Well as a former strata3-d studio user i would say pick up 3-d studio max the interface is straightforward and the material editor is a very powerful tool i like the fact that you can edit anything in the modifier stack and see instant results there is a slight learning curve, but i find it easier to use than strata and also in strata the normals flip misteriously during animation, but just one comment no one 3-d app. is ideal for everything max is easy to learn but lacks the rendering Quality Lightwave has better modelling and rendering but is sometimes confusing and maya well its too expensive