Using Blender instead of ModTool_7.5?

hmm, well, I suggest that instead of exporting from Blender as .xsi, export as .obj. A more universal format, but unfortunately you'll have to reset your texture data in Softimage.

Don't bother with 7.5, that's the official 'Pro' (meaning your $$$ on Autodesk's pocket) version. Get the 6.01 version, it's free.

Since you said that you tried to do the convert xsi, I assume that you've already D/Led the Forge Tools 3. You NEED Softimage XSI 6.01 Mod Tool to do the- Texture hook-up so that Sins will recognize it properly; hardpoints, like exhaust, weapons, and ability effects origins on the meshes, and possibly some other stuff.

Okay, thank you very much. I was not clear on that. The links I had seen earlier did not lead to XSI 6.01 but to 7.5 and I saw nothing saying it was not free. I'll try to find 6.01 though so maybe at least the tutorials are clearer. I'm afraid I do not have the time to relearn 3D modeling nor in another tool, so I hope this is not too difficult...

essentially, you can model with anything that can export to a format that can be read by XSI Mod Tool. your best bet is the .obj format (Wavefront OBJ).

XSI Mod Tool is only necessary for hardpointing the meshes, and hooking up textures. Even then, texture hook-up can be done manually after TXTing the BINary mesh.

I really don't like XSI, I use max instead. Im suprsied no one seems to have made a better workflow than xsi yet.