Mount nodes on non-skinned shapes

#1 Hmmmm, not sure what skinning has to do with this, but yes. Sorta. Depends, and furthermore, does it really matter? Mounts and bones are just notions, they don't like, add polys to the model or anything, really.

In Milkshape I can export just a joint to be a mountpoint, but in Blender there's always a bone. It doesn't really make any real difference, though.

I think perhaps you may want to clarify your question a little more.

#2 Well, the thing is that i want to put mount points on simple static shapes. incorporating bones into the shape would require a skin modifier and I just seems silly to skin and bone a rock or a tree. Well actually the objects i'm most concerned about adding mount points to are my bots which are simple 'flying saucer' shapes with no limbs or need of a bone structure.

#3 Having "bones" really doesn't require you to skin your object to the bones.

Note that I said "bones", all a bone is is really a node in the DTS file, a node without a mesh. For your mount points you could create a root node (or bone if you will), and link both your geometry and mount nodes to that. You could most likely even just link the mount nodes directly to your geometry, or not link them at all (if there's no animation in the dts that require the mounts to follow your flying saucer around).

#4 Mike: Yeah I think you've got some terminology mixed up. But no matter, just start doing it.

You might be using terminology unique to your modelling tool, too. I know I don't know what you're talking about :-)

If you still have trouble, post some screenies.