I believe (and I could be wrong) that the Avatar Studio is again short on creating original meshes. There are a few things linked at the top of the page, Wings3D comes to mind, where I have seen some very impressive things being created... best yet, these are Free applications. No matter what type of application (Max, Maya, Lightwave, etc.) you look at, it comes down to what type of modeling you want to do. Straight Polygonal, NURBS, SubDivided Surfaces. There are a number of approaches to modeling; some are better suited for the type of model. For instance, simple polygonal modeling is great of objects like Chairs and desks, but can really be a pain for something as complicated as a human face. Since you normally start with a Cube (this is why its also called Box-Modeling) or other base primitive and then start adding and manipulating the vertices from there. Every vertex is placed there, normally by hand. Now, combine this with Sub-Divided modeling, you can get some very nice results, without having to hand-smooth the mesh as you use your polygonal model as the control mesh (or cage). Then depending on the sub-division level, tension, CV handles and such, is how smooth, or rough, things turn out. NURBS modeling though can be very fast. Sometimes taking a lot less time to create similar results. While requiring more (IMO) thought into the final models composition, since NURBS are normally done in patches, then these patches are then stitched together to form the overall model. While a model can be made from a single NURBS patch, it would require a lot of planning on how to get all the bends/folds in just the right place. You may want to check into some of the styles of modeling and a package that supports multiple styles. Lightwave, 3D Studio Max, Maya, trueSpace (IIRC) all support these types of modeling these days. Rhino is an awesome NURBS modeling application, which I believe was looking at (or may have already added) Polygonal modeling tools to the package. While this doesnt answer your question: "Which app should I invest in" I believe asking these questions of yourself will help narrow down your list.. as well as help you make a more informed purchase when you do buy. :) These are only a quick overview of each of some of the styles, or techniques, of modeling. There are a lot of other things to consider, but this will get you started asking the right questions of yourself, and the applications you eval, to make sure you find a good fit. :) Most of these have Learning Editions, or Demo copies. I would suggest getting as many as possible. Because once you get past the tool sets, you have to deal with the interface. Some people like everything at their fingertips. Others like an open workspace, with the tools hidden until they need them. I like it somewhere in between. Also by getting Demo/Eval copies, you normally have to give them an E-Mail address. This gets turned over to marketing and can sometimes lead to great discounts as incentives to get you to purchase their product. :)

The doctor says I have way too much blood in my caffeine system.