Where I 'want' to go requires a complex answer. My initial ideas are artistic in nature but my brain is also very mechanical; i.e., I can see making jigs again with it. I did fairly well with that. I also see a niche market around here for being a small job shop for high tech businesses. The guy who owns the makers space (Dan) is using the big laser machine after hours for this purpose and he often gets requests for stuff that is better made with a CNC. We have talked about collaborating on some projects. As he develops the space with woodworking tools, I will be his woodworking instructor.
That's all the 'hard' information I have at this point. My plan is to develop multiple little streams of revenue to finish my house and feather my nest going forward. So product line is widely varied. And I don't want to have to learn multiple pieces of software of I can avoid it.
Carol, believe it or not I am 100% TOTALLY, understanding your answer. I agree with you all the way. Vectric is a nice product line in that it is the same from cut 2D through Aspire. Each level is the lower level plus a few more added features. I could do a tutorial in Aspire on how to do vector editing and it would be exactly the same in Cut2D. It's got a relatively low learning curve, and has the best support I have even see, even from software companies in the 10's of thousands of dollars. HOWEVER, there IS a ceiling. It would be like 12 foot ceilings in your bedroom. Most people will never need to go beyond, but some people will need to. I have a pretty hefty drive to go further with CNC. I do this at work also. We bought a $420,000 grinder last year, mostly on my recommendation. Now I am driving the project to places the company has never been before. All I am trying to say here is that Vectric is more powerful than most people will need.
Soo - where is the ceiling on Vectric? It's in that FULL 3D stuff I talk about. Vectric goes up to and including BAS Relief. NOT beyond. The 3D in Vectric is on one face only. You cannot make a sphere. There is room for innovative creativity and some ability to find workarounds but that is what it is.
I think if you got into Vectric at V-Carve Pro, you would have your hands full for a long long time. The limitation to V-Carve Pro, is the ability to create and edit the 3D BAS Relief models. Other than that V-Carve pro is a very powerful software.
NOW - to go beyond and into the world of real 3D with the artistic side, I am thinking Rhino and RhinoCAM is the place to go.
I "DO" have some significant background with Solidworks and Unigraphics and Mechanical Desktop modeling software. That is all big bucks stuff, and all very mechanical. During my training with certified Solidworks instructors I challenged the instructor with a question about modeling a maple leaf. That proved to be an insurmountable task for the certified instructor. A computer mouse - sure. A Maple leaf - no. I can do a Maple leaf in Aspire at a fraction the cost. I can do the computer mouse also. That is the difference between artistic and mechanical. Still that does NOT make Aspire better. On the contrary, Solidworks runs circles around Aspire in so many other ways.
Soo - in summary - it sounds like V-Carve Pro will fill the bill for you. You can upgrade to Aspire at a later time. You could get V-Carve Pro to pay for Aspire with a couple of paying jobs.
IF - you really want the whole enchilada - perhaps Rhino and RhinoCAM. More money, steeper learning curve, but full 3, 4, and 5 axis support. I think this is where I will end up some day.
I know this is a complex answer, but you did pose a complex scenerio.