I`m doing a game for my final year project a uni and i need to find a 3d engine thats very quick and easy to get into. Preferably in VB / C++, with built in collision detection routines. oh and freeeee ;-) Can anyone help ? Any one know of any code to detect collisons with DirectX Retained Mode objects ? thanks !

Well if you need something to get started Quick, And you _Really_ have no interest in selling the result.
You could use morfit, morfit is a new proposal on 3d engines, they basically give you the engine, a world editor and a manual (all free!), then if you make a game with it, you give it right back to them (if you want to) and they will give you back the profit$.
Sounds too good to be true? well it does have a catch, it is a pretty basic engine, if you had some more time and a little more 3d knowledge you could came up with something like this in a month or so, maybe less if you use open-gl.
However if its only for a homework project I think this one should do.
Check it at:
www.morfit.com

I worked with 3DRM once and let me tell you is too much work to get not so good results. (hey look a lot like morfit) However it is a good way to get started in COM programming. (That is what you need to work in Immediate Mode Whick is now way, way, way out of your league if you are just starting in this)

Ah! if you do want to make some reasonable profit$ from your project check out power render at www.egerter.com is a great multi purpose 3d engine, with a very soft learning curve lots of samples and tutorials, PR 2.6 is free (in demo form) to download, but PR 3.0 the newer and better version costs $299.00 is not a bad investment if you are about to spend 6 months or so making a game, the thing is loaded with features, new tools and even cooler demos!
Check it at:
www.egerter.com

Genesis3D and Jet3d are out there too, and they are free! but they are strictly indoor quake2 style engines with a very steep learning curve, however you may want to see them for the price tag.
You will find the latest version of genesis at
www.genesis3d.com

Jet3d2 is a far much better engine which spawned from genesis3d it has some terrain, Portal and particle functions embedded and a world editor that will get you drooling, it actually animates what you put in it at realtime! download this one, just to have the pleasure of watching it!
Is so easy to use that you can get a entire level functioning within minutes, Then drool some more.
Bad news is that is way out from being a stable version, as a matter of fact there is not even a decent demo available at the time. However it is open architecture so expect lots of improvements in a matter of months, the code is available for download too.
www.jet3d.org

Unfortunately the genesis3d and the jet3d sites dont offer much info on how to use them, so you have a better chance of finding samples and info about them here:

http://www.gameznet.com/genesis/

http://welcome.to/jet3d-university

There are lots and lots of other engines out there
some come with a price tag others dont.
But in my opinion this are the best of the bunch in the
"I can afford it" scale.

Hope that helps!

Email me if you have questions

I hope this helps!

Wow u know your stuff ! Cheers mate !

The only reason I`m staying away from opengl is because it doesnt seem to have a built in model loader thingy.

I dont think www.egerter.com is offering the demo anymore ?

I`ll probably use morfit or jet3d!
sooooo do know much about genetic AI / evolution AI ? ;-)))