NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today announced award-winning LightWave ® 9.3.1 is now available as a free 30-day trial for Mac OS X and both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows immediately from here: www.newtek.com/lightwave/lwtrial

The software is fully functional with no restrictions or watermarks for a full 30-day period and has 24 hours of video training on many topics to enable quick use of LightWave’s powerful tools. In addition, the complete manuals in PDF format are available for download, allowing users to reference tools and features. 130 MB of royalty-free content is also provided, which can continue to be loaded and studied even after the 30-day trial period is over.

“LightWave has always provided a stunning amount of bang for the buck – there’s nothing out there as fast for me to get the results I want.” says Andrew Bishop, director of Darkside Animation currently working on The Kitchen Games, a CG-animated theatrical feature film. “Now that the trial edition is available a whole new generation of 3D artists can try it out and experience what we do here at Darkside Animation.”

In a television environment where speed and budget are mission critical, LightWave is the leader, resulting in more Emmy ® Awards for artists than any other 3D application. Primetime shows such as CSI, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Lost, 24 and Battlestar Galactica all use LightWave for its speed and reliability. Hollywood also relies on LightWave for high-end feature film work with credits for Iron Man, Nim’s Island and Hancock being the most recent entries.

Pricing and Availability

The LightWave Trial Edition is available for free download immediately. LightWave ® v9 is available now at suggested retail price of $895US. LightWave v9.5 will be available as a free update to registered LightWave v9 owners. Registered owners of LightWave 3D ® [8] or earlier are eligible to purchase an upgrade to LightWave v9 for $395US. For more information or to purchase, please visit www.lightwave3d.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441, for international inquiries dial +1-210-370-8000.