LightWave Digital has released LightWave 2025, the next major version of the 3D animation and rendering software<\/a> for VFX, animation, motion graphics and visualization work.<\/p>\n Key changes in LightWave 2025.0 include new real-time preview rendering system RIPR, a new Toon Filter for cel-shading-style effects, and updates to the character rigging toolset.<\/p>\n There are also new modeling tools, a new procedural staircase-generation system, and several of third-party developer Denis Pontonnier\u2019s tools have been integrated into the software.<\/p>\n The third major release from LightWave\u2019s new owners<\/strong> It follows a three-year hiatus during which development was suspended by previous owner Vizrt, which acquired NewTek, LightWave\u2019s long-time developer, in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n The software\u2019s current owner, LightWave Digital, is a start-up whose management team<\/a> comprises people who were closely involved with the software in its NewTek days, including former NewTek staff, plus key add-on developers and LightWave users.<\/p>\n Viewport: RiPR provides path traced viewport previews on NVIDIA GPUs<\/strong> The GPU-accelerated path tracing system is available for viewport previews as an alternative to the standard VPR<\/a> (Viewport Preview Renderer) or GL previews.<\/p>\n RiPR is intended to provide more visually realistic previews for look development or visualization work, supporting HDR lighting, depth of field, and better handling of transparent materials.<\/p>\n It\u2019s built on NVIDIA\u2019s OptiX<\/a> ray tracing framework, so it requires a NVIDIA GPU \u2013 a GeForce 10 Series or Quadro Pascal card or newer \u2013 and is currently limited to a single viewport.<\/p>\n LightWave 2025\u2019s new SuperNormals system lets users edit normals on a per-model basis.<\/em><\/p>\n 3D modeling: new SuperPatcher tool, Displacement Brush and SuperNormals system<\/strong> The Displacement Brush<\/a> makes it possible to paint surface details like wrinkles or cracks, at least onto polygonal geometry: it doesn\u2019t work with SubPatch models.<\/p>\n It is also now possible to edit the normals of meshes on a per-model basis via the new SuperNormals<\/a> system.<\/p>\n Suggested use cases including fixing model-specific shading artefacts, creating custom edge styles, or for exporting game assets that require specific shading in different game engines.<\/p>\n Procedural modeling: Construct generates 3D staircases<\/strong> Its Stair Calculator can be used in both Modeler, LightWave\u2019s modeling application, and Layout, its scene layout application.<\/p>\n (Left) New rig picking system PickkIt! and (right) hand animation system HanddIt!<\/em><\/p>\n Rigging and animation: new walk cycle, hand animation and rig picking tools inside RHiggit<\/strong> Steppit!<\/a> is an automated walk cycle generator.<\/p>\n It works for both biped and creatures, and its output can be combined with standard keyframe animation, to modify the motion cycles generated, or to add secondary animation.<\/p>\n Handdit!<\/a> is a dedicated hand- and finger-animation system.<\/p>\n It provides controls for posing hands, either globally or finger-by-finger, and can be accessed within its own tab, or in the RHiggit! and Steppit! menus.<\/p>\n Pickkit!<\/a> is a rig picking interface.<\/p>\n It provides quick access to commonly adjusted rig points like shoulders and knees, and is \u201cfully compatible\u201d with the Steppit! and Handdit! interfaces.<\/p>\n Rendering: updates to OctaneRender<\/strong> Changes include three new gradient nodes<\/a>, and workflow improvements including updates to the Render Layers panel.<\/p>\n
LightWave 2025 is the third major update to the software since late 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Major changes in LightWave 2025 include RiPR<\/a> (Real-time Path Rendering).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cgchannel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/250418_LightWave2025_Supernormals.jpg\")
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New 3D modeling tools include SuperPatcher<\/a>, for capping holes in quad meshes.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cgchannel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/250418_LightWave2025_Construct.jpg\")
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LightWave 2025 also includes Construct<\/a>, a new procedural tool for generating structures like \u201cstairs, decks [and] bridges\u201d for architectural visualization or set design work.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cgchannel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/250418_LightWave2025_PickkIt_HanddIt.jpg\")
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RHiggit!, the modular character rigging system integrated into LightWave in LightWave 2024<\/a>, gets three new tools: Steppit!, Handdit! and Pickkit!.<\/p>\n
The LightWave integration for OctaneRender<\/a>, included with LightWave since LightWave 2023<\/a>, has also been updated.<\/p>\n