[PABlo]

I have recently been rebuilding my arsenal of 3D tools, and added some new programs to the list.

In the past I've used 3D Studio Max, Maya and SoftImage...however, I find them expensive in terms of the learning curve
(time is $$$) and they also deplete my network resources when the rendering engines are in action.

More recently I've homogenized a newer type of 3D design suite consisting of Lightwave, Caligari TrueSpace, and a couple of very new programs called Nendo and Pulse.

I very much like Lightwave --as a fan of Babylon 5 and various music videos-- and I have been observing great accomplishments using that program. However, I am interested in producing some more photo-realistic types of 3D POV images...as well as some stylistically fresh caricature art for use in online graphic novels.

Since I began using using Pulse and Nendo,
I've learned that motion graphics that utilize my 3D object creations can be more easily created using additional tools and applications that are outside of the regular 3D Application environment, (such as Adobe After Effects and Live Motion used in conjunction with Premiere) but I'm having problems based on the multiple OS network I use in my home studio.

I've totally given up on using the 3D applications that come bundled with the Adobe and Macromedia suites (Dimension and Extreme 3D) and the same goes for programs from my past including Ray Dream.

My problem and purpose in entering a dialogue with other 3D and Digital artists, is to inquire if anyone has experience in troubleshooting some problems with linking projects across multiple Operating Systems in a networked environment and even getting plug-ins to run in a multi-partioned Dual Boot workstation.

My current workaround has been to get all of the 3D programs back in a Win98se environment (rolled back from W2K) and dispense with some of my open source graphics tools (some of which only work in LINUX) and resort to using IRIX on my multi-processor RISC workstations --which I have to use for MAYA and 3DStudio Max anyway...
but this solution does not allow some of my favorite user interface tools (like graphic tablet and 3D wireless mouse, which I kinda have to be able to use in order to get any 'REAL' work done) based on lack of drivers for the highly customized multi-OS environments I create my stuff in.

Any assistance would be highly valued, in view of the fact that I've had to re-format 2 of my machines already and start re-thinking the entire approach to implementing my workflow...
including finding out the hard way, that my already installed programs are constantly in conflict when I try to run more than one at a time, which I want to do so that I can have the best-of-all-worlds as far as using certain features in certain applications and optimize what each app is especially good at.

In exchange for picking someone's brains, I would be willing to share some of my trade secrets for the newer OS environments as well as certain network configurations that have allowed me to use the following operating systems: Win98/NT/ME/W2k & WindowsXP, Solaris, IRIX, Linus, BeOS and Nextstep...with multiple platforms including
WINTEL (pentium and AMD both), as well as PPG 604 multiple processor setups (that's where I use BeOS and Nextstep), G3s and G4s (I have one of those Cube thingies) and finally a custom-built hybrid superworkstation using MIPS RISC processors and a couple of DEC alphas.
And of course, the more I learn in my research and studies, the more I'd like to share in forums such as this!

In other words: HELP! I need to consult with others of like interests, and I'm impressed with the caliber of work and/or knowledge that I've discovered here. I'm looking forward to learning a lot of new stuff here.

PEACE

PABlo