NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, announced today the port of their Emmy® Award-winning LightWave 3D® to the Intel® EM64T and AMD64 platforms. NewTek’s LightWave 3D is leading the industry as the first professional 3D graphics application to publicly reveal plans for a 64-bit port. The 64-bit version of LightWave® leverages the power and range of capabilities of 64-bit technology, including increased processor power and greater memory capabilities, providing an ideal platform to meet the demands for higher performance in the production of complex motion graphics and visual effects.

The 64-bit version of LightWave will revolutionize the way animators and artists approach their work by streamlining the production process. Of particular value is the ability the 64-bit system provides for faster memory access for loading and swapping large scene files. LightWave 3D’s optimized performance on the 64-bit platform will provide artists with the ability to set new standards in visual effects as they create increasingly complex scenes and animations, rendered with greater realism, bringing their work to an entirely new level while remaining on time and budget.

"For years, LightWave and the artists who use it have broken barriers and pushed the envelope of both technology and artistry; with the 64-bit version of LightWave that momentum continues." said Dr. Andrew Cross, NewTek’s Senior VP of Software Engineering. "The added ability to access massive amounts of memory quickly and to handle even larger scene files more effectively, as provided with 64-bit technology, makes this a winning combination for 3D artists in any arena."

NewTek is working with key partners in film and television visual effects facilities to test and further enhance the 64-bit port. "LightWave is already the cornerstone of our very cost effective production pipeline, given the extraordinary results it produces and its other benefits such as 999 free render nodes and free technical support." comments Emile Smith, Emmy Award-winning VFX Supervisor, Zoic Studios. "Add the processor speed and memory management in the 64-bit system and a LightWave 64-bit pipeline will be hard to beat for cost and output results."

Pricing and Availability

The 64-bit version of LightWave 3D will be available for sale when the 64-bit Windows Operating System is commercially available. The 64-bit version of LightWave currently in test at a limited number of pre-determined beta site locations. LightWave [8] for Windows and Macintosh platforms is available through NewTek resellers worldwide for a suggested retail price of $1595US. Current LightWave users may upgrade to LightWave [8] for a suggested retail price of $495US. To locate the nearest authorized reseller or distributor, see our reseller locater at http://www.newtek.com/dealers. 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[4]™, 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 "I, Robot", Spiderman 2, The Manchurian Candidate, Exorcist: The Beginning, Garfield, Hellboy, Van Helsing, Triplets of Belleville, The Last Samurai, Torque, Children of Dune, Battlestar: Galactica, Firefly, Taken, Smallville, Star Trek: Enterprise, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Matrix Reloaded, Collateral Damage, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Agent Cody Banks, Daredevil, Spy Kids II, Oscar®-nominated Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Final Fantasy, Blackhawk Down 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