diff --git a/datacache/mdlcache.cpp b/datacache/mdlcache.cpp
index 57ea4006..9ef8c6f3 100644
--- a/datacache/mdlcache.cpp
+++ b/datacache/mdlcache.cpp
@@ -1680,6 +1680,36 @@ bool CMDLCache::BuildHardwareData( MDLHandle_t handle, studiodata_t *pStudioData
 
 	Assert( GetVertexData( handle ) );
 
+	if( pStudioHdr->version == 49 )
+	{
+		for( int i = 0; i < pVtxHdr->numBodyParts; i++)
+		{
+			OptimizedModel::BodyPartHeader_t *pBodyPartHdr = pVtxHdr->pBodyPart(i);
+
+			for( int j = 0; j < pBodyPartHdr->numModels; j++ )
+			{
+				OptimizedModel::ModelHeader_t *pModelHdr = pBodyPartHdr->pModel(j);
+
+				for( int k = 0; k < pModelHdr->numLODs; k++)
+				{
+					OptimizedModel::ModelLODHeader_t *pModelLODHdr = pModelHdr->pLOD(k);
+
+					for( int l = 0; l < pModelLODHdr->numMeshes; l++ )
+					{
+						OptimizedModel::MeshHeader_t *pMeshHdr = pModelLODHdr->pMesh(l);
+						pMeshHdr->flags |= OptimizedModel::MESH_IS_MDL49;
+
+						for( int m = 0; m < pMeshHdr->numStripGroups; m++ )
+						{
+							OptimizedModel::StripGroupHeader_t *pStripGroupHdr = pMeshHdr->pStripGroup(m);
+							pStripGroupHdr->flags |= OptimizedModel::STRIPGROUP_IS_MDL49;
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	BeginLock();
 	bool bLoaded = g_pStudioRender->LoadModel( pStudioHdr, pVtxHdr, &pStudioData->m_HardwareData );
 	EndLock();
diff --git a/public/optimize.h b/public/optimize.h
index 2dae8174..d7e62606 100644
--- a/public/optimize.h
+++ b/public/optimize.h
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ enum StripHeaderFlags_t {
 	STRIP_IS_TRISTRIP	= 0x02
 };
 
-// a strip is a piece of a stripgroup that is divided by bones 
-// (and potentially tristrips if we remove some degenerates.)
 struct StripHeader_t
 {
 	DECLARE_BYTESWAP_DATADESC();
@@ -84,12 +82,42 @@ struct StripHeader_t
 	};
 };
 
+struct StripHeader_v49_t
+{
+	DECLARE_BYTESWAP_DATADESC();
+	// indexOffset offsets into the mesh's index array.
+	int numIndices;
+	int indexOffset;
+
+	// vertexOffset offsets into the mesh's vert array.
+	int numVerts;
+	int vertOffset;
+
+	// use this to enable/disable skinning.  
+	// May decide (in optimize.cpp) to put all with 1 bone in a different strip 
+	// than those that need skinning.
+	short numBones;  
+	
+	unsigned char flags;
+	
+	int numBoneStateChanges;
+	int boneStateChangeOffset;
+	inline BoneStateChangeHeader_t *pBoneStateChange( int i ) const 
+	{ 
+		return (BoneStateChangeHeader_t *)(((byte *)this) + boneStateChangeOffset) + i; 
+	};
+
+	int numTopologyIndices;
+	int topologyOffset;
+};
+
 enum StripGroupFlags_t 
 {
 	STRIPGROUP_IS_FLEXED		= 0x01,
 	STRIPGROUP_IS_HWSKINNED		= 0x02,
 	STRIPGROUP_IS_DELTA_FLEXED	= 0x04,
 	STRIPGROUP_SUPPRESS_HW_MORPH = 0x08,	// NOTE: This is a temporary flag used at run time.
+	STRIPGROUP_IS_MDL49 = 0x80
 };
 
