I've been using 3ds and Max from long time ago, and I find them pretty easy to use, what I don't like about Max is the way it works with NURBS, Max's NURBS are the weakest part of the program, because when you convert them to polys you can't get a clean mesh, No matter how hard you try to do it. It always triangularize the whole model, On the other hand I have been using LW and it is like other user said too Artisity fartsy :) It's modeler is really good with Subdivisions, but nothing really to makes me drop my jaw, other thing I've found about LW is the interfase, it is hard to understand. Rhino is the strongest aplication from my point of view to modelling NURBS models, but once again, if you don't set the right parameters when you export the model, you can get huges files because the high density mesh it generates. Maya has a great interfase and from my point of view is one of the stronger programs to make NURBS modeling to polys, but it's price and resources needs in hardware terms are the cons from my perspective. One of the finest and best modelling programs I've ever used was SoftImage, It is easy to use and it is very strong program, but once again its price (at least over here) put it at the unreacheable stand for common users like me. I had the chance to work with it when I was hired at a TV broadcast station over here, and I got a very pleaseant surprise with it :) maybe because I was using a silicon graphics octane putter too :) Autocad 14 - 2000 has the best boolean tools you can found for a 3D aplication, the cons about autocad is the rendering system and how it exports the polygones. But definitelly this is one of the stronger aplications to make industrial architectural modelling. Inventor 4 is great and it handles pretty well the NURBS, but its major problem is the complexity of the program, the interfase is kinda oriented for engineers. SolidThinking is a pretty good modelling program plus it has great interfases to digitalize sculptures, it can import/export almost any 3d format, its weakest part is the rendering system. Just to finish, without have the intention to boring you with explanations :) I do belive that the best application is the one that you can work confortable with it. All the programs named on this message has been tested and has always a strongest part than their competence, but once again the best program is that one that you know how to use it and get the best of it. My humble advise for newbies is that if you feel confortable with any program you have the 70% of the learning process of that aplication done. Regards Virus p.d. great topic :)

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