06-19-2011, 05:40 PM
Ripping models in general is usually relatively easy so long as you're comfortable with the programs you're working with. Occasionally you may need to get creative to get certain content, but usually its pretty straightforward. Ripping in general is a process of organizing things and cleaning them up to look how they're supposed to while keeping the rips as close to the original content as possible. Making them as usable as possible is understandably helpful too.
As for the easiest console in general... at the moment I'd say the Wii simply because so many games on it use the same model format and that format is virtually completely convertible to standard formats with the currently available tools. As for model ripping itself in general, it definitely varies from game to game. Some games have tools that will convert everything for you with minimal effort, some require you to use a printscreen-like ripper, and some games aren't even rippable without being really crafty and/or knowing how to program.
The formats aren't that much harder to understand than the average 2d formats once you get used to dealing with them though you need to keep in mind that there are more than texture and model files in a game to sort through. Sometime you'll get games with multiple model and texture formats too, but usually that's not as bad as it sounds.
Lastly you have to convert everything to the formats it needs to be submitted in in the end as well as you've probably guessed, but that's so simple it hardly counts.
It may sound like a lot, but its really fairly simple in practice. It'd probably be easier to explain with a specific example.
As for the easiest console in general... at the moment I'd say the Wii simply because so many games on it use the same model format and that format is virtually completely convertible to standard formats with the currently available tools. As for model ripping itself in general, it definitely varies from game to game. Some games have tools that will convert everything for you with minimal effort, some require you to use a printscreen-like ripper, and some games aren't even rippable without being really crafty and/or knowing how to program.
The formats aren't that much harder to understand than the average 2d formats once you get used to dealing with them though you need to keep in mind that there are more than texture and model files in a game to sort through. Sometime you'll get games with multiple model and texture formats too, but usually that's not as bad as it sounds.
Lastly you have to convert everything to the formats it needs to be submitted in in the end as well as you've probably guessed, but that's so simple it hardly counts.
It may sound like a lot, but its really fairly simple in practice. It'd probably be easier to explain with a specific example.