LightWave as is it now   After the vX treatment
Introduction . . .
   

What is LightWave?

NewTek LightWave is an extremely powerful 3D modelling, rendering and animation package. It's been around since the mid 80s and has risen from strength to strength to become the number one affordable package in its field, while still offering high-end features found on much more expensive software. In fact, LightWave has often pioneered most of the features now being introduced into other software.

To download a demo version of LightWave 3D, click the download:

Download LightWave

What's wrong with its interface?

Despite its powerful feature set new users find it difficult to use due to its rather outdated and somewhat unconventional user interface.

The irony is after using LightWave for a while it does in fact become a lot easier to use, but the initial learning curve prevents this happening much sooner.

Also, as with most software that has survived for so long the feature set has expanded beyond the interface, as a result the workflow has suffered.
Why bother?
   

There's something about LightWave that is difficult to explain, after using it for some time you really start to feel connected to it, it has a very devoted following who genuinely care about the product.

This kind of attachment to a piece of software may sound unusual, but think about how many people say they "love their car"! Or how Apple users love their Macs!

Maybe it's because LightWave allows its users to create amazing works of art be it abstract or photo-realistic, maybe it's because the makers have as much passion for the product as the users and it shows through? Anyway, the point is, LightWave users enjoy giving back to the community they themselves receive so much from.

As a product designer I have a passion for the interaction between users and 'the product' they are using, whether it's a remote control, video recorder, kettle or an interface to a program.

Despite my love of the program, certain aspects of the user interface bug me! So much in fact that I decided to see if I could improve it, and in the process give it a much needed face lift.

This was the impetus behind the 'vX' project; to create a modern interface that improves on the current workflow.

This site aims to show the functionality behind what I'm proposing and why I believe it would improve the ease of use of the program.



should you wish to contact me regarding this work please email:

This work is in no way endorsed by Newtek, nor are these actual screenshots from any future versions of LightWave,
it is a private undertaking by the author, Matt Gorner and is not related to any design work undertaken by Creactive Design

Copyright © 2009 Matt Gorner