screw everything related to modeling in xsi,including uv mapping,wings3d is the way to go,completely free,full automatic uv unrapping,automatic texture creation,fully customizable interface.

Agree with you... first, wings3d cannot hardpoint the model ( it is possible with "art of illusion", a other free software but cannot export it to .xsi )... and the .xsi format is needed for convert to .mesh...

A other thing, i am a adapt of wings3d... but like in any other 3D software, same the professional one, auto tools for segmenting and UV really suck... manual work lead to a optimization factor between the 200 and 500%...

But Wings3d is perfect for a starter modeler mainly due to the contextuel right click menu and the very "clean" interface... you have all you need for make good model but nothing more... unless you switch to the expert mode and add a bunch of plug-in...

Anyway, i don't think that the guy wish to model, he ask someone for make the job... if he don't find someone, he need to be a little patient... on the Danmangame forum, a mod called Vermillion sector have recently be started, based on the asian anime... the model show will maybe be included in the mod... not sure that you can see the page without being a members there but the post is located at http://danmangames.com/forums/index.php?topic=2285.msg16472#msg16472 ... there is 3 different version of the pegasus class... with luck they will choose these show here ( it is the more beautiful of the three for my personal taste )...

there is no coding involved for hardpointing... in fact, you add a null surface with a orientation direction and give it a name... pretty sure that there is somewhere a plug-in for make it in wings3d since it is a usual feature for a lot of 3D software... remain the fact that the sins convert exe can only work with a .XSI file for create the .mesh and until now, wings3d cannot export to .xsi format

Not really... tangent map are not so good in XSI... in fact, tangent map are calculated from normals and wings3d is not very good it... have only the usual normal, not the angle weighted one...

No one 3D software is perfect and each of them have strong and weak side... reason why i use various software for my models... several of them free and a few for money...

By example, for enough complex model, mainly capitalship, texture are 2048x2048... it is always best to work at the double resolution and sample down in the end... problem is that wings3D can only generate template of the UV to 2048x2048... so, for generate a 4096x4096 UV template, i use UV-Viewer ( free at http://d3d.sesseler.de/index.php?software=other&product=uv_viewer ) ... for calculate the angle weighted normal, i use meshlab ( free at http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ )... meshlab is great for check and correct model too... a other software that i use for organic style ship ( with curve ) is UV layout pro ( not free http://www.uvlayout.com/ ) because it allow to reduce greatly strech problem...

Now that i think about it, you seek a texturer... before, there was a free 32 bit version of blacksmith3d paint ( not more free since the release of the 64 bits version )... was a really original way to texture... directly painting on the 3D model without worry about seam between piece on the UV map... for model based on something already existing like film, serie, anime, game... a few screenshots, 10 minutes with blacksmith3d paint and your model was textured... maybe the free version can be found somewhere on the internet...

Coming back to tangent map, until now, the best one are made with Cinema 4D ( far to be free software )... in the B5 mod, Cinema 4D is used by the mod leader for backing AO map in the usual cl map... process who creatly enhance the quality of the model texturing...

Point is there is a lot of software related to the 3D... each with default and quality... in the case of the free one, it is a good idea to try have them all... Wings3D is my primary tools for sins but the software have his own limits ( but have greatly improve in the last 2 years that i use it due to the several new version each year )

Hmm, somehow off topic... a guy ask somebody for make a model and all our replies are related to tools who can be used for make a model...

rofl how do you  not understand?

Let say that you wish make the job yourself...

The first step is to make the model... you can make it in XSI, wings3D, 3D Max, Cinema 4D, etc

If you have no experience at all with 3D modeling, i think that wings3D who is free ( http://www.wings3d.com/ ) is these with the more fast learning curve due to the simplicity of the software...

I need first to finish some job now ( will be done in the loop of next week )... but if you wish, once i have done, we can make the model together and i will teach you how to make it with wings3d... i can perfectly make it fully myself but the goal is that next time, you will be able to make it yourself... i can guide you for modelling, segmenting, UV optimization, texturing the various map but for the final stage in XSI, you will need somebody other since the software hate me !!! And for the entity coding part too since i am not very good at it...

The first job is to collect more pictures... best is to have a top, under, side, front, after view of it... more pictures you find, more canonical will be the result model...

That is all well and good. I thank you both for your help. Just leave a post here when you want to start with me. I am busy until monday as of right now.

Just for say that i have not forget you... a little incident don't allow me to use computer in a easy way for a few days... tutorial delayed to the begin of the next week...