I'd like to try to make a battleship from scratch, and i have some ideas... or at least I could try. I have a bit of experience with 3D SMax and i guess i could learn pretty fast some other program.
What do you guys use to make the shapes for your custom ships?
Milkshape 3D is a ok 3D modeler, with many plugins to convert to CMP formats and MAT formats for ships. GMax would be a good way to start your model, then export it to something like Quake III so you can import it to MS3D to finish up modeling and texturing.
Get a copy of 3DS Max and use that instead of MS3D. I started with Milkshape, I found it exceptionally easy to use as a new modeller, but ultimately, 3DS Max allows you much greater control over what your ship looks like and removes a lot of the hassle.
But that's just my tu'pence worth, go with what you feel comfortable with.
Yeap, i'm using 3d Studio Max 6, and i have remembered most simple mesh-poly operations.
Can anyone who made a ship for FL give me an approximate poly count?
I'm somewhat half way of making a great Heavy Fighter but i'm afraid my poly count is gigantic.
Oh yeah, and i have a quick Max question.
Let's say i create a cube, that has a lot of poly (vertices) per face.
I modify most faces of the cube, but one, remains untouched - straight and planar. STILL that face has a lot of polygons that are somewhat useless to render in game, since that particular face is straight.
How can i join all the polygons on that face to only one?
I am as sure as hell there was a way, but i forgot. Last time i worked with Max, it was Max4, and many years ago.
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