NewTek Europe - LightWave [8] version 8.5

LightWave 3D® [8] version 8.5

Thank you for installing this latest update to NewTek's LightWave [8] software. LightWave version 8.5 is the fifth free update in the LightWave [8] series, and includes the 64-bit port for Emmy® award-winning LightWave 3D® for Windows XP Pro x64 OS (see below). Version 8.5 offers hardware support of OpenGL 2.0, the new multi-shift tool with editable history, Photoshop style texture blending modes, improved dynamics, and easier integration of third-party file formats. LightWave's 64-bit version leverages the increased memory available with 64-bit systems plus the power of the new processors and faster RAM access to provide digital artists with a streamlined workflow that allows them greater flexibility and creative freedom.

Some new features have been added and numerous software functionality issues have been addressed. We appreciate your feedback, which plays a large role in shaping this 3D animation software's future. Please send feature requests to lwfeatures@newtek.com.

LightWave [8] version 8.5 updater

The LightWave 8.5 update is available to registered owners of LightWave [8] by free download.

Important note: This update is intended for users of standalone LightWave [8] version 8.0, 8.0.1, 8.2, 8.2.1 or 8.3 exclusively. It will not work with previous versions of LightWave 3D, nor with LightWave 3D included in VT[4], VT[4] SP1 or VT[4] version 4.5 package.

Note: this is a cumulative update patch that also contains all new features and fixes available in the previous updates version 8.0.1, 8.2, 8.2.1 and 8.3. You do not have to install any of these previous versions before installing the version 8.5 update. If however, you are upgrading from a version of LightWave 3D 8 prior to 8.3 then you will need to update your Sentinel dongle drivers from SafeNet web site.

LightWave 64-bit software (Windows 64-bit only)

Please note that It is necessary to have a 64-bit system, with Windows XP Pro x64, to use LightWave 64-bit. You can run the 32-bit LightWave on a 64-bit system, but the software will not gain the full advantages of the 64-bit system. NewTek received authorization from SafeNet to supply a Beta version of their 64-bit drivers with the 8.5 release; however, neither SafeNet nor NewTek will be able to offer support for these Beta drivers. Parallel port dongles are not currently supported by 64-bit beta drivers.

LightWave 64 is available to registered LightWave [8] owners by free download.

Important note: This is not an update but a full install package. You have to install it into a new folder, not over a existing version of LightWave [8].

Known issues in LightWave 64-bit installer:

You may receive a message saying your 64-bit OS was not automatically detected. You will then receive a message asking you to confirm you have the 64-bit OS so the installer can continue. If you do have Windows XP Pro x64, please select the option to continue with the installation.

After installation, your content directory may be labeled "-64\Content" . If this happens, you will need to change your content directory settings in LightWave, or rename the content folder on your hard drive.

LightWave version 8.5 graphics card requirements
Required	Full OpenGL Support (including OpenGL 2.0 support) Latest drivers from chipset manufacturer
Minimum	nVidia FX 5200 series ATI Radeon 9600 Minimum of 64 MB RAM (per display) 1024x768 minimum screen resolution
Recommended	nVIDIA Quadro FX 4000 256 MB RAM 1280x1024 screen resolution

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

Before installing LightWave [8] version 8.5, back up any content in the LightWave [8] folder on your hard drive. This includes the default LightWave content in the LightWave [8]/Programs folder.

Mac users: You must use the latest version StuffIt Expander (at least 8.0.2) in order for the 8.5 .sit file to extract and run properly on your system.

There is a new Registration process that was implemented with LightWave [8]. If you have registered LightWave [8], no further registration action is required. If not, you will need to register LightWave [8] to download the 8.5 updater. NewTek Europe has provided an easier system for online registration, and the ability to register over-the-phone with Customer Service.

If you experience any issues with dongle detection or your Product Lock ID changing, you may need to update your dongle drivers to the latest version available. You can download this version of the Sentinel Drivers at SafeNet web site.

For additional help please contact NewTek Europe Technical Support.

Download LightWave 3D [8] version 8.5 32-bit updater
(Windows: 19.7 MB - Mac: 29.6 MB)

Download LightWave 3D [8] version 8.5 64-bit installer
(Windows: 150 MB)

Download Sentinel driver for Windows 64-bit (Beta version)
(Windows: 31 KB)

Download LightWave 3D [8] version 8.5 addendum
(PDF: 6.26 MB)

Downloadable Update Installation Instructions

The version 8.5 downloadable update, on either platform, is a compressed executable file. The Mac download is a StuffIt file with .sit extension; for Windows, the download is a WinZip file with .zip extension. You can download the appropriate file to whatever location on your hard drive you choose.

While this update does not place new configuration files nor replace the license.key file, as a safety precaution it would still be wise to make a backup copy of any files or folders you may have modified since installing LightWave. These can include your configuration files, the license.key file, the Plugins folder, the Presets folder, and any content folders.

