Prepare the tools#
Use Egosoft Blender Mod Tools from official downloads. Tool releases distinguish X4 9.00+ from older versions; check the chosen package README for Blender requirements. Start from an official example of a similar class and first export it unchanged in a private workspace.
Geometry and appearance#
Prepare scale, orientation, UVs and required vertex data. Materials must reference game-accessible resources. Prefix custom material and collection names. Check different lighting and distant detail levels: a good close-up does not establish correct LODs or wrecks.
Physics and connections#
Visual and physical hull data must agree. Current workflows account separately for Jolt physics hulls; visible geometry does not prove collisions work. Position and verify engine, weapon, shield, cockpit and docking connections, with groups matching the ship design.
Export and in-game verification#
After export and resource conversion, register component and macro, then follow adding a ship. Independently test loading, appearance, scale, equipment points, flight, collisions, docking and persistence. XML validity does not prove a working model. Exact exporter settings belong to the installed tool documentation and primary guides listed below.