If you've ever played a source game (hl2, css, portal), you have probably seen one or more materials that just wasn't good enough. It is also likely you have thought "What if i could edit this?" With these steps, you can!
note:
It doesn't have to be steam, as long as it has a .gcf library and uses the source engine
Also:
First instructable!
Feedback is lovely!
Please rate and comment!
note:
It doesn't have to be steam, as long as it has a .gcf library and uses the source engine
Also:
First instructable!
Feedback is lovely!
Please rate and comment!
Step 1: You need programs.
Neither can you find, nor can you edit the materials without any additional programs.
These are your saviors in that matter:
GCFscape:
A program used to open GCFs "Game Cache Files", which are actually folders containing all the games files.
Get it here:
http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=26
VTFedit:
While browsing the gfc, this program is used to open VTFs "Valve Texture File" These are the materials and sprites used in your game of choice.
Get it here:
http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?c=178
These are your saviors in that matter:
GCFscape:
A program used to open GCFs "Game Cache Files", which are actually folders containing all the games files.
Get it here:
http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?p=26
VTFedit:
While browsing the gfc, this program is used to open VTFs "Valve Texture File" These are the materials and sprites used in your game of choice.
Get it here:
http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?c=178
Step 2: Working GCFscape
Run GCFscape, and click on the "open" button. (under file...)
A new window pops up saying "open package". Here you browse your way to
C:\Program\Steam\steamapps
note: where i wrote "program", on you computer it might say "programs" or "program files". On Windows 7 64 bit, it's "Program Files (x86)"
When you're there, you'll find several files with blue cubes as icons. These are the GCFs.
Now, if you want to edit portal files, double click "portal content" (if you have portal,that is. It will work with any other game, yet portal will be my example)
At this point you will find folders. Click on the folder with the game's name, and then the materials folder.
Browse around until you find a VTF (not vmt) file that seems interesting, and open it with VTFedit.
Important!
Memorize the path!
Such as: Portal/Portal/Materials/Models/Props
A new window pops up saying "open package". Here you browse your way to
C:\Program\Steam\steamapps
note: where i wrote "program", on you computer it might say "programs" or "program files". On Windows 7 64 bit, it's "Program Files (x86)"
When you're there, you'll find several files with blue cubes as icons. These are the GCFs.
Now, if you want to edit portal files, double click "portal content" (if you have portal,that is. It will work with any other game, yet portal will be my example)
At this point you will find folders. Click on the folder with the game's name, and then the materials folder.
Browse around until you find a VTF (not vmt) file that seems interesting, and open it with VTFedit.
Important!
Memorize the path!
Such as: Portal/Portal/Materials/Models/Props
Step 3: Working VTFedit
Despite the name, VTFedit does not edit.
It merely turns your materials into regular image files. Then you can go on an editing rampage!
Note
converting a .vtf into .jpg or whatever does not remove the vtf, but creates an image file with the same name!
Next step!
It merely turns your materials into regular image files. Then you can go on an editing rampage!
Note
converting a .vtf into .jpg or whatever does not remove the vtf, but creates an image file with the same name!
Next step!
Step 4: The editing
Finally!
I get to edit it!
Open the converted image and do your thing!
I use mspaint, but photoshop is probably better.
I get to edit it!
Open the converted image and do your thing!
I use mspaint, but photoshop is probably better.
Step 5: Making the texture possible to use
So you exported a texture?
Good.
And you're done editing it, and want to cram it into the game?
Alright.
Now go open up VTFedit one last time.
Click on:
File > Import
Then browse to where you saved the edited texture and click "Open"
A window full of various settings will pop up. Click "OK"
Don't change anything here unless you really know what you're doing
Now you should have your edited texture in VTFedit.
Click on:
File > Save as
Save it as a VTF texture.
Remember to keep the original name of the texture!
Bam, now you have an edited VTF texture ready for use.
On to the next step!
Good.
And you're done editing it, and want to cram it into the game?
Alright.
Now go open up VTFedit one last time.
Click on:
File > Import
Then browse to where you saved the edited texture and click "Open"
A window full of various settings will pop up. Click "OK"
Don't change anything here unless you really know what you're doing
Now you should have your edited texture in VTFedit.
Click on:
File > Save as
Save it as a VTF texture.
Remember to keep the original name of the texture!
Bam, now you have an edited VTF texture ready for use.
On to the next step!
Step 6: Using your texture
Remember step 2?
Where I, while using GCFscape, wrote "remember the path"?
That was important.
Now, if your GCFscape path was
"Source Materials.gcf \hl2\materials\props_borealis\bluebarrel001.vtf"
You must put your finished texture here:
C:\Program\Steam\steamapps\ [Your steam account name here] \half-life 2\hl2\materials\models\props_borealis
If that folder does not exist, make a new folder with that name.
note:
"program" might still be "programs" or "program files". You should know this.
Congratulations
There. You can now open, edit, use and abuse any source material file!
Another note:
Animated, bump-mapped, glowing and transparent materials are all much more complex, and i don't know how to work with those.
Where I, while using GCFscape, wrote "remember the path"?
That was important.
Now, if your GCFscape path was
"Source Materials.gcf \hl2\materials\props_borealis\bluebarrel001.vtf"
You must put your finished texture here:
C:\Program\Steam\steamapps\ [Your steam account name here] \half-life 2\hl2\materials\models\props_borealis
If that folder does not exist, make a new folder with that name.
note:
"program" might still be "programs" or "program files". You should know this.
Congratulations
There. You can now open, edit, use and abuse any source material file!
Another note:
Animated, bump-mapped, glowing and transparent materials are all much more complex, and i don't know how to work with those.
Step 7: Update
I've found that the free and ever so lovely image editor paint.NET can be used to edit VTFs directly, making VTFedit somewhat obsolete.
For this to work, however, you need to download a VTF plugin for paint.NET, which can be found here.
Also, paint.NET can be found here.
Man. Things are so easy nowadays, there's barely any fun to it!
Anyways, happy smurfing!
For this to work, however, you need to download a VTF plugin for paint.NET, which can be found here.
Also, paint.NET can be found here.
Man. Things are so easy nowadays, there's barely any fun to it!
Anyways, happy smurfing!
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Probably? lmao
Anyway, nice instructable, well written.
Hopefully it gets a few people into skinning.
C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam. I'll add this to the instructable now.
Also, if you're using a pirated game you might not even have steam.
do that.
THANKS!
.avi is a video format. All in-game textures are in .vtf (and possibly .tga) format.
You'd probably be better off just recording the game with fraps or something.
If you really want to find those files, look for them yourself. I don't mean to be rude or anything, just consider it a learning experience.
I just said I don't even know how the Source engine works on 360.
Now you're asking me about all the other games?
materials/models/props/metal_box_skin001.vtf
(if you liked it, download is www.garrysmod.org/downloads/?a=view&id=74574)
sorry, you have never expiericed awesomenesss before
EPIC