at UK-based Vision West Nottinghamshire College was a resounding success! Our own Lino Grandi and LightWave experts throughout the UK (from studios to indie artists) shared their knowledge and excitement of using LightWave for all types of content creation. The brainchild of Vision West’s Interactive Media Tutor Anthony Hall, the goal of the event was to nurture the next generation of 3D artists and students while also bringing together industry professional for a best practice showcase. From what we hear, it was a smashing success! View the photo gallery.

Show Reel Spotlight: Nigel Schutte

As an artist, your show reel is one of your most valuable assets—it should showcase your talent without overdoing the obvious. LightWave 3D Artist Nigel Schutte knows how to highlight his 3D skills in a show reel that subtly identifies his contributions without overpowering the content. We encourage you to give this reel a look and we think you’ll see why we like it so much.

New Aliens in Space Challenge Launches!

Who is ready for an ultra creative alien challenge? The LightWave 3D Group has teamed up with CGTrader to sponsor its latest 3D CG challenge focusing on what else? Aliens! Inspired by alien-focused discussions, this challenge sets out to see how CG designers imagine aliens—from fictional creatures on existing planets to aliens imagined, here is your chance to make your own fantastical creatures, spacecraft and worlds. Get the details here and get onboard!