Gmax/3Ds Max vs. Milkshape 3D, let's see . . .
Milkshape- it is easy to use, simple can compile models for half-life, Q3, and a million other formats. It is free for the first 30 days, then, if you want to use it afterwards, you have to register it, but it is only $25 or so. Unfortunately, Milkshape is more of a low poly modelling program, and it has limited tools and features, and you can only use it for models.
Gmax/3Ds Max- extremely complex, with a multitude of difficult to understand functions and tools. It is much, much more powerful than Milkshape, having so many more tools at your disposal, hense the extreme complexity. You can even make entire maps for games like Quake III. Yes, it does have a cut tool (about a million different tools for seperating, and mutilating your model), which is one of the reasons I chose Gmax to make my chaos emerald model (the cone shape being the second reason). Why the hell doesn't Milkshape 3D have a damn cone shape?
Unfortunately, it cannot compile maps for Half-Life or any other game on it's own. You need to get these Gmax game packs for certain games that let you compile them (I do not see Half-Life on the *extremely* short list of games they provide on their website). I don't know much about this. I really do not know how to compile Half-Life models myself with this thing, hense some of my troubles making my chaos emerald models, which I'm not even sure I want to release now, since shjing went and released his own Chaos Emerald models (which he made 2 months ago) the day after I announced I was making mine.
Anyway, Gmax is completely free, while 3Ds Max is the rediculously over-priced, uber expensive version (3Ds-Max 5 is $3,495.00!! That's $3500 bucks!) that has even more features, and is like "the best thing since sliced bread" (which is the way they make it sound).
3Ds Max is for professional 3D graphics designers. It's likely the Half-Life team themselves used 3Ds Max, or something similar to that when developing the models and graphics for Half-Life. I wouldn't get 3Ds Max just for modeling replacement models for ESF. It's a serious program, that costs quite a chunk of change.
Milkshape 3D is probably the way to go. Much less expensive, and much easier to use. I have no clue what to do with these chaos emerald models I made with Gmax. They are just sitting there, staring at me. They are begging me to give them bones, scale them, and are pleading with me to compile them, but I do not know how. I can't!
I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME!! Please?
