I am terrible at 3D modeling, need help

So I guess I just don't understand 3D modeling in general... I cannot get my models into Unity as anything other than a texture-less grey thing.

I have tried so many programs, so many combinations, nothing works for me. I've tried to get a MakeHuman model into Unity and every combination was grey except for one, except only the skin was colored the hair was white (was supposed to be black).

I've tried making simple things in Curvy 3D to send into Unity. One time awhile back I was messing around and somehow got it to work. Now I can't replicate that no matter what I try. I export as OBJ with an MTL file from Curvy, but it fails to import into Unity properly (no color). I've tried running it through AutoDesk's FBX converter (with & without embed) but neither one makes a difference (though I could swear this is how I got it working once).

I'm so frustrated I have a headache and I'm just about ready to abandon 3D and return to GameMaker for 2D games. I just don't understand how getting the friggin' model in the game engine is harder than creating it.

Could anyone please explain like I'm 5?

 

Have you read: http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/material-texture-faq.244786/ ?
If you return to GM you'll regret later when you look at where you could have been at that "now" if you went on with Unity. I'm not saying Unity is the best game engine (don't want to start a tsunami) but overall it's very good and very appreciated as a standard. But GM? Serious.

 

Yes I have read that thread.

That's pretty much my exact thinking overall. But don't hate on GM, it's very good for 2D.

I wanted to try my hand at jumping into 3D and overall I like Unity, and I like making 3D models... but I'm not having any luck getting them into Unity textured properly.

I'll just keep experimenting.

 

Obj is known to be faulty in conjunction with Unity. Usually when you use more than one material at your mehs then it kills the import into Unity. Have you tried to go through a third software as a converter? Blender for example writes fbx. And Unity reads them fine.

 

Good call Tiles, I was about to post that I fixed this by running through Blender and just importing the raw .blend file into Unity (neat!)

Obviously my previous pipeline was bad.