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Suki Update and Crazy Lightwave News!
🕑 Added 2019-04-02 03:36:47 +0000 UTCHello! Just popping in to tell you I've hit another big milestone. Suki's body geometry is fully animated (growth included) from the top of her abs to the base of her toes. I am making some final adjustments to her hands and fingers now that her legs are in place before I finalize her upper body.
It's been a topsy-turvy day for me. NewTek, the parent company that makes my 3D software, Lightwave, was acquired today by larger company. I know what you are thinking... "April Fools." Well, I wish.
https://newsweb.oslobors.no/message/473495
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvuk-asg2uv/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1tiq7ca3p0v70
VizRT seems to be highly focused on video production technologies. NewTek's flagship products were also related to video production such as the TV-studio-in-a-box known as the TriCaster.
A bit of history for you.. The TriCaster is the modern incarnation of NewTek's first massively successful product, the Video Toaster. It was a hardware and software combo that converted an Amiga computer into a video production studio in a single box. It completely changed the world of video production when it arrived. Check out this classic video that launched the Video Toaster waaay back in 1991.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seznQmDp2pU
As you can see in the video, Lightwave originated as a slick software component that is all part of the original Video Toaster. Years later, Lightwave was broken off of the Video Toaster and sold separately.
Lightwave hung in there through the years, most likely because of the passion of Tim Jennison. It was never as much of a money-maker as the video production products.
There's no mention of Lightwave yet as far as what their intentions are for it. I am thinking there are the three most likely scenarios:
1. Every current Lightwave developer keeps his job and it's business as usual, if not accelerated with VizRT's deeper pockets.
2. Lightwave stays in development but is switched to an annual rent-only model that are used by other bigger companies such as AutoDesk (Max/Maya) and Adobe (Photoshop). These products can no longer be owned. You pay for an annual license and if you don't pay again a year later it stops working.
3. VizRT trims the fat. All Lightwave developers get fired or transferred and Lightwave disappears.
Obviously, I hope #1 is the path they take. #2 would cut me out of the action. If #2 or #3 happens I can still use what I have now for a number of years. I have been flirting with Houdini for a while now... Maybe I will migrate that way eventually. Houdini offers both rental and permanent licenses ($4000 for a permanent license!).
One ray of hope for VizRT keeping Lightwave is they apparently offer some kind of motion capture system. Lightwave would of course fit in there like a glove.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWq-x3-rnpE
This coming weekend will have the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show in Las Vegas. VizRT will hopefully let us all know what their plans are for Lightwave. Fingers crossed!
For those who made it this far... Tim Jennison made a movie called "Tim's Vermeer." Check out the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94pCNUu6qFY
Brilliant dude, right?
