The LightWave 3D Group, a division of Texas-based NewTek, Inc., has just announced a new Architectural Design Bundle that couples LightWave 3D 11.5 3D modeling, animation and rendering software with WTools3D LWCAD 4.5 CAD tools for LightWave.
This bundle includes a powerful set of features that architects, set designers and interior designers can use to cost-effectively create professional 3D visualization and animation for the most demanding design projects.
“LightWave and LWCAD hav e always had a strong presence in the architectural community,” said Viktor Velicko, creator of LWCAD. “By collaborating with the LightWave 3D Group to put together this new Architectural Bundle, architects and designers now have all the tools they need to create professional 3D visualizations and walkthroughs that are impressive and affordable.”
01- LightWave 3D Group announces new Architectural Design Bundle with WTools3D.
The Architectural Bundle – Details
The LWCAD 4.5 bundled addition to LightWave 3D 11.5 adds a complete set of standard CAD tools for LightWave created specifically for visualization needs. One can think of this as a CAD add-on package directly into LightWave. Key features include:
- LightWave Modeler Extension Functions — 2D drawing capabilities, 3D CAD tools like trim, knife, extend, blend, offset, fillet and many others
- OSNAP Engine — Construct precise models using Snap types such as point, center, intersection, tangent, perpendicular, ruler, projection, angle, grid and more…
- Real-Time Booleans — Cut, slice and edit models with real-time Boolean options
- ViewPort Interactivity — Speed productivity and access LWCAD’s onscreen controls directly in the viewport
LWCAD 4.5 also includes a Universal Coordinate System (UCS), Shape Tools to manage instances and conversions to polygons, interactive wall grids, furniture tools and shapes for fast interior modeling, architectural presets for interior and exterior elements, and much more.
And Don’t Forget LightWave
Of course folks have been using LightWave in architectural visualization for years as the program has many architectural visualization features built-in, some of which include;
- Real World Measurement Capabilities — use real-world measurement units with numeric conversion via a mini-calculator and support for metric and imperial units
- Multiple Lighting Solutions — image-based lighting and Skytracer for physically-based day and night lighting scenarios. The Sun Spot Modifier provides accurate son positioning based on latitude, longitude and time zone (basically a Heliodome function). There is also Time lapse settings to allow for easy day and night cycles, and photometric illumination using standard Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) files.
- Interactive Modeling Tools — introduces new modeling tools like UV Unwrap, Edit Edges, Place Mesh, Slice, Thinken and Heat Sink
- Advanced Rendering Options — Lightwave’s production renderer is the same renderer used to create highly realistic visualizations for television and film, supporting up to 999 render nodes in one LightWave license.
- Interactive GI (Global Illumination) — provides interactive GI to see work in progress in the viewport with Viewport Render Preview (VRP), depth of field (DOF), motion blur and stereo rendering is also supported
- Interactive Fly-Thru and SpaceNavigator Support — there is plug and play support for 3Dconnexion’s SpaceNavigator device
Pricing and Availability
The LightWave 11.5 and LWCAD 4.5 Architectural Design Bundle is now available and priced at 1,545.USD. Customers can purchase this bundle and download LightWave 11.5 directly from the LightWave website and receive a coupon code for the LWCAD 4.5 tools directly the WTools3D website. You can learn more at the promo page at LightWave’s site here or directly from WTools3D here.