LightWave 3D

Plans and prices

Every plan, in full

On the record

2025 features

LightWave 2025 adds a Toon Filter, switchable Python 2 and 3 environments, procedural geometry updates, and expanded presets.docs.lightwave3d.com · read 29 Sep 2026

Company legal entity

LIGHTWAVE DIGITAL LTD is an active UK private limited company incorporated on 3 February 2023 at 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX.find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk · read 15 Oct 2026

Company location

The company contact page lists England, UK.lightwave3d.com · read 29 Sep 2026

Company profile

LinkedIn lists LightWave 3D as privately held software development with headquarters in Macclesfield, 51–200 employees and a 1985 founding date for the brand.uk.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Documentation

Documentation includes online 2025 and 2020 manuals plus a downloadable 3,600-plus-page 2020 manual PDF.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Feature: animation

LightWave includes character, object and motion animation capabilities.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Feature: lighting and texturing

Its lighting and surfacing tools support realistic and stylised materials and effects.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Feature: modelling

The product provides advanced polygon and procedural modelling tools for building 3D assets.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Feature: Python

LightWave 2025 supports both Python 2.7 and Python 3.13 environments for scripting and tools.docs.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Feature: rendering

It includes a native high-quality renderer for producing stills and animation.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Feature: RiPR

LightWave 2025 added RiPR, a real-time interactive path-rendering preview intended to provide near-instant feedback.docs.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Feature: simulation

The software provides physics simulation for effects such as cloth, water and particles.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Integrations

The Unreal Engine Bridge transfers objects, instances, textures, animations, camera moves, and lights in real time.lightwave3d.com · read 29 Sep 2026

Integrations listed by directories

GetApp lists Adobe After Effects and Blender integrations, with Premiere Pro and ZBrush among other commonly used connections.getapp.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Intended users

The maker describes LightWave as intended for professionals in television production, film visual effects, video game development, print graphics, and visualization.lightwave3d.com · read 29 Sep 2026

Licence model

Official documentation describes a proprietary software-driven licence for Windows 64-bit and macOS, with an optional hardware dongle.docs.lightwave3d.com · read 15 Oct 2026

Licensing

The 2025 licence is software-driven for Windows 64-bit and macOS, and a hardware dongle can be requested but is not required.docs.lightwave3d.com · read 29 Sep 2026

Limit: dated UI and learning curve

Creative Bloq says the interface remains dated, the product is split across multiple programs and workflows take substantial learning.creativebloq.com · read 15 Oct 2026

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