GMAX

Gmax is great, but oh.. wait NO IT ISNT! what the hell is a P3D file!!! ARGH i got all excited to the point of wetting my pants, and then I find I cannot exen export 3DS :(

Please somebody say they have a plugin to export 3DS or preferably B3D?!?

Nope. It's a free soft for modding games that are GMAX compatible, it's NOT meant to be full-blown 3D-soft... they want ppl to get hooked on it and buy MAX for any real & serious work... stay away from it; it looks pretty but it's totally useless if you think that you have found cool 3D-soft for free. You know the saying about "free lunches"... :)

oh well, back to truelys**tspace :(

There is a plugin to export to md3 then you can convert to .3ds with milkshape, long way round but does work :)

There's also an OBJ maxscript. (and md5)

I also prefer full tools. ;)

The .3ds format doesn't support bones so you're going to end up with a character with either no animation or pure ( ugly ) hierarchical animation.