Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your MDL file.
You'll see a preview.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to save your file in the format you want.
Convert MDL to another file type
The converter easily converts your MDL models to various formats - free and online. No Source Engine or other 3D software needed.
MDL to OBJ
MDL to FBX
MDL to PDF
MDL to 3DS
MDL to PS3
MDL to TIM
MDL to PI2
MDL to 85I
MDL to TARGA
MDL to MIFF
MDL to CH
MDL to CT
Convert a file to MDL
To convert other file formats to the "3D Model or Simulation" file type, you need software like Source Engine or a similar tool.
About MDL files
The .MDL file extension is notoriously fragmented. It is primarily used to store 3D models for the Source Engine (used in Half-Life and other Valve games), mathematical simulations in MATLAB Simulink, or high-end apparel patterns in Lectra Modaris. It is also used by IBM Rational Rose for UML diagrams, Vensim for system dynamics, Microsoft Flight Simulator for aircraft, and even PyTorch for machine learning archives. Because it simply stands for 'Model', multiple software companies adopted it independently. This creates massive headaches for users. An .MDL file from a clothing designer cannot be opened in a 3D game engine. Furthermore, many of these formats are locked down or stripped of data. Valve's game .MDL files are compiled binaries optimized for playback, meaning they lack raw editable geometry data and cannot be natively edited without third-party decompilers. Lectra Modaris files require an expensive enterprise subscription just to view. To solve these limits, conversion is necessary. For 3D gaming models, you must decompile and convert to OBJ or FBX for editing in Blender. For clothing patterns, export to the DXF (AAMA) standard to share with textile manufacturers. For Simulink models, export to SLX or PDF for archiving. Drag and drop your file to analyze and convert it - free, online, and without installing software.
Use Convert.Guru to open and convert your MDL file.
If you want to convert MDL file to RON, SLX, DAE, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB or C4D, you can use Source Engine or similar software from the "3D Model and Simulation Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to MDL, try Source Engine or another comparable tool in the "3D Model and Simulation Storage" category.
The MDL Converter Story
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our MDL converter.