VMDL

Quake

GoldSrc

Source Engine

Source 2

edit

A file with the VMDL extension is a content-side text file that the tools can compile to make a game-side binary file (VMDL_C).

When a model is saved in Model Editor, it writes out the VMDL file with the new changes, and the tools notice the change and then compiles the model.

Element reference

• Animation
• Attachments
• Hitboxes
• Internal External References
• LodGroup
• MaterialGroups
• MaterialRemap
• Mesh
• MeshGroup
• PhysicsMesh

Notes

• The first line that defines the schema text is the same in every VMDL, it is not a unique ID for the file or anything of that nature.
• Filepaths in the VMDL are always relative to the content directory of the current game.
• Elements with Reference in their name can either be internal, or have a reference to an external file path.
• A VMDL can be compiled without all the fields being present. This example will compile as a simple static prop:

<!-- schema text {7e125a45-3d83-4043-b292-9e24f8ef27b4} generic {198980d8-3a93-4919-b4c6-dd1fb07a3a4b} -->
CVModel CVModel_0
{
	CVmeshList m_meshList = CVmeshList
	{
		CVmesh[] m_meshList = 
		[
			CVmesh
			{
				string m_meshName = "test"
				string m_meshFile = "models/test/dmx/mesh/test.dmx"
			}
		]
	}	
}

Larger example

An empty VMDL file looked like this:

<!-- schema text {7e125a45-3d83-4043-b292-9e24f8ef27b4} generic {198980d8-3a93-4919-b4c6-dd1fb07a3a4b} -->
CVModel CVModel_0
{
	CVmeshList m_meshList = CVmeshList
	{
		CVmesh[] m_meshList = 
		[
			
		]
	}
	CVphysicsMeshList m_physicsMeshList = CVphysicsMeshList
	{
		CVphysicsMesh[] m_meshList = 
		[
			
		]
	}
	CVmodelInfo* m_pModelInfo = NULL
	CVhitBoxSetListReference[] m_pHitBoxSetLists = 
	[
		
	]
	CVattachmentListReference[] m_pAttachmentLists = 
	[
		
	]
	CVanimGroupReference[] m_pAnimGroups = 
	[
		
	]
	CVNodeMaterialGroupListReference m_pMaterialGroupList = CVNodeMaterialGroupListReference
	{
		NodeMaterialGroupList_t* m_pObject = NULL
		string m_sFileName = ""
	}
	CVMeshGroupListReference m_pMeshGroupList = CVMeshGroupListReference
	{
		MeshGroupList_t* m_pObject = NULL
		string m_sFileName = ""
	}
	CVLODGroupListReference m_pLodGroupList = CVLODGroupListReference
	{
		LODGroupList_t* m_pObject = NULL
		string m_sFileName = ""
	}
	CVpropBreakableListReference m_pPropBreakableList = CVpropBreakableListReference
	{
		CVpropBreakableList* m_pObject = NULL
		string m_sFileName = ""
	}
	CVpropDataListReference m_pPropDataList = CVpropDataListReference
	{
		CVpropDataList* m_pObject = NULL
		string m_sFileName = ""
	}
	CVConstraintListReference[] m_pConstraintLists = 
	[
		
	]
	string m_collision = ""
	string m_sMDLFilename = ""
	string[] m_scriptFiles = 
	[
		
	]
	CVMaterialRemapList* m_pMaterialRemapList = NULL
	float m_flFbxScale = 1.000000
}