Okay, I admit I pretty much got lost - or just my eyes glazed over - in all the technical discussion, so maybe this is addressed somewhere in all of that ...

I just started using PP2010, as well as Lightwave 9.5, because I had to replace my PC and had to install new software anyway. So I'm getting used to both of them, but this strikes me as something that should have a simple answer, but isn't turning out so: I'm trying to make a relatively simple display base, 20-sided with some details, mostly flat surfaces, and I've split ALL the points in it. It doesn't have any polys with included angles - it's really basic. But when I import the OBJ into PP2010, all of my split vertices seem to be for naught, because even with smoothing turned completely off, it's smoothing the piss out of all my flat surfaces, even where one material butts up against another. I can't get a decent flat surface anywhere on the model, and where there is an inset that is surrounded by 20 separate vertical surfaces and then 20 separate flat polys on a slightly higher level, PP2010 is acting like the upper level is one solid poly and the inset vanishes completely. I'm stymied!!

Lightwave:

PP2010 Preview:

PP2010 Render: