I don't generally have to have symmetry. There are ways around it. And it is possible to construct fairly elaborate scenes in Carrara. A few of my images contain over 200 objects and dozens of light sources. Add in transparent ad semi transparent objects and that is a lot for the software to handle, especially for such an inexpensive package. While these scenes take a long time to render, most of that is because I render in a very high resolution (1600x1200 @300dpi) I sometimes have my images printed poster size so I like a super high res master. The thing I like most about Carrara is the interface and ease of use. I am currently teaching my wife how to work it. I am starting her with Ray Dream to get her feet wet and I estimate by next summer she should be able to do some fairly complex images. Programs like C4D and Maya have a learning curve as steep as Mt Everest. Carrara can be self taught to the point of being useful, in just a week or so.