Decompiling Source Models [Source Engine] [Tutorials]

Decompiling Source Models Learn how to decompile Source models. Table of Contents

Introduction.
Programs Needed.
Decompiling.

Counter-Strike: Source.
Team Fortress 2.

Outro.

1. Introduction. In this tutorial you'll learn how to decompile models for games such as Counter-Strike: Source and Team Fortress 2. Though this may come easy to some, I've seen a few threads asking how to do this, so I figured I'd make a tutorial for it. 2. Programs Needed. To make any of this possible, you'll need a couple of programs;
   MDLDecompiler. This is used to actually decompile the weapon/model of your choice.
   GUIStudioMDL 2.2. This will be used to re-compile the model after you've made your changes.
   GCFScape 1.6.7. This will be used to access the .gcf files to gather your needed files.

Note:You'll find that the MDLDecompiler is a single executable (.exe) file. You first need to install the Source SDK if it's not already installed. If it is installed, navigate to your steamapps\accountnamehere\sourcesdk\bin\ep1\bin folder, and drop the .exe file from the MDLDecompiler folder in there.

3. Decompiling. After you've downloaded the needed programs & placed them where they should be, you're now ready to begin. For the sake of this being a tutorial, I'm just going to use the default models.
i. Counter-Strike: Source. Let's begin by decompiling the default Counter-Strike: Source M4A1. We start off by loading GCFScape. You'll be greeted with a screen that looks like this:

(Click to enlarge) Start by going to File > Open, navigate to your steamapps/counter-strike source/cstrike folder and find cstrike\_pak\_dir.vpk. Click it, and then click Open (or double click it, either way works.) In this VPK file, you'll find all the default models, materials, maps, etc for the game. Within the folder browser in the program, expand root > models > weapons. Find the files for the weapon you want to decompile. For this tutorial, I'll be doing the M4A1 so, I find all the files I'd need which would be; v\_rif\_m4a1.dx80.vtx, v\_rif\_m4a1.dx90.vtx, v\_rif\_m4a1.mdl, v\_rif\_m4a1.sw.vtx, and v\_rif\_m4a1.vvd. To make this easier for you, create two folders on your Desktop. One being named "in", and the other being named "out". Select all the files you'll need, and drag them into your "in" folder you've just created. You can then close GCFScape. Browse to your sourcesdk\bin\ep1\bin folder, and load mdldecompiler.exe. You should then see this pop up on your screen;

Check the little boxes next to the first two options, and un-check the last box if it is already checked. Click the "..." button next to "Choose Model File", browse to your "in" folder, and select the .mdl file you've extracted earlier from the .GCF file. Now, click the "..." button next to "Choose Output Directory", browse to your "out" folder, and click "Select" on the dialog that comes up, and now, click the "Extract" button. The first message that pop's up should say that it loaded the file. Click OK, and then another box should come up say that it completed dumping the model. If you got the second box successfully, and no error, congratulations, you've just decompiled a model. If you go into the folder you've selected for the output directory, you should see a bunch of files. Some .SMD files, and a .QC file. What you do from here is entirely up to you & your imagination. ii. Team Fortress 2. As you've just learned how to decompile a Counter-Strike: Source model, you can apply this to decompiling Team Fortress 2 models, but!, there is some issues with the current version of the decompiler & Team Fortress 2, so use this instead. (NOTE: The model files for Team Fortress 2 are in common/team fortress 2/tf/tf2\_misc\_dir.vpk and textures in tf2\_textures\_dir.vpk). 4\. Outro. Well, that's the end. I hope if you didn't know how to decompile models, you do now. If you have any questions, or find a typo in here, or anything else, please feel free to ask/let me know. I'll try to help you the best I possibly could. Also, I may edit this to include compiling models again if it's requested (not putting animations on, just editing the .qc & using GUIStudioMDL.). Thanks for reading. :)