Downloading custom assets

[Donk]

Due to my lack of common knowledge, I keep somehow continuously fucking up every in the way of how I download files. I'll try it how I hear it, but I know I'm doing Something Wrong. Say I want to download the 'Dewm' or 'Frontline' assets. I'll download them, and to be safe, I'll make a file in the custom folder to copy the files to, as well as merging the original files with the models and materials folders in the regular TF directory. I'll load up hammer, and the models will load (On occasion without showing as a bright red, Iconic ERROR text.) So I'll go into the files, delete them and say something like, "Okay, maybe it's just this pack, I'll just continue on without those props and textures and such." But because of me and my dumbassery, I'll have deleted a CRUCIAL file to both programs which causes something to fuck up. So what I really need right now, Is just a detailed guide on how to install models and textures and packs in general. So, as I write this right now, I am reinstalling the game in it's entirety. So, Anyone got a good, Detailed tutorial on downloading assets and such?

 

[Viemärirotta]

Don't copy the files to both places. Hammer will use the ones from the tf folder over the custom. This makes packing impossible as it finds custom files but not the used tf files. I believe this also causes problems in-game.

Extract the assets to tf/custom, make sure they follow this hierarchy "custom/(assets)/materials/"
Alongside materials will be a model file as well. Anyways they don't work if there's an extra folder after your asset folder.

 

[Vel0city]

Here: https://tf2maps.net/threads/how-to-install-content-packs-or-other-custom-content.28758/

 

[Tumby]

If you replace files, you have already failed.