I would have to agree with Ron. Being in the gaming industry for over 13 years, I truly believe that Lightwave has one of the best...affordable...rendering power in the business (SGI computers w/Wavefront-Alias is the best, but way too expensive!). As for the price, I know $1000 is a lot of money for a software. But heck, if you could find someone that is a student you could get it for less than $500. Now remember, Lightwave has the best renderer out there for your money, but at the same time it isn't the easiest to create models unless you are a semi-pro in 3D designs. So go ahead and like Steve mentioned, try out as many demos or friends/neighbors 3D software and see which one you will be more comfortable in using.