Hi, I am a 3rd year uni student and have chosen to do a 3D project as my final piece. I am to be creating buildings, more specifically their interiors, for a kind of virtual show home effect. I want to integrate interactivity so that you can 'look' around within the final product, and would like to be able to put this onto the internet (so need smallish file sizes). Im unsure which software application to use, previously I have used 3Ds max. What would you 3D veterans use if you were in my position? Any advice will be greatly useful to me, thank you.

Sorry to confuse your further, but pretty much any 3D animation app $200 or more will allow you to do all you mentioned above - you can even do it with Bryce for $100 but it's hard to get realistic results without taking a year to render a full animation sequence. Since you've used 3DS Max, if you still have access to it, go for it! Hope that helps a little- -Lew ;-)

I'd go with 3DS MAX as well. Clint

If you want to put it on the Internet, it would probably be best to do the final stage in Shockwave. It's the most common 3D browser plugin. Macromedia Director is the most complete product I know that can produce Shockwave files. It's not suitable for modeling, but it has good lighting and animation features, including the same physics engine that comes with 3DS Max (Havoc). Director can import a variety of 3D formats, including VRML and .3DS. So it doesn't really matter what 3D modeling tool you use. Since you've used 3DS Max, that would probably the easiest way.

I would go with VRML, it is a small download for people that do not have it, and you can have full interactivity, also no need to get more software as max exprts to VRML worlds. You can have hot spots like when you click to open a door and what not, animations and the like. But what I would do if I had unlimited funds and time would be to grab a 3d game engine and make one using that.