Ok so I just got Carrara. I insert from the pull down a sphere and I get this screen.

The sphere is a "Primitive" object and is maintined as a mathmatical forumula unless you convert it into a polygon/vertex object. The button that says "Convert to another modeler..." will open the Sphere as a vertex object in the vertex modeling room. Mark

Is Carrara better for animation and rendering then actual modelling?

Carrara has a pretty capable tool set for modeling between the Spline and Vertex Modeler. The metaballs is a bit strange but cool. And, I suspect, that Carrara 6 will continue to enhance the modeling capabilities further. Simply put, you can do a lot of great modeling with Carrara once you learn the tools. Like most modeling apps, the quality of the models produced is more dependent on the user's knowledge of the tools rather than the tools themselves. Personally, for more sphisiticated modeling, I currently use Hexagaon and then export the Carrara format. There are some tools Hexagon has that Carrara doesn't but who knows what the future of Carrara enhancements holds... Mark

I have Hexagon and was wondering how Carrara compares as a modeler.  I  use the renderers in Poser 6 and Bryce 6.  How does Carrara handle Poser importing?

Free men do not ask permission to bear arms!!

Carrara is quite good as a modeller--much  stuff you have seen as freebes for Poser have been made in Carrara in the recent past. Carrara is very good for animation.

Carrara overall is many steps above Poser/Bryce etc.

bwtr

Thanks bwtr.

Free men do not ask permission to bear arms!!

do the bones/IK in carrara translate into Poser? I have imported poser files and the bones are in place. Just wondering if it works both ways.

Bones are a one way trip - only into Carrara. If you happen to have Motion Builder (.fbx) Carrara does export to that format but there are issues with it, like all Motion Builder stuff. ;)

Quote - Ok so I just got Carrara. I insert from the pull down a sphere and I get this screen.

 

If you look up on the top left of your screen, you will see some icons.  The first one is the assembly room, this is where you want to be to actually put the pieces you create together.  The next one is the modeling room.  In your screen capture, this is the one you have highlighted.  The sphere is a primitive and has pretty much no options you can change and you cannot change its shape so nothing shows here for it (the same for all other primitives as well).  If you click on the assembly room icon, you will see your sphere.

Just to note, The primitives can be readily shaped and moulded in the Vertex room.

bwtr

Yeh, if you covert them to the vertex modeler. :)