Cafu Engine

While we wait for Carsten to release a modeleditor there is another model creator, called Mesheditor. http://www.meshcreator.co.uk/downloads

Edit: woops forgot to add the link.

Where? I don't see any link

Real nice 3D model creator.

Saniro wrote:While we wait for Carsten to release a modeleditor there is another model creator, called Mesheditor.

Please note that the main purpose of the upcoming Cafu Model Editor is not - despite it's name - to be a mesh editor. For editing the actual meshes, creating animations etc., there are already many very powerful programs that the Cafu Model Editor does not intend to rival.

Instead, the Model Editors purpose is to import models, allow the user to make Cafu-specific settings and adjustments, and save the model in a file format that the Map Editor and the Engine can read. See Project Ideas for a slightly longer outline.

I would like to add some information to this

Carsten is right, be careful with the term "model editor/creator" as this is commonly a tool for tweaking prefabs, assets , models for the same reason. Importing a static model is quite simple, but adding animation and connecting scripts with attributes with mesh and animation is much more complex. Thats the purpose of the upcoming Cafu Model Editor, to combine static meshes, textures, shaders and animations with different informations (attaching items, controlling sequences etc.)

For working with 3D Models and textures you will always need an external 3D software, there are many good comercial packages from Autodesk, but also quite some free ones (including full features like animation, rigging, animation and so on):

Blender (Win, Linux, Mac)
Most popular is Blender, with is the biggest open source 3D Software you can get. It is a little different in navigating and handling compared to 3dsMax or Maya but still a fully featured 3D Software for free, there will be no better.
http://www.blender.org/

Truespace (Win)
Truespace was comercial but ended 2009 as freeware, so its having nice features like modelling, uv, rigging, animation etc, so all you need.
Seems only available on Windows, the only bad thing i guess.
http://www.caligari.com/Products/trueSp ... /Intro.asp

Wings 3D (Win,Linux,Mac)
One of my favorits in the old days, and its open source. Very powerful in modeling based on the legendary first SubDiv modeling software Nendo/Mirai
Workflow is a bit different but very flexible and powerful !
http://www.wings3d.com/

K-3D (Win, Linux)
This one is quite good for modelling and animation, yet again completly free. It gives access to poly and nurbs modeling, although you should never use nurbs objects as export (not working for almost any game engine), but you can convert it into a poly object.
http://www.k-3d.org/

Google SketchUp (Win, Mac)
Yes after all Sketchup is a good way of modelling without having to know all about modelling. Besides its quite simple and fun to use, but texturing/uv is rather rudimental/nonexistent. Still not bad for concept/prototyping. Again base version is free
http://sketchup.google.com/product/gsu.html

DeleD (Win,?)
A 3D Editor providing a good way of creating levels and models as it seems, its also open source with a wide userbase and plugins.
http://www.delgine.com/index.php?filename=product_deled


K3d Surf (Win,Linux, Mac)
Want some exotic stuff ?
K3d Surf is a surface generator based on math equations, if you can handle that its quite some fun and allows for some terrible, complex surfaces that would be quite painful to model traditional.
http://k3dsurf.sourceforge.net/

Maybe you find something that suits you

Hi Kai, many thanks for compiling this list!

Let me also add MilkShape 3D:

MilkShape 3D (Win)
A low-polygon modeler that can read and write a great number of file formats. It is worthwhile because it can be used as a converter if you happen to have models in exotic formats that Cafu doesn't support natively.
Shareware with 30 days test period, registration fee is 35 US$ or 25€.
http://chumbalum.swissquake.ch/

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthre ... 05&page=23

Here's a new 3d app being developed with advice from the artists at polycount. Its called Void World and is currently free to use. I had a try a while ago and it has some great features and is coming along nicely.

I tried out Mesh creator and I wouldnt recommend it in its current state, you can only manipulate verts and its very primitive over all

NVM to meshcreator and milkshape. Take a look at blender and anim8or.

Hi @all, my first post in this forum should point the Mac-modellers at my favourite modelling Software, only for Mac:

Cheetah 3D
A 3D modelling program with many modifiers, easy to learn and a very intuitive UV unwrapping and Texture painting tool. Creation of Model animations. Exporters to many Formats.
The Price is with currently 99$US very good compared to the ease of une and possibilities.
http://www.cheetah3d.com/