Are there any free modelling applications?

I know some of the ship modellers use professional modelling packages that cost lots of money to make ships for SH3, but does anyone know of any freeware programs that would enable me to view models in 3D?

I need something that will allow me to import model files to the application, (that may have been built in a different file format), and see inside the model, to view the zone and sphere co-ordinates in 3D.

The idea behind it is to be able to modify the behaviour of some of the ships, to make them more realistic ( i'm still trying to get the A/C's to behave better when under attack from gunfire).
I don't want to alter the model, just the settings for the zones and spheres, a bit of tweaking really.

I've tried misfit and blender, but can't import SH3 model files to them, and don't have days to spend learning my way round software packages just to view a model in 3D and make some relatively minor alterations.
Also, when it comes to things like flotability, critical flotation, critical chance etc, as in the zones.cfg file, how do i tell which is a stronger or weaker setting for the particular zone i'm trying to tweak?
And when an armour value is -1, where can i find out what that armour level is?

There seems to be very scant information available on what these values represent, so, like most people i have no idea how a ship model's behaviour is defined.
Obviously the zones and spheres have 3D co-ordinates, zones being boxes of various shapes defining areas like engine rooms,ammo/fuel bunkers etc, and spheres being circles dependent on their radius controlling effects such as fire and smoke.

Hence the need to see them in 3D, and understand the armour levels, flotability etc. values to assign to them in order to achieve the desired effect.
It's a shame there's not some kind of guide available to explain what these values mean, or if there is, can someone please point me to it?
Any info welcome
X = Width, Y = Height, Z = length. ( Thanks to VonDos ) for that one

[Sledgehammer427]

Use S3d. select the 3d model in the .dat, click on export and you can open up the .obj files.
Misfit's my favorite, I use it for all my 3d needs

[Graf Paper]

There are actually many free 3D modeling apps, most released under some sort of open source license (GPL, MIT, BSD, etc.)

Wings3D is probably the best overall for beginners but has enough features to allow for even complex model building for SH3 and SH4.

Misfit3D is another one that is similar to Wings3D.

Blender 3D is the 900-pound gorilla of free 3D apps. It's even been used to produce theatrical-release quality animated movies. More extensions and scripts than there's room here to list!

DAZ 3D, is commercial freeware. They rely on the sales of add-on content to generate income for the company, so be prepared to get a few adverts each month in your e-mail box. They do offer some free stuff, though.

You might want to texture your models, so here's two free graphics apps:

GIMP, is the open-source community's answer to Photoshop. Although not as slick and polished as Adobe's flagship product, it is capable of doing a dizzying array of edits, enhancements, and effects with the same powerful features many people shell out $799 or more to have with PS.

Project Dogwaffle is a commercial graphics/animation app that has a full-featured freeware version, using the older engine from the previous iteration (v1.2) but it is still able to do impressive and detailed work.

Just Google for those names and you'll be ready to start working away at that u-boat/Bismark hybrid in no time!

Anyone else got any freeware or open-source gems they want to contribute?

[Task Force]

and then for the people like me who know nothing of this whole 3d stuff... theres google sketch up...

[Laufen zum Ziel]

Click my sig to go to SHA then go to modling tools under SHIII. Lots of links for free modling stuff.

Thank you kindly guys

I think i got Gimp too.

The interfaces on these programs are alien to me, so i was going through the help files/manuals just trying to find out how to import SH3 files to them, to view the ship model.
I couldn't find out how to do it through Blender or Misfit, ( didn't get round to Gimp) and i was baulking at the prospect of having to spend countless hours learning the intricacies of these programs, before stumbling on a way to import and view an SH3 3D model file/Folder.

I've already released a mod for the A/C's with higher armour levels, but i don't want a half baked mod, and neither does the SH3 community.

So your help is appreciated fellas, thanks again

Task Force i don't even know what google sketch up is

Ok Sledgehammer, exported the .obj file from S3D to Misfit and can now view the model in perspective view as wireframe/smooth/flat etc.

Looks cool

But i tried to export the .zon file to misfit to underlay the zone dimensions in the model, and it it won't do it
Unrecognized file format.

Is there a way to get the zone Boxes/Spheres to appear in the 3D model in Misfit?
If that one can be cracked i'm off and running, and can get to work on the zones

[Task Force]

you have to use S3d I think to see the zones.

