Uhmmm,..not being negative, but there is more to a model than just the outside or the FM.
Cockpits? Cockpits are a lot of work. LOD models? How to get them designed and how many? All the associated textures? Textures are not just square bitmaps filled with something. The something in the bitmap may or may not have a specific shape to match a contour, or for texture wrapping.
A model can look great be be badly designed. (i.e. overlapping polys, normals not set right for interior polys, which can cause lighting problems, and the list goes on.)
Then these is the issue with vertices. Should they be shared or not? What about specular and alpha?
I am not saying players should not be allowed, I am just saying I do not think most people have much of an idea what goes into the designing of a 3D model.
On the surface, it sounds like it would be cool, but the reality is very different. To take a badly designed model and rework it can take as much time as designing one from scratch.
HTC has insight into exactly the way a model must be done to fit into the world. This is information they cannot give out, as it then opens the door for how they do what they do.
Even if you manage to get the model done correctly, they would have to do the research for the FM. This is a very time consuming process.
Okay, so they open the door and give out thier FM models, which would be business suicide,...who is going to verify the information the player supplies? Again, it does not save much, if any, time.
Anywho,,..just me two cents worth.
