I have Shade7 le, which came with a Poser6 promo. In general, Shade seems to be a very good modeler and renderer. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work the way I think. I've found C4D (V6 XL), Carrara, and Hexagon (dedicated modeling application) to be the easiest to use. They all seem to fit the way I think (or maybe the way I don't think ??? ).

What I've found is regardless of the features, "power", and popularity of a software package, if it doesn't "fit" the way your mind works, you will have to work very hard to get results. Working with software that is counter intuitive litereally takes ALL of the fun out of 3D. Try the demos!

A good sampling would be Carrara, Shade, Truespace, Cinema 4D, XSI, and Lightwave. These all have very different user interfaces, with the last three being considered "pro" applications (which often translates into a lot more $$$$ to get the specific additional funtionality you really want or need).

Don't forget about the free software! Wings 3D, Anim8tor, and Blender all have their strengths. Blender is a very full featured 3D software, but many people find it's user interface difficult, which may actually be just the complexity of Blender - it's got a lot under the hood.

Good Luck!

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