Re: What render package to pick?
Always start with the tools you have. If you know very little about 3D, then just stick with it. Commiting to 3d studio whould involved a full time commitment of learning (based on what you have told me about your firm). I have seen amazing things come out of simple packages.
OK to answer your questions about MAX vs. VIZ. You can do animation if VIZ, you can do walkthroughs etc... You can't do deforming animations (such as character animation). The only drawback I saw that DID effect architectural stuff was that (and this may have changed), I could not animate shader parameters, such as color, etc... Besides that VIZ is a great option.
As far as training is concerned, I am sure that Vancover has a lot of options. I would contact your local Autodesk dealer and ask them about training options. Make sure and tell them this is for architectural work, or you may get stuck in a class trying to animate some dragon with a bunch of 18 year olds.
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Christopher P Nichols
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