that is pretty epic there pwned, damnit my trial version of milkshape is up... I can open the files, see them, but can't save them... is there any other program I can use to import SMD files with? preferably one that's freeware?
Import? What about XSI's Importer, the problem the HUGE problem is that the importer fucks the mesh up into millions of disconnected edges, so it'll require some clean up but you get the UV map and clusters so it's cool, look around for "ValveSource.xsiaddon." If you don't like XSI then I don't know what to tell you lol.
another problem is i can't decompile the MDL for the V version, only the W version which is too low poly imo. I use cannonfodder's mdldecompiler v 0.5 but it tells me that it's "unable to load model"
Have you managed to import an Empires SMD into XSI? Because I haven't. The exporter crashes every time. Try uninstalling and reinstalling. Not sure if it works on Milkshape, but with some programs it does. EDIT: Yup, it works.