TrueSpace works well for my friends that model. They don't do anything as detailed as Iskatu or as organic as Mansh00ter, but it works well for them. It's free.

And I seem to perform disturbingly well with Blender.

Overall, if you are in the "free" range, Blender is the best investment of time as it has many applications and is really well supported--it's even being used in some non-studio cgi film work.

I started with Specular3D in the 80's on a black and white monitor. Was really a fine program for its time, but not the best modeler. Used Strata Studio, Macromedia Extreme 3D and a few others before settling with Cinema4D. But since a few versions it has become unbearably expensive. So I stick with my elder version and XSI for Sins converting. But Cin4D is still the best tool for me, intuitive and very capable (if only the obj support would be better)

I started with 3DS Max I don't know when, but once I tried XSI I never looked back. Just doesn't compare. The interface is slick compared to Max's clunky 90's style UI, everything is a keypress away, well laid out, informative. The modelling controls are easy and straightforward, the tools are useful and each new release brings awesome stuff.

I mean, just ICE (Interactive Creative Environment) makes it worthwhile. Not to mention features like Unfold for UV's saving you tons of time. Plus the node based render tree... man I could go on for hours.

I still occasionally use Max to convert some files, and every time I'm finished, I'm so glad I don't have to work in that mess anymore! :p

I prefer to stick to wings3d for low poly modeling (for me 1500 polys and below). With any higher poly models I move to 3ds max to bake light maps, shadow maps, etc. I also use it to remove any texture seems on asteroid-like models or anything that is organic...

I use Wings3d to UV map, if not only because I don't feel like learning to use anything else...

Thanks for the advice guys.

I've got Blender on my computer, which I installed after watching some amazing videos on showing some of the things you can do with it.

Anyway, now that summer is here, I might just take a shot at it again.

The human Destroyer class, 600 polys. I am quite proud of this one, lol:

The Royal Family's Kraken-class is one of the older models, and the last one that is yet mangled by the Greeble plugin I used for detailing super old hulls. While its previous revision focused on the turrets, this one focused on rebuilding most of the hull, adding a new weapon (missile launchers), and fixing a lot of smoothing. The new version, complete with rebuilt Powergun turrets, is 6k quads smaller than the previous. My work isn't done yet, but close.

Some amazing work!

Can I download some of these and try them in my game? Any links?

Here's a fighter I made in Maya 2011 with some Photoshop touch-up::

Edit: it didn't come in right....grrrr...

Edit: stil can't get it to link right

GRRR!!!!!! It won't work from my online portfolio or from facebook.....

*sigh*

Nope.

Lol, nice work IskatuMesk.

Well curse that ManSh00ter for showing me Sculptris--even though I have no way of usefully exporting it's textures for Sins...sigh.

I've been overrun by work for more than a month now and tinkering with the model and an occiasonal ability tweak is all I have had time for.So I decided to redo the Yggdrasil mothership model for two reasons:

• give it a more sinister and organic feel
• allow the model to physically drill into Sins planets on attack

I grew up with black widow spiders and crab spiders and found the former extremely creep inspiring and the later fascinating.  Since this is a virus, I also wanted to give it a not completely insect  look as it isn't meant to emulate the Vasari or a bug.  So I deformed some of the legs and structure to give it that electron microscope magnified look.

Here's the end result (and yes, if anyone wants to actually do a pro job on fixing tangents or putting on textures contact me--outside my skill range sadly).  

I have several particle effects ready including the dust "poof!" when it drills into a planet and some of the creepy glowing-swirling type effects for the interior that spawns "lectoids".

Heh

if I could find time

I would go ahead and do them for you.

Well it still is creepy purty.

If I had more time I'd do them for me.

When I win the lottery, I'm taking two months off and becoming a Sins Model Master.

If GoaFan hadn't told me you can hand edit in mesh points in text format I'd have never obssessed on the modeling.

ARGH!

I'm hoping ManSh00ter knows a trick to get the textures out of Sculptris and convert them easily for Sins.

I've been working on some ships of my own design for sins, and i thought id show them off .

Nice work.  I like the assembly line similarity.  Very TEC looking.

Do you have low poly mesh with UV's done? If so you may be able to bake them with XNormal.

And nice looking models there Maxloef.

Thanks for the tip and the program might have potential.

I actually was able to optimize file size well enough in Sculptris and can export it from there as an OBJ.

In theory, I think the texture and maps can go with it.  This is not my area of expertise and I am hoping ManSh00ter will show up with a tip.

In the meanwhile, I finally decided to cut corners and make my Singularity Siege ship using the TEC planet shield generator.  As the original idea was TEC was the only one who made these ships and since it was a planet size effect they were creating with it, fits nicely as a modified planet shield.

Here's the model in-game (I actually am adding a teeny bit of detail and it's done:

You're welcome.

I am so jealous right now. I wish I was skilled enough to do anything with the base models. I know, I shall make a clone of you and/or SoaSE Maelstrom so I can force them to make my legions of models bases on the original Sins textures.

Well all you have to do is tell me what you want--if it's messing with the base models, I can edit them--though I don't have Rebellion ones (somebody please convert for us?).

The textures apply certain ways and if you are careful, you can sometimes fit a model to use existing ones.

In the model above I did no UV mapping and didn't touch textures--I just tweaked my changes to fit--it's a pain but if you want to slightly modify an existing model it can be done.

sinperium, did you download my rebellion ref sets? the mesh folder IS included in them.

harpo

I have--my problem is that I can't convert mesh to a file type I can edit.

I can text edit the points in them but not make model changes, etc.

myfist0 had done the conversions for the dip/ent/vanilla meshes, so we can hope to ask him to do similar.

harpo

Tell me which ones you want and I will get them in OBJ.