diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d407d22..1e68efe 100755
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "213030a2b5a4e0c0892b6652260cf6ccac84827b83a85a534e178e3906c4cf1b"
 dependencies = [
  "ciborium-io",
- "half",
+ "half 1.8.2",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -242,6 +242,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "once_cell",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "crunchy"
+version = "0.2.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "7a81dae078cea95a014a339291cec439d2f232ebe854a9d672b796c6afafa9b7"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "either"
 version = "1.7.0"
@@ -254,6 +260,15 @@ version = "1.8.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "eabb4a44450da02c90444cf74558da904edde8fb4e9035a9a6a4e15445af0bd7"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "half"
+version = "2.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ad6a9459c9c30b177b925162351f97e7d967c7ea8bab3b8352805327daf45554"
+dependencies = [
+ "crunchy",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "hashbrown"
 version = "0.12.3"
@@ -401,6 +416,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "bitfield-struct",
  "crc",
  "criterion",
+ "half 2.1.0",
  "libz-sys",
  "paste",
 ]
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 70a44be..d81d533 100755
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,3 +27,4 @@ binrw = "0.9.2"
 libz-sys = { version = "1.1.8", default-features = false }
 bitfield-struct = "0.1.7"
 paste = "1.0.7"
+half = "2.1.0"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/dat.rs b/src/dat.rs
index 6b6dfcd..807db7e 100755
--- a/src/dat.rs
+++ b/src/dat.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::io::{Cursor, Read, Seek, SeekFrom};
 use binrw::BinRead;
 use binrw::binrw;
 use crate::gamedata::MemoryBuffer;
-use crate::model::ModelHeader;
+use crate::model::ModelFileHeader;
 use std::io::Write;
 use binrw::BinWrite;
 use crate::sqpack::read_data_block;
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ impl DatFile {
                     process_model_data(i, model_file_info.num.index_buffer_size[i] as u32, model_file_info.offset.index_buffer_size[i], &mut index_data_offsets, &mut index_data_sizes);
                 }
 
-                let header = ModelHeader {
+                let header = ModelFileHeader {
                     version: model_file_info.version,
                     stack_size,
                     runtime_size,
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f6b575c..90aee86 100755
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ pub mod index;
 
 mod dat;
 mod compression;
-mod model;
+pub mod model;
 
 /// All of the races in Eorzea in a nice enum package.
 pub mod race;
diff --git a/src/model.rs b/src/model.rs
index 9771959..dca2fb1 100755
--- a/src/model.rs
+++ b/src/model.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
+use std::io::{Cursor, Seek, SeekFrom};
+use std::ops::Bound;
 use binrw::binrw;
+use crate::gamedata::MemoryBuffer;
+use binrw::BinRead;
+use binrw::binread;
+use half::f16;
 
 #[binrw]
-pub struct ModelHeader {
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct ModelFileHeader {
     pub(crate) version: u32,
 
     pub stack_size: u32,
@@ -26,8 +33,388 @@ pub struct ModelHeader {
     pub has_edge_geometry: bool,
 }
 
-pub struct Model {}
+#[binread]
+#[br(repr = u8)]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum ModelFlags1 {
+    DustOcclusionEnabled = 0x80,
+    SnowOcclusionEnabled = 0x40,
+    RainOcclusionEnabled = 0x20,
+    Unknown1 = 0x10,
+    LightingReflectionEnabled = 0x08,
+    WavingAnimationDisabled = 0x04,
+    LightShadowDisabled = 0x02,
+    ShadowDisabled = 0x01
+}
 
