各位親愛的HardCORE會員們好,
我知道各位從2月4日我們發佈令人興奮的LightWave CORE訊息後就一直等待進一步的發展消息。這裡有些消息是我將會在過幾天之後公開的討論區中發佈,但是我想應該讓各位首先看一下這個全新的擷取畫面。
請勿將這篇內容(或與其它我們釋出的訊息)張貼於他處或是轉貼到公開的討論區,請容許由我們自己在稍後將訊息公佈。
在我們發佈LightWave CORE之後,大家對LightWave CORE表現的非常興奮,而且有著許多的討論,大家期待著更多的細節與訊息的公開,所以在這裡我們就稍微進入LightWave CORE來看一下。
從兩年前我們開始在進行LightWave CORE的發展時就希望這個全新的發展不會讓各位忠實的LightWave用戶覺得好像要面對一個全新陌生的軟體與工作介面(許多其他的軟體曾經如此發生過),而且LightWave CORE的全新目標將是提供您在所有3D軟體中所能得到最好的下一個世代的全新技術。
因此,從此時開始,新的採購與升級的HardCORE會員將會收到LightWave CORE這個內涵全新工作環境與各種模組引擎與全新功能。LightWave將會永遠持續的進化,而您將參與這個重要的轉變時刻,這將是個可以令所有人回顧並認定為LightWave發展史上的另一個全新的里程碑。
LightWave CORE是一個全新的技術引擎,他將會取代目前的模組引擎。目前的模型,貼圖與材質資訊都可以直接進入LightWave CORE,但是第?方協力廠商的外掛目前是不行的,我們將會協助並引導這些協力廠商將他們的外掛進行調整以便置入LightWave CORE之中。
目前, LightWave CORE的第一個發展目標是建模模組與環境,我們過去對建模部分有許多想法,但是都礙於必須要有LightWave CORE的核心架構才方便執行將這些建模工具與想法帶領到一個全新的領域,因此這些發展都留到這個階段才進行。當然,LightWave CORE的能力是全方位的,但是我們總要從某個地方開始進行發展,而建模環境是個很好的開始之處,所以這一的個版本的LightWave CORE將會集中在這些方面,後續在發展過程中我們將在一同進行討論。
那LightWave 9系列又將如何呢?
大家都知道我們才剛推出LightWave 9.6,而大家也都說這是我們所推出最好的一個版本。當然,沒有什麼軟體是絕對完美的,所以我們將持續提供LightWave 9.x系列的技術支援與服務。這將包括必須要的除蟲升級版本,但是將不會有任何更新的功能再加入到LightWave 9系列。我們將會把所有的研發與計畫都在LightWave CORE中執行並將行動在HardCORE會員計劃中與以討論。
我們有著強烈的遠見,那就是該如何將LightWave CORE發展成世上最好的3D軟體,其中的重點就是我們不能缺少您的支持,因此,我們計劃從HardCORE計畫中將各位的回饋意見一並整合進到軟體發展中並在最終到上市的階段。
非常感謝有許多會員已經首先進入HardCORE的會員計劃,我們也非常感謝您們在9.x公測計畫中的貢獻,我們也期待您在LightWave CORE發展歷程中的支持與貢獻。
許多人到目前還在考慮是否加入HardCORE計畫,我當然中心希望您能夠加入。因為那不但可以提早領略到LightWave CORE的新技術,同時您也可以扮演成為下一個世代的3D動畫軟體的研發催生者。
但是在此我也必須指出,HardCORE計畫或許並不適用於任何人,如果您需要在您決定之前就先知道有哪些工具與哪些發展您將可以運用,那您當然比較適合等待到我們完成這個階段的研發並且推出上市的時候,屆時我們將會有詳細的功能與說明清單條列公佈於世。
關於下面的擷取畫面:
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第一張截圖所展示的是LightWave CORE的群體instancing能力。畫面中的柔體物件為細分等級17(sub divided to 17 levels)面數為8,102,115 polygons(四角面與三角面),然後利用複製功能“Clone”將物件複製出7個物件,整個工作環境中的面數高達56,714,805 polygons。螢幕播放速度將取決於您的系統與顯示卡的效能,在這個例子中,顯示卡是Nvidia Quadro FX1600M,與512MB RAM, 256 Dedicated, running on a Dell Precision M6300 Laptop with 2GB of RAM, and WinXP SP3.
模型製作Credits: Dragon Mesh by Lino Grandi and Alessandro Di Fulvio
附註:這個使用者介面是客製化暫定,並不是最終的操作介面。
另外這張截圖顯示的是GPU的使用與GPU記憶體處理即時顯示細分柔體的模型表面。在這個例子中,模型細分到30次(subdivided to 30 levels)總面數高達25,231,500 polygons。雖然顯示面數如此高,但是使用者仍然可以很輕鬆的使用工具進行編輯,這顯示GPU的效能對高面數模型的處理能力。這個例子中的顯示卡是Nvidia Quadro FX1600M, with 512MB RAM, 256 Dedicated, running on a Dell Precision M6300 Laptop with 2GB of RAM, and WinXP SP3.
