diff --git a/stepmania/src/Model.cpp b/stepmania/src/Model.cpp
index 6b2153d6d7..eda34fc5a1 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Model.cpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void Model::LoadPieces( CString sMeshesPath, CString sMaterialsPath, CString sBo
 		
 		if( pMesh->nMaterialIndex >= (int) m_Materials.size() )
 			RageException::Throw( "Model \"%s\" mesh \"%s\" references material index %i, but there are only %i materials",
-				sMeshesPath.c_str(), pMesh->szName, pMesh->nMaterialIndex, m_Materials.size() );
+				sMeshesPath.c_str(), pMesh->sName.c_str(), pMesh->nMaterialIndex, m_Materials.size() );
 	}
 
 	if( LoadMilkshapeAsciiBones( DEFAULT_ANIMATION_NAME, sBonesPath ) )
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ void Model::PlayAnimation( CString sAniName, float fPlayRate )
 		m_vpBones[i].mRelative.m[3][1] = pBone->Position[1];
 		m_vpBones[i].mRelative.m[3][2] = pBone->Position[2];
 		
-		int nParentBone = m_pCurAnimation->FindBoneByName( pBone->szParentName );
+		int nParentBone = m_pCurAnimation->FindBoneByName( pBone->sParentName );
 		if( nParentBone != -1 )
 		{
 			RageMatrixMultiply( &m_vpBones[i].mAbsolute, &m_vpBones[nParentBone].mAbsolute, &m_vpBones[i].mRelative );
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ void Model::SetBones( const msAnimation* pAnimation, float fFrame, vector<myBone
 
 			RageMatrixMultiply( &vpBones[i].mRelativeFinal, &vpBones[i].mRelative, &m );
 
-			int nParentBone = pAnimation->FindBoneByName( pBone->szParentName );
+			int nParentBone = pAnimation->FindBoneByName( pBone->sParentName );
 			if( nParentBone == -1 )
 				vpBones[i].mFinal = vpBones[i].mRelativeFinal;
 			else
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.cpp b/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.cpp
index dc2ef01d80..03de793bf7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 #include "RageDisplay.h"
 #include "Foreach.h"
 
+#define MS_MAX_NAME	32
+
 AnimatedTexture::AnimatedTexture()
 {
 	m_iCurState = 0;
@@ -204,7 +206,6 @@ RageVector2 AnimatedTexture::GetTextureTranslate()
 
 msMesh::msMesh()
 {
-	ZERO( szName );
 }
 
 msMesh::~msMesh()
@@ -255,7 +256,7 @@ bool msAnimation::LoadMilkshapeAsciiBones( CString sAniName, CString sPath )
 				THROW;
             if (sscanf (sLine, "\"%[^\"]\"", szName) != 1)
 				THROW;
-            strcpy( Bone.szName, szName );
+            Bone.sName = szName;
 
             // parent
 			if( f.GetLine( sLine ) <= 0 )
@@ -263,7 +264,7 @@ bool msAnimation::LoadMilkshapeAsciiBones( CString sAniName, CString sPath )
             strcpy (szName, "");
             sscanf (sLine, "\"%[^\"]\"", szName);
 
-            strcpy( Bone.szParentName, szName );
+            Bone.sParentName = szName;
 
             // flags, position, rotation
             RageVector3 Position, Rotation;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.h b/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.h
index 6012004205..3cd68f56fa 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/ModelTypes.h
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 #ifndef MODEL_TYPES_H
 #define MODEL_TYPES_H
 
-#define MS_MAX_NAME             32
-
 #include "RageTypes.h"
 
 struct msTriangle
@@ -18,8 +16,8 @@ struct msMesh
 	msMesh();
 	~msMesh();
 
-    char        szName[MS_MAX_NAME];
-    char        nMaterialIndex;
+    CString		sName;
+    char		nMaterialIndex;
 
 	vector<RageModelVertex>   Vertices;
 
