Created my first HL2 model with Blender, MSPaint, an image converter, vtex, studiomdl, et. al. It sucks rocks, but it's a model.
I wish tga was a more popular format. Of my 1000s of programs, not one would work with tga. Of course, that's all Valve will work with.
What a chore.
On to bigger and better models, perhaps.
[edit] Well, crap! Typing in the log and I remembered Wally for TGAs. For cryin' out loud.