模型製作Credits: Dragon Mesh by Lino Grandi and Alessandro Di Fulvio
附註:這個使用者介面是客製化暫定,並不是最終的操作介面。
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敬請期待,我們還有更多與LightWave CORE的相關訊息、螢幕截圖、影片等會再陸續幾周中推出介紹。
Jay Roth
__________________
Jay Roth
NewTek
www.lightwave3d.com
原文如下:
Hello HardCORE,
I know you guys have been waiting for some news on the exciting development we announced on the 4th about LightWave CORE. Here’s a little bit that I’m going to post in the public forums very soon, but I wanted you guys to get the first look at it along with the very first LightWave CORE screenshots.
Please do not post this (or any other information we give you from the HardCORE Community) forums into the public forums. Please allow us to do that instead.
There's been a lot of interest and discussion following our recent LightWave CORE announcement. Many of you are very excited about LightWave CORE, but you'd like more information; more details. So, let's dive a bit deeper into LightWave CORE.
Our goal since beginning this direction over two years ago was to create a path of evolution that does not make you, our loyal customers, feel abandoned by facing a completely foreign workflow and UI (as has been the case for some other 3D apps in the past), yet through our LightWave CORE roadmap providing you with the best next-generation technology any current 3D app can provide.
From this point on, new purchases, upgrades and HardCORE memberships will be receiving LightWave CORE, which incorporates the new framework, engine and features. LightWave will be forever improving and you are a part of a significant moment in time, a time that can be looked back to one day and be recognized as the milestone when LightWave began its new path of evolution.
LightWave CORE is the new technology engine that will eventually completely supplant the current engine. Your mesh assets, image maps and some surfacing attributes will be accessible to LightWave CORE, but plug ins will not be. We will work with third parties to help guide them as they port their products over to LightWave CORE.
For now, our primary focus for LightWave CORE will be in the modeling environment. We have had so many ideas for modeling in the past, but we really needed the CORE architecture to take it to a whole new level. Of course, CORE is capable of anything, but we did need to start somewhere -- modeling was a good choice, and modeling will be the primary focus for the LightWave CORE release later this year. We will discuss specifics as we move along with the project.
So what happens to the LightWave 9 series?
As you know, we recently shipped LightWave 9.6, and you've told us that it's, hands-down, the very best version of LightWave we've ever-shipped. Of course, no software product is ever perfect, so we will continue to support LightWave 9.x by providing technical support, and free bug-fix releases as deemed necessary by NewTek. However, we do not plan any new feature releases in the 9.x series. All the improvements that we have planned for LightWave will be offered as part of the HardCORE membership program.
We have a strong vision for what will make LightWave CORE the best 3D app on the planet, but we cannot do this without you: we plan to use the feedback we get from our HardCORE members and from our key account users to deliver that.
Many of you have already made the leap and joined our HardCORE program. Thank you very much for doing that. We truly appreciated the important contribution that many of you made in the 9.x Open Beta program, and we are looking forward to getting your input for LightWave CORE.
Some of you are still considering whether you should join the HardCORE program or not. I truly hope you will. Not only will you get early access to LightWave CORE technology, but you'll get to play a role in shaping our next generation 3D application.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the HardCORE program is probably not for everyone. If you need to know in advance every detail of every feature we're going to deliver before you make your decision, then you should most definitely wait until we ship the first LightWave CORE version and we publish a final feature list.
On to the screens:
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This screen illustrates a sample of instancing in CORE. Instancing is handled via the CORE screen graph. Instances are created via the “Clone” command. In this illustration, We can see the source object is also sub divided to 17 levels, for a total of 8,102,115 polygons (quads and tris.) There are seven total objects, one master and six clones, for a scene total of 56,714,805 polygons. Playback speed in this case is dictated by system resources and graphics card memory. In this example, the card is an Nvidia Quadro FX1600M, with 512MB RAM, 256 Dedicated, running on a Dell Precision M6300 Laptop with 2GB of RAM, and WinXP SP3.
Credits: Dragon Mesh by Lino Grandi and Alessandro Di Fulvio
Note: the user interface as presented is an engineering skin, and should not be considered final.
This screen illustrates the use of the GPU and GPU memory for handling subdivision surfaces. This example shows that the mesh is subdivided to 30 levels, for a total of 25,231,500 polygons. At this level, the user still has very good tool and view performance, as the GPU is doing most of the work. In this example, the card is an Nvidia Quadro FX1600M, with 512MB RAM, 256 Dedicated, running on a Dell Precision M6300 Laptop with 2GB of RAM, and WinXP SP3.
Credits: Dragon Mesh by Lino Grandi and Alessandro Di Fulvio
Note: the user interface as presented is an engineering skin, and should not be considered final.
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Stay tuned. We'll have some more LightWave CORE details, screen shots, videos, etc. to show you in the coming weeks.
Jay Roth
__________________
Jay Roth
NewTek
www.lightwave3d.com |