And while I'm talking about software - I should mention that I started using Firefox last week and I'm never going back. The live bookmarks are a big time saver. I noticed from the member list that a lot of people are now using this browser.
I've been up all night - since my last post - refactoring my engine code. It's starting to look sweet and I figure I'm about a third of the way done with this pass. [smile] Most of the old dynamic array stuff has been replaced with stl vectors, which is the reason I started this whole process. After this is done I plan to rework my exporter plugins but not until the material editor is finished. I'm sleepy... better get some more coffee.
I've tried php designer for a short while, then stopped using it. THe show-stopper for me was the fact it had no unicode support, and I frequently work on pages with arabic content. So make sure you don't need unicode before delving in [smile] (I currently use notepad2, which is IMO a very powerful editor with a simple interface - Love it!)
Regarding scripting (and non-scripting, actually) in general, I'd go with python if I were you. It's much more elegant, high-level, easy, amazing, cool, innovative, saliva-inducing and powerful than php. It will change your life (obviously, I'm a big fan).
Firefox and thunderbird rule. Make sure you take a look at the gobs of firefox extensions available (Linkificator, mouse gesture recognition, and flashGot to name a few)
Better get some sleep instead [smile]