Thank you guys, your support and appreciation mean a lot to us!
@Pat the Cat: I understand what you are saying about trial and error, not having tools like OpenGL, for example, tends to lead into more test renders than what you would do with it. And having a slow Amiga really is not one of the best experiences, compared to today's speeds.
However, I don't see why not use WinUAE for setting your Amiga environment, if you really want to get involved. Emulating an 68060 + JIT + Immediate Blitter really gives an experience of how an Amiga should really perform nowadays, if not some 5 years ago. That is, in waiting until Vamp accelerators come for our real AGA Amigas.
Supporting and sharing tips and tutorials with other Amiga users is also one of the aspects of the group. Especially for Lightwave, I've been using it since 1995, so if/when you decide to join, I'd be happy to help.