How add a skin to a model

Engineer of Stuff

L1: Registered
Oct 1, 2017
13
0
I would like to add a skin to the intel sign. How would I do so?

Please explain or just post a link to an up-to-date tutorial.
 

ϺΞΤЯΘΉλϺ

L3: Member
May 8, 2017
126
107
alright so heres some steps(keep in mind to read before doing and if you already did this than go to the part you haven't done)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

GCFScape & VTFEdit

STEPS ON HOW TO DO THIS

Run GCF and locate this folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Team Fortress 2\tf

Open up Tf2_misc_dir

Make a new file on your desktop and name it TEMP and save the files there [This may take up to an hour]

Find the prop file and material in the folders that you want to edit

Option A open the file in vtfedit to edit its current texture and hit export from the drop down menu

Option B Making a texture to reskin the prop by File > Import

Than browse to your texture and click Open (don't touch anything else unless you know what your doing)

Now you should have your new texture in vtfedit, now click on File > Save As
Save
as a VTF texture but don't change the original name of your texture

Now go to your material folder and open up the vmt for your prop (now this is where it gets a bit weird for me so ether a look at other props with multiple skins or somehow work with how I did it)

Change or add with this

VertexLitGeneric
{
$baseTexture "models/[NAME OF PROP LOCATION HERE]"
$detail "(Folder location depending on how you did your texture ex if its adding like dirt to it than have a folder in materials called dirty, if its a new texture than have it in the material folder ect)[NAME OF VTF LOCATION]"
$detailscale "[50 50]"
$detailblendmode 0
}

Hit save and run hammer

And there ya go, I belive that's how you would do it (if I'm worng please correct me or tweak this to make it better)

Hope this helps :]
 

Necrσ

aa
Nov 16, 2015
198
488
I would like to add a custom skin to the existing gameplay sign.

btw, I already made my .vmf file.

I assume you mean vtf instead of vmf and if so make sure you have a corresponding vmt (see metro's post above).
(also, would it be easier to just copy the sign and retexture it instead of adding a skin to the existing sign?)
Basically to add a custom skin to a prop you need to decompile the prop, edit the QC File (The file that tells the model where the locations of the skins are, along with some other information), and then recompile the model with your added skin. This means when you release your map you will need to pack the model that you made (which will be identical to the existing model, except without your added skin), along with the texture files for your custom skin.

So to answer your question, either way, you are going to end up with a new model that will have your skin. Essentially you may as well just recompile your model with only your skin and without the other ones since its going to end up as a separate model anyway.

I'm not going to go into the specifics of actually doing this here, but here are some links to get you started:
Tool for decompiling models: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Crowbar
Learn how to compile models: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Compiling_a_model
The dev page for multiple skins on models https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Multiple_Skins_for_a_Single_Model
Another thread on the same topic: https://tf2maps.net/threads/how-do-i-add-a-skin-to-an-existing-model.4952/
 
Mar 23, 2013
1,013
347
, edit the QC File (The file that tells the model where the locations of the skins are,

You better change the model name/path too as overriding stock assets can carry over to the next map that is being played on the server.
some tf2maps member once told me this is no longer the case but it still happens on my maps so I recommend renaming path or name
 
Last edited:

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
You better change the model name/path too as overriding stock assets can carry over to the next map that is being played on the server.
In my experience it just plain refuses to work in the first place; the game refuses to override stock models. Not with ones packed into the map, and not even with ones stored locally.
 
Mar 23, 2013
1,013
347
In my experience it just plain refuses to work in the first place; the game refuses to override stock models. Not with ones packed into the map, and not even with ones stored locally.

I can't confirm that but we are talking about the material of the model which in my experience can be overriden... but like I said, I dont recommend that. In fact, I also recommend recompiling custom models to add a new texture or skin, because those give methe issues I mentioned before.