What Can I Do to Get Ready?

[aaronT]

Ah Paradox, but wouldn't it be simpler for the learning experience to dive head on? Instead of simply getting my feet wet, immersing myself?

i'm not saying this to contradict you, I'm just saying, and I do plan to work on mini projects while I work on Forgotten Memories, so don't worry about that. I have a blog/showcase set up for the miniprojects i publish and everything.

[aaronT]

RF2 will use Ogre's MESH format. If you have a tool that exports to Ogre's XML mesh format, just use the Ogre Command Line Utilities to convert the XML to a mesh file.

Blender is one of the most powerful free options, but it does have a steep learning curve. Truespace 7.6 is actually the most powerful free option out there right now. (Sorry Zany, just stating fact...)

I suggest starting here and seeing what tools are good for you.

HAHA I'm just stating facts: While Blender's UI is a pain in the arse to learn, it provides better more powerful tools. TrueSpace is, truely, easier to begin with, but less powerful, making it more entry level. Blender can almost be professional

[zany_001]

RF2 will use Ogre's MESH format. If you have a tool that exports to Ogre's XML mesh format, just use the Ogre Command Line Utilities to convert the XML to a mesh file.

Blender is one of the most powerful free options, but it does have a steep learning curve. Truespace 7.6 is actually the most powerful free option out there right now. (Sorry Zany, just stating fact...)

I suggest starting here and seeing what tools are good for you.

HAHA I'm just stating facts: While Blender's UI is a pain in the arse to learn, it provides better more powerful tools. TrueSpace is, truely, easier to begin with, but less powerful, making it more entry level. Blender can almost be professional

ALMOST? Blender is used by many professionals worldwide, and there is even a full feature-length movie in which all the special effects are being done with blender. I rate it up with max and C4D, maybe a step behind maya.

http://blenderartists.org/cms/content/view/15/34/

[paradoxnj]

Guys, I'm not knocking Blender. I think it produces fantastic results. Only thing I is Blender has never been used for a triple A title...TrueSpace has. TrueSpace has also been used for some animated movies. It's like your mom's cooking...if you love it, no one else's cooking can compare to it.

Ah Paradox, but wouldn't it be simpler for the learning experience to dive head on? Instead of simply getting my feet wet, immersing myself?

i'm not saying this to contradict you, I'm just saying, and I do plan to work on mini projects while I work on Forgotten Memories, so don't worry about that. I have a blog/showcase set up for the miniprojects i publish and everything.

While this might be true for some things, it is not completely true for game development. When you push to a publisher, you have to put your best product forward. When you are learning, you will not be pushing your best product as you don't have the necessary knowledge to do so. If you fail and are turned down, you will discourage yourself and think about quitting. That is not a good thing to do as you will lose the desire to be better. Also...publishing companies put a time limit on release. Because you are learning, you will move at a much slower pace than a professional studio.

You could still jump in head first by making a game, just don't worry about pitching it. Worry about getting it to the quality that you desire first. Technology first...money later...

[aaronT]

I know you weren't mocking Blender Paradox I wuz just kidding. As for the game, that's what I plan on doing. I, once again, have all the time in the world to get my game up to speed. And while I'm working on Character Modelling, I plan on also working on mini-projects. So it's not like I'll be completely immersed on one project. I don't plan on pitching the project until it's the best it can be.

[Allanon]

While TrueSpace is a good free modeling program I wouldn't recommend it since it was discontinued in May 2009. I would recommend learning a modeling applications that will be around for the next 10 years and one that will keep up with the latest technology.

Also Blender recently got a revamped UI that looks more like 3dsMax so the learning curve is not as high as it was.

[paradoxnj]

That is not true. They are just losing their web site and support. Microsoft will continue to develop Truespace and offer it as a free product along with XNA. It will not have releases as frequent, but they will be there.

It is with regret that I have to tell you that trueSpace is one of the products affected. As a consequence, you will see reduction or elimination of services offered for trueSpace. For example, there will be no phone or email support offered for trueSpace by Microsoft, and our web site may also be affected. While the dates are not absolutely fixed, some services and contacts may come to an end as early as Friday May 22nd 2009, while others will continue as long as possible with no firm cutoff date available yet.

[Allanon]

Wikipeidia said it was discontinued and that letter also makes it sound like it's the last version. The only reason Microsoft acquired Truespace was so they would have a modeling program for their Virtual Earth 3D. Google had their Sketchup modeling program for Google Earth and Microsoft needed to compete so they acquired Truespace and made it free. When Microsoft acquired Truespace it was stated in the press release that it was going to the Virtual Earth team.

[MakerOfGames]

I was very excited when trueSpace was released for free, but now that the price tag has gone away, I realize that soon the software will go away too as M$ basically purchased it to only let it die. I am getting tired of M$ and all their dirty corporate tactics. I am surprised they didn't try to overhaul it to make it available for uses with the XNA studio and in house developers. I would purchase trueSpace if it would still be a running project. I actually was going ot buy it just before it was released for free. It saddens me that a product that has been around since the dawn of computer graphics had to die at the hands of M$.

So yes, trueSpace is dead unless M$ decides to put money into. The last I heard they stopped development cause the economy and transferring resources to more critical projects. If M$ was really smart, they would openSource it, so it would still advance and they could reap the benefit like everyone else. But M$ probably is too concerned about possibly making money off of it later, so they will let it sit until its too old to do anything with.

RIP trueSpace, I learned everything about modeling from you.... alas, I knew ye well...

EDIT: In reference to Blender now being similar to 3DS Max, I can't say Max is very intuitive. I say that the perfect way to get creative and to model anything is with the trueSpace UI. It's simple and intuitive and I don't have to press 10 buttons over 4 menus to get to go from object mode rotation to scale the face I want selected. I took a course that used 3DS Max last semester and I hated every second of it. I think 3DS Max is only a standard the way M$ Windoze is a standard, it was the first to have the most features, but now no one wants to give it up cause they used it forever and are afraid to use anything else.

[Allanon]

The modeling program I loved was Lightwave 3d, I had a chance to play with it back in the 90's and loved the user interface. Creating animation was very easy. It was used for the Babylon 5 TV series and all the models for the space ships were released to the public domain. I remember creating huge space wars with those models just like the actual series. Too bad it was so expensive and went the way of rendering for film and TV instead of making models for games. The user interface was the best I've ever used.