well i have gotten down to it. I have decided to begin trying to make a map.

but i have a question. I have Gmax, and i have another program called Blender. I don't have the money for 3Ds max, and a thirty day trial won't do it for me.

So the question is, because i know it all comes down to this, what file type do the map models need to be in to go further? Because i cannot even operate the camera controls in Gmax, while i am okay and getting better at Blender, which i feel would actually be easier to use.

If Blender can export the right file type, or i can get one form of another of a converter, things ought to work fine.

anyone got this information?

The only way of exporting a map to be used in halo is to export it to jms file. And the only way I know of to do that is if you have it in 3ds max or gmax and export it from there with blitzkrieg, chimp, or bluestreak. I think that if you could somehow get your model from blender into gmax or a trial version of 3ds max (ther are like 4 of them so that's a long time right?), you could export it from there. No matter what program you use for modeling, I think you need 3ds max or gmax to export it. If blender has the option to export as a .max file, or some sort of format that blender or 3ds max can import, then it'l work.

P.S. How is blender? I'm thinking of getting it. Is it free? Easy?

it is free and pretty user friendly. i am still a bit of a noob, but i found a good tutorial.

things seem pretty user friendly and you can have as many views of your project open as you like

things start off with a box and you can pck up from there. let me know if you want more info. I need to see if it can export in jms or what was the other? . max? don't think it can do that but i will see.