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I've been trying to get my XSI to work for a while (many might know... ) but I can't seem to get it working. (Vista and video card problem I think) So, is there another tool anyone uses or knows about to create models? (I don't really need it to be a msh importer either! Just a modeling tool)

Thanks in advance!

Gmax. But you're going to need some programs to import and export your models to Gmax including the latest version of XSI.

Fingerfood wrote:...is there another tool anyone uses or knows about to create models? (I don't really need it to be a msh importer either! Just a modeling tool)

Go HERE and try some out.

@train: I downloaded Gmax from this site: http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax but it wasn't what I wanted.

@Ace: Which ones do you suggest? There's SO many...

Probably 3d's Max. It rivals with XSI and is the same in almost every way.

Commander_Cody771 wrote:Probably 3d's Max. It rivals with XSI and is the same in almost every way.

Well, first of all, the student version of 3ds Max costs 399 USD.
And it's definitely not the same in terms of layout, but it has as many, if not more functions as XSI.

What modelling tools are compatible to export to XSI?
i know MilkShape is but that one wasn't very clear, because i tried a couple of things and some stuff crashed
also the downloadable version of XSI crashed at installing

What in the...? XSI crashed during installation? What kind of comp do you have?

I use Maya. It does cost someting to get the full version, but you could get the personal learnign edition,which is free, but it won't have detailed clothing or water effects.

And you can only save to the .ple format <.<

There's probably a converter out there but that wouldn't be all to legal

I'd suggest etheir Wings 3D, Milkshape 3D

I'm using G Max, so all's good.

I use XSI but still I think you should get 3d's max.

Commander_Cody771 wrote:I use XSI but still I think you should get 3d's max.

I wrote:

Commander_Cody771 wrote:Probably 3d's Max. It rivals with XSI and is the same in almost every way.

Well, first of all, the student version of 3ds Max costs 399 USD.
And it's definitely not the same in terms of layout, but it has as many, if not more functions as XSI.

To quote myself, the cheapest version of 3ds Max costs $379, and that's not a purchase the average modder's not going to make anytime soon.
However, Gmax, which is a stripped-down version of 3ds Max 4 (about 3 years outdated, lol), has all the basic essentials you need for game production.

.....do you even have 3ds Max, Cody?

Try blender, I can't guarantee anything except it looks professional and it is free. I haven't attempted to make a BFII model with it.
http://www.blender.org/

I've never heard of Blender.

I use blender, and if you take the time to learn, it is EXTREMELY powerful. :maulsaber:

If you end up using it, i could post links to some good tutorials. I'll warn you, don't try to just pick it up and use it though, it practically impossible to learn that way

Yeah I've talked to some engineering students in my local university, they do say that Blender is one of the best 3d modeling programs PERIOD, and that they would get it even if it wasn't free

The four biggest programs out there right now are softimage, lightwave, 3dmax, and Maya. Maya I would personally recommend. I would personally recommend Maya because, though harder to learn, will get you better quality results.

All of my custom map assets are made and UV map textured in blender, exported as VRML97, converted to MSH with the MSH viewer, hooked up with an odf file, and brought into ZE to join the party.

It works absolutely awesomely for props and buildings, but I don't think it is possible to attach hard points or do animations with it, though I've never tried, so I can't guarantee that it can't.

Useful things to know:

-press b once before trying to box select.

-press a to select/deselect all.

-press f with 3 vertices selected to create a new face between them.

-hold shift to be more precise with movement, or ctrl to snap to grid or by 5 degrees when rotating.

-rotate, etc, the view using the middle mouse button and pan with mmb+shift.

-r,s,and g are shortcuts for rotating, scaling, and moving whatever is selected (in both object and edit mode).

-otherwise these options are on the bar on the bottom of the main window where the hand icon is.

-next to that you can change whether you are manipulating the object based on global positioning, local positioning, etc.

-you need to be in edit mode to edit verticies of individual objects.

-right click to select single vertices, and hold shift to select more than one at a time, but use the left button when box selecting with "b".

-you need to mark seams before UV mapping.

-you need to select what you want to UV map before you can map it.

-it is possible to add more than one texture to an object--just select only the faces you want the texture to be on before applying it.

-right click on the edge of a window in blender to split it into 2 windows.

-switch views from the view menu.

-switch the function of the window in the box near this menu--necessary for opening the UV editor.

-all images that aren't battlefront-compatible targa files will be resized to 256X256 by the MSH viewer...and I can't seem to save them as the right format in either Photoshop or the GIMP--so plan accordingly.

-in object mode there are menu options for showing and hiding objects (very useful).

-in edit mode a lot of the manipulation options are in the mesh menu--especially note the section with normals, faces, edges, vertices...

-...and below that more useful options, including duplicate and extrude...extruding creates a set of faces coming from whatever vertices are selected. If you click duplicate and then right click it will place the duplicate in the same location as the original.

-and below that is UV unwrap; cube projection typically works the best. Convert quads to triangles first (in the menu-under faces) to avoid texture distortion.

-flipping normals determines which direction the faces are facing--so if you are doing an indoor model you'll want to flip its normals.

-when extruding or extending use the views to your advantage to get it to go straight...if you are in top-down view it will not change position along the y axis, for example. Also select whichever arrow on the widget is facing the direction you want to go, rather than the whole thing. If an object has been rotated so that it isn't globally aligned anymore, switch to local positioning.

-don't put faces inside objects...all you will do is crash the MSH viewer...

-join objects before exporting as VRML, otherwise it won't work (will also crash the MSH viewer)...export one object at a time, and make sure you don't have lights and cameras and such selected...hit A to unselect all and then select your object. Don't save your blend file after joining your objects though if you want to still have the option of editing them easily in the future.

There. NOW you can jump right into using blender for SWBF series modding (unless I missed something vital which you can't figure out on your own)