(To put this in better context, I''m not a modeler by trade.) I''ve been looking around at modelling and animation programs and have come across three so far that I really like: Art of Illusion, Wings3D, and Anim8or. Oddly enough, in each program''s site, all the pictures made by a particular application have the same look and feel as the other pictures made by that particular application. Does the program really make a difference in what is produced? On a related note, is Wings3D good for high-poly models, Art of Illusion good for very complex renders and animations, and Anim8or good for low-poly renders, models, and animations? Also, does Wings3D do only models? It seemed so but I''m not sure.

In fact you can do pixelart with a paint program. and in the end a pixeled picture by the same person will look the same ...

and in fact you can do a lot of stuff in all of those render and animation sofware ...

BUT

as much as paint is really different from adobe photoshop,all those rendersoftware do have a different interface,other weak and strong sides,other features and handling,limitations ...

Wings for example doesn´t have bones as i know ...

in the end it is the one that is sitting in front of the pc that is creating the art. the software is just a tool.the best rendersoftware is useless, when the one in front of the pc doesn´t have some talent.

so i would say,pick one,make some experience,and when the software is fitting your mind and the result is good enough for you,then it´s fine.nothing better than own experience.

at the latest when you are reaching a point where you cannot create the thing you want with the software you are currently using, it is time to search for a more powerful one ... and believe me,you will definitely reach this point sooner or later with the told software ,when you are diving into the deep of rendering ,modeling and animating

tilesets games sprites
http://www.reinerstileset.de

Most gallery pictures on those look the same because most of the people who submit models to those sites are competant modelers, but may not the best at making textures for their models. Another reason is that a lot of those pics are just screen grabs and not renders.

In the end, its the skill/creativity of the artist that determines the final product, NOT THE SOFTWARE. Someone skilled at using XSI could get a particular job done faster, but not neccessarily better than someone who is an experienced Wings user.

Software is just a tool, a means to an end. Better tools mean you work faster, more efficiently, but if you don''t have an aritistic flare, or some profciency at your task the tool doesn''t matter.

BTW, At the moment Wings is only a polygonal modeler. The author has plans to add animation support in future versions, but as right now, its a modeler only.