You need the original source code for the .mdl.

Without it, no luck.

it's anopther reason i dislike microsoft. but just making FS balances it out

*.mdl files are NOT designed for reverse engineering.

However, *.msh files [mesh] are made for reverse engineering. Orbiter Space Flight Simulator uses meshes for its visual models.

*.msh files can easily be imported to Gmax by simply using the proper Maxscipt and running that scipt.

With the same Maxscript, you are also able to export it back to a *.msh file.

Just as a note, Orbiter Space Flight Simulator can be found at

http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/~martins/orbit/orbit.html

So basically, whe are lucky that Microsoft never used the *.msh files for the visual models. It would have left our freeware addons volnurable to pirates who steal our work.

With the *.mdl files, it makes it almost impossible for the pirates to steal our work and sell it off without our permission.