Well... I broke down and bought it. Blender is free, but its so daunting for a beginner like me
Really I think the only problem I have with AC3D is the lack of user support when compared to blender. It's amazing how much is out there for blender, even though it seems so difficult.
Now I just need to finish my lamp
Would it be better to find a game modding board or something for this type of question?