but I am (personally) more interested in seeing how far a package can be pushed to produce the same image as an artist since thats the area that facinates me. I am sure there are others that share this facination too and all I want is a quick way of finding images that show what is possible using CGI on its own.

Then this is the problem, you are on the wrong site, this is an art/gallery site not a programers or poser specific site. Problem with this argument as it continues and gets more heated is that people assume that the largest number of people browsing here are artists, they aren't, and they certainly aren't poser/bryce/lightwave or whatever users. They are purley and simply art lovers, whose only interest lies in the finished image.
I have read and understood this thread, and it seems clear that your interst lies not in art itself and the images produces, rather than in the technical aspects and program skill used to achieve it.
Surely there is a programers based forum or gallery at Curious Labs, if there isn't thats where you should be concentrating your efforts. As this is an art site only a very small number would really be interested in pushing the program to it's limits. As shown on this thread, for Renderosity to open another gallery just for maybe a few 100 members wouldn't be cost effective especially as they create a vast amount of revenue from postworking aids. It would also mean sadly that less people would actually see these technical inspired images either as the average non artistic viewer would pass right by having no appreciation what so ever of such technical inspired images. I am well aware that there is a lot of talent going into being a pure render image, but this talent takes time and lets face it while you're learning the images tend to be dry and dull IMHO. If you are paying for bandwidth lets face it, would you sift through such galleries to find the diamonds if thats not your particular interest.
I see no reason to segregate art at all whatever form in an ART site, I know you have stated that you don't care how someone produces and image, and thats good. But segregating galleries into such specific catagories will eventually perpetuate in people disputing what is actually art and what isn't.Thats something we can't quantify, after all the biological digestion system is a wonderful thing, and I now know from watching the turner art prize that eating specific foods, letting biology take it's course and then regurgitating them on canvas makes striking colours and pictures. Would I calssify it as art, well thats another story .
Such segregation will eventually lead to purist rants, and people claiming they can quantify and classify art shudder.
Lets just all stop getting our panties in a bunch and calm down, lets get back to the main reason for being here art.
After all if you are more intrested in the technical side of it, there is a staggering array of much cheaper to run forums where you can discuss techniques till the cows come home.

Come on guys we are artists, lets make it about the art.

Message edited on: 04/01/2005 10:00