View Full Version : Model file format....

02-03-2004, 08:30 PM
As far as I recall it was .mdl, was it not?

I have helped starting the Spellforce modding comunity, and their models are in the same format. for now all changes to the game are minor, since it's a brand new modding comunity.

Untill someone figures how that format works, I'm afraid that neither modding communities will get much further...

I did some modding for NWN, but mostly scripting stuff...I can't recall waht was the model file type there, but if KOTOR uses the modefied NWN engine, perhaps the file structure is largely the same...

I might just be barking at trees here, so someone tell me if I'm wrong

02-03-2004, 10:19 PM
NWN uses mdls too, but they're different mdls, so it doesn't help us that much...

02-03-2004, 11:09 PM
Many games use mdl for meshes despite not being the same format.

02-04-2004, 08:54 PM
I might be wrong again, but isn't mdl a Milkshape supported format?

Darth Stryke
02-04-2004, 09:22 PM
It problably is supported for Milkshape, and almost definitely 3ds Max, but until we figure out THIS type of mdl's coding and make an importer/exporter for those programs, they will not work yet.

02-04-2004, 09:26 PM
Ellderon, you are right...Milkshape 3d does support some mdl's ,such as the half-life mdl.
Not sure if it would support kotor.

02-04-2004, 09:45 PM
Darn...and I was starting to hope....

*DIE, you who did that!, die!*
:fire2: :grnlaz: :blaze6: :blueblas1 :sniper9:

Kitty Kitty
02-04-2004, 09:46 PM
The thing people need to realize is that the file extention (.MDL in this case) is really quite meaningless.

I could write a text file (plain ASCII) and call it "Text.mdl" and that won't make it anything other than still a plain text file.

Basically, the only reason they have an extention of .MDL is because Bioware decided that's what to call them. They could have just as easily used .MSH or .MOD or .NPC or .XXX for all it matters.

I've personally tried importing a KotOR .MDL into Milkshape with every filter I could lay my hands on, and none of them worked.

So... unfortunately, this means the format isn't a "copy" of any of those model formats, and it's gonna take some time and some work to figure the darned things out. ;)


02-28-2004, 07:09 PM
The binary NWN mdl file format and the KOTOR mdl formats are VERY different.

I've spent some time comparing the two and where the NWN mdl uses what is essentially pesudo fixed record size system the KOTOR stuff looks to be fully variable length. This is possibly where the mdx file kicks in. It could be an index file into the resources held in the mdl.

Just some initial thoughts based on an initial "snoop" at the binary mdl. Others might have spent moore time and have a different/better view. I would be interested in hearing those.