Animations vs. moving objects and AV sculpting vs Obect Sculpting.

Is their any way to create more life like avatar shapes? by script or import? the in world editor is pretty lame. I'v heard objects are not importable but with the import of Poser animation files and the downloadable AV object files I wonder if the same is true for Avatars and if they are restricted to in world shape manipulation.

Frankly, I don't find too many of the facial shapes very natural or convincing and am left to settle on a shape that I find either less real but more appealing vs. a shape that is more real and less appealing. (I might just have to go to parties as a fur or in Battle armor )

Also, is their any way to apply animations to objects free of the physics engine and or object joints?

I had some REAL issues animating a windmill at high speed one night. It seems like sometimes the server's loose the ability to detect collisions and other physics for a time even if animations seem to remain relatively tight.

In fact, are their any general paradigms someone can relate to me so I could figure this stuff out on my own? How do animations work vs how object joints work? How does the physics engine interact or not interact with animations? From where I am the physics engine appears to ignore the physics involved in an animation's individual pieces, concentrating on the object as a complete unit instead.

Thanks.