Do you ever have a need to create really awesome 3D models?  Well a while back Microsoft acquired Galigari (http://www.microsoft.com/virtualearth/resources/news-feb-08.aspx) for their truly awesome 3D toolset. They’ve just released Caligari 7.6, and it’s absolutely FREE.  All you have to do is register and download the app.  You can also download a complete PDF manual and instructional tutorial videos.  

One of the cool uses of the 3D models you make is to upload them into Virtual Earth to use in your collections on maps.  See this tutorial by Chris Pendleton

To register and download, go here.