using custom assets

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
739
74
you put any materials and models folders right into tf/
once you need to release the map you have to pak it into the map using VIDE or other programs.

so I just drag the download into my tf folder?
 

Vel0city

func_fish
aa
Dec 6, 2014
1,947
1,589
so I just drag the download into my tf folder?

Essentially, yes, but in another way, no. Bear with me.

The folder you've downloaded contains a materials and a models folder.

The folder "models" should be merged with the already existing tf/models folder located on your hard drive.

In the "materials" folder, you'll also see a "models" folder. Go to tf/materials on your main drive, and place the "models" folder from the materials folder in that map. If you already have a "models" folder in tf/materials, merge it with that folder.

It's really important to understand that the stuff inside the tf/models folder is NOT the same as the stuff in the tf/materials/models folder. The latter contains the textures of the model which is stored inside the tf/models folder.

Once you have build your map, DO NOT FORGET TO PACK THE BSP WITH YOUR CUSTOM CONTENT. This goes for ANYTHING that does not ship with the stock game, so any custom material or model that YOU have downloaded separately form the game should be packed into the bsp. Get a program like Pakrat or VIDE to pack the custom content (in this case the wind turbines) into the bsp file (the file Hammer spits out after it's done compiling). If you don't know how to do that, search on Google for it. There are plenty of tutorials for it. If you don't do this step people that do not have the model will see a giant red ERROR sign, and any missing materials/textures will show up as a black and purple checkerboard texture.
 
Last edited:

Beetle

L9: Fashionable Member
Aug 17, 2008
627
178
so I just drag the download into my tf folder?

That depends on how the author of the custom model setup his folder hierarchy. If you downloaded a zip folder with just a folder named "tf" you drag that folder from the zip file into "Team Fortress 2"

edit: whoops ninja'ed
 

Vel0city

func_fish
aa
Dec 6, 2014
1,947
1,589
That depends on how the author of the custom model setup his folder hierarchy. If you downloaded a zip folder with just a folder named "tf" you drag that folder from the zip file into "Team Fortress 2"

edit: whoops ninja'ed

>:)
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
739
74
Note; seems I cant get the custom model and textures into my map; for the time being I am just going to have a notice of stock items only
 

Vel0city

func_fish
aa
Dec 6, 2014
1,947
1,589
Note; seems I cant get the custom model and textures into my map; for the time being I am just going to have a notice of stock items only

What're you doing to put the models into the tf folder? It should be really easy to do it like I and Tumbolisu said.
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
739
74
What're you doing to put the models into the tf folder? It should be really easy to do it like I and Tumbolisu said.

that's the problem; I did merge the files into my hardware assets; buy the assets themselves are not appearing in my prop library; for some odd reason
 

Vel0city

func_fish
aa
Dec 6, 2014
1,947
1,589
that's the problem; I did merge the files into my hardware assets; buy the assets themselves are not appearing in my prop library; for some odd reason

Have you restarted Hammer after you've added the models? Although there is a refresh option in the model browser, it sometimes borks out (yay for 10 year old SDK tools that have some traces back to 1998).
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
(complicated instructions for extracting files)
I think you overcomplicated this. If there's a /materials/ folder and a /models/ folder already in the download, then both should merge automatically and nothing else needed to be done.
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
739
74
Have you restarted Hammer after you've added the models? Although there is a refresh option in the model browser, it sometimes borks out.

restarted hammer yes; I typically need to reset it every 4 or so hours; for what ever reason It gets tired
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
739
74
oh side question; how do I make a selection group
 

Vel0city

func_fish
aa
Dec 6, 2014
1,947
1,589
I think you overcomplicated this. If there's a /materials/ folder and a /models/ folder already in the download, then both should merge automatically and nothing else needed to be done.

Depends on how you set Windows. I've had it multiple times where I THOUGHT i merged files but instead Windows outright replaced them instead or merging them.



Also 200 posts. Yay. I'm senior now.
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
739
74
Select the objects you want to group with ctrl and left mouse click and do a ctrl+G. It'll group things.

one that I can hide if needed (the world selection groupings things; there are some menus I find pointless, but I see map editors with more experience use them)
 

Crash

func_nerd
aa
Mar 1, 2010
3,315
5,499
one that I can hide if needed (the world selection groupings things; there are some menus I find pointless, but I see map editors with more experience use them)

To add something to a visgroup, you can select all of it and click this button at the top: :selectedtovis:

This will bring up this menu:
2015-03-21_16-14-43.jpg


Which you can then use to name your group, or place it into an existing group. It also has the options to remove it from any other groups and/ or hide it after you hit ok.
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
739
74
To add something to a visgroup, you can select all of it and click this button at the top: :selectedtovis:

This will bring up this menu:
2015-03-21_16-14-43.jpg


Which you can then use to name your group, or place it into an existing group. It also has the options to remove it from any other groups and/ or hide it after you hit ok.

thank god; working mostly in DEV textures is an eyesore, this helps me greatly