Thanks to all for their comments. I think that Max and Maya are out of my financial league. Cinema; I think I have a downloaded demo of that somewhere, on the other computer I think. I also have trial versions of Modo, and now Silo and Curvy3D. I must try to get a demo of Rhino too - if they do one. I have a week before I go to Oman for a couple of months, there I'll have time to try these things out, but as I'll be on a 56k modem again and the internet is often down over there, I'll need to download demos here first. I do like the sound of the future Silo displacement painting - ever since I've heard of displacement painting I've wanted something that does it...

Measure your mind's height
by the shade it casts.
Robert Browning (Paracelsus)

Fran's Freestuff

http://franontheedge.blogspot.com/

http://www.FranOnTheEdge.com