http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=30080&b=10
Hi Dan,
The link above has a ton of useful information from this forum. My personal recommendation is Blender. It's free (open source), a bit tough to learn, but definately well worth it!
I just wrote a plugin script for it that converts it's output to DarkBasic Classic. You can check that out here:
http://blenderdbc.awardspace.com
I also HIGHLY recommend Deled (lite is free, Pro you pay for). The lite version is great for Level Making, and it is super easy to use and exports very nicely to DarkBasic (direct x).
Hope this helps
Enjoy your day.