 // a locking group
@@ -117,16 +145,51 @@ struct StripGroupHeader_t
 	int stripOffset;
 	inline StripHeader_t *pStrip( int i ) const 
 	{ 
-		return (StripHeader_t *)(((byte *)this) + stripOffset) + i; 
+		if( flags & STRIPGROUP_IS_MDL49 )
+			return (StripHeader_t *)((StripHeader_v49_t *)(((byte *)this) + stripOffset) + i);
+		else
+			return (StripHeader_t *)(((byte *)this) + stripOffset) + i; 
 	};
 
 	unsigned char flags;
 };
 
+struct StripGroupHeader_v49_t
+{
+	DECLARE_BYTESWAP_DATADESC();
+	// These are the arrays of all verts and indices for this mesh.  strips index into this.
+	int numVerts;
+	int vertOffset;
+	inline Vertex_t *pVertex( int i ) const 
+	{ 
+		return (Vertex_t *)(((byte *)this) + vertOffset) + i; 
+	};
+
+	int numIndices;
+	int indexOffset;
+	inline unsigned short *pIndex( int i ) const 
+	{ 
+		return (unsigned short *)(((byte *)this) + indexOffset) + i; 
+	};
+
+	int numStrips;
+	int stripOffset;
+	inline StripHeader_v49_t *pStrip( int i ) const 
+	{ 
+		return (StripHeader_v49_t *)(((byte *)this) + stripOffset) + i; 
+	};
+
+	unsigned char flags;
+
+	int numTopologyIndices;
+	int topologyOffset;
+};
+
 enum MeshFlags_t { 
 	// these are both material properties, and a mesh has a single material.
-	MESH_IS_TEETH	= 0x01, 
-	MESH_IS_EYES	= 0x02
+	MESH_IS_TEETH	= 0x01,
+	MESH_IS_EYES	= 0x02,
+	MESH_IS_MDL49 = 0x80
 };
 
 // a collection of locking groups:
@@ -144,8 +207,10 @@ struct MeshHeader_t
 	int stripGroupHeaderOffset;
 	inline StripGroupHeader_t *pStripGroup( int i ) const 
 	{ 
-		StripGroupHeader_t *pDebug = (StripGroupHeader_t *)(((byte *)this) + stripGroupHeaderOffset) + i; 
-		return pDebug;
+		if( flags & STRIPGROUP_IS_MDL49 )
+			return (StripGroupHeader_t *)((StripGroupHeader_v49_t *)(((byte *)this) + stripGroupHeaderOffset) + i);
+		else
+			return (StripGroupHeader_t *)(((byte *)this) + stripGroupHeaderOffset) + i; 
 	};
 	unsigned char flags;
 };
diff --git a/public/studio.h b/public/studio.h
index 19aae8b3..488d3a72 100644
--- a/public/studio.h
+++ b/public/studio.h
@@ -67,26 +67,26 @@ Studio models are position independent, so the cache manager can move them.
 ==============================================================================
 */
 
-#define STUDIO_VERSION		48
+#define STUDIO_VERSION		49
 
 #ifndef _XBOX
 #define MAXSTUDIOTRIANGLES	65536	// TODO: tune this
 #define MAXSTUDIOVERTS		65536	// TODO: tune this
 #define	MAXSTUDIOFLEXVERTS	10000	// max number of verts that can be flexed per mesh.  TODO: tune this
 #else
-#define MAXSTUDIOTRIANGLES	25000
-#define MAXSTUDIOVERTS		10000
-#define	MAXSTUDIOFLEXVERTS	1000
+#define MAXSTUDIOTRIANGLES	65536
+#define MAXSTUDIOVERTS		32768
+#define	MAXSTUDIOFLEXVERTS	5000
 #endif
 #define MAXSTUDIOSKINS		32		// total textures
-#define MAXSTUDIOBONES		128		// total bones actually used
+#define MAXSTUDIOBONES		256		// total bones actually used
 #define MAXSTUDIOFLEXDESC	1024	// maximum number of low level flexes (actual morph targets)
 #define MAXSTUDIOFLEXCTRL	96		// maximum number of flexcontrollers (input sliders)
 #define MAXSTUDIOPOSEPARAM	24
 #define MAXSTUDIOBONECTRLS	5
 #define MAXSTUDIOANIMBLOCKS 256
 
