I dont want to have to pay for a meshing program.
Is Google Sketchup usable?

No. The free version of Sketchup only exports in .skp format which is utterly useless for anything but Google Sketchup.

If you're wanting to do Body Shop meshing, purchasing Milkshape really is a requirement. Nothing else has the Unimesh plugin which lets us do all the cool things that we do. It's inexpensive, though - only about $30 and it's very well supported, we have tutorials on it, and lots of people use it so you can get help with issues when you have them.

You don't HAVE to have milkshape. I use Blender, which is a free 3d program downloadable from their site HERE. There is a skankyboy smd importer/exporter file one would need to download which i think can be found here at MTS2, but either way blender works absolutely fine for me.

It's true that Milkshape does have a lot more features and support, but sometimes people just want to hop right on into learning to mesh without trial-period restrictions or loosing a little cash over something they think they won't use as much. (I think it's obvious I'm floating on the Blender boat, too.) Like any "new" program, people will have to fiddle around with it for a certain length to learn the basics and hotkeys of it, but once you get well acquainted with it, Blender3D is pretty simple to use as a meshing program, almost like Milkshape is for different users... just with different perspectives and menu options.

The only problem between Blender and a lot of people now is what's mentioned by WykydSyn:



I'm honestly having some trouble finding the .smd importer/exporter skankyboy made for SimPE as download anywhere. I had no idea that the exporter was excluded in the AL update of SimPE until someone notified me about it over on InSim. I'm trying to find it for those who have AL and wanted to use the Blender3D tutorial I sketched up, but I'm guessing it's not openly available or updated anywhere yet... unless I keep overlooking it.

Blender is a LOT different than Milkshape - it's way more complicated and not near as user friendly. Even as an experienced mesher, I find it extremely daunting and pretty much impossible to use. I got it originally when I got Milkshape when I was a beginner and I couldn't make heads or tails of it - it took me a while just to find how to open a file, and even the Open dialog is different from normal Windows. Makes me feel like a monkey behind the controls of a fighter jet - not a nice feeling when you're already jumping into something as new and different as 3D modelling. I hate the interface, and it's got way too much going on.

It really is worth the $25 investment in Milkshape - not just to be able to use Milkshape and Unimesh but also the various cool tools also available for Milkshape like Vertex Data Merge, Normals Data Merge, and UV Data Merge.

The free trial lets you see whether it's something you actually want to purchase, and a month is usually plenty for people to do that, plus several projects. And on top of that, the level of support you'll get when you have issues with Milkshape is WAY superior to that of Blender - most people use Milkshape, and thus there's a much bigger pool of people able to help when you inevitably run into trouble. That alone is worth choosing it over anything else.

I am running tests with sketchup now. I believe it is possible because you can uv map and there are custom plugins for obj export and import!

Honestly, HP, i clap my hands. Describing every experience I've ever faced with that program to the T. Back in my GTA days and the week i wasted on Oblivion, even though my PC runs it like crap, blender was the only option that wasn't 3ds max (also known as the $6000 USD method.) It also funks up the neck normals and every other body schism. My description of the program would be: like attempting brain surgery with a blunt rock...

If you want to cheat your system, you could run the Milkshape trial for 30 days, then reformat and reinstall MS (and everything else) But it's honestly the best software I've ever purchased (that wasn't the sims)

Did it work? I have Milkshaper, but I'm not good at making meshes. My brother has Google Sketchup and is a bit more experienced in making 3D things. It would be so good if the creations in Sketchup could be imported in SimPE.
Is that possible like brian said?

I have Google Sketchup (Probly cus my dad is an Architect) and I have some Architect in me (My dad, Michael was named after Michal Angelo THE GREAT ARCHITECT) funny right? anyways I am going to try sketchup NOW!
~Feel Free to call me Mikayla (my name) ;]
~Mikayla (or Mika)

You can not use it for clothing, hair or accesoires.
You might can use it for objects as it exports as obj file but when doing so the uvmap is often messed up.

I also recommend Milkshape, very user friendly with alot of nice tools.