Easy 3D world editor

Community Forums/Developer Stations/Easy 3D world editor

ziggy(Posted 2007) [#1]
I'm looking for a 3D world editor like mapplet, but with some features (not only basic primitives). what is the best choice (freeware or not very expensive). I have no experience on 3D editing, so any help will be wellcome.


Dreamora(Posted 2007) [#2]
If it is outdoor, I would check out T.Ed, TerraEd and Freeworld 3D.
If it is for indoor like, I highly suggest having a look at DeleD and Quark.


Fuller(Posted 2007) [#3]
FreeWorld 3D brings back painful memories.... MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ETHERNET CARD

3D World Studio. Expensive, yes, but wonderful.

DeleD also quite nice...(If you have the pro version)


jfk EO-11110(Posted 2007) [#4]
Well Maplet is not a world editor, it's rather a CSG (constructive solid geometry) mesh editor with an embeded Lightmapper.

Currently I am using several tools to create levels:

Maplet for buildings or most parts of buildings.
Decorator to apply nice textures to Maplet exported buildings.

Several utilities like the Simple Tree Creator for Trees, plants and things.

A modified version of the FLE project that allows to have holes in the terrain for terrain-like mesh-terrains. This one is using the slope texture functions to make good looking terrains with ease.

a new, unreleased version of slimshady that allows to merge all these meshes. It also allows to alter the brush properties to create nice prefabs. Omni lights can be placed. Then the whole thing will be exported, with all brushes intact (alpha, masks etc.) including giles compatible light nodes as a B3D file.

In Giles I add sunlight and a few tweaks, then it will be lightmapped in giles.

The best way to edit B3D meshes (eg exported by Maplet) is to load it in giles, then export as 3ds, then edit in any common mesh editor that handles 3ds correctly, then save it as 3ds again and reimport in giles. You only have to make sure the texture filenames are no longer than 12 chars (8.3 filenames) to make sure 3ds will keep them intact. also, this will not export/import the lightmap, so you should do this before lightmapping.

As a last step I would use a patching utility that will replace the filenames of masked textures with their DDS coutnerparts.

This is a pretty complicated art path, but it was for free to me (since I already purchased giles).

At the other hand, a tool like 3d world studio by halo may be a good and compact solution, although you have to spend a few bucks.


*(Posted 2007) [#5]
Quill3d is good


ziggy(Posted 2007) [#6]
I've been playing with the 3D World Studio Demo and it looks awesome, it is exactly what I was looking for so I supouse I will buy a license. I would like to try also Quill3D but I haven't found any official site to download a demo or something. any ideas?


Ross C(Posted 2007) [#7]
Check out mines in the Blitz Showcase. It's free, but still in development. You can load meshes, scale, rotate and position. I'm currently adding a save function. It's main use currently, is to position items in a 3d world. I'll try and add the save tonight.

3d World Studio is awesome though :o)


Beaker(Posted 2007) [#8]
Don't get Quill3D (even if you can?). It's no longer developed and is/was sold with copy-protection that required you to have the CD in at all times. Overall, it's not a bad tool tho.

I would go for 3D World Studio, or DeleD and gile[s].


jfk EO-11110(Posted 2007) [#9]
Probably the import and export B3D plugin for DeleD still needs some work, from what I remember.