TF2 HUD - Rendering 3D models onto the main menu?

[short cloak]

Trying to add a 3D model to my mainmenuoverride.res file using the ModelPanel guide (https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/VGUI_ModelPanel) as well as the dozen other ways that TF2 renders models in the HUD (Badgepanel.res, etc.) and it seems like no matter what I do the HUD element will be rendered (no errors and I can see the bounding box with vgui_drawtree) but the 3D model just won't appear on the main menu. Is the game hard-coded to only render specific models on the main menu?

[vocal trail]

I'd ask on the huds.tf discord

[bleak crag]

could also be a function broken over the years