From the chUmaLum sOft Website:

MilkShape 3D is a low-polygon modeler, which was initially designed for Half-Life. During the development, many file formats have been added.

MilkShape 3D has all basic operations like select, move, rotate, scale, extrude, turn edge, subdivide, just to mention a few. MilkShape 3D also allows low-level editing with the vertex and face tool. Primitives like spheres, boxes and cylinders are also available.

Download MilkShape 3D here.

I am in no way a 3D modeler. I use Milkshape to make the model poses used in my TFC art work. These toturials will show you how to get the models, pose them and add some weapons. You will not learn how to create models with these toturials. If you still cannot understand Milkshape after you read this, there is really no further way I can help you.

This toturial was made with version 1.5.8 (first in 2002, updated in 2004) - I cannot guarentee any different version will be exactly the same. This tutorial will not be updated with anything more recent because I do not do this kind of work anymore. Also, TFC models are my prime subjects.

Please note: I do not save these poses in anyway except for taking a screenshot of them. Don't know how to take a screenshot? Just press your Print Screen key on your keyboard and paste it somewhere so you can save it.

I always depend on being organized with all of my work. It makes it easier for me to locate things and see where everything is. It's also your first step toward avoiding confusion while you're working.

The first step of using Milkshape is decompiling the models. It's best if you decompile them in individual directories away from their normal location. The models are all found in your SIERRA/Half-Life/tfc/models folder. Copy that folder to another area so you can use it for your posing work only.

When you look inside each folder you will notice two models, for example, medic.mdl and medic2.mdl. The medic.mdl is the newer style model and medic2.mdl is the older style.

Keep all the player models in their separate folders to avoid any confusion later on. Also, create two other folders, one labeled poses and the other poses2. This is so you can use the built in models poses as a starter to your own poses. Copy any newer style mdl file into the poses folder and any older style into the poses2 folder.

You may also want to create a weapons folder - move all the weapon mdl files into this folder. Making separate weapons folders within this one is up to you.

How your stage can be set up is up to you. Personally, I prefer having the 3D stage take up half the screen with two viewpoint (2 left, 1 right). Any time I want to change the viewpoint, I just select Front, Top or Right as my main views when I need them. How you would like to work is up to you.


Right click on your 3D screen (the blue background w/o the big grid) and make it similar to the image below.


Texture: With this option selected you can see the model's details.
Unchecking Axis and Grid: The axis and grid may get in your way of your results.

Your first step is to make sure you can see the necessary messages. In the Window menu select Show Message Window, Viewpoint Caption and Keyframer.


Message Window: Shows what exactly you are doing as you work.
Viewpoint Caption: Shows which viewpoint you are seeing in each window.
Keyframer: So you can animate (rotate/move/pose) the model.

Now, in your tools menu, go to Half-Life > Decompile Normal HL MDL File.


Select the model file you want to use, I will keep using the medic model as an example. Remember, there are two mdl files in this folder, do them both separately.


Next you will see a pop-up box asking what you want to decompile. Select Reference, Textures, and .QC File. The Sequencees option is all the animations. To avoid confusion do not decompile the animations in with the model; perform this in the poses and poses2 folders. Repeat for every model so you are prepared when you need them. Do the same for all of your weapons. I know this may be repetative - In the poses and poses2 folder select all the options in this pop-up box.

You are now ready to import the SMD files. Go to File > Import > Half-Life SMD.


Select the folder of the model you with to pose. You will see two SMD files, the normal file (ex: medic.smd) is the newer style models, the file with reference in the name (ex: medic_reference_2.smd) is the older style. Select the one you would like to work with.


In the pop up box, select both Trianlges and Skeleton.


Your screen should look something like this (click) with the correct options selected.

Before you read further: This part does not introduce weapons yet. When you import a weapon, you lose any pose you have so do not plan on making a pose now and adding a weapon later.

Now for the fun part - posing. The first thing you do is select the Anim button on the bottom right of yout screen. If this box isn't selected, you're going no where.


Next, in the Model tab, select the Rotate button.


Then go over to the joints tab. You will see a list of body parts. The part's are self explanatory by their names. If you are confused about some of the parts, select them and test them out. You can always undo a move.

Posing a model is pretty easy, the only hard part is getting the right moves. All you need to do is select the joint you want to rotate and move it around in the non-3D vewpoints. To get certain directions use the different viewpoints. Play around for a while and get used to the motions.

If you decompiled the Sequence SMD files in your poses folder, then you can use the built in poses. Go to File > Import > Half-Life SMD (as you did earlier) and go to your poses folder. Select a pose you want (most are self explanatory).


A Box will pop up asking to append the keyframes at current time; select yes.


In order to see the pose you may have to deselect and reselect the Anim button. Your result will be similar to this (click)

You can rotate the joints around some more to get a more indepth and personal pose.

Now we add a weapon model and attach it to the player's right hand.

First Import your player SMD as shown earlier. Do not pose it yet - all poses are lost with the import of a weapon.

Import another SMD file as you have been doing, go to your weapons folder and select the weapon you want.


In the pop up box, select only Triangles. Selecting Skeleton will get rid of your player model.


Now you have a weapon with your player. Your screen will look similar to this (click).

Before you begin moving and rotating, in the Model tab, hit the Select button and click your mouse anywhere within a wireframe viewport. This is to ensure that no part of the player or gun is selected.

Go to the Groups tab and select the parts of the weapon - there may be one part or two - in my example, the shotgun has two parts to it: SShotgun1 and Chrome1


Click on the first part and hit select, if there is more than one part, repeat. You will notice that the gun is highlighted in red in your wireframe viewports.



Now go back to the Model tab so you can move the gun in place. Use the move and rotate buttons to get the gun where you want it. It may be tricky to learn how the player holds the gun; with some practice, you will know the positions better. Your screen should look similar to this (click).

Before moving on, click the Select Button in the Models tab and select anywhere in a wirepframe viewport so that nothing is selected anymore.

Now that the weapon is in place, it's time to attach it to the Right Hand so that you can pose with ease.

Go to the Joints tab and find the Right Hand Joint aka Bip01_R_Hand. Click SelAssigned below the window.


The Right Hand should highlight in your wireframe viewports:


Next, go to the Groups tab. Once again, select your weapon model the same way you did above. It will highlight red again, along with the right hand.


Go back to the joints tab and click Assign.


The weapon model should now be attached to the Right Hand - to be sure, click SelAssigned, and both the gun and the Right Hand will highlight. If your top wireframe looks similar to the picture below, you were successful.

Before you start working on your main pose, you may want to be sure that your weapon moves with the right hand and not the left.

Click on the anim button and move around both the left arm and the right arm. If everything moves properly and the gun goes along with the right hand, then you are ready to start your pose - refer back to the previous page.


If this doesn't work for you, refer to the next page - it's the old way I used to add the weapon model in before I knew how to attach it to the player.

That's pretty much all I can tell you from my knowledge. Pretty soon, these can be your results:
Please note once again, I do not save these poses in anyway except for taking a screenshot of them. Don't know how to take a screenshot? Just press your Print Screen key on your keyboard and paste it somewhere so you can save it.