I'm an intermediate level user that works with LW for non-organic stuff - like architectural models and mechanical models. So I'm not really qualified to comment on the organic capabilites of LW modeler. Separation of Modeling from Rendering I like the separation of functions because it allows me to focus on the pure modeling aspect and takes the temptation of quick test renders away. I find this imposed focus helps streamline my workflow. Text Buttons & Hot Keys With the number of crypticons (cryptic icons) and hot keys out there spread across many different applications, it is really a simple matter to get confused. I like the way LW spells it out with its text buttons and leaves very little confusion to chance. The hot keys are all fully customizeable, as is most of the modeler interface. So I can easily modify my work space to suit how I want to work. Points & Polygons I can't speak for other applications because I don't know their technical advantages or limitations when it comes down to rendering stuff. But from a purely modeling stand point I like that LW supports a polygon with up to 1,024 points. That might seem a bit silly at first, but if you are doing logo work this translates to using up less polygons - and that in turn translates to faster render times. Which BTW, also means smaller file sizes for your meshes. On the polygon side, I like how LW supports single point polygons and 2-point polygons. Again it sounds silly at first, but these are great for modeling star fields and lines of laser blasts. When rendering these show up as visible points or lines with a pixel thickness that you can set. I also appreciate the powerful statistics panel that allows you a lot of control over both points and polygons. Puts all the information at your fingertips. Layers LW allows you to model in layers, which means that you can organize single mesh projects not only by surface or material name, but also by layers and parts. I've done this for a droid I am working on, with several layers that all need to work together, yet still remain rigid. Tools LW is recognized as one of the top modeling programs which offers a complete set of tools to deal with polygonal modeling. Most of these tools also allow numeric inputs for more accurate parametric control. Aside from the basic primitives (box, ball, disc) found in all modeling programs, LW has several unique shapes that I would be hard pressed to find a use for. Ok... well the gemstone tool was fun to use for the 5-minute engagement ring challenge. In terms of moving stuff around and modifying things, LW covers all the necessary tools. Where I find that LW excels is in modifying to increase detail in models - always offering you more than one way to solve a modeling problem. Out of the box, LW's standard tools, allow you to come up with pretty decent models. The lightsaber I modeled above was completed in about an hour (including surfacing, lighting and rendering), using only standard tools (lathe, bevel, extrude, smoothshift, stencil, boolean, clone). Reference for this model was taken from "Star Wars EP1: Visual Dictionary". Importing and Exporting I've always had trouble moving stuff to and from LightWave, but that's not the fault of LW that's just me. I don't have enough experience in other applications to optimize this process properly. LW reads and writes most of the major mesh formats in use today (OBJ, 3DS, DXF... etc). So as far as creating content for use in other applications is concerned, LW is fully capable. There's tons more other stuff about LW I can rant and rave about, but this is only about modeler, so I will rejoin this discussion later on as things pop up. Hope to hear from the other more experienced LW modelers to share their insights into the advantages (or disadvantages) of the application. Cheers! - M

Mind Over Matter
"If you don't mind, then it don't matter."