-#define MAXSTUDIOBONEBITS	7		// NOTE: MUST MATCH MAXSTUDIOBONES
+#define MAXSTUDIOBONEBITS	8		// NOTE: MUST MATCH MAXSTUDIOBONES
 
 // NOTE!!! : Changing this number also changes the vtx file format!!!!!
 #define MAX_NUM_BONES_PER_VERT 3
@@ -3101,7 +3101,7 @@ inline const mstudioflexcontroller_t *mstudioflexcontrollerui_t::pController( in
 // If we only support the current version, this function should be empty.
 inline bool Studio_ConvertStudioHdrToNewVersion( studiohdr_t *pStudioHdr )
 {
-	COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT( STUDIO_VERSION == 48 ); //  put this to make sure this code is updated upon changing version.
+	COMPILE_TIME_ASSERT( STUDIO_VERSION == 49 ); //  put this to make sure this code is updated upon changing version.
 
 	int version = pStudioHdr->version;
 	if ( version == STUDIO_VERSION )
@@ -3143,7 +3143,7 @@ inline bool Studio_ConvertStudioHdrToNewVersion( studiohdr_t *pStudioHdr )
 			pAnim->zeroframeindex = 0;
 			pAnim->zeroframespan = 0;
 		}
-	} 
+	}
 	else if (version == 47)
 	{
 		for (int i = 0; i < pStudioHdr->numlocalanim; i++)
@@ -3159,7 +3159,9 @@ inline bool Studio_ConvertStudioHdrToNewVersion( studiohdr_t *pStudioHdr )
 	}
 
 	// for now, just slam the version number since they're compatible
-	pStudioHdr->version = STUDIO_VERSION;
+
+	// nillerusr: that's stupid, comment this shit
+	//pStudioHdr->version = STUDIO_VERSION;
 
 	return bResult;
 }
diff --git a/studiorender/studiorendercontext.cpp b/studiorender/studiorendercontext.cpp
index 78bccf7b..123c8a58 100644
--- a/studiorender/studiorendercontext.cpp
+++ b/studiorender/studiorendercontext.cpp
@@ -897,9 +897,13 @@ void CStudioRenderContext::R_StudioBuildMeshStrips( studiomeshgroup_t* pMeshGrou
 	// Compute the amount of memory we need to store the strip data
 	int i;
 	int stripDataSize = 0;
+
+	size_t stripHdrSize = (pStripGroup->flags & OptimizedModel::STRIPGROUP_IS_MDL49)
+		? sizeof(OptimizedModel::StripHeader_v49_t) : sizeof(OptimizedModel::StripHeader_t);
+
 	for( i = 0; i < pStripGroup->numStrips; ++i )
 	{
-		stripDataSize += sizeof(OptimizedModel::StripHeader_t);
+		stripDataSize += stripHdrSize;
 		stripDataSize += pStripGroup->pStrip(i)->numBoneStateChanges *
 			sizeof(OptimizedModel::BoneStateChangeHeader_t);
 	}
@@ -907,15 +911,14 @@ void CStudioRenderContext::R_StudioBuildMeshStrips( studiomeshgroup_t* pMeshGrou
 	pMeshGroup->m_pStripData = (OptimizedModel::StripHeader_t*)malloc(stripDataSize);
 
 	// Copy over the strip info
-	int boneStateChangeOffset = pStripGroup->numStrips * sizeof(OptimizedModel::StripHeader_t);
+	int boneStateChangeOffset = pStripGroup->numStrips * stripHdrSize;
 	for( i = 0; i < pStripGroup->numStrips; ++i )
 	{
-		memcpy( &pMeshGroup->m_pStripData[i], pStripGroup->pStrip(i),
-			sizeof( OptimizedModel::StripHeader_t ) );
+		memcpy( &pMeshGroup->m_pStripData[i], pStripGroup->pStrip(i), stripHdrSize);
 
 		// Fixup the bone state change offset, since we have it right after the strip data
 		pMeshGroup->m_pStripData[i].boneStateChangeOffset = boneStateChangeOffset -
-			i * sizeof(OptimizedModel::StripHeader_t);
+			i * stripHdrSize;
 
 		// copy over bone state changes
 		int boneWeightSize = pMeshGroup->m_pStripData[i].numBoneStateChanges *