LightWave 2025
Welcome to the latest edition of the continuing LightWave saga. This season, be prepared for anime delights with our new Toon Filter Pixel filter, available to VPR and F9. Toon Filter gives you far more complete control over how you polygon edges look than the Object Properties Edges works, but doesn't stop you from using that as well, if you choose to.
Talking of rendering, new feature RiPR will give you near-instant feedback on what you are working on. No need to wait for an F9 or even VPR - RiPR gives you an immediate view of your render. RiPR only works in one viewport at a time, but it can be of any type. Also, HDR Light Studio now works again with LightWave!
Sticking with rendering, we have updated how Octane Render works in 2025 (Octane Render uses the 2024.1 API currently, support for RTX 50X0 cards is coming), with new Octane Volume Gradient, Gradient Map and ACGradient nodes along with other improvements.
If you are more involved with the modelling side of things, we have an interesting mix. Starting in Layout, we have a Displacement Brush for correcting modelling without needing to switch between Layout and Modeler trying to get things right. We also have the Pro Geo Construct node, which will make bookcases, stairs and the like directly in Layout - but can also be used in Modeler for rapidly commencing a more fixed asset. We have SuperNormals, which will give you more control over vertex normal maps and SuperPatcher, which can fill holes in geometry faster than a speedy thing.
We have added some of Denis Pontonnier's fantastic plugins. Staying on the Modeler side of things, we have the brilliant DP Verdure for creating swathes of grass and trees of all kinds, while in Layout, DP Kit and DP Filter are now updated and included by default. You can additionally take your surfacing up a notch with the RMan Collection of procedural textures.
Talking of plugins, LightWave now has the ability to use either Python 2.7 - all of the ProTools scripts were created with Python 2.7 - or Python 3.13 - the current mainstream version of Python.
Talking of scripting, we have some corking new plugins for animating with RhiggIt. They are Pickkit - for choosing rig elements easily, Steppit - for creating and editing walk cycles, including climbing stairs or traversing rough terrain, and Handdit - for hand animation. They are the so-called It tools and they will make bipedal character animation much easier.
Last, but by no means least, we now have far more presets available for different LightWave assets. In addition to the scene, model and light presets capabilities added to LightWave 2023, we now have OpenVDB presets along with a whole set of new surface, object and scene presets included in the installation.
LightWave 2025 is better than ever. Welcome to better.