CompuServe Messages

My $.02: I own both 3D Studio for the PC and LightWave 3.5 for the Amiga. LightWave for the PC is under development, and will be out soon. The main differences are probably in the type of animation produced. 3D Studio is perfectly suited for architectural and engineering work (especially with AutoCad). LightWave is more on the general, free-form side. I prefer LightWave over 3DS, personally. 3DS is just too… stilted. Everything is nice and flat, with great precision. LightWave has splines and metaform (The best modeling tools since chisel and stone). LightWave also has built-in procedural textures and very good surface options. The new version being ported to the PC will have modular architecture, like IPAS. The advantages of 3DS include incredible precision, fast rendering, and above all, stability. LW is a cutting-edge program, therefore it is a little "rough around the edges." It hangs occasionally, and is pretty stingy about memory. 3DS is rock solid. It has never crased on me. Ever. In addition, the documentation is incredible. LW's current manual is vague and doesn't really tell you how to use all of the features. So, the reason 3DS costs 3 times as much is stability, support, and docs. If you get LW, an absolute requirement is a subscription to LightwavePRO, a newsletter by animators, for animators. This really helps to continue where the docs left off. Hope I could help you. I'd like to know what you decide. –Dan Maas