diff --git a/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index cc9fe8ef4c..5b941ae5f7 100644
--- a/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ endif()
 link_hifi_libraries(
   shared workload task octree ktx gpu gl procedural graphics graphics-scripting render
   pointers
-  recording fbx networking model-networking entities avatars trackers
+  recording hfm fbx networking model-networking entities avatars trackers
   audio audio-client animation script-engine physics
   render-utils entities-renderer avatars-renderer ui qml auto-updater midi
   controllers plugins image trackers
diff --git a/libraries/hfm/CMakeLists.txt b/libraries/hfm/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d569688a26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/hfm/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+set(TARGET_NAME hfm)
+setup_hifi_library()
+
+include_hifi_library_headers(graphics)
+include_hifi_library_headers(shared)
+
+target_draco()
diff --git a/libraries/hfm/src/HFM.h b/libraries/hfm/src/HFM.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..469369ef62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/hfm/src/HFM.h
@@ -0,0 +1,329 @@
+//
+//  HFM.h
+//  libraries/hfm/src
+//
+//  Created by Sabrina Shanman on 2018/11/02.
+//  Copyright 2018 High Fidelity, Inc.
+//
+//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+//
+
+#ifndef hifi_HFM_h_
+#define hifi_HFM_h_
+
+#include <QMetaType>
+#include <QSet>
+#include <QVector>
+
+#include <glm/glm.hpp>
+#include <glm/gtc/quaternion.hpp>
+
+#include <Extents.h>
+#include <Transform.h>
+
+#include <graphics/Geometry.h>
+#include <graphics/Material.h>
+
+/// A single blendshape.
+class HFMBlendshape {
+public:
+    QVector<int> indices;
+    QVector<glm::vec3> vertices;
+    QVector<glm::vec3> normals;
+    QVector<glm::vec3> tangents;
+};
+
+struct HFMJointShapeInfo {
+    // same units and frame as HFMJoint.translation
+    glm::vec3 avgPoint;
+    std::vector<float> dots;
+    std::vector<glm::vec3> points;
+    std::vector<glm::vec3> debugLines;
+};
+
+/// A single joint (transformation node).
+class HFMJoint {
+public:
+
+    HFMJointShapeInfo shapeInfo;
+    QVector<int> freeLineage;
+    bool isFree;
+    int parentIndex;
+    float distanceToParent;
+
+    // http://download.autodesk.com/us/fbx/20112/FBX_SDK_HELP/SDKRef/a00209.html
+
+    glm::vec3 translation;   // T
+    glm::mat4 preTransform;  // Roff * Rp
+    glm::quat preRotation;   // Rpre
+    glm::quat rotation;      // R
+    glm::quat postRotation;  // Rpost
+    glm::mat4 postTransform; // Rp-1 * Soff * Sp * S * Sp-1
+
+    // World = ParentWorld * T * (Roff * Rp) * Rpre * R * Rpost * (Rp-1 * Soff * Sp * S * Sp-1)
+
+    glm::mat4 transform;
+    glm::vec3 rotationMin;  // radians
+    glm::vec3 rotationMax;  // radians
+    glm::quat inverseDefaultRotation;
+    glm::quat inverseBindRotation;
+    glm::mat4 bindTransform;
+    QString name;
+    bool isSkeletonJoint;
+    bool bindTransformFoundInCluster;
+
+    // geometric offset is applied in local space but does NOT affect children.
+    bool hasGeometricOffset;
+    glm::vec3 geometricTranslation;
+    glm::quat geometricRotation;
+    glm::vec3 geometricScaling;
+};
+
+
+/// A single binding to a joint.
+class HFMCluster {
+public:
+
+    int jointIndex;
+    glm::mat4 inverseBindMatrix;
+    Transform inverseBindTransform;
+};
+
+const int MAX_NUM_PIXELS_FOR_FBX_TEXTURE = 2048 * 2048;
+
+/// A texture map.
+class HFMTexture {
+public:
+    QString id;
+    QString name;
+    QByteArray filename;
+    QByteArray content;
+
+    Transform transform;
+    int maxNumPixels { MAX_NUM_PIXELS_FOR_FBX_TEXTURE };
+    int texcoordSet;
+    QString texcoordSetName;
+
+    bool isBumpmap{ false };
+
+    bool isNull() const { return name.isEmpty() && filename.isEmpty() && content.isEmpty(); }
+};
+
+/// A single part of a mesh (with the same material).
