Thanks for your replies. I see now that rendering is a separate process not to be taken lightly.
However, for web content there must be a better way. If you look at the flash templates for websites,...

So there's no way to create an swf file automatically? What about any kind of movie format. I think I'm missing something basic. What is Maya used for if you can't make a movie except frame by frame?

As a brandnewbie, I'm thinking simplistically I know. But it seems like I should be able to create a simple animation and somehow get it into an swf file for my website.

Is Maya used for website...