Completely new user of Lightwave

For the past 25 years I've been banging away at linear and non-linear editing systems as part of my job in broadcast news. I've also done a lot of work in Autodesk Combustion 4 (love that program!)

But this Christmas, I took the plunge into the exciting world of true 3D by purchasing Lightwave 9.3.1.

In just a few short days, I've already begun to pick up some of the cool things you can do in Modeler (haven't really broken into Layout yet) and have modeled my very own Greek column! (Don't ask if it's Ionic, Corinthian or Doric, haven't the foggiest!) The interface seems more intuitive than what I saw in 3DS Max and XSI (through their trial downloads), but obviously I have a long way to go.

In the near-term, I want to be able to produce stunning 3D animations - like logos and globes - for my broadcast and freelance video work.

Ultimately, however, I want to be able to animate a feature-length film I'm writing. Yeah, I know: "dream on!"

Anyway, just wanted to drop in and introduce myself and if you see that kid hanging around the auto repair shop asking all kinds of stupid questions about fixing up old cars, be patient with him. :)