Ripping models from games means extracting 3D assets such as characters and environments (including their corresponding textures, animations and audio) from game files and turning them into usable formats like OBJ or FBX. Extractions are done for learning, modding and preservation purposes; pulling ripped models for personal monetization or commercial projects is illegal and counts as direct plagiarism. Ripped models do lack certain control rigs, custom scripts and tools that internal teams have full access to, so they’re incomplete when compared with production assets.
Students and hobbyists use ripped models to understand how professional models are built since opening the model in a 3D software shows its structure, including the edge flows and UV mapping. Ripped models are also used by fans to create fanart, like a 3D model of Novo Armor from Dark Souls, or mods for character models. Ripping helps with preservation too because updates and server shutdowns overwrite old assets, so extracting and backing up previous models keeps them accessible. Keep reading for instructions on configuring the tool to extract and convert the desired assets into usable formats, plus information on how to import the models into 3D software and clean them up for editing.
1. Check the game engine of the target game
Check the game engine of the target game to know the file format of the model. A game engine is the main software devs use to build their games and how games are stored depends on the engine, like how mobile games use Unity for cross-platform optimization so that the assets come in .unity3d formats. To rip a model, it’s necessary to know what the format is in order to use the correct tools.
The way engines store assets varies based on the engine’s complexity and affects the models’ complexity as a result, so knowing the engine is important as a learner. Unity is easier for beginners since it organizes assets in an accessible manner, whereas Unreal Engine has advanced rendering tools and requires more technical knowledge to navigate its models after ripping.
Both Unity and Unreal need external tools for extraction because they store assets in non-editable formats, but open-source frameworks like libGDX don’t need those tools. libGDX lets devs write Java directly to control all the game logic, and it uses standard formats that are ready for use like .png for textures and .obj for game data. The main takeaway is that Unity is beginner-friendly but needs external tools, and libGDX is easy to use for ripping when you have coding knowledge.
2. Select a compatible ripping tool for that engine
Select a compatible ripping tool for that engine since using the wrong tools results in files that are either corrupted or unreadable. A ripping tool has to understand the specific format of the game files to rip the models correctly, keeping the textures and animations intact. Using the right tool makes sure models are reusable and high-quality, which is supported by research from Zhao et al’s 2025 study on asset extraction.
Unity’s compatible tools are AssetRipper and uTinyRipper whereas UE Viewer and QuickBMS scripts are used for Unreal. Godot is an open-source engine, so games made in it have assets that are directly accessible from the engine itself. libGDX isn’t an engine and uses standard formats like .png, .json and .obj, so an external tool isn’t needed as long as you have coding knowledge.
3. Locate the game’s installation directory on your device
Locate the game’s installation directory on your device to ensure you’re pointing the tool to the right files. The installation directory is the folder on your device where the game stores all of its files, like files for program launch and the asset bundles.
To find the directory, first identify the platform the game’s been published on, like Steam or Epic. Platforms have their own default installation paths which appear each time you purchase and download a game. Modern platforms like PlayStation or Xbox hide game assets inside subfolders such as Data, or encrypt them, to prevent direct plagiarism. Look for the assets inside these subfolders, then point your ripping tool to them for extraction.
4. Extract the game’s asset files
Extract the game’s asset files, which are stored in compressed or standard formats inside the game’s installation directory. Asset files make up the game, including 3D models, textures, animations and audio. Extracting these means unpacking them into usable formats like FBX to use 3D software to view and edit the models.
To extract the asset files, first identify the asset archives. Unity stores them in folders like AmongUs_Data for example, and Unreal stores them in the Content/Paks folder. Use a compatible ripping tool to open up these archives and then you’ll be able to extract the assets and convert them later. For files that are embedded deep enough to make manual extraction take a long time and be low-quality, Li et al’s 2025 study suggests using automated workflows via AI instead.
5. Configure and run the ripping tool
Configure and run the ripping tool so that it knows where the game files are stored and which files to extract and where to save them. Configuration is important since misconfiguration is one of the core reasons for failed ripping or corrupted files according to Murphy-Hill et al (2012). To configure the tool, first point the tool to the game’s directory since that’s where the files are stored and then select the asset type.
Asset types include models (these include characters and environments) as well as their corresponding textures and animations. Set a standard format for specific components of the model that you’re able to open up in 3D software and other tools for viewing the assets. Standard formats for extractions have been expanded below.
- Models use .fbx or .obj formats
- Textures use .png or .jpg formats
- Animations need to be extracted in .psa for files from Unreal Engine and .anim for Unity and then converted to .fbx formats for use (if an .fbx file already has animation data, there’s no need to convert them)
- Audio files use .wav or .mp3 formats
Run the extraction next and the tool saves all the files in your selected folder. For small indie games, ripping game models takes seconds but large AAA titles take hours, depending on the size of the files and the compression.
