Are there alternatives to 3D MAX?

[Tamara]

Are there inexpensive pgms that I could use to create NPCs, textures, meshes, etc.?

 

I have Adobe Elements 2 and Maya 5 PLE is on a cover disk, but I haven't looked at it yet.

 

TIA Tamara

 

:help:

[Stormscape]

well, for NPC's there's something called TES:CS :P

[Peregrine]

Now for a more useful answer:

Yes, somewhat. There are free/cheap programs (blender, gmax, maya ple, milkshape, probably a few others I'm missing), but none of them can export directly to files Morrowind can use. So you'll have to find someone like me with 3dsmax who can do the final export. And hope that your program can be imported from (the free versions of professional software use a unique format to keep you from doing much useful without buying the real thing). I know gmax can be done, but its a bit buggy/seems to distort the mesh a bit. No idea about the others though.

 

As for npcs (dialogue/equipment/etc, not the mesh itself), only way to do it is the cs. But since you bought Morrowind, you have that already. Textues can be done with pretty much any 2d paint program. The only real requirement is the ability to save in .tga format, but the features of the more expensive programs do help for making good textures.

[DragoonFurey]

In regards to the 2d painting programs; i find Paint Shop Pro 7 works great and its quite a bit cheaper then Adobe Photo Shop, (and if you know what your doing you can re-install the 30 day trial when the timer runs out and have it still work) you could use something like MS paint but it would be extreamly time consuming and difficult.

[xylon]

FWIW, I found Paint Shop Pro 8 at costco for $69 if I remember correctly.