So here's an update in my search for animating and rendering happiness ![:sunny: β](https://community.sketchucation.com/assets/plugins/nodebb-plugin-emoji/emoji/android/2600.png?v=3orp1bvic7q)
I'm getting more in depth with Blender, and TIG's object exporter works great! Wish I'd started sooner.
All the animation functionality I've been struggling with in SU is just so ready and willing in Blender. I've been using Yafaray, and once I discovered the ray depth setting, everything is copacetic...
On the SU side, I am trying Thea, and, well, meh. I'm really not impressed with the (limited) SU integration. Also - is there any way to move geometry back and forth from the studio without having to set things up again and again. I see it saves lighting and materials, more or less, but I've been less than impressed with the lighting functionality. Also, adding Thea lights messed up my keyframe animation. Don't know what that's about. I haven't even tinkered with animation yet, but what happens when you want to edit something in SU that you've rigged in the studio?
On the rendering side of Thea, I'm not hugely impressed with the quality, partly I think it's the limitations of the artficial lighting. I'm working on an interior scene, as that is what I've found to be the limiting factor for a lot of the rendering add-ons.