Maybe execrable has been trying different apps out, I did before choosing blender. 

after using Max at work for 6 years I moved to another job that doesn't need it any more, to upgrade the version I own personally (3.1) to current is $$$$, so I tried XSI, c4d and carrara as alternatives that would offer more modern lighting and material shaders, but then I just kind of fell into blender. It's been a few months now and I'm starting to get the hang of it, now if I can send the wife and kids away for a weekend I might get a decent scene finished....

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Toolset: Blender, GIMP, Indigo Render, LuxRender, TopMod, Knotplot, Ivy Gen, Plant Studio.