* Soft shadows and Shadow catching are now both supported by Real-time rendering, using programmable shading;

* Programmable shading is now supported for several more LightWorks material shaders, for example multilayer paints and leathers, and this gives real-time support which is closer to the software implementation;

* Epix output can now be anti-aliased giving users more defined and accurate rendering.

David Forrester, Managing Director at LightWorks commented: "We appreciate that globally, many companies are experiencing difficult economic times at the moment and we want to help our customers to increase the value of their products.  The release of LightWorks 8.1 comes quickly after the release of LightWorks 8.0 as we have accelerated our development plans to bring new functionality to our customers even more quickly."

LightWorks customers are already seeing the benefits of these product advancements: Roland Roeder, PTC GmbH commented: "The real-time shadow catcher support in 8.1 is great news for us and the leather shaders work really well!  We're also finding that the added support for real-time soft shadows is making a big difference when we use LightWorks real-time rendering."

LightWork Design

LightWork Design is the world's leading supplier of rendering solutions for developers of advanced 3D computer graphics software.  Now in its 20th year, LightWork Design continues to develop LightWorks to provide customers with innovative and market-focused solutions for the creation of powerful and easy-to-use rendering applications.  Renowned for its physically accurate visualisation of real-world objects and environments, LightWorks is the ideal choice for applications targeted at the AEC, Configuration, and Industrial markets.  LightWorks is supplied as a complete solution which includes the SDK, support, training and consultancy services, to give customers fast and efficient access to leading-edge rendering technology, resulting in shorter development cycles, faster time-to-market for new products, and lower software development costs.

LightWorks is the de facto standard for integrated rendering in advanced 3D graphics applications, embedded in over 80 software applications and used by more than 2 million users worldwide.

LightWorks - 20 Years of Graphics Excellence.

www.lightworkdesign.com