I have some CAD experience and have also played with some modeling in the past, using Caligari 3.
Right now, I have started playing around with Wings3D, which can export to 3ds format, but I am a little stuck as to what to do after I develop a 3D model.
In Caligari, I could toss on some premade existing textures as well as create and import my own. I am unfamiliar with how to do that in Wings. I also understand that there is supposed to be some method of "flattening" out a model providing an unfolded version of a model that I could then import into Photoshop or another such application and then paint textures on top of that.
I'll post a few rough sample models after I get a better handle on everything that can be done with Wings3D. In the meantime, can anyone point me to any information on what I need to know for texturing models (and maybe about proper scaling to existing Freelancer models. I wouldn't want to make a "Fighter" design and have it end up larger than a battleship or so tiny that it appears to be 1/10 the size of the smallest fighter ingame.)
The links to Lancersreactor.com are inactive, because the faith of this website is not clear.
But you will find many other useful links for programs and tolls you will need.
Oh and for the future, may i suggest to post your modeling ongoings in the Developers forum.