August 13, 2008

NewTek LightWave 3D Used in The Dark Knight

NewTek LightWave 3D was used by artist Stuart Penn at Framestore, for key scenes of one of 2008’s biggest box office successes, The Dark Knight. A highlight of the LightWave-generated work appears during the movie’s notable Hong Kong sequence. Using LightWave, Penn modeled two Hong Kong buildings that Batman jumps between, and from which he is later extracted by a C130 Hercules transport plane. Penn also modeled the damaged sections of one building, seen after the corner has been blown off, as well as larger areas of the building that were replaced or extended. NewTek LightWave 3D combines a photorealistic renderer with modeling and animation tools. LightWave also integrates with other popular production tools for 3D and for compositing, with support for a wide range of formats. Additional tools in the product package include unlimited render nodes, hard- and soft-body dynamics, and hair, fur, and cloth simulation. LightWave is used worldwide as a complete 3D production solution for visual effects in film and television, broadcast graphics, games, visualization, print, and Web.

LightWave v9 is available now at $895. LightWave v9.5 will be available as a free update to registered LightWave v9 owners. Registered owners of LightWave v8 or earlier can upgrade to LightWave v9 for $395.