First of all the models can be imported in different perspectives. When I was looking at Belias, I imported a strangely stretched figure. This can be remedied, because some of the models are on cgmodel's site.
If and when you look at these models there are a bunch of black shapes or holes in the model. These all have to be flipped for it to look appropriately. Simply dragging the corresponding texture file onto the model doesn't work like a usual OBJ file. It really does, however with 3dRipperDX, itcreates multiple layers of the same thing. For example there could be around 10-15 duplicates of the same portion of a model layered on top of eachother. If the aformentioned problems aren't addressed in the beginning, then when you bring your model into pepakura, you'll end up with a ton of layers unfolded in addition to the model that you wanted.
Basically what it boiled down to for me was a ton of time spend "flipping normals" and checking in sketchup to see where things still appear inverted. In addition to this rigging the model is a complete other ordeal. For the most part you can insert a biped in the model and try changing thing envelopes, but that is somewhat of an experience in itself. I'm still relatively new to rigging, but I'm not sure how transient that form of rigging is between mediums. I'm in the process of acquiring models that can be viewed in blender and trying to move them into other programs to work with, but time will only tell how well that will work for me.
In the mean time I have been trying to pose by vertices. Which is an alternative when you don't have bones or want to insert a biped. This has worked for a couple of the models, however there are a couple models where the generic t-pose presents some problems. For instance Hashmal's knees are quite large and since his legs are close together it is looking pretty difficult to select one leg to move away in order to fix the normals, and then move it back. While I would like to post the models as close to some of the artwork as possible, without bones it is difficult, even with the bipeds it is difficult. The textures stretch more than I would have expected. But there are at least 2 models I've "posed" this way in which I think I can build the model. However I haven't figured out the scale. The great thing about the FF12 models is that they aren't as high poly as the FFX/FFX2 models. I could get to the knees, I think I just have to spend alot of time looking through the model.
The things is, I have limited time, and because the payoff of this hobby is very low () I don't know how many I'll do. It's not that I'm getting burnt out, but some models are more difficult to work with that others. In addition to this another batch is coming out which will introduce another set of models. I've been spending more time exploring game file formats to see what else is out there. I've primarily been interested in Squaresoft, but there are other files I'm interested in as well.
This has just been an introduction, at some point I think I'll make a process video of my own to add to the Ranks of Kaizo. He sent me a list of videos he wanted to cover, as well as proxy models he wanted to release, hopefully in the next year I'll be able to come up with something that I can leave for the community, however in the meantime I'm going underground...
04AUG2012
update using pcs2xe method of screen snapshots, does the same image distortion as 3DripperDX but this time it doesn't seem to create duplicate objs. but you still have to mess around with flipping normals and apparently with remapping UVs.
