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Im wondering if sketchup is a good 3D program. Obviously if I want to create human characters/aliens I would want something more advanced, but if I wanted to make a lot of buildings ( without going inside ) Would sketcup work? I plan on getting sketchup soon. But I would also need to know how to convert it to a .msh, give it the proper texture, make the odf....I think you get the idea. If I did get sketchup I would be clueless as to how to get it into SWBF2.

Thanks in advance.

Tears2Roses wrote:Im wondering if sketchup is a good 3D program...

There's no need to wonder, just download it and give it a go to form your own opinion.

Tears2Roses wrote:...if I wanted to make a lot of buildings ( without going inside ) Would sketcup work?

Yes, SketchUp is mainly an architectural modeling app anyway and is tailored for just this sort of thing.

Tears2Roses wrote:...I would also need to know how to convert it to a .msh, give it the proper texture, make the odf....I think you get the idea. If I did get sketchup I would be clueless as to how to get it into SWBF2.

Luckily for you this has been asked a few times before so you aren't the first. Please explore the FAQ every chance you get.
Press ctrl+f and type SketchUp to find links to SketchUp specific information.

Well I think you know what my opinion on the matter will be, given I almost exclusively use Sketchup. It's good for hard, jagged things. It's somewhat more difficult to model smooth surfaces.

Eaol wrote:It's good for hard, jagged things. It's somewhat more difficult to model smooth surfaces.

So basically, use it to create vehicles, etc. the Galactic Empire would use.

but4srs, he's right, don't bother trying to make smooth geometries, they will almost certainly not turn out looking pretty.

IMO, not at all, especially if you're into game modding, Softimage Mod Tool trumps it in every way.

minilogoguy18 wrote:IMO, not at all, especially if you're into game modding, Softimage Mod Tool trumps it in every way.

I concur. :plokoon:

Sketchup is good for the casual modeler. However I have used 3 modeling programs, Sketchup (hated it), Blender (loved it), and XSI (too good for me, at least at the time).
From what I gather, it would go like this.
1. 3ds Max
2. Maya
3. Softimage XSI
4. Blender
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
25. Sketchup

Basically it will get the job done, just poorly. Blender doesn't have as much a learning curve as XSI or other high end modeling programs, it however does not have as many options as XSI for making models for SWBF2.


This is my opinion, take Ace's suggestion and form your own opinion.

THEWULFMAN wrote:

Hidden/Spoiler:

[quote="minilogoguy18"]IMO, not at all, especially if you're into game modding, Softimage Mod Tool trumps it in every way.

I concur. :plokoon:

Sketchup is good for the casual modeler. However I have used 3 modeling programs, Sketchup (hated it), Blender (loved it), and XSI (too good for me, at least at the time).
From what I gather, it would go like this.
1. 3ds Max
2. Maya
3. Softimage XSI
4. Blender
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
25. Sketchup

Basically it will get the job done, just poorly. Blender doesn't have as much a learning curve as XSI or other high end modeling programs, it however does not have as many options as XSI for making models for SWBF2.


This is my opinion, take Ace's suggestion and form your own opinion. [/hide][/quote]
Ehh...I would probably put Maya at the very top; I mean come on, freaking Lucasfilms uses it!

Marth8880 wrote:Ehh...I would probably put Maya at the very top; I mean come on, freaking Lucasfilms uses it!

True, however this is about making models for games, not movies. 3ds Max is the most popular for professional video game designers. A lot of companies won't even hire you if you don't know 3ds Max in and out, although the same might be said about Maya.

THEWULFMAN wrote:

Marth8880 wrote:Ehh...I would probably put Maya at the very top; I mean come on, freaking Lucasfilms uses it!

True, however this is about making models for games, not movies. 3ds Max is the most popular for professional video game designers. A lot of companies won't even hire you if you don't know 3ds Max in and out, although the same might be said about Maya.

I used to use max and stopped completely just cause so many things took longer to do with it than XSI. Maya, is annoying, you pretty much require immediate user interface changes before even starting it. Seems like you guys are reading too much old stuff on the net about who is on top in game design now a days, Softimage has been on top for a long time, why do you think Autodesk bought it out.

Even on Autodesks own website it claims to extend further than what 3ds max and maya can do, neither of them have ICE, face robot or the gigapolygon core. The Mass Effect games are the most current to be made with Softimage at the time which are pretty impressive and popular.

There's other programs I'd put above Blender, Lightwave being one of them.

