Karl,
Let me know how TS and GVP turn out for you.
I found another problem with Sculpt-Animate 4D where it keeps crashing the
machine when I attempt to render a very simple scene without sky or ground.
I'm not sure where this one comes from – the GVP, SA-4D, or KS 1.3. (I
changed too many things at once to be able to tell the cause). I left a
description of the problem in the hot news and rumors section – couldn't
figure out a better palce for it. Anyway, if you think about SA-4D, try to
borrow a copy for a while and try some simple scenes in the higher
resolution modes before you decide to buy.