<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/keith.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

" border="0" alt="keith.gif" /> I always worry about topics that start out <b>"Hey Cat..."</b> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":?" border="0" alt="unsure.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
The PLE (Personal Learning Edition) of Maya is indeed a free download, and no, the company won't ask for payments - but the Akella plugins for Maya will not work with the PLE so you won't be able to use it for modding PotC.
If you want Maya for modding PotC you need v.4.5 but NOT the PLE.
Take a look at Inez Dias's Tool - you can use a different modeling program that saves to VRML (3DSMAX?), and then convert to .gm for use in PotC...
<a href="http://forum.piratesahoy.net/`ftopic3310-0`.php" target="_blank">http://forum.piratesahoy.net/`ftopic3310-0`.php</a>
PLUS it does a lot of other neat stuff! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

" border="0" alt="onya.gif" /> This may be the way to go, for you... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />