Before anyone asks: No, I am NOT converting models from EAW to Battlefront.
This isn't related to SWBF, but this seems like the right board to put this, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm working on a mod for Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, and I need to make some model fixes and kitbashes, and I don't want to bother someone else to do it for me. I don't have 3DS Max, nor do I have the money and capacity needed to get it. So is there a free way to convert .ALO models to .OBJ or another format XSI recognises?

You can download a student version of 3DS max for free for 3 years if you're a student. I did that with softimage.

And there is a free trial of 3ds Max and 3D object converter

3d object converter i can send it to you

If I don't pay to register 3d object converter, it will mess up my model if I try to convert it to any useful format. It deletes every third tri or something. I'll look into 3ds Max, but i'm not sure if my hard drive has enough space, or if it'll even run on XP.

EDIT: I would need Windows 7 or higher and 6 GB of space, neither of which I have ATM.

Free and legal

• Import *.alo into 3D Object Converter (unregistered)
• Export as Caligari trueSpace ASCII (*.cob)
• Import *.cob into AccuTrans 3D
• Export as Wavefront obj
• Import *.obj in Softimage Mod Tool 7.5

Example
http://www.gametoast.com/viewtopic.php? ... 35#p510640

Is there any way to preserve the skeleton? Other than that, it works great!

Nearly all of 3DOC's import plugins ignore skeleton data, for that you'll need to use something like Unwrap3d which can read and write that data, but it isn't free. It would be awesome if someone versed in python could write an alo import plugin for XSI though.

http://modtools.petrolution.net/docs/AloFileFormat

I can't get it to keep the textures. I've tried converting the texture to .tga.

commanderawesome wrote:I can't get it to keep the textures.

Which part is giving you trouble and what model are you converting?

There's an infantry model, and a model of a blaster shot. The textures don't show up in AccuWhatever (can't remember full name) and in XSI the models don't even have UV maps. Also, the laser's transparency won't work either.

That doesn't really tell me much, I need some files to look at, unless its something personal that you don't want to share. You can substitute AccuTrans for any software that can import cob files. I just recommend it because it gets the job done.

Here they are. The laser is by Geroenimo, the infantry model is a kitbash by Mobius13.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/nt012 ... _Stuff.zip

Nothing is going to be perfect all the time, but that is the price you pay here for using freeware. 3DOC is a generic reader and really picky about files, there is no guarantee it'll work for all of them, i've seen it choke on valid msh files. The twilek looks good in 3DOC but there was an error about NI_Twilek_F.tga missing, this could be stuffing up the export. The laser model is nothing but plane geometry with planar UVs, easily fixed or reproduced in XSI.

converted both to obj with Unwrap3d
http://www.mediafire.com/download/sbuuw ... tedObj.zip

If you have further trouble with it I can import the alo model in Max and export it from there. (pm me)