Stewer -- look really close at the materials system, though. Keeping in mind that it's pretty much what, 5 years old, I think you'll enjoy it. DAZ did right, too -- they grabbed the best pro-am folks available (besides Susan Kitchens), and they now have all of BryceTech's tutes installed in the Arcana. Hit them up quick -- you won't need to tlearn the basics except some nav stuff, but you'll like a lot of the little quirks that are there. Slow as it is, that rendering engine makes some AWFULLY pretty pictures...

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)