This tutorial will show you how to make your own animated menu backdrop, like this:
Something that looks hard can be very, very simple, and very easy to make your own. All it is is the game loading the map into the background using an info_observer_point.
Without the TF2 menu
For this, I'll be using one of my own maps to create a new backdrop, but you can do your own with any existing map (as long as you have the .vmf)
Firstly, open the map you're using in TF2, and find a nice spot you want the camera to be pointing.
Ze Spy has found a nice view
Open the console while in your position and type getpos, which dumps your coordinates and view angle to the console. If you're crouching, I recommend you bind this to a key (like F12) for easy access. Now take the coordinates from the console and open your map in Hammer.
Yes, it's still a WiP
Now, since the camera will be in one place, it dosn't need to render the entire map or anything behind the camera's field of view. It also dosn't need any areaportals, occluders, hints, skips or areas that won't be visible (eg. props behind walls), so remove all these. Texture any brushes you won't see with nodraw and turn them to func_detail (unless they are used seal the map). What I ended up with was this:
Huzzah, cut down goodness!
Place a info_observer_point in the map, and take the coordinates from before (hoping you DID write them down) and enter the setang infomation into the Pitch Yaw Roll box. Remember to compile with your skybox (which I forgot to do one time)
It's a bit of a pain to get the actual info_observer_point in the right place.
After that, save it and name it background_## (Replace the ## with anything you want, I put 02) and compile on whatever settings you like.
Download the valve.rc file and place it in your tf\cfg\ folder, and rename background_02 inside it to whatever your map is called. Load up TF2 and you should have a nice backdrop for your menu!
If you wish to release your background to other places, such as FPSB, remember to pakrat your map (if it has custom textures/models) and include the valve.rc file for the game to load the map.
If you want to download the map shown in this tutorial as your background screen, you can get the files from here.
Enjoy!
Something that looks hard can be very, very simple, and very easy to make your own. All it is is the game loading the map into the background using an info_observer_point.
Without the TF2 menu
For this, I'll be using one of my own maps to create a new backdrop, but you can do your own with any existing map (as long as you have the .vmf)
Firstly, open the map you're using in TF2, and find a nice spot you want the camera to be pointing.
Ze Spy has found a nice view
Open the console while in your position and type getpos, which dumps your coordinates and view angle to the console. If you're crouching, I recommend you bind this to a key (like F12) for easy access. Now take the coordinates from the console and open your map in Hammer.
Yes, it's still a WiP
Now, since the camera will be in one place, it dosn't need to render the entire map or anything behind the camera's field of view. It also dosn't need any areaportals, occluders, hints, skips or areas that won't be visible (eg. props behind walls), so remove all these. Texture any brushes you won't see with nodraw and turn them to func_detail (unless they are used seal the map). What I ended up with was this:
Huzzah, cut down goodness!
Place a info_observer_point in the map, and take the coordinates from before (hoping you DID write them down) and enter the setang infomation into the Pitch Yaw Roll box. Remember to compile with your skybox (which I forgot to do one time)
It's a bit of a pain to get the actual info_observer_point in the right place.
After that, save it and name it background_## (Replace the ## with anything you want, I put 02) and compile on whatever settings you like.
Download the valve.rc file and place it in your tf\cfg\ folder, and rename background_02 inside it to whatever your map is called. Load up TF2 and you should have a nice backdrop for your menu!
If you wish to release your background to other places, such as FPSB, remember to pakrat your map (if it has custom textures/models) and include the valve.rc file for the game to load the map.
If you want to download the map shown in this tutorial as your background screen, you can get the files from here.
Enjoy!
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