I was given a price of 850 USD for a "Developer Version... ...of mental ray 3.2 that allows direct access to the mental ray API, is available directly from mental images to third parties on an OEM/VAR basis for integration into a wide range of applications, including CAD, styling design, architectural design, visualization, and numerous Intranet/Internet applications, that require sophisticated and interactive rendering capabilities" for a single copy of Mental Ray. Which means I could use it to develop a program that makes use of it as a renderer, but not for distribution. The distribution level version was, um, 3500, plus the fee per copy, which I didn't hear because I was still reeling from the other two. Suffice to say that it would place the price of a copy of either of these programs into the area of 1,000 USD almost at minimum, and that the folks would still have to purchase the renderer separately. As Stewer knows, I am a fan of Firefly, and 3Delight. What we really need to ask for isn't that these renderers are included in the package, but that the programs have the ability to save to a file format that they can use. Heck, I'd be happy to be able to save out to POV ray and Rib format (assuming I could find a decent BMRT link still, since it's been canned forever (:((() Being able to save out to format supported by different renderers would be a huge slice of heavenly fun. And as for the renders above: Nice images. Shadows are too soft. I don't agree with the flatness, they look firly dimensional to me, but my aesthetic tastes lean towards shadows for hints of texture and depth. The image with the bird and flowers, for example, appears chroma-keyed and poorly blended, like paper cutouts placed one over the other. Reminds me of some of the less exciting Warhol works (I'm not a fan). This is not an attack, btw -- I'm merely noting that the images aren't what I like -- not that they are bad.

thou and I, my friend, can, in the most flunkey world, make, each of us, one non-flunkey, one hero, if we like: that will be two heroes to begin with. (Carlyle)