Quote - Too bad any comment less than "singing the praises of Vue" is considered full of vile and contempt.

David,

Perhaps you need to reread my comments. They were made to inform you, not to insult you.

The things I mention, I would hope are helpful. As Alex pointed out, it's not uncommon to have one hour rendertimes per frame in this business. Max can't do all the things Vue can and vice versa. You certainly know renders can take from 1 minute to days depending on complexity, hardware, render settings etc.. The goal is to find the correct mixture.

I don't understand the disconnect. When you say one hour renders won't work for you, I'm just pointing out there are alternatives to one hour renders.

Frankly, the best alternative is what surveyman recommends, just download the free version of the PLE and take it for a spin.

Even if you do, chances are you may need some hand holding, as the learning curve can be a bit steep. You might want to check for some tutorials around for xStream/Max. A quick Google search located one at:
http://www.imakeu.com/Tutorials/Vue/

Another good idea would be to check in over at the e-on forums as there you may find those more knowledgable regarding xStream and Max.

Good luck,
Chipp