NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today announced that the latest edition of Emmy-winning LightWave 3D features many advanced character animation tools including an advanced version of the geometry morph control utility, Morph Mixer. The new version of Morph Mixer uses LightWave’s unique channel-based morph target system, Endomorphs, to blend morphs quickly and efficiently, improving both interactivity and work-flow. LightWave [8]’s Morph Mixer accelerates the animation process by introducing major new functionality for use in complex morph situations using advanced new tools for the hierarchical organization of morph targets.

"We were pleased to collaborate with DAZ Productions, Inc., on the further development of our mesh morphing tools," said Andrew Cross, vice president of software engineering for NewTek. "DAZ is a leader in the development of complex character animation tools; their expertise helped introduce some highly innovative new features into our integrated morphing solution. We know that our users will appreciate both the workflow and performance improvements in the new version."

In addition to working with NewTek on the development of Morph Mixer, DAZ and NewTek further collaborated on a number of other tools that are included in the package. New users of LightWave [8] will also find a demonstration version of DAZ Productions’ new lip-sync utility, Mimic, on the LightWave [8] Third Party Bonus CD.

"We are very pleased to help advance the already formidable animation capabilities of LightWave," said Taylor Wilson, CTO of DAZ Productions. "Drawing from our suite of technologies to create a new version of Morph Mixer and the other tools has been an exciting opportunity which we hope will further enhance the ability of LightWave users to take full advantage of increasingly sophisticated content. This collaboration shows a continued commitment by both companies to enhancing the user experience and continually advancing 3D technology."

Pricing and Availability LightWave 3D [8] is available for a suggested retail price of $1595US. Registered owners of LightWave 3D [7.5] or earlier are eligible to purchase a LightWave [8] Electronic Upgrade Pack for $495US. To locate the nearest authorized reseller or distributor, see our reseller locater at http://www.newtek.com.

For more information on the items offered and to purchase direct from NewTek, visit: http://www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441, overseas callers dial +1-210-370-8000.

About NewTek, Inc. With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including VT[3], and LightWave 3D, winner of the 2003 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award. NewTek launched the desktop video revolution in 1990 with the release of the legendary Video Toaster. The company’s products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video to feature film. Recent television and film projects using NewTek software include The Last Samurai, Threat Matrix, Children of Dune, Firefly, Taken, Smallville, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek 10: Nemesis, Matrix Reloaded, Collateral Damage, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Agent Cody Banks, Daredevil, Spy Kids II, We Were Soldiers, Panic Room, Hart’s War, Driven, A.I., Oscar-nominated Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Final Fantasy, Blackhawk Down, The Time Machine and Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Director’s Edition DVD. Recent game titles include Doom III, Unreal Tournament, Serious Sam for XBox, Age of Mythology, Civilization III, Dead to Rights, Baldur’s Gate II, EverQuest and Escape From Monkey Island. Website: http://www.newtek.com

About DAZ Productions DAZ Productions, Inc. specializes in providing high-quality 3D models inexpensively. By using the power of emerging 3D creative technologies, DAZ Productions pushes the limits of realism and versatility in the virtual world. DAZ offers advanced 3D products and sponsors brokering opportunities for talented artists giving increased exposure to their products. For more information visit www.daz3d.com.