Is there any freeware design programs that are compatible with the GAL CIV 2 format

from GalCiv2 Forums
Hey all.

I remember a good few years ago I had a piece of freeware that allowed you to put spaceship parts together, and it would render them, like the Bryce Rendering suite.

Also, which software would ye recommend to me to use, so I can design my own parts, and what format do I save them as, and where etc.

Cheers. P.S. If anyone knows what that program was called, please post the name...
modding
10,667 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Blender is free and can save to the .x (direct X) format that GCII uses. Do a google search or something.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wings 3D is good... I wrote a .X exporter for it.
Wings 3D
My .X plugin
Download wings from its site, then download my .beam file and run wings; on the file menu there should be an "install plugin" command; select the .beam file and you should be able to export .X files from wings!
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Cheers - if you know any other programs, or know someone else who knows some programs, tell them to respond to this thread.

Again, cheers.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You can use Lightwave and just add the directx free plugin that exports the model in version 7 format or version 8 format.
I did the Trek Doomsday Machine and converted it to Direct X through Modeller. worked like a charm for that part but I'm not versed enuff yet to get the actual model to show up in the game I need to know the naming conventions for the Custom Player Ships since I want the models there not just as humans..

Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Great - So can someone please post here the exact process to go through...
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Blender is awesome and as a first time doing any sort of graphical design I found it easy to use and easy to learn. Only problem is that I can't get textures to work ingame with Blender. DirectX Viewer has no problem showing the model properly with textures, but ingame it's just an all greyish surface. Nobody on these forums seem to know how to get them to work either.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Has anyone heard or or used a program called Dark Matter? I found it looking for the program I used to use.

heres a link to the Dark Matter site I found: Link

I remember the program I used to use had loads of pre-designed ship parts, without the hard points etc... They were already textured etc, and you could move them about like in Blender, Wings 3D etc, and resize them etc.

Its really starting to bug me that I can't remember the programs name, but maybe someone might know what it is!
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
DoGA?
www.doga.co.jp
It is very nice for making quick renders, as those of us who play Space Empires have found, but for things that will be rendered in realtime, it generates horribly inefficient models