Hi

I'm thrilled to see the import level FBX feature is coming up. I have been doing something similar using a tool written by Ventilator than cracked open a multi-object OBJ file, converted each object to MDL, then made one big WMB that reproduces the level.

One feature that I really like is the ability to imbed properties like behaviors, skills and flags into the object names in my modelling tool. So, for example, I have a cactus model in my 3D editor, and it follows the folllowing naming scheme:

objectname__behavior__scale__rotate__skill1__skill2__skill3__skill4__skill5__skill6__skill7__skill8

So it's named this: cactus0__cactusSway__0__0__25

When exported, it creates an mdl from the scene with name cactus0, gives it the behavior cactusSway, and makes skill1 = 25.

We also have a substitute model here command

subst__playerModel_mdl__playerAction__scale__rotate__skill1 etc

This substitutes a dummy object with playermodel.mdl into the level, gives it the action playerAction, etc. The advantage of all this is that I never ever have to use WED. The tool goes so far as to running the map compiler, and all I have to do to run the level is execute a simple command line from Maya or XSI to run it in the engine.

I highly recommend a similar naming system which allows the user to insert behaviors and skills, so that he or she doesn't have to open up WED each time to re-insert these values whenever he or she changes the level design. I highly, highly recommend this.

Otherwise, I'll personally probably stick to my old way with vent's script, since I am constantly changing and rebuilding my levels in my 3D app, so much as 10-30 times a day.