Hi guys, I'm looking for a free, easy-to-use 3D modeling app which will enable me to draw models for my games. I need something that supports materials, and has a file format which is easily readable and importable into OpenGL. I've tried AC3D (not really free, but a tie for first place with milkshape), Milkshape (pretty good, but not quite there, I don't believe it supports textures?), Blender (not what I need), POVRay (raytracing, not what I need) and a few others but I'm still looking for something that has everything I need in a nice, easy to use, free package.

Try Chumbalum Soft's MilkShape3D. It supports many formats, and also has it's own native format which is very easy to understand and use.

milkshape supports textures m8. also I am unsure why you would not want to use blender. I can get the same results out of it that I do with Max. Give it a chance and set the buttons and screens up like a 3dsmax view and your never look back. Its worth getting past the funky interface of blender its a powerful free modeller.

You may try gameSpace Light - free version of gameSpace;
It has some limits (number of triangles) and exports only
in .X .COB formats, but it's worth to try.

Sorry, I didn't read that you'd already tried MilkShape. But it does in fact support textures and does just about everything that you would need a 3D modeller to do. Read through the help files, it's all quite easy.

You might include a bit more detail on what you want to use it for because what you described and the programs you listed are the answers you would recieve. Do you need high/low poly count? Is there a specific file type you would like to work with?

I would agree with the post refering Blender. It will do more than most will ever need but it is nice to have it just incase.

I've just recently started moving from Milkshape to the FragMotion beta as it has more features (better animation support, built in UV unwrapping and is fully scriptable). It's pretty good so far.

I like Anim8o, especially for ease of use, and the file format is real easy to parse or convert, it saves in 3DS and some other ones too:

Anim8or

i recomend blender.
an open source solution.

www.blender3d.com

I'd say go with milkshape although it really doesnt matter what you use as they all do the same thing(pretty much).

Some things I like about Milkshape:
- SDK very handy for developing your own stuff
- Its $25 USD ... still not as good as free but the updates are consistent and the support/community is great (ppl continously write plugins)
- you can, with some work, setup a modular animation sdk, using the plugins
- you can also use the same sdk to do scripted camera work
- v2.0 is supposed to support physics via novodex, which means you should be able to extract physics info from the sdk

Cheers,
- llvllatrix