diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/EmissionController.java b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/EmissionController.java
index 2c305abae..207907eee 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/EmissionController.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/EmissionController.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public abstract class EmissionController extends ModelController
             BufferUtils.populateFromBuffer(result,
                 ((Geometry)_target).getNormalBuffer(), 0);
         } else {
-            result.set(0f, -1f, 0f);
+            result.set(0f, 0f, -1f);
         }
         _target.getWorldRotation().multLocal(result);
     }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/Model.java b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/Model.java
index 759a51a55..e94131787 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/Model.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/Model.java
@@ -520,6 +520,8 @@ public class Model extends ModelNode
     @Override // documentation inherited
     public void updateWorldData (float time)
     {
+        // slow evvvverything down by the animation speed
+        time *= _animSpeed;
         if (_anim != null) {
             updateAnimation(time);
         }
@@ -567,7 +569,7 @@ public class Model extends ModelNode
             return;
         }
         
-        _elapsed += (time * _anim.frameRate * _animSpeed);
+        _elapsed += (time * _anim.frameRate);
     }
     
     /**
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/ModelController.java b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/ModelController.java
index 7f9d128cc..ba6aeebbf 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/ModelController.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/model/ModelController.java
@@ -49,7 +49,12 @@ public abstract class ModelController extends Controller
      */
     public void configure (Properties props, Spatial target)
     {
-        _target = target;
+        if (target instanceof ModelNode) {
+            _target = ((ModelNode)target).getChild("mesh");
+        }
+        if (_target == null) {
+            _target = target;
+        }
         String[] anims = StringUtil.parseStringArray(
             props.getProperty("animations", ""));
         if (anims.length == 0) {
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/tools/ModelViewer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/tools/ModelViewer.java
index 86adda0b1..157d68a9f 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/tools/ModelViewer.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/tools/ModelViewer.java
@@ -197,6 +197,9 @@ public class ModelViewer extends JmeCanvasApp
         _animctrls.add(new Spacer(50, 1));
         _animctrls.add(new JLabel(_msg.get("m.anim_speed")));
         _animctrls.add(_animspeed = new JSlider(-100, +100, 0));
+        _animspeed.setMajorTickSpacing(10);
+        _animspeed.setSnapToTicks(true);
+        _animspeed.setPaintTicks(true);
         _animspeed.addChangeListener(new ChangeListener() {
             public void stateChanged (ChangeEvent e) {
                 updateAnimationSpeed();
@@ -484,7 +487,7 @@ public class ModelViewer extends JmeCanvasApp
     protected void updateAnimationSpeed ()
     {
         _model.setAnimationSpeed(
-            FastMath.pow(2f, _animspeed.getValue() / 50f));
+            FastMath.pow(2f, _animspeed.getValue() / 25f));
     }
     
     /** The resource manager. */
diff --git a/src/ms/TRAnimationExporter.mcr b/src/ms/TRAnimationExporter.mcr
index 19e08bfe8..7c94d1d97 100644
--- a/src/ms/TRAnimationExporter.mcr
+++ b/src/ms/TRAnimationExporter.mcr
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ macroScript TRAnimationExporter category:"File" \
     -- Writes a single animation frame
     fn writeFrame nodes outFile = (
         format "  <frame>\n" to:outFile
-        for node in nodes do (
+        for node in nodes do in coordsys world (
             writeTransform node outFile
         )
         format "  </frame>\n\n" to:outFile
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ macroScript TRAnimationExporter category:"File" \
         ) else (
             nodes = objects
         )
-        for i = animationRange.start to animationRange.end do at time i (
+        for t = animationRange.start to animationRange.end do at time t (
             writeFrame nodes outFile
         )
         format "</animation>\n" to:outFile
diff --git a/src/ms/TRModelExporter.mcr b/src/ms/TRModelExporter.mcr
index 9edddd27c..edc10b4da 100644
--- a/src/ms/TRModelExporter.mcr
+++ b/src/ms/TRModelExporter.mcr
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ macroScript TRModelExporter category:"File" \
             if mesh.numtverts > 0 do (
                 tvface = getTVFace mesh i
             )
-            for i = 1 to 3 do in coordsys local (
+            for i = 1 to 3 do (
                 format "    <vertex" to:outFile
                 writePoint3Attr " location" (getVert mesh face[i]) outFile
                 writePoint3Attr " normal" (getNormal mesh face[i]) outFile
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ macroScript TRModelExporter category:"File" \
         writeQuatAttr " rotation" (inverse xform.rotationPart) \
             outFile
         writePoint3Attr " scale" xform.scalePart outFile
-        if isMesh then (
+        if isMesh then in coordsys local (
             writePoint3Attr " offsetTranslation" node.objectOffsetPos outFile
             writeQuatAttr " offsetRotation" node.objectOffsetRot outFile
             writePoint3Attr " offsetScale" node.objectOffsetScale outFile
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ macroScript TRModelExporter category:"File" \
         ) else (
             nodes = objects
         )
-        for node in nodes do (
+        for node in nodes do in coordsys world (
             writeNode node outFile
         )
         select oldsel