I went through this confusion in the beginning also.
All you need is 3dstudio max version 3 or 4, and photoshop version 5 or later. ALL plugins are found on the GR, DS and IT disks, with the ones on the IT disk being the latest versions. I recommend downloading the latest plugins from RSE if you don't have Island Thunder already. Put the plugins in the "plugins" folders inside the 3dstudio and photoshop folders. Photoshop will open and also save RSB's, and 3DS Max will allow export of all RSE model file types (.map, .qob, .chr, etc...)Now you are ready to begin.
NO outside utilities are needed any longer, as RSE has updated the plugins to allow exporting of the models with the helper points included. The utilities are from before the plugins would allow this, so they are obsolete. There is a utility from Mike Schell which is used to export CHARACTER models, but this is also obsolete with the downloadable plugin from Piggyson, one of the original GR modellers. Check out his page here and you'll find everything you'll need! I learned a ton from his site!
http://piggyson.comMake sure you set up 3DStudio to use Centimeters as it's standard unit of measure, and expor everything in centimeters except for character models, which should be exported with "meter" as the unit. It's all there in piggyson's tutorials. Have fun.
