oh, i know blender has sss now.  that's what tipped me over to deciding that it would be the next 3d tool i learned, rather than saving up hundreds or thousands to find something with more lifting power than poser or d|s.   but thanks for the information-  i didn't know it was just this newest version, which explains why i can't find it used much more than in tests (marble, jade, etc.).  i figured it was recent, but not that recent.

ooooo!  beautiful skin!  thanks for the link, that's just what i needed to see.

the sss for i've seen in the indigo site's galleries is beautiful but i think it renders like molasses in a maine february (based on the grainy renders and their times i've seen posted to the forums).

edited to add: now i feel like a doofus for not searching blender.org enough.  it's just all a lot to take in, and i'm kind of overwhelmed by the amount of information and my general lack of knowledge.