Recently I've been trying to create an additional version of a particular prop and re-skin it. I don't have any 3-D modelling software, so I followed a tutorial on interlopers which supposedly allows you to do this without it. The problem is that at the end of the process, the new models don't show up in-game.

1. I decompiled the relevant models using the mdldecompiler tool
2. I edited the mdldecompile.qc file to change the folder the model looks for textures in to a new custom folder within the materials/models/ directory.
3. I editted the texture file in photoshop, and then created a new VTF with vtex.exe, and put the new VTF in the custom folder referenced above.
4. I made a new copy of the VMT that went along with the texture and placed it in the same folder.
5. I created a .bat file (on instructions in the tutorial) which was supposed to recompile the the model and output it into a new folder based on the parameters in the .qc file.

Now I have a new version of the models with new textures which is showing up in my model viewer and in hammer. But when I compile the map and play it, the models are gone.

The model in particular is actually a CS:S model, from cs_militia. I'm not sure if this could be the problem. But it was showing up fine when I used the original model and textures from CS moved to my dod folders.

Any ideas on what could be the problem? I successfully solved roughly a dozen error messages and other problems throughout the process only to find that the thing didn't show up at the end. :(

Fixed it. In case anyone else has this problem, what I had to do was put an entry into the .qc file that allowed the model to be a static prop and then recompile them. Didn't think this would be the problem because the original prop I decompiled was a static prop. Errors in the map's compile log are your friend.