…needs export plugins. (java and directx)
I mean, I am an old artist (well, not so old) , I mean, somehow experienced, and this is one is an easy to learn while powerful package. Really,a jewel. It needs export plugins to become a great free game art tool. It can already be used for levels and objects, but would be simply wonderful if we could use it for real time game characters.
It does suport skinned mesh characters. That is bones and weights, so the arms, legs, etc, bend smoothly and animations are seen many times better than softwares with only rigid asignments of vertex to bone.
Even more! is made in java. You can make plugins for it in java language. It also has an easy scripting language, but a java programmer surely prefer java.
I am into gaming but for non java based engines (though this may change in the future 
) …so I need directx 8 skinned meshes export. (that is, *.x file export with weights, including animation)
I have not much hopes of people here making a conversion to the direct x format, but I finally decided to say here as seen posts asking fro good free 3d software to make animated characters.Well, here is one, and easy to learn.They also provide a good manual.
Why I am asking for directx export? see the list of engines that I could output artwork for :
-Irrlitch Engine
-Urgh engine
-Dark Basic Pro
-GameStudio (latest)
-Tv 3d engine
-Blitz3d (if you have Ultimate unwrap purchased, also, as so can convert directx animations to b3d and md2)
directx 8, 8.1 , (perfectly read in dx9 engines, I have a friend who is making a dx9 one and could load it) is very good to port character animation between packages (max 5,6, maya, lightwave, xsi…have free plugins to export directx *.x files. Is just I want a free package that allows with enough features to make good quality character animations. Never AOI is near to the power of those thousand dollar pacakges, but I have seen it can give me the quality I need.)
Anyway, if you are not interested in this directx plugin (you could make it in Java) at least, I am almost sure there would be people interested in the package, as it is very good and complete.
It’s done all in Java, and is open source, sources provided for download, the stable versions. And I suppose in cvs the unstable.
A recent art challenge, in rendering (indeed, is a tool headed for high res redening, it makes really nice images) was won by a AOI user.
It has bones, joint pinning, weights, other things very useful for real time animations. besides 3d modelling tools, many of them and well done.
It can import uv mapped models, in OBJ format. And output also in obj format.
AOI forums :
http://aoi.sourceforge.net/forums
AOI documentation :
http://aoi.sourceforge.net/documentation
AOI Java plugins documentation :
http://aoi.sourceforge.net/documentation#pluginstut
PS: If any of you , for some reason, decide to make a plugin for export in directx format (the weighted, animated dx8 format) please, say in the forums. As I already said there, and would not want that two persons end up working in the same.
