There is a guy named fredborg or somthing like that and he created a great and i mean excelent .3ds and .ase importer. He had a little challenge that if you could find a model that his importer wounld load he would give you the source. Well i found a model, but unfortunalty he didnt have the .ase importer workign when he gave me the source. I cant give the source away, but when i get home i can check and see what he does in his and maybe help you a little