Zend-View & Drupal-Content / Request for comment

I am specing out a new project and am torn between Zend and Drupal.

Most particularly, as I am rather new to both Zend and drupal module coding, I am unclear on certain technical points.

There are certain aspects of the project that would probably be a challenge to create with just CCK & Views, and would probably require the construction of a fairly large and complex module, addressing tables outside of drupal's normal set.

Those same aspects would be fairly simple to code up using Zend's standard model-controller-view (and forms) approach. However drupal saves time and coding nearly everywhere else.

Having just noticed this module, a possible solution presents itself to my imagination.

If I could create a standard model-controller-view solution and then write the view (or what would be it's content) out to drupal's $content variable. That would give me the shortest path through the work load. (Let Zend and Drupal each do what they are most efficient for.)

Would I be able to accomplish that with this module as it now stands, or do you think I would have to construct a whole other module for the purpose -- that would perhaps use this one for some sort of support functions.

Please excuse my incoherence but I am just learning the drupal API and Zend at the same time. My gut is telling me that the way to accomplish this is to write a module where:

-- One creates a Zend class and adds it to the library, or a form and add it to a forms directory (?)
-- One instantiates the class/form and fiddles with the data as needed
-- One then writes the content out as the return value of one of drupal's API hooks

OR

-- One sticks a frame right in the middle of the page template
-- One links that frame to an ordinary Zend controller action
-- Drupal and Zend each do their thing

I'm not sure if this is apt to be a fruitful line of inquiry.

I would be much obliged for any opinions you might have on the subject.

Thanks for reading.