"I dont know what SSS is." SSS = Subsurface Scattering. Materials like wax, skin, etc. all require it in some way to enhance realism. "Surely vue 5 infinite can do something similar to AO?" Not really. I mean, V5I does do actual GI, which is what IBL/AO are meant to simulate. The advantage of IBL/AO is evident for things like animation, where flicker control and fastest possible rendertimes are often desired. In most applications, IBL with AO (or dirt maps) is usually several orders faster than doing a GI calculation. Other than that, Vue has no real AO material or functionality. "Vue 5 infinite is much easier to use than maya and 3dsmax" Well, that depends. I've used two of the 3 apps you mentioned, and Vue 5 seemed quite a bit harder when trying to do some types of things. 3dsmax, for example, is a true modeling app, so if I wanted to create a wall with a window in it for a scene, 3dsmax would be much faster and easier for that task obviously. Also, I found things like placing lights, moving cameras, and navigating a scene much easier in Max than Vue. shrugs. It's all in what you're used to I suppose.

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Tools :  3dsmax 2015, Daz Studio 4.6, PoserPro 2012, Blender v2.74

System: Pentium QuadCore i7, under Win 8, GeForce GTX 780 / 2GB GPU.