I want to make a game which would require a 3D map editor. Of course, I would like to avoid creating such an editor. My idea is now to use modeling tools (3DS Max, Maya, Blender) to create the map, and to give game specific objects specified names. This way I'd just need to write an COLLADA -> native map format converter. But I'm not sure if this is possible the way I imagine it, that's why I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter.

• Are modeling tools suitable to create big open world maps?
• Can this "naming convention"-idea for game specific objects work?
• Are the modeling tools able to export a scene in chunks / in a way that occlusion culling and collision detection can be properly done? If not: Is there a way to build a suitable data structure from the exported data?