I preferred to use the Free Google Sketch up, as very easy to use and develop 3D Models. The to.x exporter used to work with XNA and Monogame. But Monogame Build pipleline tool no longer seems to recognise .x files ? So I am left wondering how to use Sketchup with MonoGame.
What [Free] 3D modelling tools to Indie MonoGame developers use. [Ignoring Blender as being too complicated.]
** EDIT : Apologies the MonoGame PipeLine does Support .x file importer as well as .fbx **
Couple days ago I heard about “Bforartists” which is a Blender fork designed for usability, they’ve completely redesign the UI: https://bforartists.de/
Here’s my top personal Free 3D Modeling tools and currently using ::
Yes I can load Lightmaps from DeleD to MG : - D with my custom loader …
hhmmmm Bforartists does look very interesting. Looks a bit more complicated(powerful) than Sketchup, but I will download take a look.
I’ve just given a try to Bforartists, and… well it’s still blender lol
It has a lot of icons for sure, but now you have to learn icons rather than hotkeys… this doesn’t reduce complexity to me.
Yep had a play with Bforartist, pretty similar to Blender, but still rather daunting.
Dissapointing that MonoGame pipeline does not support .X formats, as Free Sktechup with plugin can export simple .x Models exports. There are no reliable .x to fbx exporters. Thanks to Autodesk gobbling up all the previous tools 
Microsoft tools don’t export .fbx either.
** EDIT : Apologies the MonoGame PipeLine does Support .x file importer as well as .fbx **
Looks like there is an .x importer out of the box: https://github.com/labnation/MonoGame/blob/master/MonoGame.Framework.Content.Pipeline/XImporter.cs
It’s not working?
The library we use for importing meshes is Open Asset Importer Library, which does support .x formats. @JulesVerny, do you have a .x model it doesn’t work with? And can you define what it does do or not do correctly?
I see somebody has been watching gamefromscratch.
Konaju
Apologies Yes I have noted that the MonoGame Pipeline DOES still support an .X File importer. But I am not having much success of it for Android Development. Works in Windows, but different result under Android
Please see Humvee Model Files with the Texture files. This looks OK in Open3Mod viewer, so I believe the .x structure is sound.
This is a Textured .X Humvee.x model , Humvee X Model File which I then Build through the MG Pipeline. I have done this for both Windows and Android Monogame
This is the Humvee Model Rendering Code
But the lighting does not work with the same code Android Monogame.
The vertices and culling get mixed up if I mix with text (or the Triangle culling rendering gets mixed up.
But if I remove all SpriteBatch Text writing, or set the
RasterizerState CullState = new RasterizerState();
CullState.CullMode = CullMode.None
Appears to sort the messed up culling, but the lighting is still not there.
I get just the same results if I use .dae models. Texture lighting fine in Windows under default light conditions, but under Android Game the Lighting does not work.
So it seems to be MonoGame Android Devices do not like the MonoGame default Lighting conditions for 3D models textures. The Graphics Lights under Android seem very different behaviour to Windows Models texture Rendering
What Graphics and Basic Effect Lighting Conditions work best on Android ? (I am Testing against a Nokia 6 Mobile Phone)
*nb have tried transforming into .fbx files, but I have been unable to get any Texture files to be mapped across. (Models all rendered Bright grey)
You need to work with your normal in the model before exporting… forgot what the process was called but look for things saying Normals.
