My question basically sums that up. Just what is the best graphics program and where can i get it? By the way, I want the program to generate graphics like "Myst" or something to that effect.

This is a more suggestive question than which Language is the best. I''ll just run down the few that I''ve seen demos of etc, and finish with the one I ended up getting.

Lightwave 6.0 - Nice program, it has a ''split'' interface for modelling and animation / scene building and some of the terminoligy throws you off.

SoftImage - Microsoft product, purchased from *forgot who*. It''s supposed to be a great product although more expensive than most of the other packages.

3D Studio Max - This is the one I ended up getting, price was the largest reason, but beyond that it is a very user-friendly application. ALL 3D Animation / Design is difficult and has a steep learning curve, but once you get the basics down, there are still aspects of each software package that differ. 3D Studio Max has a pretty straight-forward interface, allows for virtually unlimited expansibility and is reasonably priced (relatively speaking).

After using 3D Studio Max for over 6 months at a hobbyists pace, I''m finally starting to get the hang of it.

2D or 3D?

Paint Shop Pro for 2D


Add
TrueSpace to the 3D list (you can download a demo and its cheap, ~$500, compared to the ones listed above)

Also, I''ve heard of Bryce, which might be GNU, but i''m not sure...

Add Adobe Photoshop for 2D
also add Maya for 3D(costs ya an arm & a leg to buy that one )

If you like free stuff, then try Blender

Takes patience to learn to use though