Assuming price is no object - I would go for Cinema 4 D XL with Body Paint for texturing and Exteriors for trees. While not the most expensive package, it is by far the most "learnable" in any reasonable amount of time while it still rivals Maya and Light wave for power to model and render as well. Of course any models you make with it can be imported to Vue as .3ds or obj. While you are at it, just get a copy of the new Carrara 2 with the new rendering engine too. Carrara is sheer fun to play with. I use it often at work to show 3d architecture models (models that I make in Turbocad and in C4D ) to people. On that topic, (work, that is) I use quite a blend of separate 3d software packages - depending on the kind of presentation I need. I draw basic plans and 2 dimensional with some 3d parametric in Autocad 2002 - however, most basic architectural 3d and very intuitive kind of modeling is in Turbocad v.8 Pro. For a quick but really nice rendering I take the model from TCAD to Vue4 via some 3ds models and even whole scenes. TCAD saves out the "pieces" with colors attached making it easy to select for like materials in Vue. Poser people are in there too. I fairly often use Rhino 2 for organic models and shapes and just because It is such a capable, predictable and crash proof program to use. It will not render (natively) unless you also get the fabulous "Flamingo" which I dont have - darnit. I just got Cinema 4D ART and have just fallen in love with the software and the support. It is extrememly capable and nice to use. It has not crashed even once - and tha t is saying something for me using software as a beginner. I do things that are not meant to be done......... You can try Truespace but is is not as powerful by a long, long shot as Cinema4D. I actually got to like the interface, but it is very slow to use - lots of clicks and icons to choose etc, it seems to me. Favorites, long term? Cinema and Vue for the flash. Turbocad v.8 for the nuts and bolts. Theres my 2 cents - more like a quarter I guess. Good luck, Riv