MD3 File Format (.md3)
An MD3 file is a Quake III Arena model, typically one piece of a character split into head, torso and legs that align through named tag points so the pieces can move and aim independently.
MD3 at a glance#
| Full name | Quake III model |
|---|---|
| File extension | .md3 |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | id Software |
| First released | 1999 |
| Compression | Lossy |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .md3 file can hold#
These are the things a MD3 file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Animation | Yes |
|---|---|
| Textures and materials | Yes |
| Skeletons and animation | No |
Strengths and limitations of MD3#
What MD3 does well
- Splitting a character into head, torso and legs pieces let Quake III blend independent aiming and running animation, something a single mesh of the era couldn't do
- Tag points give an exact attachment location and orientation for weapons or accessories with no extra logic beyond reading the tag
- Still the format of choice for Quake III Arena mods and the games built on that engine
Where MD3 falls short
- Animation is still whole-mesh vertex snapshots per frame, not a skeleton, so it can't blend or retarget motion the way rigged formats can
- Splitting a character into three separate files complicates any pipeline that expects a single mesh
- Effectively frozen to the Quake III Arena era; almost no current game engine uses it as a native format
Use MD3 when authoring content for Quake III Arena or one of its still-active engine derivatives, since that ecosystem expects the head/torso/legs split.
Convert MD3 to a modern interchange format when the model needs to leave the Quake III engine family, since the three-piece split and tag system have no equivalent elsewhere.
How to open a .md3 file#
A .md3 file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts MD3 into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | Noesis, MilkShape 3D, QuArK |
| macOS | ioquake3, OpenArena |
| Linux | ioquake3, OpenArena, QuArK (via Wine) |
| Web | FileFlip |
MD3 questions people ask#
What is an MD3 file?
An MD3 file is id Software's model format for Quake III Arena, released in 1999, and it usually represents one part of a character, such as the head, torso or legs, joined to the others through tag points. Vertex-animated meshes replaced Quake II's single-piece MD2 models with this split so aiming and movement could animate separately.
Why is a Quake III character split into three files instead of one?
MD3 splits a player model into head, torso and legs so the torso and arms can aim independently of which way the legs are running or standing, a limitation of the whole-mesh vertex animation both MD2 and MD3 use. Tag points in each piece tell the engine exactly where to attach the next piece so the split is invisible during gameplay.
What opens MD3 files today?
The open-source ioquake3 engine and games built on it, like OpenArena, load MD3 files the same way the original Quake III Arena did. Standalone viewers such as Noesis and older editors like MilkShape 3D and QuArK also read MD3 for inspection or conversion outside the game.
Converting MD3 files#
Convert MD3 to another format
FileFlip does not write .md3 files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.