Ok.. Is it possible at all to import dod player models into MilkShape as so I can edit them up more to my likeing?

you must decompile them, using tools, kratisto's Half-Lifemodel decompiler then import the relevent .smd

smd's are just the skelegon movement models.. right?

I wanted to edit the actual model, add more texture to it, etc.

SMDs are the animations and there is the main smd... the reference file.

you can look in the Qc file (use notepad to open it), in it's begining there are the names of the reference smds.

I know those are the animations, thats not what I want though.

I need the mdl file so I can add more polygons and edit the actual model itself. Not its animations.

And I already knew about the QC file..

Well... that's what i was just talking about.
the reference files - the model.

"and there is the main smd... the reference file.

you can look in the Qc file (use notepad to open it), in it's begining there are the names of the reference smds."

for example the axis player models :
in the QC :
//reference mesh(es)
$bodygroup "body"
{
studio "grenadier"
...

So if you wanna edit the grenadier, look for a grenadier.smd

No, read it again.

The QC file is the "Quake Compiler" script file which tells the compiler how to put the MDL file together.

The MDL is made up of 3 basic parts.

1) Reference SMD files which define the mesh that makes up the actual model itself and its skeleton. There can be one or more depending on how the model is constructed. In the case of DoD you may well find the body, heads and equipment seperated into different SMD files.

2) Animation SMD's contain no model shape data, just a duplicate of the skeleton definition plus the movement of the bones for each frame.

3) Textures - which are 256 colour windows BMP files.

If you want to edit the model, the first step is to use Kratisto's decompiler which is under Milkshapes "Tools" menu. Select the MDL file you want to decompile and hit O.K. Be warned though it will decompile everything into the same folder as the MDL so copy it somewhere sensible first (NOT your desktop) or you'll end up with files everywhere.

Next, open the QC file and towards the top you'll find a line that says "//reference mesh(es)" which defines where the SMD files that make up the shape of the model begins.

As a model can be comprised of more than one SMD they are either defined either as $body for a single reference or $bodygroup for a situation where there may be more than one version of the mesh for that part of the model. And example of this is the heads where there are multiple versions of it.

Once you've worked out which part you want to edit use the Half-Life SMD import function in Milkshape and import the relevant SMD's you want to edit.

Whats important to note is that if your going to alter a DoD model you'll need to re-export the SMDs in the same way they were constructed, i.e importing a head, body and kit SMD is all well and good, but if you just changed the kit, you will have to re-export just the kit parts of your model meaning you'll have to delete everything else before you do SMD export.

Also when importing, leave Triangles and Skeleton checkboxes set, but turn off rename bones or your skeleton will get messed up on export or if trying to import and animation SMD.

- Jed

Thank you very much. I got it working now.