Game model (ambiguous suffix) MIME Type

Learn what model/x-mdl represents and how Poly supports game model (ambiguous suffix) files.

MIME type details for model/x-mdl

In active use
MIME typemodel/x-mdl
Extensions
.mdl
First standardizedUnknown
Created byGame-engine format authors
Browser support
Example applicationsBlender, Noesis
Poly supportPartial. Poly recognizes the label, but MDL covers multiple incompatible variants.
Indexed by PolyYes. Poly indexes filenames and supported extracted model metadata.
Preview in PolyPartial. Preview depends on identifying the actual MDL variant.
Poly agentYes. An optimized rendition of the 3D object or scene is provided to the agent, allowing compact yet information-rich multimodal interaction with 3D files.

What does model/x-mdl represent?

The model/x-mdl label is associated with game model (ambiguous suffix) data encoded as binary model data; structure varies between games and tools. MDL is not one universal format: different games use the suffix for different binary layouts.1

How to open it

Use Blender or Noesis with a matching importer. Browsers do not generally render this media type directly.

Poly support

Poly recognizes model/x-mdl and .mdl. It indexes names and supported model metadata, previews valid geometry, and gives the Poly agent an optimized rendition for compact, information-rich multimodal interaction. The exact MDL variant must be identified for format-aware processing.

Conversion

Export a copy to glTF or GLB for modern scene exchange. Verify geometry, materials, skins, tags, and animation after conversion, and retain the original.

Footnotes

  1. Game-engine format authors. Reference source. Documents the format's structures or its use in the relevant game toolchain.
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