A question for every 3D Designer

[jmarhoon]

Can anyone list any recommended softwares/plugins, if it is commercial or freeware, that every designer should have. and it is better to list them or I mean to classify them.
for example :

to create plants/trees use -->> xxx
to create planets/earth/sun use -->> xxx
the best materials -->> xxx

can you please (if you have time) do this, because we want to make a good software collections that is it used by all 3D Designers.

jmarhoon ....

[FutureMan]

For caustics I've found the commercial software V-Ray(www.vrayrender.com) is excellent, very easy to setup and reasonably fast to render.

[Incitatus]

I use

Vray (love it!)
Shag-Hair (hair and plants and trees etc.)

Vray is a whole lot cheaper than Brazil.

[blesson2k]

for me raymax works fine for caustics and GI though still in beta stages (its free too!!!) but among the commercial one I'd prefer FinalRender.

Shag hair for hair and fur creation, simulation and dynamics

natFX for plants and trees (havent tried it out though but looks promising)

[mac5er]

4 cellshading/toonshading i use
illustrate 5.2 (digimation)
works Good!!!
(i hate swift!)