You can import/export BVH files with Poser, and the same with Blender (an included Python script, on the File Import/Export menus), but Blender rigs don't get loaded into Poser, I don't think. Not sure how well they work, but theoretically you should be able to transfer from one to the other, back & forth, as well as the OBJects too.

Note -
#6 - the Snap menu is actually SHIFT-S, not s (size)

#2 - transforms: you can also press X/Y or Z a second time and it will lock to the LOCAL axis. In other words, if you have rotated your object 31 degrees, you press "g" then "x x", the object will be moved along the rotated X axis at 31 degrees to the world or global axis.
Also, you can press the middle button AFTER you've started the transform operation as well, while you're moving the mouse along the desired access. Blender guesses which axis you're trying to constrain, which is usually ok, especially if you are close to orthographic view.

Hey guys, there already IS an open source project similar to what you are talking about - actually a combination of TWO projects. (I admit though, I'm still interested in D.S. - free is always good!) The new project's aim is to create Open Source meshes, textures and morphs, male and female morphs (similar to the Daz unimesh I think), you can mix and match pieces, giving you lots of combinations. It even uses Python, same as Poser. :-) (Newest feature, someone is apparently working on a stand-alone environment so it will run independently of the parent project environment, a good idea I think) The meshes and Python-based API is based on another O.S.S. AND cross computer-platform (win,linux,unix,mac) project. That project went OSS last year, and has a modelling envirnoment, which includes metaballs and sub-division polygon and NURBS modelling, good built-in texturing features, interactive face texturing as well as UV-texturing, powerful posing and non-linear animation tools, relative key morphing, multiple-layer editing, animation (including BVH import), rendering (scanline, radiosity & raytracing), import and export to a wide variety of formats, and just about everything else you could want in a commercial program, including compositing and a new real-time game environment as well (just finalized I think). And its not just for characters, you can create and animate anything. It was originally developed by the graphics and arcade gaming company, NeoGeo. For those of you who don't know yet what I'm talking about, check out it out there's been a TON of new stuff and improvements over the last year, including free documentation, tutorials and user-interface changes! (for the old "but Blender is hard to use" cries! I found it confusing at first but the documentation is MUCH better now and I really like Blender compared to a lot of other programs I've tried). http://www.blender3d.com Plug for a fellow Blender user here (who says he's been very busy lately, so don't bug him too much, ok?). http://www.renderosity.com/homepage.ez?Who=EnVal Enrico had a tutorial published in Renderosity magazine a year ago, and he can now post it freely. www.enricovalenza.com/makebongoenv.html The "Make Human" project I mentioned above seems to be going pretty good too, although I haven't used it yet. http://www.dedalo-3d.com/makehuman.html I must say though, Blender will NOT just import 'everything poser' right off the bat. But most of the pieces are there, including UVtextures, BVH animation, and there's OBJ file import/export (as well as DXF and others). PLUS all the source is available for anyone who wants to work on improving that situation. :-) I think it should be possible for someone to write a Poser import in Python mostly by joining existing building blocks. You don't even necessarily have to be a programmer if you can at least be an organizer. Go to www.blender.org create a new Project there and try to recruit some programmers - a lot of times programmers are just waiting for someone to say WHAT they want :-)

Further question about the rules. "No 2d software" - does that mean no TEXTURES as well? Everything has to be rendered from procedurals or other built-in effects?

Ooooh, this is so hard. I entered for the first time, so I figured I'd better vote too! (forgive all the words pls!)There were a couple that I really wanted to add, for the technical ability OR artistic sense (now I see why some sports have technical and artistic scores!).
But just in terms of "I like it" I had to vote like this:

kosv01 :3 points - I was astounded
chohole :2 points - excellent depiction of the mood
gevidal :1 point - liked the sense of a new day dawning, along with the traditional "children's version" of the scene

By the way, see my gallery for the full description of my amateur attempt and all the credits (oops) - I was in a rush to get it in under the wire and didn't post very good text.