-impl Model {
-    pub fn from_existing() {}
+#[binread]
+#[br(repr = u8)]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum ModelFlags2 {
+    None = 0x0,
+    Unknown2 = 0x80,
+    BgUvScrollEnabled = 0x40,
+    EnableForceNonResident = 0x20,
+    ExtraLodEnabled = 0x10,
+    ShadowMaskEnabled = 0x08,
+    ForceLodRangeEnabled = 0x04,
+    EdgeGeometryEnabled = 0x02,
+    Unknown3 = 0x01
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct ModelHeader {
+    #[br(pad_after = 2)]
+    string_count : u16,
+    string_size : u32,
+
+    #[br(count = string_size)]
+    strings : Vec<u8>,
+
+    radius : f32,
+
+    mesh_count : u16,
+    attribute_count : u16,
+    submesh_count : u16,
+    material_count : u16,
+    bone_count : u16,
+    bone_table_count : u16,
+    shape_count : u16,
+    shape_mesh_count : u16,
+    shape_value_count : u16,
+
+    lod_count : u8,
+
+    flags1 : ModelFlags1,
+
+    element_id_count : u16,
+    terrain_shadow_mesh_count : u8,
+
+    #[br(err_context("radius = {}", radius))]
+    flags2 : ModelFlags2,
+
+    model_clip_out_of_distance : f32,
+    shadow_clip_out_of_distance : f32,
+
+    #[br(pad_before = 2)]
+    #[br(pad_after = 2)]
+    terrain_shadow_submesh_count : u16,
+
+    bg_change_material_index : u8,
+    #[br(pad_after = 12)]
+    bg_crest_change_material_index : u8,
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct MeshLod {
+    mesh_index : u16,
+    mesh_count : u16,
+
+    model_lod_range : f32,
+    texture_lod_range : f32,
+
+    water_mesh_index : u16,
+    water_mesh_count : u16,
+
+    shadow_mesh_index : u16,
+    shadow_mesh_count : u16,
+
+    terrain_shadow_mesh_count : u16,
+    terrain_shadow_mesh_index : u16,
+
+    vertical_fog_mesh_index : u16,
+    vertical_fog_mesh_count : u16,
+
+    // unused on win32 according to lumina devs
+    edge_geometry_size : u32,
+    edge_geometry_data_offset : u32,
+
+    #[br(pad_after = 4)]
+    polygon_count : u32,
+
+    vertex_buffer_size : u32,
+    index_buffer_size : u32,
+    vertex_data_offset : u32,
+    index_data_offset : u32
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Mesh {
+    #[br(pad_after = 2)]
+    vertex_count : u16,
+    index_count : u32,
+
+    material_index : u16,
+    submesh_index : u16,
+    submesh_count : u16,
+
+    bone_table_index : u16,
+    start_index : u32,
+
+    vertex_buffer_offsets : [u32; 3],
+    vertex_buffer_strides : [u8; 3],
+
+    vertex_stream_count : u8
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct Submesh {
+    index_offset : i32,
+    index_count : i32,
+
+    attribute_index_mask : u32,
+
+    bone_start_index : u16,
+    bone_count : u16
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct BoneTable {
+    bone_indices : [u16; 64],
+
+    #[br(pad_after = 3)]
+    bone_count : u8
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct BoundingBox {
+    min : [f32; 4],
+    max : [f32; 4]
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct ModelData {
+    header : ModelHeader,
+
+    #[br(count = header.element_id_count)]
+    element_ids : Vec<ElementId>,
+
+    #[br(count = 3)]
+    lods : Vec<MeshLod>,
+
+    #[br(count = header.mesh_count)]
+    meshes : Vec<Mesh>,
+
+    #[br(count = header.attribute_count)]
+    attribute_name_offsets : Vec<u32>,
+
+    // TODO: implement terrain shadow meshes
+
+    #[br(count = header.submesh_count)]
+    submeshes : Vec<Submesh>,
+
+    // TODO: implement terrain shadow submeshes
+
+    #[br(count = header.material_count)]
+    material_name_offsets : Vec<u32>,
+
+    #[br(count = header.bone_count)]
+    bone_name_offsets : Vec<u32>,
+
+    #[br(count = header.bone_table_count)]
+    bone_tables : Vec<BoneTable>,
+
+    // TODO: implement shapes
+
+    #[br(temp)]
+    submesh_bone_map_size : u32,
+
+    #[br(count = submesh_bone_map_size / 2, err_context("lods = {:#?}", lods))]
+    submesh_bone_map : Vec<u16>,
+
+    #[br(temp)]
+    padding_amount : u8,
+
+    #[br(pad_before = padding_amount)]
+    bounding_box : BoundingBox,
+    model_bounding_box : BoundingBox,
+    water_bounding_box : BoundingBox,
+    vertical_fog_bounding_box : BoundingBox,
+
+    #[br(count = header.bone_count)]
+    bone_bounding_boxes : Vec<BoundingBox>
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct ElementId {
+    element_id : u32,
+    parent_bone_name : u32,
+    translate : [f32; 3],
+    rotate : [f32; 3]
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[br(repr = u8)]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+enum VertexType {
+    Invalid = 0,
+    Single3 = 2,
+    Single4 = 3,
+    UInt = 5,
+    ByteFloat4 = 8,
+    Half2 = 13,
+    Half4 = 14
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[br(repr = u8)]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
+enum VertexUsage {
+    Position = 0,
+    BlendWeights = 1,
+    BlendIndices = 2,
+    Normal = 3,
+    UV = 4,
+    Tangent2 = 5,
+    Tangent1 = 6,
+    Color = 7,
+}
+
+#[binread]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
+struct VertexElement {
+    stream : u8,
+    offset : u8,
+    vertex_type : VertexType,
+    vertex_usage : VertexUsage,
