1 - Poser has no modelling capabilities (technically - but you can do some stuff) so yes, most models are made in other programs like 3ds max, lightwave, maya, etc. 2 - you mean dials, I believe. Not something I have any experience with, but I understand ZBrush is involved. 3 - Poser gives you the option of using 2 render engines. The older one is Poser's own, and is a legacy from Poser 4. The newer one is called Firefly and is licensed from another company. Firefly is the superior, being capable of things like raytracing (which the P4 render can't do) - although the P4 renderer is quicker and can produce better results depending on the project (i often use the P4 one, for example)