Hi again TF ,
i can see the zones with S3D, but only as numerical X,Y and Z co-ordinates.
No doubt the ship modellers can view these zones as 3D box sections within the model, which is what i'm also trying to achieve.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ _
\_____ |_____|______|______/
\ ____| ____ | _____|_ ____/
\__ _|_ __ _|_ __ __| __ _ /

Like that

But in 3D instead of 2D

[Sledgehammer427]

yikes, looks like you are making individual compartments

[karamazovnew]

GMax is your best choice. It's free and it has been used for a long time for moding. It's a 3dStudioMax version which can only be used for modeling and texturing (and animation I think). I think it was even included in Flight Simulator or Unreal Tournament. There's also a free version of Maya call Personal Learning Edition. It's based on Maya 8.5. However I don't think it can work with the OBJ format. For modeling purposes, it has the best interface and tools you can imagine. Takes some time to getting used to it but there are tons of tutorials on the net to get you started, and then there's the Digital Tutors series of tutorials (but it costs a lot).

Sledgehammer the zones ARE individual compartments within the model, that's what the zone co-ordinates define( X,Y and Z). 3D boxes.
The zones define certain vital areas within the model, such as the number of engine rooms and their dimensions, fuel and ammo bunker dimensions.

The compartments (zones) contain their own armour levels, and a gun shell of a given size is assigned a certain destructive power. If it's a big shell with enough power to penetrate both the hull armour, and the armour for the internal zone, engine rooms flood, ammo/fuel bunkers explode etc.
The models tendency to list, due to taking on water, and ultimately sink, is determined by the strength of the hull armour, plus the level of "flotability" assigned to various compartments (zones) within the model, sometimes seperate from, but often in combination with, the afforementioned areas being penetrated (fuel/ammo/engine zones).

But flotability zones are seperate from those areas, and as such have their own dedicated dimensions and settings.
When an important, or critical, area is penetrated by gunfire, bomb or torpedo, it can also trigger a sphere to activate.
The spheres are 3 dimensional cylindrical areas, with various radii ( radiuses ), which, when penetrated, produce effects, like explosions, smoke and fire. These are normally linked to the important/critical zones.

( Lots of penetration occuring here )

I get the sneaky feeling that you already know this but just in case, that's a laymans description of how the ships behaviour, and the effects, are determined .

Bottom line is that the zones and spheres are indeed individual compartments, that already exist within the model to determine it's behaviour.

karamazovnew i looked up the free version of maya, but it no longer appears to exist on their site ( or at least i couldn't find it).

So far i've got Misfit, Blender and Gimp, and with Sledgehammers help i can now view the model in 3D through Misfit, but still can't view the zones (yet). But their must be a way, i just gotta find it.

Edit:

Karamazovnew i went to Autodesk via a search link, that i think put me on the wrong page.
Just searched it again and there's a 30 day free trial version of maya on it.

[kiwi_2005]

Gmax is great, as for the Maya freebie 'karamazovnew' mention its no longer available from what i read maybe to many stuck with the free version that Maya cancelled it. I no longer use Photo shop either since trying out Gimp far better program than what Photoshop will ever be. Photoshop $300+, Gimp Free!

The free version of Maya would not save to the obj format.
I still have a copy of it on the external drive.
Never installed it.

I also have the free version of Lightwave.
Never installed that.

I gather it prints a big watermark over anything produced anyway, rendering it useless for display.
Not that i want to display anything, all i want to do is view the model zones and spheres in 3D within the model.
Would save drawing a sketch of the model ( or a 3d rectangle would do really) and drawing in the zone boxes one by one from their co-ordinates.

With 40 to 55 for each ship it would take ages for each A/C.

You da man on zones and spheres- a little birdie tells me privateer


So please, have you any idea how to view a model's zones and spheres in 3D, within the models hull?
It's not rocket science to deduce that if 3d zones and spheres can be created and assigned properties for internal areas of a model, to control behaviour/reactions, they MUST be viewable in 3D, if only to check that they fit within the hull.
I can view the obj file ( the models hull) in Misfit, but can't import and view the zones.
pretty please how's it done?

Which app will allow me to view both the model and the zones within it in 3D?

Not heard of Lightwave previously ( have now though), have checked out Google 3D sketch, just so i know what Task Force was talking about.