I must say that I'll miss ya Max, you're a good'un. Somehow I suspect that you'll duck in occasionally to check in on some of your old friends, and to see if Bryce evolves into a more capable tool than it is now. I foresee a bright future for you in the graphics/CG field and I can see that sometimes you have to leave some things behind as you outgrow them.
I've been considering Carrara as well, for all the reasons you stated. I even find that the now free Carrara 1.1 has become a valuable addition to my toolset, so maybe I'll eventually upgrade and join you.
Thanks again for SmartPipe and for the various iterations of your excellent "Zenith" lighting rig. I don't think it's any coincedence that my highest rated pics have used both of these great tools. Best of luck to you friend!