The exe has to be in the sourcesdk/bin/ep1/bin/ folder in order to work. It's best to disable Steam access just to avoid having to fuss with that.

Basically extract the models, with all it's files (all with the same name and different extensions) from the GCF files with GCFScape to somewhere and just follow the instructions MDLDecompiler.

Some models, it won't recognize, as MDLDecompiler is quite outdated. In that case you have to open the MDL with Notepad++ or something and change something. IIRC change IDST0 to IDST, or something, or the other way around. I'm sorry, it's been a while and I'm writing this from memory. It's in the beginning of the file and it's, I think, an MDL version indicator.

Posted by BrainZ

Some models, it won't recognize, as MDLDecompiler is quite outdated. In that case you have to open the MDL with Notepad++ or something and change something. IIRC change IDST0 to IDST, or something, or the other way around. I'm sorry, it's been a while and I'm writing this from memory. It's in the beginning of the file and it's, I think, an MDL version indicator.

Use a different decompiler, like Hooch' or the StudioCompiler suite.

Posted by Devieus

Posted by BrainZ

Some models, it won't recognize, as MDLDecompiler is quite outdated. In that case you have to open the MDL with Notepad++ or something and change something. IIRC change IDST0 to IDST, or something, or the other way around. I'm sorry, it's been a while and I'm writing this from memory. It's in the beginning of the file and it's, I think, an MDL version indicator.

Use a different decompiler, like Hooch' or the StudioCompiler suite.

I don't know Hooch', but isn't StudioCompiler's just the same decompiler?

Posted by BrainZ

Posted by Devieus

Posted by BrainZ

Some models, it won't recognize, as MDLDecompiler is quite outdated. In that case you have to open the MDL with Notepad++ or something and change something. IIRC change IDST0 to IDST, or something, or the other way around. I'm sorry, it's been a while and I'm writing this from memory. It's in the beginning of the file and it's, I think, an MDL version indicator.

Use a different decompiler, like Hooch' or the StudioCompiler suite.

I don't know Hooch', but isn't StudioCompiler's just the same decompiler?

It's an updated version; either way, I recommend Hooch' anyway, it has yet to fail me and it advertises itself as not requiring to change 'IDST0' to 'IDST,'.

Posted by Devieus

It's an updated version; either way, I recommend Hooch' anyway, it has yet to fail me and it advertises itself as not requiring to change 'IDST0' to 'IDST,'.

Does it decompile newer models better?

Posted by BrainZ

Does it decompile newer models better?

I don't have much to compare it to, the suite keeps crashing on me when I try to decompile anything, and I haven't tried Erik's.

Try typing the .mdl directory manually.