Tunesy is right about the reviewers feelings on the GUI. I try and read every review I can get my hands on concerning 3D tools and this opinion is common.
I like the interface but I've used it since day one, so that makes it tougher for me to be objective.
As far as the interface over-complicating the simplest of tasks, well, maybe so, but maybe not in all cases.
I have a co-worker who has been a devout Lightwave user and has produced an impressive body of work in the last 4 or 5 years using this fine, well- thought-out software. A couple of weeks ago we needed a small illustration done in a relatively short time so he decided to tackle it and let me watch him from start to finish. It was to be an image of a school bell sitting on top of a closed sign to go with a story on a recent Catholic school closing. As he created each aspect of the model, texture maps and final render I watched with great interest. I know enough about Lightwave to have done this illustration, but not enough to have done it in a short time. When he was finished, an hour and a half had transpired. Although he made the deadline with room to spare, it seemed to me that my co-worker had to take a lot of steps that I would not have taken if I had used Carrara.
Later that night I tried replicating the same illustration and finished in about 20 minutes.
Now, understand, I don't do animation, so I'll not make any claims in that area and I work with this program daily so I am keenly aware of it's limitations but I think that GUI may be different from norm but not inherently bad. The fact is though, that maybe, enough people are intially put off by the interface that it hurts sales, maybe Eovia will address this.

Message edited on: 07/05/2004 14:18

Message edited on: 07/05/2004 14:20