What You'll Need

What?

Why?

Where?

Caligari trueSpace.
A3D modelling package
To modify trueSpace .cob files. Purchase from Caligari's home page @ http://www.caligari.com/. Earlier versions of trueSpace have been appeared on the front of various UK PC magazines. It may be possible to purchase a back issue.
POF Constructor Set (PCS) To convert .cob into Freespace .pof files. To modify Freespace .pof files. Download from Kazan's Alliance Productions home page @ https://sourceforge.net/projects/alliance/ or here
Descent Manager ModelView32 To view Freespace .pof files. Download from the Descent Network site @ http://www.descent-network.com/ or here
Descent Manager VPView32 To add and extract from Volition Package (VP) archives. Download from the Descent Network site @ http://www.descent-network.com/ or here
trueview.tsx . A truespace plugin To modify .trueSpace model hierarchives using a simple drag and drop interface. Bundled with trueSpace versions 4.2 or higher. Alternatively, download from http://truespacez.virtualave.net/tru_plugs.htm or here
solidify.tsx. A trueSpace plugin To make non-solid trueSpace geometry solid (you can't do much with non-solid trueSpace geometry). Download from http://truespacez.virtualave.net/tru_plugs.htm or here
LithUnwrap 1.3 UV mapping tool. Download the last free version here.