Quote: "but what I'd like to know is what is the easiest modeler to learn on. No other features really matter besides compatability with DB/Pro and ease of use "
I can say that Caligari Gamespace is NOT the easiest to learn on, but compatibility with DBPro has been excellent. Problem areas for ease-of-use are the cryptic interface (graphical, hundreds of icons) and documentation that uses only words, no pictures. IMHO, one good book with lots of screen snapshots could overcome this.
On the plus side, anything I've managed to create and save with GameSpace has been loadable in DarkBasic Pro without problems, including textures, animations, etc.
I've also tried Milkshape, Anim8r, and Poser. Milkshape struck me as a mini-Gamespace as far as functions, but had much better documentation and support on the web as far as tutorials (sad, as Milkshape is $20 and Gamespace is $300). Anim8r is fantastic for creating animations but they're pretty useless outside of Anim8r. The file format is unique (but well documented). I just don't know that anybody has created a good exporter for .X. As for Poser, I've never seen an easier way to create animated figures, but you can't use anything created with their template models in your own games.
My two cents' worth (2.5 cents, adjusted for inflation)
