When comparing Lightwave 3D vs Cinema 4D, the Slant community recommends Cinema 4D for most people. In the question“What is the best 3D modeling software?” Cinema 4D is ranked 3rd while Lightwave 3D is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Cinema 4D is:
Cinema 4D is heralded for its approachability. New users are not hindered by lack of familiarity with similar tools.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Support for Python scripting
In addition to Lscript, Lightwave supports Python.
Pro Been around for years, and is still capable of good animations, and great renders.
The 3DS MAX version 5 days. So Lightwave will always hold a special place for me. It was ahead of the game back in the day, with its renderer. And was widely used for films, among other things. Though it hasn't advanced much in the modeling section, and UI over the years. You can still make some really nice things in it, and get some highly realistic results.
Pro Powerful animation tools
Pro Great value for the price
Pro A perfect tool for freelancers
Pro Powerful nodes shaders
Pro Plays well with other software
Pro Beginner friendly with a very smooth learning curve
Pro Very stable
Pro Great community support
Pro Production proven
Used heavily in famous Hollywood movies, TV shows, commercials and video games.
Pro Designed for individual artists
Pro Easy to learn
Cinema 4D is heralded for its approachability. New users are not hindered by lack of familiarity with similar tools.
Pro Clean UI
Customizable floating palettes and configurable view panels let screen space be dedicated to the artwork, not the interface.
Pro Great modeling and animation Software.
It's super easy to learn, and there are lots of tutorials online. What really ticks me off, is that it's always rated below Blender, by Blender fanboys. Sure Blender's UI is way better now, after it's 2.8 release but not better than C4D's. Blender is open source, and has really good 3rd party plugins, and is always being updated which is great.. But it's not better than C4D. Just because Blender is "FREE" doesn't make it a better Software, while again I repeat it is a good Software. C4D is also capable of the same things, and possibly even more. C4d is really underrated. And I don't understand why there wasn't a "YES" under the (3D) section on the list for C4D.
Pro Rendering
Is simple for making good rendering
Pro Includes great tools for animation and motion graphics
Mograph is a set of tools in C4d that speeds up the process of making animations and motion graphics.
Pro Useful content browser
Cinema 4D comes fully-loaded with an extensive library of preset objects, materials and scenes that make it easy to get started with your 3D project. Use this outstanding resource to quickly develop concepts without spending time modeling (or wasting money buying models), or dissect complete scenes created by top C4D artists to develop your own skills. These highly curated libraries are custom-tailored to specific markets, with a wide variety of assets including models, materials and customizable presets.
Pro Sketch & toon
Very flexible toon rendering solution helps you to create amazing 2D cartoon style renders.
Cons
Con Two applications: one for modelling and another for layout
Con Not beginner-friendly
Lightwave has mediocre tutorials and a complex multi-application workflow.
Con Expensive
Starts at $995.00 with the complete version costing $3,695.00.
Con Doesn't make true Booleans like most other 3D Softwares.
It works in a parent and child structure, so when you subtract one object, from another, it remains there invisible, and can be moved around.