6. Capture the desired model
Capture the desired model by picking and exporting a specific asset like a character or weapon from the game files into a local drive. Access to all the assets from the game is granted after extraction, so pick only those that are needed to avoid cluttered files. To capture the desired model, go through the extracted assets in the list view or preview window.
AssetRipper shows you folders of models, textures and audio, similarly to UModel, which lets you preview the meshes and animations before export. Pick the model you want, and to make it easier, filter by the name or type. Note that assets from Unity have generic names like mesh_001, so you’ll need to go through them via trial and error.
Check for dependencies before capturing, which are textures, like wood on a door, and animations for movement that models rely on. Exporting just the mesh means the model looks incomplete (think completely gray and unrigged). You need to always capture the mesh which is the core geometry, and the corresponding textures and rigs for animations.
Game assets change when there are version updates and differ between platforms like mobile and PC. Updates might also overwrite and remove models entirely. Make sure the game you have is fully up to date (or vice versa if you want older models for archival and learning purposes) and on the correct platform.
7. Save the ripped model’s data
Save the ripped model’s data to make sure the model isn’t lost, corrupted or overwritten. The data includes the model’s dependencies like textures and animations since models rely on those to function in-game and look visually aesthetic. Organize the dependencies into folders, like a separate one for the mesh and another one for its textures. As the last step, backup your data by saving a copy on an external drive or on the cloud. You’re able to now pull the assets without combing through multiple files and access them outside of your local device.
8. Convert the ripped file into a standard 3D format
Convert the ripped file into a standard 3D format using plugins or external importers and exporters. Ripped models are in their engine-specific formats after ripping, so they need to be translated into standard formats that 3D software is able to read. Identify the source format first which directly links to the engine of the game, then use a plugin or external tools for the conversion and export the model into a standard format. These are different from extraction formats which are picked during ripping and don’t determine the usability of the models in 3D software.
AssetRipper for Unity directly exports the models into usable formats like FBX, so there’s no need for conversion, but Source’s .mdl format needs extra steps before assets are usable. You’ll need to use Crowbar to convert the .mdl file into a .smd file to import into Blender. A similar workflow is needed when using UModel for Unreal. UModel is able to convert the models into .psk formats for skeletal meshes or .psa formats for animation. You then convert these into .fbx formats to edit them in graphics software like Blender or Maya.
FBX is supported all around for 3D modeling and animations; OBJ is more lightweight but doesn’t support rigs, so you won’t be able to export animations that come with models. For cross-platform teams, DAE (Collada) is ideal since it’s supported across tools and is commonly used for Source Engine mods. GLTF/ GLB is a lightweight format that’s browser-friendly, so it’s ideal for browser-based tools instead.
9. Import the model’s file into 3D editing software
Import the model’s file into 3D editing software to view and edit it, like adding textures or adjusting the rigging. To import the model, open the 3D software and select Import from File and the corresponding format. FBX is recommended for Blender or Maya because of its animation support. Tweak scale and rotation settings before importing, so models don’t end up too big, small, or rotated onto their sides.
Verify the model after you import to make sure everything is intact. To do this, open the exported model in your graphics software and check whether the textures are applied correctly, the skeleton is intact and animations are playing smoothly. In the event something is missing, re-export the model with all the dependencies that are missing.
10. Clean up the model’s geometry and reassign textures
Clean up the model’s geometry and reassign textures to understand the mesh and edge flows better. Meshes in engines have polygons (triangles) for faces that make it difficult to figure out the model’s structure, so it’s useful to clean them up. Edge flows are the direction and arrangement of edges in a 3D mesh that describe how the polygons (or faces) are arranged for animation. The geometry is the collection of all these edges and faces and makes up the entire model.
Geometry has issues like extra polygons, duplicate vertices, overlapping faces and missing textures when the model is ripped from a game. Cleaning up involves fixing these up as well as the model’s structure, which means you need to convert the triangulated meshes into quads (four-side polygons). Quads make it easier for you to understand the edge flow and to edit the model as pointed out by course materials in UC Berkeley’s 2019 module on meshes and geometry.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to clean up the geometry unless you want to edit the model for modding or hands-on learning. You just need to import the model into your 3D software or a viewer and study the topology, textures and animations to see how it’s been made. The same goes for reassigning the textures: apply the textures when you want to see how they look.
The textures are 2D images that are applied to the model and when ripped, they tend to separate or misalign. Reassign them by linking the correct texture files back to the model and tweak the UV maps until textures fit properly. You can mess around with the colors and highlights to figure out how they were made in the game, or to customize it for modding.
