sapog, in general you can make your models as for FFED3D,that means pioneer supports now various mesh formats. while "collada", is the chosen format to make things like variable materials (pattern bitmaps) and specularity bitmaps. the scale is 1:1, means one unit is one meter, best is to work in units, thus the result will be proper scaled.the orientation (also winding order) of the game is "RIGHTHANDED". if it's not clear what that means,lefthanded, take lefthand, point with forefinger away from you to mark "Z", thumb up will mark "Y" and spread middlefinger to right marks "X"righthanded, take righthand, point with forefinger to your breast to mark "Z", thumb up marks "Y" and middlefinger will show "X". that means in fact or simplyfied, our models are inverted over the "Z" axis compared to FFED3D or most modelling systems.but you can use a simple 180° rotation over "Z", the UV is corrected so that will work best, while i found actually some issues prob. related to that,but have to make this proof first. we haven't that problem before without matrix animations, but it seems it brings up some issues if i only rotate instead to invert over "Z".you can say my fault, i introduced this rotating instead flipping, it was no problem for the LMR based animations, since you decided how the parts rotate/translate.that is a bit different now and i guess the problem with the conrods and visual keying i have, are bound to this, but like i said i need more experiences in that direction. to get one of the FFED3D ships running in pioneer "out of the box", not much is needed since .x meshes are supported.open the existing FFED3D mesh in text format, there is a line on top of all meshes, which looks like this:Frame RootFrame {FrameTransformMatrix {1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000, 0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000, 1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;}to get the model from lefthanded to righthanded system alter it in this way Frame RootFrame {FrameTransformMatrix {-1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000, 0.000000,0.000000,-1.000000,0.000000, 0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000, 0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;} thus x and z get inverted, unfortunately left will become rightyou need to invert "X" and "Z", obviously. else the normals will be wrong. to scale the model to pioneer (ffed3d 0.1 units = 1 meter, pioneer 1 unit = 1 meter) Frame RootFrame {FrameTransformMatrix {-10.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000, 0.000000,0.000000,-10.000000,0.000000, 0.000000,10.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;} that's why i said cost's me 5mins to do so.but in this way you can use the models without altering them or open the original project. (and you pioneer devs, that's why .x meshes are cool in some sort you can't do that with collada, you can't alter scale or rotation everything gets mixed up) while like i said scale of FFE is inconsistent, prob. one like to get the viper and the conny a little smaller and the cobra3 a little bigger.(i recomend 8x for the viper and the conny and 12x for the cobra mk3, as example, but best would be compare the basic meshes in a CAD, lay one on top of the other and compare that to the specifications (mass) and you will see scale is inconsistent). the advantage is portability of collada, means it's a format which can be ported to any OS and imported/exported form most CAD softs.it offers unlike a .x mesh i.e. the possibility to open a model as if it would be a project, means you can work on it further even when you are not the author. but i found out it's a bit difficult to animate the stuff (at least from my pov), collada stores all untransformed and animations work in a way very similar as they would work in the CAD, that's obvious else you couldn't open it like a project. but exactly this brings up some issues, but best is find your own solution, i got stuck with conrods and haven't found a way to get them proper exported in collada.that's why i use collada for the body mesh and .x meshes for the animated landing gear, that works best for me. SGM supports Levels Of Detail, as much as you like. from my pov. three LOD's are very good, two and prob. a collision mesh would be already enough. means a low poly mesh for LOD1and a higher detailed for LOD2 at which resolution the LOD will change, the modeller decides.most what i did for SGM has actually 3 LOD's and a collision mesh, but like i said it's up to the modeller. you can work without a collision mesh, pioneer will generate a box which covers the whole geometry if no collision mesh is present.but since i'm a "tüfplischiesser" (one who shits dots) a very exact person, all my models have for sure a collision mesh close as possible to the shape of the ship.i don't like to be prob. hit or collide where no hull is present, not even a cm, (i would like to get hit even on a lowered landing gear) thrusters and other "variable" stuff are marked with "placeholders" means a empty node, scale of the node will be scale of what you call with it. but well take this one prob. as example how it's done [attachment=1691:mod_viper_coolhands5_sgm_30-1.zip] erm, before i forgot most models in FFED3D are stored as .bin or compressed .bin x-mesh to get that to text format, you need either to open it i.e with max with the risk of loosing the animation.but i recommend old "MeshView" from MS (DX8), with this proggy you can change them "lossless" from .bin to .txt. a little teardrop. pioneers SGM need material names in the mesh to assign the right material.but as you can see at coolhands viper, if you use only ONE material it's not neededto name it and one specified material will be used for all meshes. --- BUTSGM isn't complete (at least from my POV) actually only a landing gear animation is supported,you can call the same animated mesh twice (e.g. you like to have a visible landing gear at LOD2 as well at LOD3)but specify the duration only ONCE, else it won't work. neither you can have a LOD2 and LOD3 mesh incl. a landing gear that won't work. leaks a lot, i feel, but i'm not asked i guess.i don't understand why it has to be so simple? ok. more modellers can do models, but i feel tomorrow SGM or any "old" modelling system is past.costs time to learn something new, but what we have today can't be further developed.but i feel the future will bring/need much more flexibility "we don't like cockpits" is the wrong attemtpt i guess.players today like already cockpits,tomorrow they like to walk around in and outside the ship,they like to do trips in 0 gravity,and, and, and. and besides of all that,with the "shitty ancient LMR" or similar scripted assembling of a model, i can excavate a surface without leaving a single wrinkle on the surface.try to do that in a other way without boosting the polycount, it's not possible.i take a clean bezier surface and "dig" a hole in it, you won't see one single wrinkle around that hole, tricked yes,but imo far better as the result of a boolean operation. but take care i'm a uneducated construction worker and i have no idea about modelling.my models are made "occasionally"and at all i'm a idiot and a loud mouth.thus because i'm a proletartian

we have one he's 1000 times better as i am