I've been trying out a lot of different demos, but haven't committed to buying. My impression so far is that C4D has the most intuitive UI--I was able to start having fun right away. However, now that I've put some time into Maya, there's a lot I like about the interface: being able to hit the spacebar and have all of my menu options sitting under my mouse is a huge win.

I'm looking to expand what I can do, although not into animation (well, not yet). So I need a robust modeller and renderer. Things like cloth handling are important too.

I know that a lot of what distinguishes the programs is better or worse depending on personal preferences, rather than an objective standard. However, I'm interested in any differences which can help me decide which app to work with, as I suspect many people are. Since I assume most people on this forum come from a Poser or DAZ|Studio background, the ease in which Poser content can be imported and used is an important thing. I'd assume that any of the programs can import .obj files well, but how easy is it to bring in a texture map you've made (or bought) for your Poser .obj? I've been playing with Cinema and found it surprisingly easy to get started in. Ironically, I can't afford it, as their student pricing is significantly higher than Maya, Lightwave, or XSI (at least for C4D Studio, which brings it to feature parity). However, despite BodyPaint3D, I can't figure out how to get my pre-existing maps in--and I, as a Photoshop pro, have created a lot of them. This may be something fairly easy to do, but it will take time to learn the program well enough to get those things worked out. If another program makes using maps easier, than that's less I have to relearn. Trying to learn how to do that fairly basic thing for all of the contenders (Maya, Lightwave, XSI, Max) could take a months. I'd rather decide on an app, get the demo, and stick with it unless it proves to not work for me.

Thanks. That would be really helpful. While any short list of features I'd come up will reflect my lack of knowledge, I would be interested in how well a given app complements DAZ|Studio (I'll eventually get Poser to create morphs, but I much prefer the D|S interface); issues/quirks of the user interfaces (for example, Poser doesn't follow interface conventions); things the program does well or easily, things the program does only via great effort/trickery/plug-ins, etc; how easy it is to migrate to other apps (say you try to get a job, but the studio uses another app, will it be possible to transfer your skills); how responsive it is on a moderately-powered machine (in my case, I'll likely be getting a 2.0 GHz G5 Mac with an X850 card). Again, thanks so much.

Was a FAQ section with comparative information about different 3D programs ever put up? I'm in the same situation as Kyrothos--I don't know enough about non-Poser 3D to evaluate demos, so the "try the free demos" advice doesn't do me any good. I'm going to be in school this coming semester and will be able to get the amazing student pricing on an application, which means I could afford Maya Unlimited, XSI Advanced, etc., but won't be able to afford 2 such applications. I'd like to focus my efforts on one program. I know that from my playing with the Silo demo, I'll probabably get that (at the cheap full price)--I love the interface, just wish they had better newbie tutorials (or just a manual, rather than help: a very poor way for newbies to learn). Initially, I'll be creating Poser clothes props, but I want the flexibility to move beyond that (towards film/television rather than game work). Which is to say, I'd love to see a list of comparitive strengths and weaknesses of the the available 3D programs. Thanks (and my apologies if this is a repeat question that's been answered elsewhere--haven't seen it, if it has been).