NIFFENATOR Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 This is similar to another topic that I saw on these forums a little while ago about Blender. My question is about how suitable Solidworks is as 3d modelling software when it comes to making weapon/armour mods for Fallout. I am an engineering student at university and Solidworks is the CAD software that we use to build and analyse 3d models. Does anyone have any experience when it comes to using models created in Solidworks for their mods? If so, what issues arise and what can I, as the creator of the model, do to fix/avoid them? What is a suitable file type to save as (since a .sldprt or .sldasm will probably be quite awkward), to make it easier on the modder who's creating the textures & etc? I want to get into creating weapon & armour mods for Fallout - I've got an idea for a heavy automatic grenade launcher, similar to the Milkor MGL but bigger and more fitting for a character in full power armour. I think it would also be quite cool to make a pair of claws, similar to Terminator lightning claws in Warhammer 40k, that can be equipped in power armour and do energy damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinraStrife Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 What format does solidworks use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIFFENATOR Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 If you mean the file format, it by default saves a part as a .sldprt, and an assembly as a .sldasm. It can convert to various other types of file, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinraStrife Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 In the end you'd have to convert it to a format that whatever 3d modeling program will have nif exporter plugins. Probably blender or 3ds max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIFFENATOR Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 (edited) That should be ok, Solidworks can save as a .stl and .VRML which both Blender and 3ds can import. My concern is mostly about whether the model will end up looking weird when it gets imported after conversion. Edited December 3, 2015 by NIFFENATOR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianpatt Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 That should be ok, Solidworks can save as a .stl and .VRML which both Blender and 3ds can import. My concern is mostly about whether the model will end up looking weird when it gets imported after conversion.Not inherently, but it will need to be optimized to remove invisible triangles and other things that a high-level design tool like Solidworks doesn't need to care about. You'll also probably need to do UV layout and that stuff in whatever you are using as an intermediate for nif conversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinraStrife Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 If you have the cash, autodesk mudbox is an amazing tool for uv/texture mapping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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