Thank you for the suggestions. Yeah, I learned a long time ago to turn external binary morphs off. :-)  ArtPearl I tried your suggestion but when I re-imported the .obj file, it was a terrible mess. Do you happen to remember which boxes should be checked or un-checked when exporting the dynamic cloth as an .obj? I suspect that's where things went wrong. 

I do indeed only need the final frame of the sequence, as the intended render is a still image in Vue, not an animation.

Thanks again ... I'll get this whipped even if it requires a complete re-install.