+class HFMMeshPart {
+public:
+
+    QVector<int> quadIndices; // original indices from the FBX mesh
+    QVector<int> quadTrianglesIndices; // original indices from the FBX mesh of the quad converted as triangles
+    QVector<int> triangleIndices; // original indices from the FBX mesh
+
+    QString materialID;
+};
+
+class HFMMaterial {
+public:
+    HFMMaterial() {};
+    HFMMaterial(const glm::vec3& diffuseColor, const glm::vec3& specularColor, const glm::vec3& emissiveColor,
+         float shininess, float opacity) :
+        diffuseColor(diffuseColor),
+        specularColor(specularColor),
+        emissiveColor(emissiveColor),
+        shininess(shininess),
+        opacity(opacity)  {}
+
+    void getTextureNames(QSet<QString>& textureList) const;
+    void setMaxNumPixelsPerTexture(int maxNumPixels);
+
+    glm::vec3 diffuseColor{ 1.0f };
+    float diffuseFactor{ 1.0f };
+    glm::vec3 specularColor{ 0.02f };
+    float specularFactor{ 1.0f };
+
+    glm::vec3 emissiveColor{ 0.0f };
+    float emissiveFactor{ 0.0f };
+
+    float shininess{ 23.0f };
+    float opacity{ 1.0f };
+
+    float metallic{ 0.0f };
+    float roughness{ 1.0f };
+    float emissiveIntensity{ 1.0f };
+    float ambientFactor{ 1.0f };
+
+    float bumpMultiplier { 1.0f }; // TODO: to be implemented
+
+    QString materialID;
+    QString name;
+    QString shadingModel;
+    graphics::MaterialPointer _material;
+
+    HFMTexture normalTexture;
+    HFMTexture albedoTexture;
+    HFMTexture opacityTexture;
+    HFMTexture glossTexture;
+    HFMTexture roughnessTexture;
+    HFMTexture specularTexture;
+    HFMTexture metallicTexture;
+    HFMTexture emissiveTexture;
+    HFMTexture occlusionTexture;
+    HFMTexture scatteringTexture;
+    HFMTexture lightmapTexture;
+    glm::vec2 lightmapParams{ 0.0f, 1.0f };
+
+
+    bool isPBSMaterial{ false };
+    // THe use XXXMap are not really used to drive which map are going or not, debug only
+    bool useNormalMap{ false };
+    bool useAlbedoMap{ false };
+    bool useOpacityMap{ false };
+    bool useRoughnessMap{ false };
+    bool useSpecularMap{ false };
+    bool useMetallicMap{ false };
+    bool useEmissiveMap{ false };
+    bool useOcclusionMap{ false };
+
+    bool needTangentSpace() const;
+};
+
+/// A single mesh (with optional blendshapes).
+class HFMMesh {
+public:
+
+    QVector<HFMMeshPart> parts;
+
+    QVector<glm::vec3> vertices;
+    QVector<glm::vec3> normals;
+    QVector<glm::vec3> tangents;
+    QVector<glm::vec3> colors;
+    QVector<glm::vec2> texCoords;
+    QVector<glm::vec2> texCoords1;
+    QVector<uint16_t> clusterIndices;
+    QVector<uint16_t> clusterWeights;
+    QVector<int32_t> originalIndices;
+
+    QVector<HFMCluster> clusters;
+
+    Extents meshExtents;
+    glm::mat4 modelTransform;
+
+    QVector<HFMBlendshape> blendshapes;
+
+    unsigned int meshIndex; // the order the meshes appeared in the object file
+
+    graphics::MeshPointer _mesh;
+    bool wasCompressed { false };
+
+    void createMeshTangents(bool generateFromTexCoords);
+    void createBlendShapeTangents(bool generateTangents);
+};
+
+class ExtractedMesh {
+public:
+    HFMMesh mesh;
+    QMultiHash<int, int> newIndices;
+    QVector<QHash<int, int> > blendshapeIndexMaps;
+    QVector<QPair<int, int> > partMaterialTextures;
+    QHash<QString, size_t> texcoordSetMap;
+};
+
+/**jsdoc
+ * @typedef {object} FBXAnimationFrame
+ * @property {Quat[]} rotations
+ * @property {Vec3[]} translations
+ */
+/// A single animation frame.
+class HFMAnimationFrame {
+public:
+    QVector<glm::quat> rotations;
+    QVector<glm::vec3> translations;
+};
+
+/// A light.
+class HFMLight {
+public:
+    QString name;
+    Transform transform;
+    float intensity;
+    float fogValue;
+    glm::vec3 color;
+
+    HFMLight() :
+        name(),
+        transform(),
+        intensity(1.0f),
+        fogValue(0.0f),
+        color(1.0f)
+    {}
+};
+
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(HFMAnimationFrame)
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(QVector<HFMAnimationFrame>)
+
+/// The runtime model format.
+class HFMModel {
+public:
+    using Pointer = std::shared_ptr<HFMModel>;
+
+    QString originalURL;
+    QString author;
+    QString applicationName; ///< the name of the application that generated the model
+
+    QVector<HFMJoint> joints;
+    QHash<QString, int> jointIndices; ///< 1-based, so as to more easily detect missing indices
+    bool hasSkeletonJoints;
+
+    QVector<HFMMesh> meshes;
+    QVector<QString> scripts;
+
+    QHash<QString, HFMMaterial> materials;
+
+    glm::mat4 offset; // This includes offset, rotation, and scale as specified by the FST file
+
+    int leftEyeJointIndex = -1;
+    int rightEyeJointIndex = -1;
+    int neckJointIndex = -1;
+    int rootJointIndex = -1;
+    int leanJointIndex = -1;
+    int headJointIndex = -1;
+    int leftHandJointIndex = -1;
+    int rightHandJointIndex = -1;
+    int leftToeJointIndex = -1;
+    int rightToeJointIndex = -1;
+
+    float leftEyeSize = 0.0f;  // Maximum mesh extents dimension
+    float rightEyeSize = 0.0f;
+
+    QVector<int> humanIKJointIndices;
+
+    glm::vec3 palmDirection;
+
+    glm::vec3 neckPivot;
+
+    Extents bindExtents;
+    Extents meshExtents;
+
+    QVector<HFMAnimationFrame> animationFrames;
+
+    int getJointIndex(const QString& name) const { return jointIndices.value(name) - 1; }
+    QStringList getJointNames() const;
+
+    bool hasBlendedMeshes() const;
+
+    /// Returns the unscaled extents of the model's mesh
+    Extents getUnscaledMeshExtents() const;
+
+    bool convexHullContains(const glm::vec3& point) const;
+
+    QHash<int, QString> meshIndicesToModelNames;
+
+    /// given a meshIndex this will return the name of the model that mesh belongs to if known
+    QString getModelNameOfMesh(int meshIndex) const;
+
+    QList<QString> blendshapeChannelNames;
+};
+
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(HFMModel)
+Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(HFMModel::Pointer)
+
+#endif // hifi_HFM_h_