I'd say Blender. It's more usable for modelling complex shapes with good topology. You can export to collada straight form it, which Pioneer understands right away. And with empties, you can place ligthts, engine fires and such, right in the program. It's interface needs some time to get familiar, but if you've got that, you can work quite fast with it. It has a good UV unwrapper, too.

I'm not sure about Sketchup, it seems to me that you can't really make any good topology with it, but I only used it quite a while ago, and not too much even then. Anyway, check that if you can play around with individual faces/topology, and the ability to UV unwrap for texturing. Check the collada exporter of it too, it acted strange for me. These are the areas needed to be checked, to spare some frustration for yourself.

Anyway, check the wiki, there are some great material to get you started.

Thanks! So far I've been reveling in getting wireframes done and covering them with simple faces to be refined thereafter, enjoying getting the architecture/geometries done. The only reason I went down the Sketchup/Kerkythea combo road was I first tried Blender and their website was down for a bit, lol... thanks for both recommendations 🙂 I think they might like what I have to offer shortly and if not, I've got it for whomever & whatever, but the goal wil be Pioneer so thanks for the help!

Hi,

do not get me wrong, but

  perhaps my google translator does not work, I can not decipher what you say !

any help?

tnx

Hello Biomechanoid ! 🙂

I apologize to you. I was using slightly unusual English syntax  ( grammar )  that was difficult to translate.

Now that I know you are translating, I will attempt to type in a more normal way that is less confusing to translation software.

Thank you for your patience.

So far, the only thing for me to clarify would be that I am very interested in making a model and submitting it to Pioneer. I am a novice at 3D modelling, but I am an advanced programmer of other things, I am an artist of other media, and I learn quickly. I am sure I will be producing good space ships soon, after I learn 3D modelling more. When I believe I have produced work that may be satisfactory to Pioneer, I will then submit my work for you to judge.

The other thing was: I began using Sketychup software to make 3D models  ( and export to Kerkythea software to finish )  but the  kind members above told me about some Sketckup software limitations. I believe it may be best for me to continue learning with Blender... to switch my lessons from Sketchup to Blender now, if my end goal is to submit work to Pioneer. I will stop using Sketchup for now.

I will begin learning on Blender, and I look forward to seeing what you think when I upload a model  ( space ship )  for you to consider. I will send one when it is complete.

Thank you, and I am very excited to see Pioneer when my new computer arrives to my house tomorrow! 🙂 🙂

@Divmontru

Don't forget to take a look at the modelling guides on the Wiki.

Lots of people have put effort into detailing many of the things you will want to know on there 🙂

Collada can be exported from some versions of 3DsMAX, it's the ".DAE" file extension.

I do it by using the menus:

• File -> Export -> Export Selected
• change file type to "Collada (.DAE)"
• Export

There is a little bit of 3DsMAX info on the wiki too, I use it too (2010 version, I think) most of the time because I hate Blender.

The only problem with it is that 3DsMAX has some problems with Collada/DAE. The exporter is very old.

What I often end up doing is doing the modelling and basic texturing in MAX, exporting it into a format that I know Blender can import, finish off anything that needs doing there, then export it from Blender in Collada (DAE) format.

Because of the way our game engine works you define all of the textures you use ingame so it doesn't matter too much if you export it using something like ".obj" format to get it into Blender which only supports one set of UV coordinates.

Often you have to use a variety of tools to get the job done if you're working with MAX :/

Andy