What is Happening with LW?

[Rayek]

Another LW software engineer gone:
David Vrba: Aug 2003 - Aug 2020 - 17 yrs 1mo.

17 years LightWave development!

[Rayek]

Andrew Comb (Admin for the Facebook LightWave3D Support Group) just posted a message that he set up the Lightwave to Blender Support Group.

His message:

Hi all, well time has come to move on, so I decided to make a LightWave to Blender community. The idea is that it will be a sister site to this one, where we can share work art and community, but divided along software lines. There are many excellent Blender communities, but we have a specific need: We know and love Lightwave so much, that it's hard to get out of the quicksand. I've been using it for over 16 years myself, so this will be painful, and I would love to still stay around the LightWavers who move over there, with me.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lightwavetoblender/

[Nicolas Jordan]

Andrew Comb (Admin for the Facebook LightWave3D Support Group) just posted a message that he set up the Lightwave to Blender Support Group.

His message:

Hi all, well time has come to move on, so I decided to make a LightWave to Blender community. The idea is that it will be a sister site to this one, where we can share work art and community, but divided along software lines. There are many excellent Blender communities, but we have a specific need: We know and love Lightwave so much, that it's hard to get out of the quicksand. I've been using it for over 16 years myself, so this will be painful, and I would love to still stay around the LightWavers who move over there, with me.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lightwavetoblender/

The more users that leave Lightwave will simply speed up it's demise. Lightwave and more specifically LWCAD still is key to the work I do. If Lightwave development really does end then I sure hope Viktor ports LWCAD to Modo so at least that can continue even if on another platform.

[Bill Carey]

I understand that sentiment, and sympathize. It's been a long old haul, and I've been through most of it too, since LW 3.1. I've been told there is a move underway to integrate Lightwave staff into the larger org, but I can't offer any real insight on what this indicates in the larger context of this discussion.

Right now would be great time for VizRT to speak up unless the idea is to kill LW with disinformation.

[erikals]

FB info > https://www.facebook.com/groups/ligh...88153621290618

Elmar Moelzer >
Ok, so word I got is that LightWave is still supported and sold.

Elmar Moelzer >
From what I understand, there were some structural changes. LW development is getting more integrated with the rest of VizRT

[Rayek]

It is sheer pandemonium on the facebook group. If someone from Vizrt/Newtek had jumped in immediately this debacle could have been avoided easily. But no, Newtek/Vizrt remains dead silent.

"Lightwave is still supported and sold": not developed anymore then? And what is up with the indirect communication?

Right now would be great time for VizRT to speak up unless the idea is to kill LW with disinformation.

Indeed. "Speak now or ..."

[Nicolas Jordan]

Right now would be great time for VizRT to speak up unless the idea is to kill LW with disinformation.

I completely agree! None of this will help sales or inspire confidence in the product so they might as well just come out and explain whats going on.

[Andy Webb]

It's funny that Lightwave is owned by two different companies and neither of them seem to value communicating with their user base

[Nicolas Jordan]

It's funny that Lightwave is owned by two different companies and neither of them seem to value communicating with their user base

I really think they need to chime in unless they want to lose users. Users seem to be extremely ficle these days for some reason. Users shouldn't make up their mind until we know for sure what's going on.

[prometheus]

Should we just not have a tiny bit little more patience with the company structural changes?

A bit of a shame that the efforts put in to any given section seems to be soo little all over the sections, from the lack of improving these forums, to lack or very little plugin content, marketing to news articles.
But as someone said, they still support and sell Lightwave, it has to count for something.

"Pippin: "But we have the White Wizard… that's got to count for something."

As for the situation around Jantti and the other guy, I do not know...I think it´s just to unnecessary to speculate after 4 days from their alleged leave, if that is the case...and I don´t want´t to add more fuel to the pandemic it is now dead debate, just saying that those issues I mentioned about various sections, news, plugins, the forums, marketing...I just think they need to do something seriously different than what they have done for the last years.

As for chiming in, I do not think we will see anything of them explaining anything, they have just had a release and still support that.

[Rayek]

I really think they need to chime in unless they want to lose users. Users seem to be extremely ficle these days for some reason. Users shouldn't make up their mind until we know for sure what's going on.

"Social Media". The scourge of humanity at this point in time. While it can be used for good, mostly it's been having an entirely negative impact on the human condition.

And I think this "event" serves to provide the final push for all those LW users to actually make the switch to something else. Most already were preparing to jump ship.

What is happening now is merely a catalyst.

[prometheus]

"Social Media". The scourge of humanity at this point in time. While it can be used for good, mostly it's been having an entirely negative impact on the human condition.

And I think this "event" serves to provide the final push for all those LW users to actually make the switch to something else. Most already were preparing to jump ship.

What is happening now is merely a catalyst.

It´s the burn frankensteins monster lynch mob, and it is and will happen to more and more people and companies, states...so many seem inclined to follow the mob, without actually doing research about the matter...just impulse feelings and it sort of gives people an identity so gather around.

[Nicolas Jordan]

We need at least a new blog post regarding this to clear things up otherwise users will be jumping ship left and right like lemmings and this really could end up being the final nail in Lightwaves coffin even if that's not the intent of Newtek or VizRT.

[erikals]

well, four months to go...

2021



maybe we will hear a "peep"  

[raymondtrace]

Y'all realize that with so little information available, this could just be a terrible COVID-19 outbreak, right? Or maybe somebody kept microwaving fish for lunch and these devs said "enough! I'm outta here!"