Well, I've basically finished the model and most of the animation (still need a wait sequence).

However, there are several problems that I don't think I'm going to be able to overcome by the end of the weekend:

1) The model is around the wrong way -yes, I've just realized that the model with all its animations on is pointing down the -z.

2) I can't get the animated model into Game Studio. Someone suggested loading the first frame as .x and then using append verts to get the model into MED. Actually, this is not working. Even if it did work, this way would be hugely labour intensive (To export the appended frame from Lightwave I have to put each one through Milkshape first because Lightwaves .3ds export doesn't work). Someone also suggested the lw2md2 plugin for Lightwave -this also doesn't work. I also tried a Lightwave to .x export plugin that supposedly can animations, keyframes \, the whole works -but MED doesn't like it, and only takes one frame.

So, even if I got through and turn every frame of animation around so that it is facing the right direction, I'm still left with not being able to get it into Game Studio. Plus, it seems that there is absolutely no automated possibility for getting an animated model from Lightwave to 3dgs.

I'm going to work on getting the animation around the right way and adding the wait animation, but if I can't find a way to export it by early Sunday, the model will have to be withdrawn from the competition.