Professional Level
3D application by German company
Maxon. This is a very highly rated program, with near perfect ratings from magazines like Computer Arts, 3D world, MacWorld, and others. It offers one the fastest renderers in any 3d program, and nonlinear animation, which is rare in 3D apps.
Softimage was greatly hyped for its upcoming implementation.
Cinema4d offers many of the standard features of a 3D app in its price range: subdivision surfaces, metaballs, IK, bones, parametric objects, deformation objects, and more.
Its largest weakpoint however is the lack of Radiosity rendering, but that can be fudged with some skillfully placed area lights.
It is often toted as the most cost efficient 3d app in its group, and is a pleasure to use. Anyone who works n 3D could serve to learn how to use this app.