One of LightWave 3D's new owners and creative director Andrew Bishop has a lot to say. I sit down with the animator-turned-software proprietor to catch up on why they've bought this legacy 3D software, that's been used in game development, film VFX, animation and archviz since the 1990s. But LightWave 3D’s best years are ahead of it, believes the team at LightWave Digital, as new leadership, updates and a roadmap of ambitious ideas suggests this could be the Maya competitor many have demanded.
"Part of the reason we bought LightWave is because of the lack of development, the lack of care given to animators," says Andrew candidly. He'd love LightWave 3D to be free if he could, but development costs negate that possibility, so instead he’s gone for the most comprehensive package at the lowest market price. When you consider this newly relaunched suite of tools has had over 500 features added since it was acquired by Andrew and his team back in April 2023, there's a lot to love about the direction this 3D graphics software is heading in.