Default location for Window 2000 and XP configuration files LW8.CFG, LWM8.CFG, LWEXT8.CFG and LWHUB8.CFG:

<yourdrive>:\Documents And Settings\<username>

Default locations for Mac OS X configuration files LightWave Layout 8 Prefs, LightWave Modeler 8 Prefs, LightWave Extensions 8 Prefs and LightWave Hub 8 Prefs:

<yourdrive>/users/<username>/Library/Preferences

Once you have downloaded the appropriate file, navigate to the folder where you placed the file, and double-click on the file to execute the installer. When you are asked where to install the update, be sure to select the folder in which your current copy of LightWave 3D [8] is located. This is required in order for the installer will place all the new files in the proper locations within that folder.

Be sure to read the ReadMe for important information about changes to the software.

NewTek can only verify stability issues with the default installation of LightWave 3D [8] when releasing updates and upgrades. NewTek cannot guarantee that the stability of 3rd party plug-ins/LScripts will not be affected by such changes. If you make use of third-party plug-ins/LScripts, we recommend checking with the respective publishers for compatibility issues before updating your installation of LightWave 3D [8].

Major Updates

Layout

GLSL Hardware Shaders

View light fall offs, blended images on surfaces, procedurals, and even gradients in real-time in OpenGL viewports in Layout. This is all possible with OpenGL v2.0 Hardware Shaders on graphics cards which support the technology.

Geared toward giving you a more accurate preview of your final render, the GLSL Hardware Shaders can speed-up productivity for your projects.


	GLSL HW Shading Off	GLSL HW Shading On

Known issues

Some of the functions of the GLSL Hardware Shaders are currently having conflicts with ATI graphics cards. NewTek and ATI are working on this issue, so be sure to keep up with the latest drivers for your graphics card.
The option to use the GLSL Hardware Shaders is only available on the Mac for users of OS X 10.4.3 or higher.

Particle Dynamics

Improved for accuracy, including interaction with collision planes. A new algorithm also allows large dynamic scenes to load up to 10x faster. The progress of your calculation is now shown in a new Dynamics Window.

Modeler

MultiShift

If you have ever gone through a bevel session and wished you could go back a few steps, while keeping the rest of the work intact, this is all possible with Multishift. With Multishift Mode on, you can move backwards in a work session. You can also save an entire Multishift session as a separate file and apply those edits to another mesh.

Other features include creating new surfaces as you work and new shifting algorithms, which allow more flexibility for complex angles in a mesh.


	Make one finger for a hand using Multishift, save the work history…


	…and apply Multishift to other polygons for the other fingers.


	With a only few adjustments on the mesh, Multishift can speed up your workflow by automating repetitive tasks.

Parts to Surfaces

At some point when using LightWave you may need to import a model from another program into Modeler, but that model might not have surface information. If the model has part names associated with it, you can activate Parts to Surfaces and instantly have a new surface applied to each part.

Layout & Modeler

78 new Hotkey selections are now available. New key combinations are Caps_Lock+Letter, Alt+Letter, Shift+Alt+Letter, and Shift+Ctrl+Letter combinations.

Software fixes

	Affected area	Summary
	Modeler	Models which would not load in 8.3 but could in 8.2 should be able to load now Keyboard shortcut for Make Poly has been fixed to work with new Make Poly tool EPSF Importer has been fixed to work with pathnames longer than 32-characters

	Layout&Modeler	The correct image file types will now be listed in the configuration file

	Layout	Window resizing should not cause memory leak Image Filters without a user interface are now saved with the scene file Fog settings are now saved even if fog is turned off Fog should now respect transparency settings OpenGL should now display large image files Selecting a camera, light or bone while playing the timeline after a dynamics calculation should not crash Layout IK Booster Custom Color should save settings Trail.ls now has a trap for out-of-bounds indexing Lens Flare panel adjusted to appropriate width Item Comment Display for Custom Object will default item it is displayed on Edge Tiling should render correctly when pixel blending is activated Render Status should work when Magnification set to 400% LWBUF_SPECULAR & LWBUF_SPECIAL buffers should return valid buffer pointers Surface Voxels should not ignore background layer IK Booster handles should no longer switch to wireframes when changing object size MD_Metaplug should now recognize absolute paths for a cage object

	Surface Editor	Save Library should no longer crash when editing Adjusting Bump Texture values should no longer crash LightWave Alpha channel should be copied when copying Gradient Layers Changing Gradient Parameters (for example, from Distance to Surface Thickness) should retain the scale of the gradient

	Graph Editor	Correct frame value should be calculated when high frame rate is used

	Image Editor	PNGs should now work properly with Image Edit control

	VIPER	HyperVoxels should now preview correctly in VIPER window Background images should render correctly in VIPER window

	HyperVoxels	F9 render should work correctly when Blending is OFF for HyperVoxels and Raytrace Shadows ON

	SDK	Targa index files with an alpha channel should no longer cause a crash

	Configuration	Library File Types are now saved correctly in default configuration

	Other	Motion Y and Motion X in PSD Exporter are now labeled correctly Particles can now be affected by other collision objects after "sticking" to one

Detail Notes

Layout & Modeler
If you experience any issues with dongle detection or your Product Lock ID changing, you may need to update your dongle drivers. You can download the latest Sentinel Drivers at SafeNet web site. For additional help please contact NewTek Europe Technical Support.