I got a modelling & programming project Please Help me how to start! {Details Inside}

Hello.

I am a student in the 11th grade in high school, and this year each of us got a part of a big project.
I was advised to do the 3D programming(OpenGL + c++) part of it because it is very interest me! I had no Idea in 3d programming
and immidiatly started to learn OpenGL… By now I already know the very basics of the OpenGL (read some tuts from this awesome site! thnx!)

Now I will tell you about what shall I do this year.
I have to design a program which will display a 3D robot (in OGL) and will give me almost the full controll of it. there will be some buttons with which I would turn the axis of the robot etc. Espeacialy for let your understand how the robot looks I shot it and wrote some properties of the axises.
Please download the scheme by copieng this link: http://planet.nana.co.il/pctip/robo1.jpg

I have to do a model of this Robot (dont have to content all the small parts,only the main ones.)

Truthly I dont know how to start!
Should I create a robot or the parts of a robot in the seperate modeller and then load it with OpenGL?
or should I create it straight with the OpenGL!?
If I create a whole model in 3dmax for example, so how will I make seperate parts movieng?!

Guys! u have much more expiriense than me!
please explain me exactly what should I do and how should I work!

Thank u very much!!!
listening for your replies (;

Alex.

I think using 3dsmax would be the best idea,
I have a Max script that exports models into an easy format to load, would have to write a discription of how the data is stored for you, if you need it email me at fuz_king@yahoo.co.nz
sorry but I cant help with c++, but will help with modeling side