Every compiled model file (Documentation Index
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.mdl) stores a version number in its binary header, which tells the engine — and Crowbar — how to interpret the data layout that follows. Crowbar’s decompiler reads this version number automatically and selects the correct internal parser. In rare cases, such as a hex-edited file or an unusual port of a game, you can override the auto-detected version using the Override MDL version dropdown on the Decompile tab.
Supported Versions
TheSupportedMdlVersion enum in Crowbar’s source enumerates every version the decompiler recognises. The table below maps each version to its engine family and the games where that format is most commonly found.
| MDL Version | Engine | Representative Games |
|---|---|---|
| v06 | GoldSource | Half-Life (original), Team Fortress Classic |
| v10 | GoldSource | Half-Life: Opposing Force, Counter-Strike 1.6 |
| v2531 | GoldSource | Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines |
| v27 | Source | Half-Life 2 (early builds) |
| v28 | Source | Half-Life 2 |
| v29 | Source | Half-Life 2: Episode One |
| v30 | Source | Half-Life 2: Episode Two |
| v31 | Source | Portal |
| v32 | Source | Team Fortress 2 (early builds) |
| v35 | Source | Left 4 Dead |
| v36 | Source | Left 4 Dead 2 |
| v37 | Source | Alien Swarm |
| v38 | Source | Portal 2 |
| v44 | Source | Team Fortress 2 |
| v45 | Source | CS:GO (early) |
| v46 | Source | CS:GO |
| v47 | Source | Dota 2 (early) |
| v48 | Source | Dota 2 |
| v49 | Source | CS:GO (updated hitbox format) |
| v52 | Source | Source Filmmaker extras |
| v53 | Source | Newer Source titles |
| v57 | Source | Latest supported variant |
The “Do not override” option (the default) tells Crowbar to read the version directly from the
.mdl file header. You only need to change this if auto-detection is failing — for example, after a file has been manually edited or reconstructed.Companion Files
A compiled Source engine model is split across several files that must all be present in the same folder for Crowbar to decompile successfully. GoldSource models are self-contained in a single.mdl file, but some also reference separate texture and sequence-group .mdl files.
| File | Extension | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Model | .mdl | Bones, mesh references, sequences, materials, and attachments |
| Vertex data | .vvd | Vertex positions, normals, texture coordinates, and bone weights |
| Hardware topology | .dx90.vtx / .dx80.vtx / .sw.vtx | GPU-optimised mesh strips and index buffers |
| Physics | .phy | Ragdoll and collision geometry (optional) |
| Animation block | .ani | External animation data used by some games (optional) |
ErrorRequiredAniFileNotFound—.anifile is missingErrorRequiredVtxFileNotFound—.vtxfile is missingErrorRequiredVvdFileNotFound—.vvdfile is missing
.mdl before decompiling.
Version Override Behaviour
The version override dropdown is available on both the Decompile tab and the Preview / View tabs. When set to anything other than “Do not override”, Crowbar substitutes the selected version number for the one stored in the file header and applies the matching parser. This is useful when:- A file has been hex-patched and its header version no longer matches its actual data layout.
- You are working with a community-modified build of a game that ships an unusual version number.
- Crowbar reports
ErrorInvalidMdlFileIdand you believe the data is actually valid but the magic bytes are wrong.