NewTek announced that LightWave 11.5, the newest version of its award-winning 3D modeling, animation and rendering software for artists and designers, is now available.

LightWave 11.5 includes new features and functionality that enhance creativity and streamline productivity for everyone—from individual artists and designers to large animation or visual effects studios. Some of the many new features in LightWave 11.5 include the Genoma character rigging system with modular presets, predator and prey Flocking capabilities, per-object Instancing control, and soft-body Bullet Dynamics with support for FiberFX. Also included are Interchange Tools supporting Adobe After Effects cameras and Pixologic’s Zbrush, stereoscopic and depth-of-field motion blur in the Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR), major workflow enhancements, and more.

Procedural rendering is now supported in Golaem Crowd 2.2, just released by the Golaem crew. Solid Angle's Arnold renderer enables some pretty fast rendering and simulation independent geometry and shader actions.

The software lets animators create crowd shots using familiar tools such as particle systems – as opposed to the AI-based approach of packages like Massive – and is in use at studios including Zoic and Mikros Image.

Last issue of 3D Creative is again full loaded of interesting tutorials. Amazing cover picture is created by Pedro Conti, who created this character for the short animation „One More Beer“.

Artists continue with the modeling of vehicles in this month’s chapter of our Beginner’s Guide to Modeling Vehicles series, where they have been using the 2D concept and technical drawings provided, to talk us through a step-by-step guide to turning this information into an accurate and exciting 3D model.  The series goes through halfway now and this month we see Renato Gonzalez Aguilante start the texturing process in Maya, whilst Arturo Garcia completes the modeling of his vehicle in 3ds Max.

Luxion, a leading developer of advanced rendering and lighting technology and maker of KeyShot^®, the first real time ray tracing and global illumination program, is pleased to announce KeyShot 4.

Luxion’s internally developed rendering technology continues to bring speed and accurate lighting to renderings, animations and interactive visuals for 3D professionals across many industries. They focused on the features and updates that users have requested over the last few releases of KeyShot with new user interface updates, more render options and new presets, materials and lighting that aid in working with 3D data throughout the entire product design process.