Lightwright was the creation of John McKernon, a professional lighting designer who taught himself BASIC and Z80 assembly and wrote Electric Assistant, which was the predecessor of this industrial lighting design software. Lightwright combines the features of spreadsheet software and a database management tool. Because it's specially designed for use in lighting design, this hybrid program understands that dimmers and circuit lamps need low-voltage current and that strip lights consist of different colors. Actually, the application is not a drafting tool or a diagram creator. Professionals use it to designate the placement of color scrolls and moving lights in a design plan and automate the lighting schedule for turning on/off lamps at a specific time. Apart from management and planning, Lightwright's features also include organizing the designer's notes, figuring out the circuitry of for more efficient lighting, rearranging channels, and reassigning dimmers.