What indoor and outdoor tools are available?

Community Forums/Developer Stations/What indoor and outdoor tools are available?

Happy Sammy(Posted 2005) [#1]
Hi all,

I am just playing around with Maplet and I find that it has limitations. Could you recommend other updated tools (free or commercial) for indoor and outdoor environment for Blitz3D (Today is 2005/11/12)

(I have tried 3D World Studio 3.51 (Trial version) and not been sure whether it is suitable or not, as I could not save and export models.)

Thanks in advance.
Sammy
:)


Matty(Posted 2005) [#2]
The modeling tool I started with was Milkshape3D. It is a cheap, general purpose low poly modeling tool. It can export .3ds, .b3d and .md2 models which blitz3d can use along with a host of other import and export formats which are not relevant to blitz3d. A feature I use heavily is the polygon reducer it comes with. From memory it was about $20 US.


Have not used 3D World Studio so cannot comment, and although it looks nice I don't really need to spend any more money on tools at the moment.

I don't know how experienced you are with 3d modeling but if you are new to it then I would recommend a tool like milkshape3d to start with.


Ricky Smith(Posted 2005) [#3]
If you are going to be building levels of any complexity then I would use a proper level builder i.e specialised for that task like 3d World Studio or Quill3D.
Milkshape is a very good low poly modeller but its not very good for building and texturing the large amount of geometry a game level/map requires unless its fairly simple.
Level Builders can also do light-mapping and object /entity placement and are generally easier to use than a general purpose modelling tool.


JoshK(Posted 2005) [#4]
I've tested the b3d exporter for 3D World Studio extensively, and it exports everything to .b3d, so that it appears in Blitz just as it does in the editor.


IPete2(Posted 2005) [#5]
Happy Sammy,

I think 3DWS will have everything you need in its complete form. Terrain, lighting, object placement, indoor levels and exportablility. Lighting is easy to set up, fast and very nice. As you have probably already seen, it is a VERY user friendly tool, very intuative. In my book it is worth every penny of the asking price.

It also handles export to Torque, should you ever wish it.


*****

TerraEd is an excellent terrain develpoment and object placement tool, Filax continues to develop this with ideas from his users. Lots of things including shadows on the landscape, water height, sky box, fog and camera settings.

How does the outdoor stuff look? - one guy I showed it to in a computer department said - oh yes I have seen "Far Cry", I said yes, well I made this demo. He was stunned!

Here's some piccies for you although there are loads around the forum - everything in these shots was placed inside TerraEd, ther terrain was developed in a very short time, but the results are great.

www.smartscreenuk.com/terrain019.jpg

www.smartscreenuk.com/terrain023.jpg

www.smartscreenuk.com/terrain025.jpg



I would recoomend either of these tools quite happily. You wouldn't use them together on the same project though I don't think.


IPete2.


Happy Sammy(Posted 2005) [#6]
Thanks

Happy sammy
:)