Zmodeler3 Overview: What It Is, What It Does, How It Is Licensed
Zmodeler3 is the long-standing 3D editor used for GTA-format vehicle export. Here is the documented history, supported formats, and license model.
Zmodeler (also written ZModeler) is a 3D editor with native support for GTA-series asset formats, used widely in the FiveM and GTA V modding communities for vehicle export and rigging. This post pulls together documented facts about the tool from Wikipedia and the official project sources.
History and developer
Per Wikipedia: "Initially released in the early 2000s, ZModeler has become a popular tool among modders and game developers for building custom vehicles, characters, and other in-game assets." The tool is developed by Oleg Melashenko.
Version progression as documented:
- ZModeler 1 supported only triangles
- ZModeler 2 added quadrilateral polygon support
- ZModeler 3 introduced material browser improvements and levels of detail features
The latest stable release noted in the Wikipedia article is version 3.3.1 (Build 1242), released May 26, 2024.
Supported game formats
The Wikipedia article documents specific format support including:
- GTA IV:
.wtf,.wtr,.wtd - GTA Trilogy Classic:
.dff
For GTA V vehicle modding specifically, third-party tutorials and the ZModeler forum confirm support for .yft (fragments / vehicle models) and .ytd (texture dictionaries) export, which are the formats GTA V uses for vehicles. The native project file format is .z3d.
License model
From Wikipedia: "Since version 2, ZModeler is no longer offered as a feature-rich freeware." The software is classified as "Trialware," meaning users can test it before purchasing activation for full functionality with "filters and plugins to import and export models."
In practice this means GTA V import/export filters are part of the paid activation tier - the trial version lets you evaluate the tool, but shipping a custom vehicle to FiveM requires a purchased license.
Where Zmodeler fits in a vehicle pipeline
Zmodeler3 is most commonly used for the GTA-specific final-stage work on a vehicle: bone hierarchy setup, dummy positioning, LOD chain generation, collision (.col) generation, and the actual .yft/.ytd export. Many creators model the vehicle in a different tool (Blender, 3ds Max, Maya) and import to Zmodeler only for the final export pass.
Sollumz (an open-source Blender plugin) is an alternative that does the export step from Blender directly. The two tools cover overlapping territory but with different licensing models and feature scopes.
Where to get help
The official Zmodeler community forum is at forum.zmodeler3.com. Format-specific tutorials and import/export guides for GTA V are pinned in the GTAV import/export thread there.
Sources
Browse the lot
Drag, drop, drive. Lore-friendly originals and curated real-vehicle conversions for FiveM.