+    #[br(pad_after = 3)]
+    usage_index: u8
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct Vertex {
+    position : [f32; 3],
+    uv: [f32; 2],
+    normal: [f32; 3],
+
+    bone_weight: [f32; 4],
+    bone_id : [u8; 4]
+}
+
+pub struct Part {
+    pub vertices : Vec<Vertex>,
+    pub indices : Vec<u16>
+}
+
+pub struct Lod {
+    pub parts : Vec<Part>
+}
+
+pub struct MDL {
+    pub lods : Vec<Lod>
+}
+
+impl MDL {
+    pub fn from_existing(buffer : &MemoryBuffer) -> Option<MDL> {
+        let mut cursor = Cursor::new(buffer);
+        let model_file_header = ModelFileHeader::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+
+        #[derive(Clone)]
+        struct VertexDeclaration {
+            elements : Vec<VertexElement>
+        }
+
+        let mut vertex_declarations: Vec<VertexDeclaration> = vec![VertexDeclaration{ elements : vec![] }; model_file_header.vertex_declaration_count as usize];
+        for mut declaration in &mut vertex_declarations {
+            let mut element = VertexElement::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+
+            loop {
+                declaration.elements.push(element);
+
+                element = VertexElement::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+
+                if element.stream == 255 {
+                    break;
+                }
+            };
+
+            let to_seek = 17 * 8 - (declaration.elements.len() + 1) * 8;
+            println!("now seeking {to_seek}!");
+
+            cursor.seek(SeekFrom::Current(to_seek as i64));
+        }
+
+        let model = ModelData::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+
+        let mut lods = vec![];
+
+        for i in 0..model.header.lod_count {
+            let mut parts = vec![];
+
+            for j in model.lods[i as usize].mesh_index..model.lods[i as usize].mesh_index + model.lods[i as usize].mesh_count {
+                let declaration = &vertex_declarations[j as usize];
+                let vertex_count = model.meshes[j as usize].vertex_count;
+
+                let default_vertex = Vertex {
+                    position: [0.0; 3],
+                    uv: [0.0; 2],
+                    normal: [0.0; 3],
+                    bone_weight: [0.0; 4],
+                    bone_id: [0u8; 4]
+                };
+
+                let mut vertices: Vec<Vertex> = vec![default_vertex; vertex_count as usize];
+
+                for k in 0..vertex_count {
+                    for element in &declaration.elements {
+                        cursor.seek(SeekFrom::Start((model.lods[i as usize].vertex_data_offset +
+                            model.meshes[j as usize].vertex_buffer_offsets[element.stream as usize] +
+                            element.offset as u32 +
+                            model.meshes[i as usize].vertex_buffer_strides[element.stream as usize] as u32 * k as u32) as u64));
+
+                        match element.vertex_usage {
+                            VertexUsage::Position => {
+                                vertices[k as usize].position = <[f32; 3]>::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+                            }
+                            VertexUsage::BlendWeights => {
+                                vertices[k as usize].bone_weight = <[f32; 4]>::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+                            }
+                            VertexUsage::BlendIndices => {
+                                vertices[k as usize].bone_id = <[u8; 4]>::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+                            }
+                            VertexUsage::Normal => {
+                                vertices[k as usize].normal = <[f32; 3]>::read(&mut cursor).unwrap();
+                            }
+                            VertexUsage::UV => {
+                                vertices[k as usize].uv[0] = f16::from_bits(<u16 as BinRead>::read(&mut cursor).unwrap()).to_f32();
+                                vertices[k as usize].uv[1] = f16::from_bits(<u16 as BinRead>::read(&mut cursor).unwrap()).to_f32();
+                            }
+                            VertexUsage::Tangent2 => {}
+                            VertexUsage::Tangent1 => {}
+                            VertexUsage::Color => {}
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
+                cursor.seek(SeekFrom::Start((model_file_header.index_offsets[i as usize] + (model.meshes[j as usize].start_index * 2)) as u64));
+
+                // TODO: optimize!
+                let mut indices : Vec<u16> = Vec::with_capacity(model.meshes[j as usize].index_count as usize);
+                for k in 0..model.meshes[j as usize].index_count {
+                    indices.push(<u16 as BinRead>::read(&mut cursor).unwrap());
+                }
+
+                parts.push(Part {
+                    vertices,
+                    indices
+                });
+            }
+
+            lods.push(Lod {
+                parts
+            });
+        }
+
+        Some(MDL {
+            lods
+        })
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file