My question to you modeling gurus out there, is what kind of functionality do the commercial modelers (Rhino, Truespace, 3DS) have that the cheaper ones don't (i.e. Wings3D, Moray). I know two limitations of Moray are a) no extrusion tools and b) no rail sweep tools. Is it just functionality or something else?

Oh, there are a million things, such as NURBS (Non Uniform Rational B Splines), the ability to create polygons from a point structure, "soft" tools such as 3ds max's Free Form Deformation boxes, and Lightwave's sub-patch and magnet tools, Max's ability to render simple lines as if they were solids, boolean functions..... just all kinds of things, far too numerous to go into...not to mention the ability for people to write their own plugins for max and lightwave to increase functionality. Moray is cool, but check out the free Amapi above at the link in the announcements box. It's legit, and it's free, and it has alot of the functionality of some of the higher end programs.

Mike, Thanks for your input. You pretty much confirmed my suspicions. One reason that I like Moray is that it is inegrated with POVRAY. POVRAY is an underrated renderer in my opinion. A couple more follow-ups: I assume from looking at your gallery that Vue 4 is your choice of renderers? (Nice pics! I put a comment on one of them) I assume from your mention of NURBS that you are partial to Rhino? If you are looking for Photorealistic interior scenes, Lightscape is by far the best renderer out there. It is customized for interior and architectural renderings, but the renders are mind-boggling. It is over $700 for the commmercial version, but I saw a student version for around $140

Keep in mind that there are fundamentally two methods of modeling; polygon modeling and spline based modeling. Some people like one form over the other. So get two free or cheep modelers, one polygon based and one splines based, and try them out first to see if you are uncomfortable with one form or more comfortable with the other. It would be terrible to spend money on a splines (or poly) modeler only to discover that you don't like working that way. Of course some modelers support both methods, so for them it would be moot. jon

Jump into the Amapi forum and there are links at the top to download a fully function no time-out version of Amapi. It has some of these features you mentioned. The trick is, you will some people hate the interface even though you can switch it and it does have some stability problems. It was the first modeling program that "made sense" to me and now some of the others are begining to. Also Rhino is another that seems easy to use. The Rhino group has a link to a demo for that too. Both of those groups are VERY well supported by great moderators and a group of talented helpful modelers. Welcome to the sickness of modeling!! SmoothG

the newest release of wings3d now has magnets, and has had extrusion for awhile. Ive been reading the forums there lately, and everyone is goin nuts over the new magnet functions. Im starting to appreciate using more then one program at a time. I've made part of an object in wings, then export it, then open it up in another to do something else.

To add to Mike's response about the tools of the modeller, Lightwave and Max also have integrated animation tools to unite modelling and animation as many forget that animation and modelling are worked almost in unison with one another as animators must often go back to the modellers of modelling themselves to correct an arrangement of polygons or reset a morph so that when the deformation takes place, it gives the desired result. This is true for most high-end software. To go into production and have one without the other is asking for trouble before the project even gets off the ground. That is why you will find that most high-end packages ie: Maya, Lightwave, Softimage, Houdini, Cinema 4D, Max, etc... These pieces of software not only host a great deal of robust tools for modelling, but also for animation, programming and mathematical alogithms to achieve the goals of the user. You could say, the more autonomy the program gives you, the better it is.

Try the demo's first! thats all I can say.. Laterz -Modulok-

Well one example is hypernurbs, which basically means you work on a low poly mesh but you see a smoothed mesh...its like running a smooth mesh in Max but it happens in real time.....duh forgot to say thats in cinema 4d, which is why its so handy for clothes ;o)........Steve