[ShadowPuppet]

I am, frankly, confused......

I am keen to have a go at making a few ships to play arounbd with, but I can't get my head around the tools that are current.

Firstly....I don't have Truespace, and I have no idea how to use it if I did.

Secondly, the modelling software I DO have can't create a format that PCS2 will import.... but according to PCS2's designer, no other tool actually creates valid models all the time.

This leaves me the choice of either getting (and learning) a whole new set of software ( any good tutorials on modelling in Truespace??) or using some software to convert formats. Reading the threads here leaves me concerned over hierarchy. IS there anything that can convert a 3DS or LWO format into COB with a hierarchy intact? I can setup and create stuff in Max7, so could use that, but opinion seems to be divided as to whether it is a great thing, or a factory to produce buggy sub-standard ships....

What's the real situation here?

[Spoon]

Try the POF exporter plugin (sticky thread) I read it might also work with 3ds max7.
I'm using 6 with the exporter and it works great.

[rhettro]

Well, first off, I'm no expert.  I haven't successfully imported any models into FreeSpace yet, but I am working towards it.

There are several ways of getting a model into FreeSpace.  You can download TrueSpace for free.
http://www.soft82.com/download/Windows/TrueSpace

And import TrueSpaces models via the COB file format with the tools here.

Or if you can get your hands on 3DSMAX 5, 6 or 7 you can get the file exporter.

Or if you can find a program or collection of programs that will export the Collada file format, you can import those.

What I'm doing right now is create models in Rhino, exporting 3DS files from Rhino into Blender, doing my texturing in Blender then outputting Collada files from Blender.  My other option was to export 3DS files from Rhino, import them into Gmax, export MDL files from Gmax to MilkShape and exporting Collada from there.  If I could afford 3DSMAX, I would have gone that way.  I'm still waiting for someone to make a Gmax to FreeSpace plugin.  LOL   

I did play with TrueSpace for a while, but I absolutely hate it. 

[Scooby_Doo]

If you've got Max 7 correct? then use the Collada importer. It's the easiest way to convert with Max

[ShadowPuppet]

I'll give it a go. Presumably I make the geometry bit and then import to PCS to finish up the code stuff. I did notice that the basic MAx plugin does export something that works ( well...I converted the sample file and it made a POF I could see in game). When I opened it up in PCS2, though, I could see some oddities right off. Thiungs like the outline bounding boxes PCS was creating were not where the mesh parts were... that kind of thing. That would throw all sorts of things out!

Also...I will definitely need to make ships with turrets that do not sit in teh accepted way...but are side mounted...front mounted and so on. I know the game code allows for it...and I assume the PCS2 tools allow such things to be made...so if I can just use the modelling software I know to build the mesh and basic object hierarchy up, and then complete in PCS2 that would be fine.

The last question...can the model hierarchy be created entirely in PCS2? If I have a collection of objects...can PCS2 be used to join them up in the right way to make things work...or MUST that be done in the mdoelling software?

[Spoon]

I'll give it a go. Presumably I make the geometry bit and then import to PCS to finish up the code stuff. I did notice that the basic MAx plugin does export something that works ( well...I converted the sample file and it made a POF I could see in game). When I opened it up in PCS2, though, I could see some oddities right off. Thiungs like the outline bounding boxes PCS was creating were not where the mesh parts were... that kind of thing. That would throw all sorts of things out!

make sure you model is at coordinates 0,0,0 before you export it and open it in PCS2. PCS2 assumes that its there.

The last question...can the model hierarchy be created entirely in PCS2? If I have a collection of objects...can PCS2 be used to join them up in the right way to make things work...or MUST that be done in the mdoelling software?

Has to be done in the modelling software. In 3ds max you can just link objects. The schematic view helps.

Naming is important.

[Vasudan Admiral]

If you're using Blender to do the final output before PCS2 (Ie, using the built in collada exporter) then that's where you'll need to do the hierarchy setup (though it should be noted that you can do drag and drop hierarchy rearrangement in PCS2, but you can't rotate, create or scale anything from there), as opposed to setting it all up in 3ds max only for it all to vanish between max and blender. For a guide into how to do any particular part of that setup in blender: http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Blender_to_POF_Conversions

[ShadowPuppet]

Tried Blender once, but just couldn't get to grips with it. It was about as clear to me as trying to read a book on astrophysics written in japanese using chinese characters whilst juggling chainsaws and trying to catch peanuts in my mouth at the same time all the while flying a jet-fighter one handed...whilst blindfolded.

Or...put simply... I found it a bit tricky and gave up.

[rhettro]

And yet Blender is still easier to use than TrueSpace. 

LOL.

Okay I really shouldn't be saying that as I am a noob with both programs.  But I recently bought the book "Blender for Dummies" and it is becoming clearer to me. 

[Asteroth]

Tried Blender once, but just couldn't get to grips with it. It was about as clear to me as trying to read a book on astrophysics written in japanese using chinese characters whilst juggling chainsaws and trying to catch peanuts in my mouth at the same time all the while flying a jet-fighter one handed...whilst blindfolded.

Or...put simply... I found it a bit tricky and gave up.

If you take the time to learn anything, regardless of how difficult is really is, you'll get he hang of it. Like me, I learned Blander early on so now I make all my models there and import it to PCS2.