@@ -116,37 +114,37 @@ struct msRotationKey
 
 struct msBone
 {
-    int             nFlags;
-    char            szName[MS_MAX_NAME];
-    char            szParentName[MS_MAX_NAME];
-    RageVector3          Position;
-    RageVector3          Rotation;
+    int			nFlags;
+    CString		sName;
+    CString		sParentName;
+    RageVector3	Position;
+    RageVector3	Rotation;
 
-    vector<msPositionKey>  PositionKeys;
+    vector<msPositionKey>	PositionKeys;
 
-    int             nNumRotationKeys;
-    int             nNumAllocedRotationKeys;
-    vector<msRotationKey>  RotationKeys;
+    int		nNumRotationKeys;
+    int		nNumAllocedRotationKeys;
+    vector<msRotationKey>	RotationKeys;
 };
 
 struct msAnimation
 {
     vector<msBone>     Bones;
 
-	int FindBoneByName( const char* szName ) const
+	int FindBoneByName( const CString &sName ) const
 	{
 		for( unsigned i=0; i<Bones.size(); i++ )
-			if( strcmp(Bones[i].szName, szName)==0 )
+			if( Bones[i].sName == sName )
 				return i;
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	bool LoadMilkshapeAsciiBones( CString sAniName, CString sPath );
 
-    int         nTotalFrames;
+    int		nTotalFrames;
 
-    RageVector3      Position;
-    RageVector3      Rotation;
+    RageVector3	Position;
+    RageVector3	Rotation;
 };
 
 struct myBone_t
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.cpp
index b7d3aa11b1..059457f6b7 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include "RageDisplay.h"
 #include "IniFile.h"
 
+#define MS_MAX_NAME	32
+
 RageModelGeometry::RageModelGeometry ()
 {
 	m_iRefCount = 1;
@@ -53,6 +55,24 @@ void RageModelGeometry::OptimizeBones()
 	}
 }
 
+void RageModelGeometry::MergeMeshes( int iFromIndex, int iToIndex )
+{
+	msMesh& meshFrom = m_Meshes[ iFromIndex ];
+	msMesh& meshTo = m_Meshes[ iToIndex ];
+
+	int iShiftTriangleVertexIndicesBy = meshTo.Vertices.size();
+	int iStartShiftingTriangleAtIndex = meshTo.Triangles.size();
+
+	meshTo.Vertices.insert( meshTo.Vertices.end(), meshFrom.Vertices.end(), meshFrom.Vertices.end() );
+	meshTo.Triangles.insert( meshTo.Triangles.end(), meshFrom.Triangles.end(), meshFrom.Triangles.end() );
+
+	for( unsigned i=iStartShiftingTriangleAtIndex; i<meshTo.Triangles.size(); i++ )
+	{
+		for( int j=0; j<3; j++ )
+			meshTo.Triangles[i].nVertexIndices[j] += iShiftTriangleVertexIndicesBy;
+	}
+}
+
 bool RageModelGeometry::HasAnyPerVertexBones() const
 {
 	for( unsigned i = 0; i < m_Meshes.size(); ++i )
@@ -123,7 +143,7 @@ void RageModelGeometry::LoadMilkshapeAscii( const CString& _sPath, bool bNeedsNo
 				if( sscanf (sLine, "\"%[^\"]\" %d %d",szName, &nFlags, &nIndex) != 3 )
 					THROW;
 
-				strcpy( mesh.szName, szName );
+				mesh.sName = szName;
 				// mesh.nFlags = nFlags;
 				mesh.nMaterialIndex = (uint8_t) nIndex;
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.h b/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.h
index 561c18808b..ae79ce0c50 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageModelGeometry.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public:
 
 	void LoadMilkshapeAscii( const CString& sMilkshapeAsciiFile, bool bNeedsNormals );
 	void OptimizeBones();
+	void MergeMeshes( int iFromIndex, int iToIndex );
 	bool HasAnyPerVertexBones() const;
 
 	int m_iRefCount;