I'm probably reading too much old crap and not giving XSI enough credit. Regardless, no one is arguing that it is not one of the best.


I still think people don't give Blender enough credit however.


Just my opinion, never fact.

minilogoguy18 wrote:I used to use max and stopped completely just cause so many things took longer to do with it than XSI.

Exactly what i did .

When it comes to freeware Blender is leading but who knows how far it will go without any actual funding going to its programmers to keep it as up to date as the big apps do.

I just always found it so odd that people here would use anything but say Mod Tools (for those who don't have the full version) considering it and all the other free solutions all require work arounds to get content into the game but at least with XSI you'll have a professional package with a lot more tools.

Thanks for your guy's opinions! I will definately read/search around for sketchup in the FAQ. I do not have sketchup at the moment. Once I finish my current project I think I will get it.

You'd be WAY better off getting Softimage Mod Tool because even though the exporter doesn't work with it neither is there one for sketchup and if you're gonna have to go through the trouble of file converters you might as well get the better program. Then you can at least ask someone who has the full version to export other things for you like animated things.

minilogoguy18 wrote:You'd be WAY better off getting Softimage Mod Tool because even though the exporter doesn't work with it neither is there one for sketchup and if you're gonna have to go through the trouble of file converters you might as well get the better program. Then you can at least ask someone who has the full version to export other things for you like animated things.

I would have to disagree. I believe that he should get whatever program he wants, based on what he is doing. I use sketchup all the time, for making buildings to go in my unmade maps. If all he is going to do is make buildings, I really don't see the problem. Sketchup has a much smaller learning curve than XSI, and is much easier to use. However, if doing anything more complicated than buildings, he should definitely use XSI.

I'm just speaking from personal experience from starting out what you would call a less complicated program that was easier to learn, I know now I would be further along if I just started out with the program that could do everything rather than the one that could only do so much.

Take it from me: Don't attempt to make round, organic, humanoid models. It is a tedious task to do so in sketchup. For everything else, it can perform nicely. During my spares at school last year, I made this fairly large and complex model. And sketchup can do even better then that. There are cars with the whole engine works and interior, fully made and filled houses. Like others have said, its learning curve is small, and once you get the hang of it, you can make some pretty neat stuff.

minilogoguy18 wrote:

THEWULFMAN wrote:

Marth8880 wrote:Ehh...I would probably put Maya at the very top; I mean come on, freaking Lucasfilms uses it!

True, however this is about making models for games, not movies. 3ds Max is the most popular for professional video game designers. A lot of companies won't even hire you if you don't know 3ds Max in and out, although the same might be said about Maya.

I used to use max and stopped completely just cause so many things took longer to do with it than XSI. Maya, is annoying, you pretty much require immediate user interface changes before even starting it. Seems like you guys are reading too much old stuff on the net about who is on top in game design now a days, Softimage has been on top for a long time, why do you think Autodesk bought it out.

Even on Autodesks own website it claims to extend further than what 3ds max and maya can do, neither of them have ICE, face robot or the gigapolygon core. The Mass Effect games are the most current to be made with Softimage at the time which are pretty impressive and popular.

There's other programs I'd put above Blender, Lightwave being one of them.

Wait a moment...if Softimage is more popular for games than 3dsmax, why is it barely advertised on Autodesk's own website? You have to open the áll products' page to even find it....

Because 3DS Max is their flagship program, even though they own the rights to softimage part of the agreement to purchase was the original team continued to work on it. It's pretty much just under the Autodesk name but it more or less still belongs to the original designers.

But on the original topic, from my 8 years of modeling I can say without a doubt in my mind sketchup is pointless when you have something like Mod Tool that is free as well. Especially when this game was designed around XSI and many of the nodes from XSI are transferred into the game. The .msh format is very close to the dotXSI format in many ways. I'd wager even someone with enough knowledge of the XSIFTK could probably build a .msh importer for XSI and preserve everything.

minilogoguy18 wrote:Because it's their flagship program

Sorry you've lost me there, whose flagship program is it? Autodesk's or the original owners?

OP:
My 2 cents from having used both sketchup and softimage/xsi is that Softimage is definitely the better option for SWBF2 stuff. Sketchup can do simple buildings but the import pipeline is hugely more convoluted and complicated.
The interface is also reallyy different to softimage's, so if you want to switch to making more complex or organic models later you'll pretty much have to learn a whole new program.