Hmm, never heard of it. I'll try it out and see if that's easier thanks!

Well, i use it since i have begin to model for sins, 4 year ago... it is free, easy to use and don't have the numerous option that pro software have who are incompatible with sins...

As for the "combine"... with or without combine, in wings3d, when export to .obj, you have a single file... the difference is at the UV level... without combine, you have a uv map for each individual object... with combine, you have a single UV map for object combine together...

As myfist wrote, it is important to know what software you use... and know really what you mean by "combine"... maybe you mean "bridge" who is used for physicaly connect two object...

Model --> Create --> Poly. Mesh ---> Merge

Then an option window to keep original objects or delete them and some other options

Softimage|XSI Modeling Tutorials

If you work with boolean, best to keep a version of your model with the boolean and a version where boolean are converted to polymesh... same thing if you use nurbs...

Why keep boolean version... let say that you make a basic star war death star... one small sphere who intersect a bigger one... big sphere minus small one and you have the basic shape... once converted in poly, it become very difficult to modify the model... with the bolean version, moving-scaling one of the sphere take only a few second...

Boolean, nurbs and other way to model are great but sins engine don't accept them... so, convert is always needed at the end... beware that poly with transparency become hole with sinsconvert...

Be sure to explore the Soase weebly ( myfist0 link )... by example, you can find a very useful XSI plug-in for hardpointing your model...

And never hesitate to ask if you have doubt... sins have a very helpful modding community...

Finally, good luck with your model...

Well, i cannot say that i was new when i have start modeling for sins a few year ago... but my way of working was not adapted to the game... i have need to learn again...

By test and trial, you will learn what the game engine accept and don't accept... and you will create your own working method for sins... once you understand how the engine work, it will be time for seek "work around" for thing who are say to be "impossible"... the iron engine is can make more that it annouced features... for example, moving part on your model... "work around" usually ask a new way of modeling ...

Sins engine is in fact one of the more simple that i have mod for... i have try to mod for dragon age origins, but it have take me almost one year to be able to make my Ishtar character ( Na'vi like body, Avatar )... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pmKVI9GJus ... it was say to be impossible, that only "tint" can be used... well, i have found a work around but the character setup is so complex that a lot of people who have try my mod have give up... with sins, once you found a workaround for something, player just need to install your mod and play...

I am not a modder but a modeler but it is always a good idea to know a little about everything of the game that you make model for... by example, in sins, weapons have a firing angle of +- 90 degree... so, if you make a model with a turret, try to not place it in a embedded location where the turret will shout trough the ship structure... don't make a ship with more that 10 hangar since the hardcoded limit for hangar hardpoint is 10... as for weapons, you have a max of 3 types of weapons ( capital ship )... limit are 20 hardpoint by weapons type by side... max exhaust trails are 10.. etc...

Modeling for a game is more that create a cute shape in a 3D software... poly count is not really important for the rare capitalship or starbase... but these thousand of little fighter/bomber, tradeship, cheap frigate can become heavy on the game... for them, poly optimization is very important... memory use is a problem with sins... bigger model use huge texture who eat your ram... a starbase with a 4096x4096 map is crazy... in this case, a good UV optimization can allow to use a 2048x2048 texture ( spare 75% of memory )...

One last advice, download and use Meshlab ( http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ )... it is free and it is the best tool that i know for check/correct your model... with it, you can fill hole, correct flipped faces ( happen when bridging object ), remove duplicates edges/vertice, detect non manifold surfaces ( surfaces who will need to be triangulated manually ), calculate angle weighted normal ( give better soft shadow, not needed if edges are bevel ), etc... Meshlab is not a modeling software, it is a software for clean/correct 3D scan... it is mainly a control/correct tool but a great one...